Family Worship Explained and Recommended. facts ought to be verified by good authorities. Nor fervilely to yield to a particular opinion in any known inftance, unless that opinion coincides with private obfervation. Fi 277 nally, not to limit their attention to the productions of any one country, fince the philofopher may look upon the whole earth as his domain. OBSERVATOR. Family Worship Explained and Recommended, in four Sermons. By William Dalrymple, D. D. TH HIS work is dedicated to the the various measures of divine Proauthor's near relations, and vidence; to rejoice with moderation, recommended to his parishioners in and to fubmit with chearfulness. The the preface. Though the fubject confcience, at eafe in itself, diffuses a be common, and treated in the like fweetnefs of ease all around their common way, it is, nevertheless, dwelling. To be affured of God's well that useful leffons, efpecially love, heightens that invaluable prifuch as are paffing into forgetfulness, be often repeated; and that important duties, fuch especially as are falling into neglect, be recommended with every circumftance of advantage. In thefe views, the prefent publication is feafonable. It is the devout Patriarch teaching piety to his defcendants. It is the aged Paftor carrying home, to the clofets of his endeared flock, advices which he had given them from the pulpit, and from houfe to house. The following is a fhort specimen of the work. "If you are yet to connect yourfelf in a family-relation, be fure you eye in that connection, the love of godlinefs" more than the world: for this, with contentment, is great gain." No fruit is fo natural to a genuine pious principle, as an equal calm temper. Money, which anfwers most things without a man, is quite infufficient for this. On the contrary, ftorms of rancour, under vifible and fhocking expreffions, are, perhaps, ofteneft to be met with among fuch. The houfe, which is refpectful of Deity, is likelieft to be a quiet or bleffed houfe. This brings people near to the fountain of all good. This fits the cleanfed mind and heart, both to fee and reft in 66 vilege, and adapts the foul to its external ftate, be what it will. So doth my "good and gracious Father" defign for me, and this is enough. He must be covetous, with a wimefs, whom fuch a Father doth not fatisfy. O the riches of contentment are not to be expreffed by human words; and these are what you have to look for, from a chief pious intimate, more," by far, "than thousands of gold and fil ver." See then, if you are yet to connect yourself in a family-rela tion, whom you make choice of Let the obvious love of godliness determine this point; and judge not of what may be affected by outward forms, but by a prevailing sweetness of temper along with thefe; a chearful, contented one. The Houfe devil has too often, and perhaps with too much justice in fome cafes, been a reproach to apparent figus of houfe religious bemage: but the conjunction is quite unnatural; and, therefore, I hope more rare, than certain fcoffers at piety, to excufe their own wicked freedoms, would willingly make it. We plead not for fuch, to make them refpcctable, but own, without the leaft befitation, that they are an abfolute difgrace to what they would feem to JOA his family before we fat down to fupper." Mr Boswell's example, in publishing to the world what paffes in private families is queftionable. The flow of familiar converfation freezes at the entrance of fuch a guest. What an idea of the state of religion does this anecdote convey! A reputable clergyman is defired to pray in a gentleman's house. This he reckons a peculiar obliga tion, worthy of a public acknowledgment in a printed book. For the Edinburgh Magazine. JOANNES BROWN, Pictor eximius, nonis Septembribus anno falutis 1787, Edinæ urbis fuæ natalis, diem obiit fupremum annos natus triginta quinque. Neminem fere virum illo præftantiorem novi, quique magis five ingenio five arte elucebat. Annos plus decem in Italia, Romæ præfertim Florentiæque, degebat, ipfis in artium ingenuarum nobiliumque domiciliis, ftudia ifta quibus ab ineunte ætate fe imbuerat recolens, ad veterum fefe magiftrorum exemplar effingens, eorumque veftigiis inhærens; avitas artis fuæ Jaudes, avitamque dignitatum æmula tus. In iis vero ftudiis tantum indies proficiebat uti oμOTEXT fuorum Romæ degentium feu æquaret feu vinceret præftantiffimos. Poft labores in Italia peractos, optimarum artium fcientia imbutus, Aonioque Mufas vertice deducens, Edinam tandem fuam patriofque Jares revifit. Neminem fere adhuc Scotia pictorem viderat quem fuo in gremio fotum poffet gloriari, quemque fimul Græcis artibus Romanifque florentem patriæ fuæ Dii ipfi redonare viderentur. At non eadem qua decebat gratia, neque eo quo digniffimus fuit honore, patria fua Brounium excepit. Multi quidem viri honefto loco nati, difertiflimus quifque, quique artibus liberalibus in urbe liberaliffimis ftudiis affluente ftudebant, Brounium fibi af civerunt comitem, amicum adamarunt. Quanquam vero multorum amicitiam caritatemque fibi Brounius conciliaret, at non fimul et patrocinium defertæ quafi apud Scotos et hactenus inculte ciplinæ confecutus eft. Huc acce debat quod pingebat tantum Brounius, neque, ut ufu fit, picturis fuis colores inducebat; quippe quem fæpe differentem audivi, colores qui picturis poffet faciem præ fe antiquam ferentibus inducere præter Titianum extitiffe neminem. Hanc itaque artis fuæ partem nunquam attingere voluit Brounius, pingendo folum contentus. Hinc quod plerifque patrocinatur, commendatio ei vulgaris defuit; neque quo fe liberius effunderet ingenio fuo fpatium eft conceffum. Pauci enim funt qui animum pictura pafcere inani volunt, cui defunt prorfus pigmenta et blandimenta ifta quibus vulgus hominum adeo captatur. Brounio parva res erat, neque fibi ipfe patrocinari valebat. Londinum adeundi confilium hinc iniit, ubi morbo correptus patriam iterum revifit animamque heu inter amicorum lacrymas demum efflavit. Quæ a Brounio punctis tenuibus pingebantur maxime præcellebant. Nihil quidem his præftantius quifquis unquam viderit, nihil elegantius, pulchrius, for mofius, dulcius,-limatius nihil neque magis exquifitum. Teftis eft, formofiflima illa formofiffimæ virginis Burnetta effigies; Teftis eft, quam Domina Keith Stewart imaginem Brounius exaravit: Teftis denique, quæ Duciffe de Gordon facies eft expreffa pulcherrime. Neque Brounió pingendi tantum facultas aderat, utpote qui et alias literatifimus extitit. Latine haud parum doctus, nec Græce, quod nunc ufu fit, prorfus nefciebat. Linguam Italicam mire callebat, fuaviffimæque iftius loquela delicias tuin perpendebat criti cus, Paternal Cruelty.-An Oriental Tale. cus, tum collaudabat amator exponebatque. Germanicam quoque linguam Florentiæ degens edidicit, penitiffimofque fermonis hujufce nervofi virilifque fontes acceffit. Nihil quidem fere hoc genus non tentavit Brounius, nihil quod tentavit non eft confecutus. Grammaticæ hinc artis doctiffimus extabat, dictionifque indagator acutiffimus. De judicio electione que verborum, de fententiis concinnandis ftruendifque, de omni denique orationis elegantia fimul et fanitate, differuit fagacius nemo, neque exiftimavit æquius. Inerat enim Brounio multa ad explicandum facundia, ad indagandum judicandumque prudentia mira. Mufices amantiffimus fimul Brounius atque folertiffimus erat. Carmina Italorum divina et ipfum modulantem audivi, fonofque elicientem dulciffimos. Muficam vero contemplationem ratio nemque adeo percalluit, uti fcientiam iftam belliffimam fibi quafi propriam vindicaffe, jure videretur. Hac fcientia inftructus ad linguarum diverfarum, fuæ præfertim Italicæ, indoles ac rythmum indaganda acceffit, conamine felici, fucceffu feliciffimo. Non defuerunt quidam, neque ii ineruditi ac plane maligni, qui arrogantiam quandam Brounio ac petulantiam exprobrabant. Animus fcilicet erectus et excelfus, fortunæ novercali animofe obluctans, fpeciem fcurræ non facile admittebat; ferviliorifque obfequii cri 279 At men effugienti periculum eft ne plus Summus ab optimis viris, quorum confuetudine ufus eft, gratiffimufque Brounio noftro honos deferebatur. Quin et ipfe etiam Burkius Scotiam iterum vifens, quum Edinburgum acceffiffet, Brounium adiit, quippe qui literatiffimum eum, optimifque artibus florentem, acceperit. Ad hanc vero famam fuftinendam amplificandamque Brounio vita defuit. Honores virefcentes cito arefcent. Quid enim quod ex fanétis amicorum mentis receffibus memoria ejus nunquam exulabit? Quid, quod ante oculos illis femper obverfetur, pectoribufque Brounii vivat imago? Brevis hæc gloria atque mortalis eft, neque quæ apud pofteros vigeat. At viventi Brounio, neque in medio ipfo curfu abrepto, fumma pofterorum laude condecorato, famæ gloriæque æternitas contigiffet. Quoniam vero iniquiffimo fato accidit, ut famam fibi fuperftitem non pepererit Brounius, amici certe eft amico munere fungi-gratiflimo illo quidem, sed, eheu, inani ! A Paternal Cruelty.-An Oriental Tale. MERCHANT, named Kébal, had efpoufed a young, rich, and beautiful woman, who, in fpite of the Mahometan law, which allows polygamy, would never deign to fhare the heart or bed of her husband. Kébal, meek and fubmiffive, ftood in fuch awe of his imperious wife, to whom he owed his fortune, that, at her inftigation, he renounced the privilege which the law gave him, and swore inviolable fidelity to her. His affairs obliging him to take a journey, he became enamoured of a young flave, whom he purchafed for 500 fequins; absent from his wife, he foon forgot her, and the oaths he had made her. At the end of nine months the flave brought an infant into the world, whofe birth, far from pleafing the father, filled him with the moft bitter apprehenfions. Kébal, anxious to maintain peace in his family, did not hesitate to procure it by an attrocious crime; his wife, whom he had forgot in a moment of infatuation, prefents herself to his mind; and the dread of a jealous woman di vefts him of all the feelings of humanity. The first facrifice he made to his repofe was the unfortunate object of his amours; having difpatched the mother, he meditated the deftruction of the child; but the voice of nature would be heard, inhuman as he was, and, in fpite of himself, it arrested his uplifted arm. Averted from the defign of fhedding his own blood, he determined to expofe the infant in a defert, perfuaded that the innocent victim mult foon foon perish there. But Providence, who watched over it, conducted a fhepherd to the place where it was laid. The poor man, ftruck with its beauty, cries, and distress, carried it to his cottage; and his wife, as compaflionate as he, chearfully took charge of the infant, and gave it a fhe goat for a nurfe. The child had juft attained its fourth year, when Kebal chanced to pafs thro the village where the fhepherd dwelt, and through neceifity became his gueft; be obferved his fon without the leaft remembrance of him; but whether fmitten by the beauty of the infant, or admonished by nature, he felt himself affected at the fight of it, and asked the fhepherd if he were the father. What was the furprife of Kebal, when the fhepherd related to him how he found the infant, and when he dif covered him to be his fon! To the fe feelings of fympathy he had been touched with, fucceeded the fentiments of violent hatred; but he diffembled that pallion, and feigning himfeif charmed with the child, offered fifty fequins for the purchase of it. The penury of the fhepherd, his affection for the infant, and perfuafion of its being happier in the hands of a rich man than in his own, difpofed him to confent to the merchant's propofal. Far was he from fufpecting the lot that awaited it. No fooner had Kebal got it into his poffeflion, than he conveyed it to the fea-fhore. Neither the beauty of this infant, nor its innocence, its fond carefes, its cries, nor its tears, could foften the rugged heart of Kébal. Having fewn his fon into a fack, he throws him into the fea, firmly perfuaded that he fhall not efcape death a fecond time. But heaven had ordained otherwife; it was caught in a fishing net, and drawn to land. The fisherman aftonished, opened the fack, and finding an infant, ftill breathing, within it, fufpended it by its feet; having, by that means, recovered it, he carried it to his cabbin. The fon of Kébal was deftined to meet with every where fouls fufceptible of humanity, excepting that of his barbarous fa ther. The fisherman brought him up to his own profeilion, and the child foon diftinguished himfelf in it by his activity and courage. Deftiny and trade led Kébal again to the place where his fon welt; and obferving a youth of an engaging mien with the fisherman, he made fome inquiry about him, which the mafter answered, by recounting to the merchant the manner in which he found him. Kebal difcovering his fon, could not comprehend how he had escaped a death which he thought inevitable. Enraged to find himself unfuccessful after fuch repeated crimes, he determined to také more effectual measures for the future: with this view, he offered the fisherman 500 fequins for the young man, and the bargain was immediately concluded. Kébal, without making himself known to his fon, kept him near him as a flave, and, unmoved either by the fweetness of his difpofition, or his fidelity, grew daily more determined to procure his death. Two years had elapfed, during which his fon had ferved him with unparalleled zeal, when, putting a letter into his hand, "Depart," fays he, "immediately for Bagdad, and deliver "this paper to my daughter, whom you "will find there; I have recommend"ed you to her care; continue with "her till my return, which I fhall not " long delay." The young man obeyed Kebal, and fet out on his journey. On his arrival at Bagdad, he inquired for his master's houfe, and knocking at the door of that he was directed to, was met by Kébal's daughter. She, receiving a letter from her father by the hand of a youth more beautiful than Love him felf, opens it with impatience; but what horror was fhe feized with at reading these words: "The perfon that is charged with this "letter to you, is my greatest enemy: "I fend him to you, that you may "contrive his deftruction, and I ex"pect from you that mark of filial af"fection." The daughter of Kebal, far from refembling her father, had an heart undif guifed, and full of humanity. She viewed the meffenger more attentively, and · could not refrain from loving him. Love fuggefted to her a means of faving the life of a perfon, who became in a moment fo dear to her, and of attaching him to her for ever. Having ordered the young man to wait, the wrote another letter, counterfeiting her father's hand, to this effect: "The 66 bearer of this letter is as dear to me as a fon would be; confider him as "myfelf; entrust him with the management of all my affairs; and give 66 Poetry. my daughter Melahié to him in mar"riage." Having fealed the letter, fhe returned to the young man, "You are mistaken,' fays fhe to him, "the letter you gave 66 me, is intended for my mother; I “will conduct you to her apartment." The youth delivered it to the mother, who having read it, and not doubting but that it was the hand-writing of her husband, punctually executed the orders he had given her, and married her daughter to young Ké bal. The father, in the mean time, having finished his bufinefs, returned to Bagdad. How much was he furprifed at his arrival, to find his fon alive and well; but how much more fo still, when he heard that he was his fon-in-law. Thefe events appeared. to him incredible; but the fear of difcovering his own villainy, took away all defire of an explanation. He thought it moft advifable to diffemble; and to conceal, under the mask of friendship, the mortal hatred he had always borne to his innocent child. But Melahié was not impofed upon by this fallacious ferenity; her tender concern for the life of a beloved husband, made her very attentive to the conduct of her father. Kébal, a few days after his arrival, gave his fervants a feast; "Make merry," fays he, to-night, and "celebrate my return home; but I have a fervice to require of you: "An enemy in fecret has designs upon "my life; I will invite him hither this 66 281 At the appointed hour, Kébal bid his fon go down into the court, to fummon up one of his domeftics; he was just defcending the fatal itair-cafe, when his wife, ever alarmed by fufpicions, ftopped him, and begged him not to execute a commiffion which fhe conceived a little myfterious, and conducted him another way to her own apartment. Kébal, in the interim, was racked by the paffions of hope and fear: An half hour being elapfed, and no tidings of the fuccefs of his perfidiousness, he was eager to learn if his fervants had executed their charge, and defcended the ftairs in hafte. They who had been commiflioned with this order, having heard no one go down before, and not queftioning but that this was the def. tined victim, rushed in upon him, and murdered him in the dark. Such was the well-deserved catastrophe of that inhuman father. He, to whom he had given life, and whom he had fo repeatedly attempted to rob of it, inherited all his effects. As his birth was a fecret to him, he lived happily with his wife, and never knew he was his fif ter. The Eastern Hiftorian concludes this relation with an Arabian proverb: "He "that digs a well for his brother, falls " into it himself." Beneath the fliding moon the chiefs were plac'd, Near a grey rock fierce Lochlin's king And, while around was borne the cirlay flain; Whofe voice did late the dismal battle fire: And all our foes, who rag'd with furious ire, That 'fcaped fell death, did on the white waves bound. Mid our brave chiefs was heard the echoing lyre, VOL. VI. No 34. cling fhell, 1 The Bards, with fongs, the fleeting moments chac'd. Sudden in Offian's eye foft forrows fwell, And fudden down his checks low trickling fell. O'er his wild lyre his trembling hand he flung, M m |