for it."-What a generous thing must love be, since a few feathers of it only could thus bear a man up above a difhonest action! Would God, that not only all lawyers, but that all men alfo had more of it!

To the man who loves not, the payment of his debts is often a great penance. Avaro owes 500 guineas-500 guineas! Avaro had as lieve it were 500 drops of his heart's blood. To-morrow is the day of payment; a fad day to Avaro! Avaro goes with a heavy heart to his strong box to take one more view of his dear poor guineas. takes them up in his hands; he hugs them to his breaft :-" Sweet precious gold, and must I part with you! Dear delight of my eyes and joy of my heart, must I to-morrow refign you for ever!" Avaro fighs piteously, and locking them up again in his box, goes out groaning

He

like

like one who follows his first born to

the grave.

It

Now turn your eyes to a very different character; I mean Benevolus. is love only that makes the difference. Benevolus owes a fum of money to his neighbour Agathos. Benevolus poffeffes not only that delicate sense of honor, and that nice regard to reputation, thofe laudable motives to duty which animate all men of honor; but he feels fome of a fweeter and still stronger nature.-Benevolus loves his neighbour Agathos; hence he takes an intereft in his welfare. Agathos, in lending this money, fhewed a confidence in Benevolus. Benevolus is eager to evince that it was well-founded. Agathos, may by this time be wanting his money,-Benevolus feels an anxiety to replace it. Benevolus has reafon to believe that it would be a pleasure to Agathos to receive

Z 2

ceive it-Benevolus haftens to give him that pleasure.

"I ONCE, faid the charming Pulcheria, owed a neighbouring woman, a fum: On going to her house to pay it, I met one of her daughters, whose drefs fhewed a tattered wardrobe my heart rejoiced that the fupply of their wants was at hand: and had I, continued the dear girl, been in fufficient circumstances, nothing would have made me happier than to have owed them ten times as much."-O for more love; more love! Without this, there can be not only no pleafure, but indeed no Steadiness in the payment of debts.Great stress I know has been laid on what is called a fenfe of honor: But a mere man of honor is an unfafe debtor. In those corrupted countries, where the laws and fashions are not very decidedly in favour of justice, men of honor have been

been found to fit perfectly eafy under the weight of their debts.

MISOCHRISTIS is a man of honor; but he lives in a country where it happens not to be the fashion for men of honor to pay their debts under three or four years. Mifochriftis, you fee, is furrounded by a croud of creditors, who are importunate with him for their money. Of ten had he avoided them before by making his fervants deny him; but, unfortunately, that stratagem would not answer to day, for they poped in upon him before his ufual hour of rifing. He at firft determined not to ftir out of his chamber; but they as obftinately determined not to ftir until they faw him. He then ordered his fervant to tell them that he was indifpofed and could speak to no body; but the news of his indifpofition did not foften them in the leaft-See him they muft, Whereon he fent word that he would

furrender,

furrender, and immediately comes to a

parley.

"How now, gentlemen," fays he, "can't a perfon be fick in his own "houfe? Give me leave to tell you, "that you don't behave handfomely.

"WHAT have you to fay, Mr Rhe"don? You made me a coach I fancy "about three years ago; and have I "not paid you twenty pistoles on ac"count? Indeed you are vaftly to be pitied! Go, go, don't be afraid of your money; no body lofes any thing by me. See there is an honeft man "who has been my baker these fix 66 years; he knows how to behave him"felf to a perfon of my diftinction; "he has had great patience, and he "fhall not be a fufferer by it. Mr Rhe"don, your fervant,-I have fomething "to fay to thefe gentlemen,-you will ❝ call again.

"My