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haps unenlightened piety, have attached them inflexibly to the caufe of religion and virtue-When I confidered in this light the characters and cir. cumftances of its members, I was in 'duced to form the most respectful, and even extravagant notions of the wifdom, dignity, and virtue of this Af fembly. The British Houfe of Peers confifts of an order of men whofe hereditary wealth and honours often render them averfe or carelefs to practife that manly virtue and vigorious indaftry which are neceffary to conftitute perfonal merit. In the Houfe of Commons, among wife politicians and honeft patriots, there is a mixture of the unprincipled pillagers of the Eaft, deftitute of every merit but enormous and ill-gotten wealth; and political adventu rers, the mean creatures and dependents of minifters and opulent nobles. But in a General Affembly, virtue, abilities, and dignity of character might be expec ted to meet. The fubjects of their confideration, and the objects of their in, quirics appeared to be fcarce of fufficient confequence in the world, to caufe any finifter arts to be used for influencing their determinations; and, at the fame time, the nature and defign of their conftitution feemed to exclude from their body every contemptible or unworthy character. If the ambaffador of Pyrrhus reverenced the virtue of the ruftic and unpolifhed fenators of Rome; if the eloquence of orators, the venerable fanctity of priefts, and the awful dignity of jud ges, have ever attracted the admiration and commanded the refpect of mankind; furely, faid I, the Affembly of the Church of Scotland must be truly refpectable. When I was elected elder from our Prefbytery to the Af fembly of this year, I regarded that as the most honourable and important circumftance of my life. Though I bad fometimes mingled with the world, and had often felt and obferved the frailties of human nature, yet fuch were the romantic notions which I fondly entertained on this occafion.

But I am now fully fenfible of the fanciful extravagance of thofe notions, I shall not, at any time be heard to boast of the honour which I have enjoyed in affifting at the deliberations of this Affembly; nor fhall I ever again thew any folicitude for being invested with the fame character. Dignity decorum, candour, eloquence, and a firm adherence to the right in preference to what is merely planfile or fabionable, are what I here foolifly expected, but have not found. I have beheld vanity and petulant dulnefs difplay themfelves in all their glory: I have, in the courfe of the various bu finefs before us, liftened to orators, who feemed to have learned to speak, without knowing it to be fult necef, fary that they fhould think; who seem, ed to be fatisfied with pouring forth a torrent of words, without informing, or influencing the fentiments of their brethren; and whom you would have gueffed to have painfully got by rote, like parrots, thofe fpeeches which they delivered, had they not been fo wholly deftitute of meaning, that they could be only the productions of their own babbling tongues. Some I have obferved endeavouring to make up by loudnefs of voice, fome by violence of action, and fome by a feeming cafe and indifference, for want of words, or want of thoughts. Bluntnefs, pert nefs, and volubility of tongue, were alternately mistaken for wit; and if, perhaps, a man had already acquired a reputation for wit or humour, he was able to make my good brethren and fathers of the General Affembly diftort their faces, and thake their fides with laughter, without faying one good thing. Inftead of candour and calmnefs, heat and prejudice, or elfe liftlefs indifference appeared to conduct the difcuffion of almoft every queftion. Without enlargement of views, without accurate inquiry, without mature deliberation, refolutions were haftily paffed, in fome cafes, in which, by a different conduct, the dignity and refpectability of the Af

fembly

fembly might furely have been bet- of our country in behalf of the dif treffed Africans; again we confidered that our application was not likely to produce any ufeful effects: and we concluded, that it was not incumbent upon us, as upon elders and paftors in the days of St Paul, to be inftant in feafen, and out of feafon. Yet I mean not to infinuate, that this Affembly difplayed to my obfervation more egregious dulnefs or folly, more confident difregard of truth and juftice, or lefs regularity and decorum than must in the prefent age, diftinguish every court equally numerous, equally promiscuous, and whofe attention is not engaged by objects more highly inter elting to themfelves or to the public. My expectations are indeed difappointed; but I had foolishly expected to find things inconfiftent united in clofe union. I had hoped to behold together the zeal of Knox, and the liberal fentiments of Prieftly; the majesty of ancient Roman fenators, with the ci vility of well-bred Scotchmen. How ever, I am difgufted with fuch affemblies: I rejoice that I have hitherto spent my time moftly in the country, equally at a distance from the bufinefs and the pleafures of the world; cultivating my little farm, reading again and again my few books, partaking with my family in a few genuine and fimple pleafures, and joining with them in equally fimple and fincere exercifes of devotion. Neither ambition nor zeal fhall ever bring me to another General Affembly. I am, Dear Brother, Yours affectionately, J. C.

ter fupported, and the caufe of juftice and humanity more fully vindicated. However important the fubject of confideration, or however much efteemed the eloquence of the speaker who was holding forth, nothing could prevail with the members to continue, even for ten minutes, ftill or quiet. Some were always paffing and repaffing, to the great difturbance and confufion of the whole houfe. Doubtlefs, they retired to meditate or to pray, and returned, after accomplishing, or vainly labouring for, the end for which they retired; and, indeed, fome of thofe gentlemen appeared, on their return, to be inflamed with the fpirit; but ftill the feefon which they chofe for thofe purposes was rather inconyenient. I was forry alfo to obferve the exiflence of party, where there appears no room for party-fpirit. What can poffibly produce or cherish that fpirit, when power, affluence, and confideration do not appear denied or held out to any one fet of political fentiments, or any one tenor of public conduct more than another? But perhaps I am wrong, and fome weighty confiderations of intereft determine every member, with regard to the fide of the houfe on which he fits, and the fide of the queftion on which he votes. The Slave-trade came under confideration; but we had amongst us either too little philofophy, or too little concern for the interefts of our Negro brethren, to inquire into and determine upon the injuftice, impolicy, and inhumanity of that traffic. At one time, we thought it below our dignity to apply to the legiflature

TH

Anecdotes of Frederick the HE unremitting and ftrict attention of the King of Pruffia, is perhaps unparalleled among men, and is one of the most remarkable traits in his extraordinary character.

Great, late King of Pruffia.

That degree of induftry, which a man endowed with the greatest intellectual power may bestow on certain occafions, employed the king in the courfe of forty-fix years; without fuffering him

felf

felf to be interrupted in his plan for one fingle day, either by pleasure, indulgence, chagrin, or difappointment. As his age and infirmities increased, it happened once that he flept a little longer than he defigned to do; this vexed him fo much, that he order ed his valets de chambre to wake him every morning precifely at four o'clock, and not fuffer him to fall asleep again, whatever he might fay to them. Not long after, a newly-appointed valet entered the king's bed-chamber to execute his commands: "Let me lay a little longer," faid the king, "for I am exceedingly fleepy!" Your Majefty ordered me to call you at this hour. "Only a quarter of an hour longer I fay"-Not one minute your Majef ty; it is paft four o'clock, and I will not be fent away in this manner.— "You are a brave fellow," exclaimed the king, rifing, "for you would have fared ill if you had fuffered me to fleep any longer." .

except the barking of his little grey hound fhould betray him to the Pan dour-horfemen paffing the faid bridge but the animal, as if fenfible of its mafter's danger, preffed herself clofe to bis perfon, without making the leaft noife. Soon after, the king met General Rothenburgh, to whom he fmilingly prefented little Biche as one of his molt faithful friends. Not long after this, in the battle near Soor, the poor dog fell into the hands of the Auftrians along with the king's baggage. The lady of General Nadalli took it, and was, after many folicita tions, with great difficulty prevailed upon to return the fame to its royal owner. The king fat writing juft when Biche was brought back to the palace. Rothenburgh foftly opened the apartment, and Biche entering unperceived jumped upon the table, stood before the king, and laid her fore-legs round his neck, which fo much rejoiced her master, that the tears glif tened in his eyes. A little monument has been erected in the palace of Sansfouci to the memory of this faithful creature; and her progeny remained about the king's perfon till he died.

The king's magnanimity, made an impreffion on diftant nations; and even uncivilized men felt themselves unnerved by his incredible, dauntless intrepidity. In the feven years war, he, attended by a small suite on horfeback, went out to reconnoitre. Some Pandours lay in ambush in a wood, and took their aim, though ineffectual, a the king's party, by discharging their mufkets fingly.

It is one of the most agreeable a mufements to an obferver, to follow the unfubdued herp in his domeftic and private life, and there to trace his pliant heart, and all thofe little, focial inclinations which mark a tender foul. Among the latter, his fondnefs of dogs deferves to be mentioned, for he was exceedingly partial to thefe good-natured and faithful animals. He generally kept a number of fmall leather balls in his cabinet, which he fuffered thefe faithful companions to play with. If they were ill, he ordered them to be carefully attended to. One of thefe four legged favourites accompanied him every where, in his first campaigns. At one time, when quite alone, he A chaffeur perceiving the hero rehad ventured himself too far, he un- gardless of their attempts, cried out, expectedly discovered a troop of Pan-Pleafe your Majefty to fave yourdours coming up the road, whom he could not avoid by any other means, than by concealing himself under the arch of a bridge thrown over a pretty large ditch. In this difagreeable fituation he was hid from every one, and had feemingly nothing to apprehend,

felf; for behind yonder tree very near the road, fomebody has prefented his mufket at your perfon." Frederick remained quite compofed, and looking perceived a Pandour taking aim at him: when lifting up his cane, and calling to him with a menacing voice,

faid, "Ah, firrah!" the affrighted Pandour dropt his piece, uncovered his head, and remained in this refpect ful pofture till the king had paffed him.

The king being fond of jefting, ufed frequently to bestow his favours in a jocofe manner, on those who enjoyed the honour of his particular attachfients. One day when the ftate minifter, and the first master of the horse, Count Schwerin, dined with him, the king faid: "I know you are fond of going to church; but tell me pray what do you think of God?" The count replied, "Please your Majefty, I have always thought God to be gracious, but now I have altered my opinion." "For what reafon, pray?""That otherwife he would not have fuffered my eftates to he burnt down." Here the king broke off the converfation. The following day, he asked the count: "Do you know how to explain dreams?" "Not very well, fire." "I had a dream last night !" "Indeed," fays the count. I have converfed with God; what does that mean?" "I do not know how to explain it, fire, unless I could divine the fubject of your Majefty's converfation with God." "Well then, I converfed with God, and he bade me re-build the burnt eftates of count Schwerin. Since he has ordered it fo, I have already affigned the needful fum, and given proper directions for that purpofe." "I return my humble thanks to your Majefty," replied the count. But pray," fays the king," what is now your opinion of God?" "The fame again, as it was at firft, viz. That he is gracious, and that your Majefty is the inftrument of his grace towards me; wherefore my warmest thanks are but too feeble."

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the fame. The princess, very much irritated by this behaviour, fent the officer word, he was willing to pay the penalty and requested that he himfelf would bring the filk.-He o beyed-fhe took the gown from him

and giving him a fmart box on the ear, ordered him to be turned out of the apartment. The officer, thinking his honour wounded, had a long complaint drawn up by a lawyer, refpecting this cafe, which he delivered to the king. To which he gave the following anfwer: "I agree to lofe the duty Let the princefs keep the filk---and the officer the box on the ear; as to his being difhonoured, I declare the touch of a fair hand cannot dishonour the face of an excife officer,"

On the introduction of a new hymnbook, four parishes petitioned the king for permiffion to use the old one, with which they were much better acquainted; and received the following an fwer:

"His Majefty, our most gracious fovereign, is too fenfible of the invaluable privilege of a reasonable and prudent toleration in religious matters, to take amifs the petition of the four parishes, delivered by them on the 14th inftant, and much lefs to oppofe the fame. His Majefty on the contrary, is of opinion, that the duty of every good fovereign, and father of his country, makes it a pofitive and unalterable law, to give full liberty to his fubjects to believe and to arrange their worthip as they pleafe; but fo far only, as their doctrines and religious ceremonies are not contrary to the peace of our state, or to the good morals of our country. Therefore, his Majesty will not fuffer the constraint to prevail in the churches, refpecting the catechism or hymn-books, but is pleafed The Princess Elizabeth of Pruffia, to allow, that every creed fhall be and had ordered fome rich filk for a gown, remain entirely at his fubjects difcrefrom Lyons, in France; but foreign tion. And yet the new catechifm, filks being totally prohibited in the and the new hymn-book, are, perhaps, Pruffian dominions, the excife officer more intelligible, more rational, and had the temerity to feize and confifcate" more confiftent with true religion; as

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fo many other parifhes, at the head of which, are fo many perfons of an eftablifhed reputation, have given the preference to the latter. The faid four parishes, therefore, may make themfelvs very eafy; fince, as already mentioned, they, as well as their fellowfubjects, are perfectly at liberty to be fieve, and to fing whatever pfalms they, please. FREDERICK.'

Berlin, 18th Jan. 1781.

The King's own poftfcript.. "Every one may believe what he pleafes, if he is but honeft. Refpet ting the hymn-book, every body is at liberty to fing

At prefent all the woodlands fleep; Men, beafts, and towns, and fields, &c. ör füch fimilar nonfenfical and foolish ftuff. And the priests are not to forget toleration; for their hobby-hofe perfecution will never be fuffered in my dominions. FREDERICK."

The marshal of the court, the count ✦-d S***, folicited the king, that his Majefty would be pleafed to prefer his fon in the military fine.

The king returned to the count the
following Cabinet Order:
"Wellborn, beloved, faithful!
"I have obferved the folicitation

respecting your fon; by your letter of
the 22d May; and mult tell you, that
long ago I have given orders to ad-
mit no counts whatever into my army
because, after having ferved one or
two years, they generally return home.
If your fon really wifhes to ferve, his
title must have nothing to do with his
military duty; nor can he ever ad-
vance, if he does not study his pro-

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the marquifate of Brandenburg, comThe magiftrate of a little village, in mitted a burgher to prifon, who was charged with havin, blafphemed God, the kings and the magiftrate. The burgomafter reported the fame to the king, in order to know what punishment fuch a criminal deferved. The following fentence was written by his Majefty in the margin:

"That the prifoner has blafphemed God, is a fure proof he, does not know him; that he has blafphemed me, I willingly forgive; but for his blafpheming the magiftrate, he fhall be punished in an exemplary manner, and committed to Spandau ‡ for baif an FREDERICK."

hour.

In a church of one of the Roman

catholic cities in Silefia, it was fre quently obferved, that, of the offerings brought to the Virgin Mary, feveral to find out the thief, the clerk noticed were milling. After many endeavours a foldier, who was generally the first and the laft perfon in the church. He was therefore ftopt, and fome things cffered found upon him. Notwithstande boldly afferted, that the Virgin Mary, ing this, he denied the theft, and to whom he always applied when in want, had, in the night-time, brought thefe pieces of filver to his lodgings. The King's own poftfcript. This fubterfuge was not listened to a "Young noblemen who learn no- but a court-martial adjudged him to a

feffion.

I am your affectionate King,
FREDERICK"

f An old evening hymn, well known in moft parts of Germany.

fevere

This is a famous fortification, where ftate-prifoners and criminals are ufually incarcerated.

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