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ligion and virtue in the world, Dr. JOHNSON gives the folling character. "He employed wit on the side of virtue and religion. He not only made the proper use of wit himself, but taught it to others; and from his time, it has been generally subservient to the cause of reason and truth. He has dissipated the prejudice that had long connected cheerfulness with vice, and easiness of manners with laxity of principles. He has restored virtue to its dignity, and taught innocence not to be ashamed. This is an elevation of literary character, above all Greek, above all Roman fame. As a teacher of wisdom, he may be confidently followed. His religion has nothing in it enthusiastic or superstitious; he appears neither weakly credulous, nor wantonly sceptical; his morality is neither dangerously lax, nor impracticably rigid. All the enchantment of fancy, and all the cogency of argument, are employed to recommend to the reader his real interest, the care of pleasing the Author of his being."

Of his integrity in discharging the duties of his office, there is a striking proof recorded. When he was secretary in Ireland, he had máterially promoted the interest of an individual, who offered him, in return, a bank note of three hundred pounds, and a diamond ring of the same value. These he strenuously refused to accept; and wrote to the person as follows:"And now, Sir, believe me, when I assure you, I never did, nor ever will, on any pretence whatsoever, take more than the stated and customary fees of my office. I might keep the contrary practice concealed from the world, were I capable of it; but I could not from my myself: and I hope I shall always fear the reproaches of my own heart, more than those of all mankind.

A mind conscious of its own uprightness, and humbly

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trusting in the goodness of God, has the best ground to look forward with complacency towards another life. The following lines of ADDISON are sweetly expressive of the peace and pleasure which he enjoyed, in contemplating his future existence. "The prospect of a future state is the

secret comfort and refreshment of my soul. It is that which makes nature look cheerful about me; it doubles all my pleasures, and supports me under all my afflictions. I can look at disappointments, and misfortunes, pain and sickness, death itself, with indifference, so long as I keep in view the pleasures of eternity, and the state of being in which there will be no fears nor apprehensions, pains nor

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That these were not mere words, but the genuine sentiments of his heart, we have the most undoubted testimony in the manner of his death, as related by Dr. YOUNG, agreeable to the criterion he himself had laid down.

"A death bed's a detector of the heart:
Here tired dissimulation drops her mask,
Here real and apparent are the same;

Heaven waits not the last moment; owns her friends
On this side death; and points them out to men.
A lecture silent, but of sov'reign power!

To vice, confusion; and to virtue, peace."

"Mr. ADDISON," says the author of the Night Thoughts, “after a long and manly, but vain struggle with his distemper, dismissed his physicians, and with them all hopes of life. But, with his hopes of life, he dismissed not his concern for the living, but sent for a youth nearly related, and finely accomplished, but not above being the better for good impressions from a dying friend. He came; but life now glimmering in the socket, the dying friend was silent s

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after a decent and proper pause, the youth said, "Dear' Sir! you sent for me; I believe and hope you have some commands. I shall hold them most sacred." May distant ages not only hear but feel the reply! Forcibly grasping the youth's hand, he softly said, "See in what peace a Christian can die." He spoke with difficulty, and soon expired. .O..

FATAL EFFECTS OF DRUNKENNESS ON BOARD THE BUFFALO MAN-OF-WAR,

To the Publishers of The Cheap Magazine.

GENTLEMEN,

I HAVE somewhere read a story of a Hermit, to whom the Devil gave the choice to commit either of three crimes; two of them being of the most atrocious nature, the poor saint chose the third, as apparently bearing no proportion in point of enormity to any of the others-this was to get DRUNK! It appears, however, that he was completely out in his calculation; for no sooner had he become intoxicated than he made no scruple to commit the other two!

But, alas! we need not go back to the legendary tales of ancient times, to learn to guard against the fatal effects of this destructive vice of intemperance we have too many sad examples in our own day:-and as the following lamentable case which happened on board the BUFFALO, as related by a lady who was an eye-witness when on her passage from New South Wales, a few years ago*, cannot be too generally known, your giving it an early place in your highly useful, and, I am happy to learn, widely circulated Miscellany, will oblige

H

e, May, 1813.

HUMANUS.

"Saturday, 27th December.] SOME days have elapsed since I laid aside my pen. A dreadful catastrophe, which I will endeavour to relate as circumstantially as possible

* See Athenæum for July 1808.

possible, prevented my resuming it till I found my spirits more collected. It was Christmas eve, and we were sitting round a good fire, anticipating the pleasures of the ensuing day, for which great preparations had been making for several days, when we heard a great noise on the main-deck, which we soon learned was occasioned by Mr L. one of the midshipmen, who was excessively intoxicated. Stripped to his trowsers, his face flushed with liquor, his countenance dark and malignant, and his mouth foaming with passion, he was uttering the most horrid oaths, and threatening to strike or destroy every person near him. He refused obedience to the orders that were given to confine him to his cabin, which was under the half-deck, till menaced to be punished at the gangway. He then went in, and the door was shut upon him, but not fastened. In less than five minutes afterwards he appeared, stark naked, just under the main-chains on the gangway, having got out at the port in his cabin. He was discovered standing on the gangway, by his calling out, "make haste, messmates, bear a hand, I am going to drown myself; bear a hand, messmates, tell them I am going to drown myself;" All hands thronged to that side of the ship; he looked up and said, "call my messmates, tell them I am going to drown myself, I wish well to all the Buffalo's ship's company;" and instantly plunged into the deep, before any means could be used to prevent him. The ship was going at the rate of seven knots, directly before the wind, a considerable sea was on, and night had just set in, it being between nine and ten o'clock, so that he must have been out of all reach before a boat could have been lowered. To describe the horror and dismay it occasioned throughout the ship is impossible. One moment we had all been witnesses to the dreadful state of drunkenness he was in,

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and had heard his blasphemous oaths, and the next, whilst they were yet quivering on his lips, we saw him rush into the presence of his Maker, "with all his imperfections on his head." It cannot be expected that the next day, the joyful anniversary of our Saviour's nativity, would pass over very chearfully, while the circumstance was still so recent; and it appeared to have had a very serious effect on the minds of his messmates, and I hope will be a warning to some of them, who were known to drink very freely.”

HINTS RESPECTING THE PRESENT MODE OF BRINGING UP CHILDREN.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE CHEAP MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN,

Should the following Hints be esteemed worthy of a place in your useful Miscellany, their insertion will oblige A FRIEND TO YOUTH

THE care of children has been always reckoned the most important charge that can be intrusted to mortals. Not only the temporal prosperity, but also the eternal welfare of the rising generation, depends in a great measure on those who have the forming of their youthful minds. Were proper notions of God, and his attributes—of man's miserable state by nature-of the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ; and of the duties which man, as a rational creature, owes to man, deeply imprinted on the mind when young and unbiased by iniquity, they would seldom fail of producing the happiest effects; for

"Children like tender osiers take the bow,
"And as they first are fashion'd, always grow."

But

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