portunity of observing her. Her face was thin and pale; part of it was fhaded by her hair, of a light brown colour, which was parted, in a disordered manner, at her forehead, and hung loose upon her fhoulders; round them was caft a piece of tattered cloak, which with one hand she held across her bosom, while the other was half outstretched to receive the bounty I intended for her. Her large blue eyes were caft on the ground: She was drawing back her hand as I put a trifle into it; on receiving which the turned them up to me, muttered fomething which I could not hear, and then, letting go her cloak, and preffing her hands together, burst into tears.

It was not the action of an ordinary beggar, and my curiofity was ftrongly excited by it. I defired her to follow me to the house of a friend hard by, whofe beneficence I have often had occafion to know. When fhe arrived there, she was fo fatigued and worn out, that it was not till after fome means used to restore her that she was able to give us an account of her misfortunes.

Her name, fhe told us, was Collins; the place of her birth one of the northern counties of England. Her father, who had died feveral years ago, left her remaining parent with the charge of her, then a.child, and one brother, a lad of feventeen. By his industry, however, joined to that of her mother, they were tolerably fupported, their father having died poffeffed of a fmall farm, with the right of pafturage on an adjoining common, from which they obtained a decent livelihood: that, laft fummer, her brother having become acquainted with a recruiting ferjeant, who was quartered in a neighbouring village, was by him enticed to enlift as a foldier, and foon after marched off, along with fome other recruits, to join his regiment: That this, fhe believed, broke her mother's heart, for fhe had never afterwards had a day's health, and, at length, had died about three weeks ago: That, immediately after her death, the steward, employed by the 'fquire of whom their farm was held, took poffeffion of every thing for

the

the arrears of their rent: That, as he had heard her brother's regiment was in Scotland when he enlifted, The had wandered thither in queft of him, as she had no other relation in the world to own her! But the found, on arriving there, that the regiment had been embarked feveral months before, and was gone a great way off, the could not tell whither.

"This news," said fhe, "laid hold of my heart; " and I have had fomething wrong here," putting her hand to her bofom, "ever fince. I got a bed and some "victuals in the house of a woman here in town, to

whom I told my story, and who feemed to pity me. "I had then a little bundle of things, which I had "been allowed to take with me after my mother's "death; but, the night before laft, fomebody stole it " from me while I flept; and the woman faid the "would keep me no longer, and turned me out into "the street, where I have fince remained, and am al"most dying for want."

She was now in better hands; but our affistance had come too late. A frame, naturally delicate, had yielded to the fatigues of her journey and the hardships of her fituation. She declined by flow but uninterrupted degrees, and yesterday breathed her last. A fhort while before the expired, the asked to fee me; and taking from her bofom a little filver locket, which she told me had been her mother's, and which all her diftreffes could not make her part with, begged I would keep it for her dear brother, and give it him, if ever he should return home, as a token of her remembrance.

I felt this poor girl's fate ftrongly; but I tell not her ftory merely to indulge my feelings; I would make the reflections it may excite in my readers useful to others who may fuffer from fimilar caufes. There are many, I fear, from whom their country has called brothers, fons, or fathers, to bleed in her fervice, forlorn, like poor Nancy Collins, with "no relation in the world to "own them.” Their fufferings are often unknown, when they are fuch as moft demand compaffion. The

mind that cannot obtrude its diftreffes on the ear of pity, is formed to feel their poignancy the deepeft.

In our idea of military operations, we are too apt to forget the misfortunes of the people. In defeat, we think of the fall, and in victory, of the glory of commanders; we feldom allow ourfelves to confider how many, in a lower rank, both events make wretched! How many, amidft the acclamations of national triumph, are left to the helpless mifery of the widow and the orphan, and, while victory celebrates her feftival, feel, in their diftant hovels, the extremities of want and wretchedness!

The Arts of deceiving Conscience.

T is easy for every man, whatever be his character with others, to find reafons for efteeming himself; and therefore cenfure, contempt, or conviction of crimes, feldom deprive him of his own favour. Those, indeed, who can fee only external facts, may look upon him with abhorrence; but when he calls himself to his own tribunal, he finds every fault, if not absolutely effaced, yet fo much palliated, by the goodness of his intention, and the cogency of the motive, that very little guilt or turpitude remains; and when he takes a furvey of the whole complication of his character, he difcovers fo many latent excellencies, fo many virtues that want but an opportunity to exert themselves in act, and fo many kind wishes for univerfal happiness, that he looks on himself as fuffering unjustly under the infamy of fingle failings, while the general temper of his mind is unknown or unregarded.

It is natural to mean well, when only abftracted ideas of virtue are proposed to the mind, and no particular paffion turns us afide from rectitude; and fo willing is every man to flatter himself, that the difference between approving laws and obeying them, is frequently forgotten; he that acknowledges the obligations of morality, and pleases his vanity with enforcing them to others, concludes himself zealous in the cause of virtue, though he has no longer any regard to her precepts than they conform to his own defires; and counts himfelf among her warmeft lovers, because he praises her beauty, though every rival steals away his heart.

There are, however, great numbers who have little recourse to the refinements of fpeculation, but who yet live at peace with themselves, by means which require lefs understanding, or lefs attention. When their hearts are burthened with the consciousness of a crime, instead of seeking for fome remedy within themselves, they look round upon the rest of mankind, to find others tainted with the fame guilt: They please themselves with obferving,

ferving, that they have numbers on their fide; and that though they are hunted out from the fociety of good men, they are not likely to be condemned to folitude.

No man yet was ever wicked without fecret difcontent; and according to the different degrees of remaining virtue, or unextinguifhed reafon, he either endeavours to reform himself, or corrupt others; either to regain the station which he has quitted, or prevail on others to imitate his defection; for, as guilt is propagated, the power of reproach is diminifhed; and, among numbers equally deteftable, every individual may be fheltered from fhame, though not from confcience.

The man who is branded with cowardice, may, with fome appearance of propriety, turn all his force of argument against a ftupid contempt of life, and rafh precipitation into unneceffary danger. Every receffion from temerity is an approach towards cowardice; and though it be confeffed that bravery, like other virtues, ftands between faults on either hand, yet the place of the middle point may always be difputed; he may therefore often impofe upon careless understandings, by turning the attention wholly from himself, and keeping it fixed invariably on the oppofite fault; and by fhewing how many evils are avoided by his behaviour, he may conceal for a time those which are incurred.

It is generally not so much the defire of men, funk into depravity, to deceive the world, as themselves; for. when no particular circumftances make them dependent ön others, infamy difturbs them little, but as it revives. their remorse, and is echoed to them from their own hearts. The fentence moft dreaded is that of reafon and conscience, which they would engage on their fide at any price but the labours of duty, and the forrows of repentance. For this purpofe every feducement and fallacy is fought; the hopes ftill reft upon fome new experiment, till life is at an end; and the laft hour steals on unperceived, while the faculties are engaged in refifting reason, and repreffing the fenfe of the Divine disapprobation.

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