"perience, that while you fee me fuffer you may know alfo my confolation.

"You behold the mourner of his only "child, the last earthly stay and bleffing of "his declining years! Such a child too! → "It becomes not me to speak of her virtues; "yet it is but gratitude to mention them, be"cause they were exerted towards myself. "Not many days ago you faw her young,

beautiful, virtuous, and happy ;-ye who "are parents will judge of my felicity then,

-ye will judge of my affliction now. But "I look towards him who ftruck me; I fee "the hand of a father amidst the chaftenings God. Oh! could I make you feel

"of my

"what it is to pour out the heart, when it is "preffed down with many forrows, to pour "it out with confidence to him, in whose "hands are life and death, on whofe power "awaits all that the first enjoys, and in contemplation of whom disappears all that the "laft can inflict! For we are not as thofe

"

"who die without hope; we know that our "Redeemer liveth,- that we fhall live with "him, with our friends his fervants, in that "bleffed land where forrow is unknown, and "happiness is endlefs as it is perfect. - Go "then,

F 3

"then, mourn not for me; I have not "loft my child: but a little while, and we "shall meet again, never to be feparated.

"But ye are alfo my children; Would ye "that I should not grieve without comfort? "So live as fhe lived; that, when your "death cometh, it may be the death of the "righteous, and your latter end like his."

t

Such was the exhortation of La Roche; his audience anfwered it with their tears. The good old man had dried up his at the altar of the Lord; his countenance had loft its fadnefs, and affumed the glow of faith and of hope. Mr followed him into his houfe. -The infpiration of the pulpit was paft; at fight of him the fcenes they had laft met in rushed again on his mind; La Roche threw his arms round his neck, and watered it with his tears. The other was equally af fected; they went together, in filence, into the parlour where the evening-service was wont to be performed. The curtains of the La Roche ftarted back at

organ were open;

the fight.

"Oh!

--

my friend!" faid he, and

his tears burft forth again. Mr

had

now recollected himself; he ftept forward,

and drew the curtains close- the old man

wiped off his tears, and taking his friend's hand, "You fee my weakness," said he, "'tis the weakness of humanity; but my "comfort is not therefore loft.". " I

"heard you," faid the other, "in the pul"pit; I rejoice that fuch confolation is "yours."- "It is, my friend," faid he, "and I truft I fhall ever hold it fast;·

if

"there are any who doubt our faith, let "them think of what importance religion is "to calamity, and forbear to weaken its "force; if they cannot reftore our happi66 nefs, let them not take away the folace of our affliction."

Mr 's heart was fmitten; and I have

heard him, long after, confefs, that there were moments when the remembrance overcame him even to weakness; when, amidst all the pleasures of philofophical discovery, and the pride of literary fame, he recalled to his mind the venerable figure of the good La Roche, and wished that he had never doubted.

N° 45.

TUESDAY, June 29. 1779.

S he a man of fafbion? is the ufual que

ftion on the appearance of a ftranger, or the mention of a perfon with whom we are unacquainted. But, though this phrase be in the mouth of every body, I have often found people puzzled when they attempted to give an idea of what they meant by it; and, indeed, fo many and fo various are the qualities that enter into the compofition of a modern man of fashion, that it is difficult to give an accurate definition or a just description of him. Perhaps he may, in the general, be defined, a being who poffeffes fome quality or talent which intitles him to be received into every company, to make one in all parties, and to affociate with perfons of the highest rank and the firft diftinétion.

If this definition be juft, it may be amufing to confider the different ideas that have prevailed at different times with regard to the qualities requifite to conftitute a man of fafbion. Not to go farther back, we are told

by

by Lord Clarendon, that, in the beginning of the last century, the men of rank were dif tinguished by a ftately deportment, a dignified manner, and a certain ftiffnefs of ceremonial, admirably calculated to keep their inferiors at a proper distance. In those days, when pride of family prevailed fo univerfally, it is to be prefumed, that no circumstance could atone for the want of birth. Neither riches nor genius, knowledge nor ability, could then have intitled their poffeffor to hold the rank of a man of fashion, unless he fortunately had sprung from an ancient and honourable family. The immenfe fortunes which we are now accustomed to fee acquired, almost instantaneously, were then unknown. In imagination, however, we may fancy what an aukward appearance a modern nabob or contractor would have made in a circle of thefe proud and high-minded nobles. With all his wealth, he would have been treated as a being of a different species; and any attempt to imitate the manners of the great, or to rival them in expence and fplendor, would only have ferved to expofe him the more to ridicule and contempt.

As riches, however, increafed in the na