Mr. Ambrose led his son Edwin round all these different assemblies, as a spectator. Edwin viewed every thing with great attention, and was often impatient to inquire of his father the meaning of what he saw: but Mr. Ambrose would not suffer him to disturb the congregations even by a whisper. When they had gone through the whole, Edwin found a great number of questions to put to his father, who explained every thing to him in the best manner he could. At length, says Edwin, But why cannot all these people agree to go to the same place, and worship God the same way? And why should they agree? (replied his father.) Do not you see that people differ in a hundred other things? Do they all dress alike, and eat and drink alike, and keep the same hours, and use the same diversions? Aye---but those are things in which they have a right to do as they please. And they have a right, too, to worship God as they please. It is their own business, and concerns none but themselves. But has not God ordered particular ways of worshipping him? He has directed the mind and spirit, with which he is to be worshipped, but not the particular form and manner. That is left for every one to choose, according as it suits his temper and opinions. All these people like their own way best, and why should they leave it for the choice of another? Religion is one of the things in which mankind were made to differ. The several congregations now began to be dismissed, and the street was again overspread with persons of all the different sects, going promiscuously to their respective homes. It chanced that a poor man fell down in the street, in a fit of apoplexy, and lay for dead.---His wife and children stood round him, crying and lamenting in the bitterest distress. The beholders immediately flocked round, and, with looks and expressions of the warmest compassion, gave their help. A Churchman raised the man from the ground, by lifting him under the arms, while a Dissenter held his head and wiped his face with his handkerchief. A Roman Catholic lady took out her smelling bottle, and assiduously applied it to his nose. A Methodist ran for a doctor. A Quaker supported and comforted the woman, and a Baptist took care of the children. Edwin and his father were among the spectators.---Here (said Mr. Ambrose) is a thing in which mankind were made to agree. ANECDOTE. Long before Mr. Howard arrived at the zenith of his theatrical fame, he was a perforiner in a country company. One night, while he was performing a character in genteel comedy, he was interrupted by three or four drunken men in the boxes, dressed as officers. After attempting in vain to go forward with his part, he quitted the dialogue he was engaged in with one of the actresses, and coming to the front of the stage addressed himself immediately to these distinguished personages, in the following words ;---" Though I am a player, I have had the education of a gentleman; I have the honour to converse frequently with gentlemen ; and I flatter myself, my conduct is such as will not disgrace the notice I am favoured with. Suffer me to do my duty to this audience; and, in less than an hour, I will convince you that, whatever characters I may occasionally assume,---I am in reality an Englishman."---The audience applauded; the play went on and the gentlemen went off. THE STORY OF THE COUNT DE ST. JULIEN. This Narrative is given as the relation of a Prior of the Convent THE HE Count de Saint Julien was descended from a very ancient family, and was only at the age of twenty, when the death of his father made him master of a considerable sum of money, and of an estate in Dauphine, which might have supported him in the same affluent manner his ancestors had lived in, had not an unbounded love of pleasure taken an early possession of his heart.-Dauphine became soon too confined a sphere for him to move in ;--the dissipations of Paris better suited the gaiety of his temper, where his figure, his expence, and his lively parts, quickly introduced him into the politest assemblies.-He was brilliant in all places of public resort,-ostentatious in his gallantries, and was admitted to many of the petits soupés of the esprits forts; which are coteries, composed of wits and free-thinkers, who have too much vanity to agree in the received notions of mankind; but by their art, and the pleasantry of their ridicule, often operate too powerfully on weak minds, by undermining the good principles they may have imbibed, and substituting their own pernicious ones in their place. Saint Julien had soon after his arrival at Paris, taken an Italian figuredancer of the Opera into keeping; who bore him one son, whom he named Frederick ;-a youth of fine parts, formed by nature with great sensibility, and with a mind so happily disposed, as might have rendered him a worthy and shining character, had not all these advantages been overshadowed by a false education, and their movements corrupted by the bad example of a father, who having, in a long course of dissipated connections, lost his own morals, gave himself little concern about those of his son-conceiving that the exterior accomplishments of a gentleman, comprehended every thing that was most material to carry him successfully through the world. The infidelity of Saint Julien's mistress in a few years totally dissolved the attachment; and Frederick, by the time he attained the age of nineteen, became a companion to his father in all his vices, and likewise encouraged in such as he had a propensity to himself-the dignity of a parent being as much forgotten by the one, as the respect of a son was by the other. Pleasure and extravagance gradually waste the amplest fortune.-The Count's had, during the twenty-four years he had quitted Dauphine, been annually decreasing::--nor could it, by the course of his expences, have lasted so long, but for his abhorrence of every kind of play, and had not some beneficial bequests from deceased relations, retarded its dissolution. He constantly expended far more than his income, and his, estate had dwindled away by sales of an hundred acres at a time, till necessity compelled him to abridge many of his expences.-The contract for the old family mansion, with all the remaining land about it, was just compleated, and the four thousand louis-d'ors, which the purchase a mounted to, paid into his banker's hands, when the following event gave a new turn to his life, and fortunes. Among les filles entretenues, there was at that time at Paris the Clairville, who then lived under the protection of one of the Farmer Generals, whom I shall speak of by the name of D'Avignon.-She was a woman of much beauty and great intrigue; but by her address, constantly flattered his vanity and weakness; and by the success of her art, kept her gallantries concealed from him.-Saint Julien had made repeatéd overtures to this lady, and had been treated by her with a disdain his pride could not brook; she had however bestowed a more favourable look on his son, whom she had met in the Thuilleries, and frequently had conversed with; and whose youth and elegant figure had made a sensible impression on her heart.-For there was still an amiableness of character about him, nor could his assumed air of licentiousness disguise a certain ingenuousness of mind, which must continue to please as long as nature hath a charm. It chanced that Frederick, coming one evening out of the French Comedy, found the Clairville in one of the passages of the Theatre, waiting for her coach, which by some accident among the carriages was prevented from drawing up. With his usual address, he offered to see her safe out ;---and the result of half an hour's attendance and assiduity, was an appointment with him to meet her at the masquerade, which was to be a few nights after, where she gave him to understand she should be found only with a female friend ;---intimating at the same time that D'Avignon had business which would call him some leagues from Paris, and notifying the dress by which he might discover her. Frederick, who had been constantly tutored by his father, that gallantry was the first accomplishments of a gentleman, never scrupled to communicate to him the progress he made in any he was engaged in ; he therefore, with his accustomed familiarity, informed him of the assignation he had made with the Clairville. Saint Julien concealed the surprise he felt at this intelligence---the contempt which had been shewn him by that lady, recurred with fresh poignancy, from the mortification his high spirit suffered by the preference given to Frederick; he however so sufficiently possessed himself, as not to appear in the least discomposed, and advised him by all means to pursue the affair. When a father is so unprincipled as to become a rival to his son, in a matter of this nature, it argues a mind so totally depraved, as to require but little apology to be made for the despicable meanness of the Count in seizing this occasion to revenge himself of a woman,---and by exposing her infidelity to D'Avignon, ruin her power ;---not in the blindness of his passion foreseeing the ill consequence that might happen to his son in this business. The Farmer General receiving an anonymous letter, which hinted to him, "that the next masquerade might discover if he possessed the affections of his mistress so fully as he imagined," doubted for some time whether he should pay any attention to its writer;---but jealousy is a passion easily awakened in men of debauched characters; and more predominant in advanced years.---He resolved on his intended journey; but took care to get back to Paris time enough to be present at the mas 117 querade. As he was ignorant of the Clairville's dress, he might in so large an assembly have probably returned without finding her, had he not, after more than two hours anxious search, at last discovered her, by' means of some jewels in her hair, which he had presented her with himself. He saw her whole attention given to the gentleman who was with her,---observed she conversed with no other,---and had now little reason to scruple the intelligence he had received. He watched them with earnestness and rage, the whole night, till they quitted the ball; nor lost sight of her, till he saw her cnter with her gallant the house he kept for her. The servants observing a mask follow almost immediately their mistress and her friend, concluded it to be one of the party; but the instant that D'Avignon had reached the garden apartment, which was his usual supper room, and whither she had conducted her lover; he threw them both into the utmost consternation, by discovering himself to them; ---he with ungovernable passion reproached the lady for her inconstancy; ---and drawing a sword, which he had concealed under his dress, ran with fury upon her paramour. Frederick throwing off his domino, hastily seized one of D'Avignon's own swords, which hung with a hat and belt, in the room where they were; and thus armed, used every endeavour to appease his autagonist by words :---but the other, pressing on him with a vehemence which would listen to no palliation, the unsuccessful youth found himself compelled to defend his own life; and in the recounter mortally wounded the Farmer General.---Clairville fell into a swoon, and Frederick fled instantly out of the house, with that precipitance and perturbation which must ever be natural to so unhappy a situation. This unfortunate event happening early in the morning, D'Avignon did not survive many hours. Though Saint Julien enjoyed in idea, the secret triumph which this stratagem gave him over a woman, whose conduct towards him had provoked so unmanly a resentment; yet he apprehended from its success no other result than her disgrace; never conceiving that from such a connection as D'Avignon had with her, any, point of honour would have stimulated him to oppose the arm of age to the vigour of youth. He felt himself however when the time arrived, by no means in an easy situation. It was a painful suspense, between hope and fear: he was alarmed for the difficulties in which he might possibly have involved his son, and feared also that the great influence of the Farmer General, when he should know who had supplanted him in the affections of his mistress, might be highly prejudicial to the future interests of Frederick. He passed the night in much disquiet; nor dared the next morning to make any inquiry, lest he might awaken suspicion; but in the utmost anxiety waited at home the arrival of his son, wholly ignorant of the scene that had been acted; till the following letter, delivered about noon to his servant, by an unknown person, opened to him the fatal catastrophe. "My rendezvous with the Clairville, to which you so strongly prompted me, hath been attended with the most dreadful consequences---we were surprized immediately on our return from the masquerade by D'Avignon, who flew at me with the madness of an assassin. It was in vain that I attempted every thing in my power to appease his passion--I was at last necessitated to oppose violence to violence, and in defending my own life, I have but too much cause to apprehend, that I have deprived him of his, "In the hours of horror which I passed since, I have been awakened as from a dream, to a just sense of myself. I view with despair my youth plunged so early into vice, and stained with another's blood! "Terrible as my reflections are,---they turn with indignation on a parent, who, instead of guiding my steps to virtue, hath trained them in the paths of profligacy: and by his own wretched example deceived his son into ruin. "By the time that this reaches you, I shall be many leagues from Paris.---To fly from myself is impossible,---but I will hasten to some distant part of the world, where the fatal errors of my life may be unknown; and strive with repentant tears to amend a corrupted heart. “ Unconnected---forlorn---and friendless,---my necessities have compelled me in the moment of departure, to deceive your banker into the payment of half the money lodged in his hands. I can hardly regard 'this action as criminal, when I consider this little sum as the all I can share, of a noble patrimony, squandered away in extravagance, and which, had honour governed your life, I might have inherited. With this I must push my future destiny; what it may be, is unknown---and will ever remain so to you; as this will probably be the last you will hear of your "Lost, and unhappy Saint Julien, on reading this letter, for the first time felt the dignity of virtue. He almost sunk at the reproaches of a son, of which his own conscience confessed the justice: and he had the additional misery to reflect, that he was the secret cause of the fatal cvent which had driven him away for ever from his sight. Though this was a circumstance lodged within his own breast, yet the guilt of it was likely to remain a lasting thorn there. The task which so unhappy an affair must occasion, ---a ruined fortune---an exhausted credit---the slights he had been long shewn by many---and his last remaining finances, sunk to a half by Frederick, ——were sufficient motives to awaken an idea, which he soon after executed, of bidding adieu to Paris. He concerted his plan with a person of considerable rank, who had been much attached to him, and who furnished him with such recommendatory letters to one of the Electoral courts as procured him, in a short time, a decent post, and the countenance of his new master. In this situation St. Julien lived near eight years, if not happily, at least as comfortably as could be expected ;---his company was pleasing---and all that was known of his story was, that he had, through imprudence, ran out a considerable fortune. ---The recollection of past scenes, and the uncertainty he was in about his son, over-shadowed the joy of many an hour ;---but he exerted all the powers of dissipation to drive away every uneasy remembrance.-- It is not an easy task to reclaim a depraved mind !---The spirit of intriguing remained still the predominant passion of Saint Julien ;---and having by long and varied importunities attempted to seduce the affections of a lady about the court, whose absent husband was a general officer in high esteem with the Elector, he was instantly dismissed from his employment, and commanded by his prince, at the peril of his safety, to withdraw from his dominions in four and twenty hours.-- He collected precipitately the very little property that remained to him, and retired in haste to the Canton of Fribourg.---He was now surrounded by |