Altamont.

my body, lies in ruins; in scattered fragments of broken thought. Remorse for the past, throws my thought on the future. Worse dread of the future, strikes it back on the past. I turn and turn, and find no ray.-Didst thou feel half the mountain that is on me, thou would struggle with the martyr for his stake; and bless heaven for the flames-that is not an unquenchable fire."

How were we struck? yet soon after, still more. With what eye of distraction, what a face of despair, he cried out,

66

'My principles have poisoned my friend; my extravagance has beggared my boy; my unkindness has murdered my wife!-And is there another hell?-Oh! thou blasphemed, yet most indulgent Lord God! hell itself is a refuge, if it hides me from thy frown.".

Soon after his understanding failed. His terrified imagination uttered horrors not to be repeated, or ever forgot. And ere the sun (which I hope has seen few like him) arose, the gay, young, noble, ingenious, accomplished, and most wretched ALTAMONT expired."

Publio.

CHAPTER XIII.

Adorned with all that earth or heaven could give

To make her amiable.

MILTON.

How doubly dreadful is Death, when it hurries away an affrighted and unprepared soul from all the splendor and pomp of earthly greatness; from noble mansions; elegant gardens; beautiful and extensive parks; numerous attendants; large possessions; and all the bright circle of towering grandeur? "And must I leave these?-Curse upon my fate-must I leave all these?" said the noble PUBLIO; as stretched upon the bed of acute disease, he lay struggling with his fate, like a wild bull in the net; impatient and restless under the hand of Omnipotence, as the untamed lion in

Publio.

the toils of the Lybian hunter. Yes, PUBLIO, thou must leave all these; and, proud and vain as thou hast been of thy titles and honours, as much elevated as thou hast thought thyself above thy fellow mortals, thou must now at length experience that Death levels all distinctions, and strikes at thee with as cruel unconcern, as he strikes at the meanest peasant who toils in the spacious fields. Why will men forget this obvious truth? surely if the noble would bear it in mind, it would be a powerful check against every motion of pride, and would instantly crush the least tumour of elation.

If we look to this world only, how superior are the advantages which the great and wealthy enjoy; how infinitely superior to those which the poor and mean can attain? But if we look beyond the present scene, nay, if we look only at the parting moment, how great advantages have the poor over the wealthy? Poverty denies to men the enjoyment of almost every thing which the rich call convenient and comfortable; much more of what they call elegant and pleasurable. But poverty disengages the affections from this transitory scene, and, depriving men of the en

Poverty.

joyment, renders them indifferent to the continuance of life. He who has nothing to leave be hind him, must be supposed to quit the stage with infinitely less regret, than he who is sur rounded with every thing that can elevate the desires, or delight the heart of man. Now, if we were steady to our Christian principles, and fixed in our pursuits of the blessings of eternity, doubtless, in this view, poverty would be very far from being ever esteemed an evil.

But let us not conceal the truth: there is often more of envy and chagrin in our strictures on wealth and greatness, than real contempt of these idols, than true christian renunciation of them : and it is to be feared, that our remarks respecting their possessors are frequently stretched beyond the line of truth. It is a point of which long experience and close observation have left me no room to doubt, that the great are not the happy: I mean, that sincere felicity, and an exalted state, have no natural and necessary connection. Yet am I equally satisfied that the poor are not the happy. If the disturbing and higher passions molest the repose of the former, the chagrining and vexatious passions sufficiently ruffle

Happy Man.

the quiet of the latter. In great goodness and condescension to his creatures, the all-wise disposer of things hath made happiness peculiar to no state, and attainable in all. It is a plant which will thrive in every soil, though some may be more kindly to it than others: I have seen it blooming in all the verdure of the most flourishing palm-tree, in the splendid palace of the noble I have seen it fresh, beautiful, and fragrant, in the lowly dwelling of the peaceful and contented cottager. For the true Christian is the happy man? and he who is indeed a Christian, will find peace and joy, whether in the cottage or the palace.

What could have deprived the gay, the young, the noble, ingenious, and most accomplished ALTAMONT, of happiness superlatively pleasing, had he but known and practised that divine religion, whose excellence is sufficiently marked by the name of him who revealed it-the eternal Son of God? Every earthly bliss crowded around the noble young man, sedulous to present themselves, and anxious to offer their sweets to his hand. Elegant mansions, highly furnished with all that art could bestow, were ready provided for him;