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at Barn Elms.

You know with what clear and

graceful eloquence she speaks on every subject. Her antagonists were fhallow theologists, and opposed only idle and pointless raillery to duty, and long studied. reasoning, on the precepts of scripture, delivered in persuasive accents and harmonious language.

Without any design of making a proselyte, she gained one. Mifs Harry grew very serious, and meditated perpetually on all that had dropped from the lips of her quaker friend, till it appeared to her that quakerism was true christianity. Believing this, fhe thought it her duty to join, at every hazard of worldly interest, that class of worshippers. On declaring these sentiments, several worthy and ingenious clergymen were employed to talk and to argue with her : but we all know the force of first impressions in theology, and Mrs Knowles's arguments were the first she had listened to on this important theme. This young lady was reasoned with and threatened in vain. She persisted in resigning her splendid expectations, for what appeared to her the path of duty. Her father, on being informed of her changing her principles, told her that she might choose between one hundred thousand pounds and his favour, if the continued a church woman, or two thousand pounds and his renunciation, if she embraced the quaker tenets. She lamented her father's displeasure, but thanked him for the pecuniary alternative, afsuring him that it included all her wishes in point of fortune. She soon after left her guardian's house, and boarded in that of Mrs Knowles, to whom the often observed, that Dr Johnson's displeasure, (whom VOL. ix.

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she had often seen at her guardian's house, and who had always been fond of her) was amongst the greatest mortifications of her situation; and once she came home in tears, and told her friend She had met Dr Johnson in the street, and had ventured to ask him how he did; but that he would not deign to speak to her, but passed scornfully on.' She added, you and he are to meet soon in a literary party. Plead for me.'

You remember our all dining together at Mr Dilly's; and the conversation after dinner, which began with Mrs Knowles saying:

"I am to intreat thy indulgence, doctor, towards a gentle female, to whom thou used to be kind; and who is unhappy in the lofs of that kindness. Jenny Harry weeps at the consciousness that thou wilt not speak to her."

Madam, I hate the odious wench, and desire you will not talk to me about her.'

"Yet what is her crime, doctar ?"

Apostacy, madam-apostacy from the community in which she was educated.'

"Surely, doctor, the quitting one community for another, cannot in itself be a crime, if it be done from a motive of conscience. Hadst thou been educated in the Romish church, I must suppose thou wouldst have abjured its errors, and that there would have been merit in the abjuration."

Madam, if I had been educated in the Romish church, I believe I fhould have questioned my right to quit the religion of my forefathers. Well, therefore, may I hate the arrogance of a young wench,

that sets herself up for a judge of theological points, and deserts the religion in whose bosom he was nur-.

tured.'

"I hope fhe has not done so. I hope the name of christian is not denied to sectaries."

If the name is not, Madam, the common sense is.'

"I will not dispute that point with thee;-it would carry me too far. Suppose it granted, that, in the eyes of a simple girl, the weaker arguments appeared the strongest, her want of judgement demands thy pity, not thy anger."

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Madam, it has my anger, and always fhall have

"Consider, doctor, fhe must be sincere. What a noble fortune has fhe sacrificed!"

• Madam!-madam!-I have ever taught myself to consider that the association of folly cannot extenuate guilt.'

"Ah, doctor, can we suppose the Deity will not: pardon a defect of judgement, if such. it be, in the breast, where the desire of serving him, according to its idea, in spirit, and in truth, has been a prefe rable consideration to that of worldly interest.'

• Madam, I pretend not to set bounds to the mercy of the Deity; but I hate the wench; and shall ever hate her. I hate all impudence; but the impudenceof a chit's apostacy, I nauseate.?

"Alas! doctor, Jenny Harry is the most timidi creature breathing. She trembles to have offended: her parent, though far removed from his presence; fhe grieves to have offended her guardian; and, per

haps, the grieves yet more to have offended Dr Johnson, whom she loved, admired, and honoured."

Why then, madam, did fhe not consult the man The pretends to admire, to love, and to honour, upon her new fangled scruples? If fhe had looked up to that man, with any part of that respect fhe professes, fhe would have supposed his ability to judge of fit and right, at least equal to that of a raw wench just out of her primer.'

"Ah, doctor, remember, that it was not from amongst the wise and learned that Christ selected his disciples. Jenny thinks Dr Johnson great and good; but she also thinks the gospel demands a simpler form of worship than that of the established church; and that it is not wit or eloquence to supersede the force. of what appears to her a plain and regular system, which cancels all typical and mysterious ceremonies as fruitlefs and even idolatrous; and asks only simple obedience, and the homage of a devout heart.”

'The homage of a fool's head, you fhould have said, madam, if you will pester me about this ridiculous wench."

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Suppose her ridiculous, she has been religious and sincere. Will the gates of heaven be shut to ardent and well meaning folly, whose first consideration has been that of apprehended duty ?"

Pho! Pho! Who says they will, madam?" "Then if heaven does not shut its gates, fhall man fhut his heart? If the Deity accept the homage of such as sincerely serve him, under every form of worship, Dr Johnson, and this little simple girl will,

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it is to be hoped, meet in a blessed eternity, whither earthly animosities must not be carried."

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• Madam, I am not fond of meeting fools any where. They are detestable company; and while it is in my power to avoid conversing with them, I certainly shall exert that power: And so you may tell the odious wench, whom you have persuaded to believe herself a saint, and whom soon, I suppose, you will convert into a preacher. But I will take care she does not preach to me.'

The loud and very angry manner, in which he thundered out these replies, affrighted us all, except yourself, who justly, not sarcastically, smiled at his injustice. I remember you whispered me, "I never saw this mighty lion so chaffed before."

I

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HAVE no objection to the strictures of your correspondent Thunderproof, in general. The abuses he points out deserve the severest reprehension; and the war system he so pointedly condemns, ought to be reprobated by every human being who has the smallest pretensions to common sense. In these respects I heartily concur with this gentleman. But I do not so cordially approve of his many attempts, by indirect innuendoes, to depreciate the constitution of this country. And I think, Sir, that in your ediyou, in torial capacity, are not quite free from blame, for permitting them to have accefs into your Bee. If you

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