maturer years to supply the defects of our early education, and overcome the failings of our nature; to fupprefs with vigilance every sudden rifing of anger, and every intemperate fally of malevolence, and to acquire a habit of facility and complacency. Though the talk may at first be difficult and irk fome, yet our labour will foon be amply compenfated by the important advantages which will refult from it.

The harmony of Tociety is frequently interrupted by a captious difpofition, and the happiness and the good opinion of a friend not uncommonly for feited for the fake of a paltry joke. Personal illiberality is too often fubftituted for argument, and sarcastic feverity for vivacity; too often he who cannot convince by his ability will confute by his impudence. But no talent is more unprofitable, or more dangerous, than that which only ferves to make our companions alternately the objects of ridicule. The fprightly faying, although it may at firft give birth to merriment, will foon be fitripped of every charm, and will be remembered with indifference; whilft the acrimonious fpirit that dictated it will, like the rubbish that has been carried down by the current of the tide, be left behind; and when coolly and maturely difcuffed, will not fail to excite our contempt.

For my own part, I know of nothing better calculated to promote cheerful nefs and good humour than a confciout nefs of innocence. When a man is ftung by bitter remorse for the past, and overwhelmed by the painful anticipation of the future, a certain gloominets and fournefs of temper will be the natural confequence. But if he is able to review his life with fatisfaction, and to look forward with pious confidence to the momentous deftiny of futurity, the little trials of this world will not disturb the ferenity of his mind, but the lightness of his heart will be maniteft upon every occafion. His converfation, though not edged with the witty gibe, will, however, not want the fport iveness of fancy or the jeft of innocence. The delightful frame of his mind will have an effect uron thofe who alsociate with him; it wil foften the harthness of mifinthropy and fufpend the forrows of diftrefs."

In the character of Belinda we have a ftriking intance of the deplorable effects of ill humour. Her heart was not without integrity, her mind not

without ftrength; and her fphere in life was that of profperity and abundance. With thefe advantages, it may reasonably be fuppofed, that he was happy in herself, and endeared to thofe around her. But the fretfulness of her difpofition robbed her of every pleafure which the might otherwife have enjoyed, and rendered her fociety almost infupportable to the dearest of her friends. In difcuffing any action, the fought to find fault rather than be pleased; and would carefully pass over every excellency to lay hold of fome circumftance which the might diftort and reprefent as deferving of animadverfion. What the would have done herfelf in a fimilar fituation the would condemn in others, and would frequently withhold the expreffion of her will, left the thould be left without a pretext for abule. The most trifling mistake the would exaggerate into a ferious fault; and where he could not cenfure, the would not, however, commend. She accounted herself the most unfortunate of women in the indifference of her husband, the untowardly difpofition of her children, and the worthleffness of her fervants; and was wont to exprefs her furprife, that whilft the economy of other fami lies was conducted with regularity and harmony, the affairs of her houthold fhould never be without fome caufe for complaint. This circumftance the never failed to attribute to the negligence of her domestics, rather than to any fault in herself. How little was Belinda aware, that while the was reproving others, the herself was the only delinquent; that the difcord of her own family, which the was accuf tomed to compare invidiously with the happinets of others, was to be imputed to no other caufe than the unhappy diflatisfaction of her own temper! It would have been well, had the reflected in time, that nothing prepoffeffes others fo ftrongly in our favour as courteousness of manners and evennets of temper; and that thefe qualifications are expected particualy from the female part of focity, who have more opportunities of acquiring the one, and fewer trials to affect the other. Woeful experi ence, however, at length taught Belinda, that the who gives way to the peevishnets of her difpofition renders herself the object of general averfion, and is to no one a more bitter enemy

than

than to herself. But conviction arrived, alas! too late; for her habits were then etablished by age, and a very few years clofed the life of one

who was loaded with the favours of Fortune, but knew not how to enjoy them. AURELIUS.

Oct. 5, 1802.

is difficult to lay down any general rule for the fize of cattle, as fo much must depend on the nature of the pafture, and on the means which the grazier has for ultimately fattening them; nor has it yet been proved, by decifive and repeated experiments, whether the large or fmall fized pay beft for the food they eat. The experiments ought to be made with fimilar breeds, but of different fizes, and the particulars to afcertain are, whether it do not require a much greater quantity of food, 1. to rear a great ox than a small one; 2. to feed him when working; and, 3. to fatten him afterwards. A large calf certainly requires more milk than a fmall one; but if it pay as well for what it confumes, or grow in proportion to what it takes, there is no objection, on that account, on the fcore of profit; nor if a large ox eat more, provided he work proportionally more, than a small one. In regard to fattening, the experiments of Lord Egremont are rather favourable to the opinion, that fattening stock do not eat in proportion to their weight, but that a small ox, when kept in a stall, will eat proportionally more, without fattening quicker, than a large one.

Without pronouncing decifively on a question fo much contefted, as whether large or fmall cattle ought to be preferred (which will require, indeed, a great number of experiments finally to determine), I fhall endeavour fhortly to fum up the arguments made ufe of on either fide.

In favour of small, or moderatefized cattle, it is contended, 1. That a large animal requires proportionally more food than two fmaller ones of the fame weight. 2. That the meat of the large animal is not fo fine grained, and confequently does not afford fuch delicate food. 3. That large animals are not fo well calculated for general confumption as the moderate-fized, particularly in hot weather. 4. That large animals poach pastures more than

fmall ones. 5. That they are not fo active, confequently not fo fit for working. 6. That fmall cows, of the true dairy fort, give proportionally more milk than large ones. 7. That fmall oxen can be fattened with grafs merely, whereas the large require to be ftall-fed, the expence of which exhaufts the profits of the farmer. 8. That it is much easier to procure wellfhaped and kindly-feeding stock of a fmall fize than of a large one. 9. That fmall fized cattle may be kept by many perfons, who cannot afford either to purchase or to maintain large ones; and, lattly, If any accident happen to a fmall-fized animal, the loss is lefs material.

In favour of the large-fized, it is, on the other hand, contended, 1. That without debating whether from their birth till they are flaughtered the large or the fall ox eats most for its fize, yet that, on the whole, the large one will ultimately pay the farmer as well for the food it eats. 2. That though fome large oxen are coarse-grained, yet that, where attention is paid to the breed, the large ox is as delicate food as the fmall one. 3. That if the smallfized be better calculated for the confumption of private families, of villages, or of small towns, yet that the large ox is fitter for the markets of large towns, and in particular of the metropolis. 4. Even admitting that the flesh of the fmall-fized ox is better when eaten freth, yet the meat of the large fized is unquestionably better calculated for falting, a most effential object in a maritime and commercial country; for the thickest beef, as Cul ley justly remarks, by retaining its juices when falted, is the best calculated for long voyages. 5. That the hide of the large ox is of infinite consequence in various manufactures. 6. That where the pastures are good, cattle will increase in fize without any particular attention on the part of the breeder; which proves that large cattle are the

proper

proper stock for fuch paftures. 7. That the art of fattening cattle by oil cake, &c. having been much improved and extended, the advantage thereof would be loft, unlefs large oxen were bred, as fmall ones can be fattened merely with grafs and turnips; and, laftly, That large cattle are better calculated for working than fmall ones in the plough or cart.

Such are the arguments generally made ufe of on both fides of the queition; from which it is evident, that

much muft depend upon pasture, taste, markets, &c. But, on the whole, though the unthinking multitude may admire an enormous bullock, more refembling an elephant than an ox, yet the intelligent breeder (unless his paftures be of a nature peculiarly forcing) will naturally prefer a moderate fize for the stock he rears; or, perhaps, may adopt that plan of breeding, according to which, the males are large and ftrong, and the females of a small size, yet not unproductive to the dairy.

Hertford Cafle, Dec. the 12th, 1723.

REV. SIR,

SOME days abfence from home, with a fevere cold fince my return, had delayed my acknowledgment of yours. I Hatter myself with the hopes of feeing an answer to the book mentioned in my former, formed on the fcheme you propofe. I think it would be a thorough vindication of chriftianity, fo far as the objections urged by Mr. Collins require. But I must take the liberty of urging one particular objection to the authority of the Old Teftament, under the head of Moralitys, not only approved, but faid to be commanded by God; which I know not how to remove; and yet if not removed, it seems to enter into the very foundation of the Jewish ftate; I mean, the command to extirpate the Canaanites, and to feize on their lands and poffefiions.

I have learnt from yourself this hort, and, I think, conclufive way of reafoning, that moral obligations neceffarily refult from the nature of things, and become the eternal laws of right and wrong, of good and evil: which, therefore, do not depend on arbitrary determination, even of the Supreme Being; that therefore nothing can be received as a command from God that requires us to break in upon these moral obligations founded on the relation we stand in to our fellow reafonable creatures.

Now, in fact, the Canaanites had never offended the Jews, or done any action by which they could be deemed in a state of war with that nation. On the contrary, the ancestors of the Jews had been well ufed by, and lived in friendship with, them.

I acknowledge that God, as Supreme Governor of the World, may difpofe of focieties of mankind as he pleases; and when they become extremely vi cious and corrupt, he may juftiy eradicate them. But then, I think it must be done either by his own immediate power, or the interpofition of foreign fpirits his minifters, or of material caufes directed by his will. But the force of my objection lies here, that all the feveral bodies or focieties amongst men being mutual obligations of justice and goodnefs towards each other, one fociety cannot, on pretence of a command from God, break in upon the being or rights of another fociety, from whom they have never received any injury.

This, Sir, is my objection in its full force. I thould be extremely glad to have your fentiments upon it, after you have viewed the fubject in all its lights. I am a fincere enquirer after truth; and, as fuch, request your affistance in this point. I am,

Reverend Sir,

and making lawful war upon their enemies, come up fully to the pur. pole.

God being confidered as Governor of the World, has an undoubted right to appoint whom he pleafes to be the executioners of his fentence against delinquents, without any regard to the Telations thofe perfons or focieties may ftand in to each other. All that is to be regarded in this cafe is the clearness of the evidence, that this command does really come from the Supreme Being.

I return thanks for the fatisfaction you have given me on this subject, My objection, as it ftood, ftruck at the very root of the Jewish di penfation. All the other objections that I have thought of only relate to particular paffages, and do not affect the authority of the whole; much less can they have any influence upon the evidences for christianity. I am,

Reverend Sir,

Your very humble Servant, JOSEPH COLlet.

THIS excellent Etablishment, which has produced fome great fcholars, and ranks among the first public feminaries in the kingdom, was founded in the reign of Elizabeth, by Mr. John Lyon, a wealthy yeoman of the hamlet of Prefton, in this parish.

In the Harleian MSS. in the British Museum, 2211. is recorded the patent granted by the Queen, in the fourteenth year of her reign, to John Lyon, impowering him to erect and endow a Free Grammar School within the village of Harrow, and afterwards appointing fix difcreet and honeft men to he Governours of the poffeffions, revenues, and goods of the faid fchool; (viz.) Gilbert Gerrard, Esq. the Attorney Generall, Wm. Gerard, Gent. John Page of Wemley, Tho. Page of Sudbury-Court, Tho. Redding of Pinner, and Richard Edlyn of Woodhall, in the parish aforefaid. And in cafe of death or default of any of thefe fix Governours, the letters patent make it lawful for the Bishop of London for the time being to choose and appoint other fitt perfon or persons within the parifh aforefaid, into the place or places of fuch keepers and Governours as occafion fhall require. Alfo that they fhall have power of choofing a proper mafter or ufher of the faid school.

In the fame manufcript we alfo find orders, ftatutes, and rules fett forth the 18th of January, in the 33d of Eliza. beth, by the faid John Lyon, to be

obferved and kept by the Governours of the faid Free Grammar School.

The following extracts are taken from thence.

That the Governours, or the major part of them, within half-a-year after the deceafe of the founder, John Lyon, and Johan his wife, thould appoint a fufficient and able man, not under the degree of Mafter of Arts, to be Schoolmatter, and alfo one other to be Uher, not under the degree of a Batchelor of Arts.

The Mafter to have 261. 135. 4d. for his stipend, and 31. 6s. 8d. for fireing. The Uther to have 131. 6s. 8d. and 31. 6s. 8d. for fuel.

Wood to be carried annually from the lands at Kingfbury, at the charge of the farmers thereof, for the use of the fchoole fire.

The Governours to provide 30 learned and godly fermons to be preached yearly for ever in the parish-church of Harrow, and to pay the preacher el. or 6s. 8d. for each fermon. And the School-mafter or Vicar of Harrow to have the offer of the fame at his option.

Alfo the Sexton of the faid church to have yearly 6s. 8d. for tolling the bell before the fermons.

Likewife the Governours fhall yearly belowe 201. upon 60 of the poorest housekeepers within the parish of Harrow (except the hamlet of Pinner).

Allo the fame fum to be payed to

four