this affertion; for even among fuch you may, not infrequently, difcover Benevolence. But you, influenced, I prefume, by the confideration of what unthinking mifguided men may fometimes do, have ventured to establish a standard of what mankind' fhould always invariably do; otherwise you could not have represented us to fo much difadvantage, fo little, fo fordid, fo odious. You did not allow yourfelf time to confider that we are the creatures of a GoD immenfely great! infinitely good! of power unlimited, of plenitude without measure! benevolence itself, and, of all beings, the moft beneficent! Creatures, I fay, of a GoD who, in his goodness and infcrutable defign, was graciously pleased to make man after his own likeness, to enrich him (Divinæ particula aura) with a spark of his own divine nature, and fo to adorn him with a participation of his moft lovely attribute benevolence. An emanation, apparently neceffary to the fupport and well being of the various fubordinate orders among men, established by him on this our earth, from confiderations, no doubt, infinitely wife. Το any one who, without bias, takes a nearer view of human nature, it will, I think, appear pretty evidently, that there lurks in the heart of every man an actuating principle nearly allied to, and eafily excited by felf-love. I mean pride: a paffion which, when kept under fuch due subjection as to be directed only to its proper objects, is, no doubt, of infinite use to every individual but we find that being univerfally the moft easily offended of all our affections, and indeed almost irrefiftibly cogent, it will not tamely fubmit to the finalleft injury of mifrepresentation, or even fufpicion. Should Should your pages, of most pernicious tendency, fpread abroad and infect the minds of the multitude, GOD only knows when or where the ill effects of the contagion would cease! for tho' I may venture to prophecy that there will never be wanting, in this city, fome men of open, generous, god-like tempers who will be always ready to dry up the galling tear of distress, and conftantly engage themfelves in the nobleft of employments, that of feeking out, and circulating relief and comfort among their indigent fellow-beings; yet I fhould apprehend that the greater number would be witheld from the generous exertion of their benevolent propenfities, by a fpark of pride, impatient of having their benefactions charged with the odious imputation of fel fifhnefs: whilft the contracted heartless mifers would hug themfelves in the comfortable reflection, of having the bulk of the people linked with them in brutal infenfibility. On faying these words, he turned round, the better to conceal the big tear which was ready to fart from his eye, and, after a few minutes filence, told me that he found himself it refiftibly inclined to communicate to me a part of his own history, notwithstanding the pain it should give him; requested I would do him the juftice to believe that Philanthrophy, and not a defire of vain glory, was extorting a recital of facts, which he always wished to conceal from the world, amply fatisfied in the reflection of their having paffed in the review of that GREAT EYE from which no thought, nor extent of action, with all its circumftances, can be hidden; and hoped that I would be able to draw inferences from his little picture which in the end must difpofe me to judge more favourably of the motives of human actions. I think it unneceffary, faid he, to give you an accourt account of the many perplexing dithculties thro' which I struggled in the early part of my life, before it had pleased Providence to conduct me into the lovely paths of virtue and fuccessful industry. A detail of those will probably furnish you with materials for a future fpeculation. It is fufficient, on this occafion, to inform you that I have, for fo time paft, been able to lay by one hun dred pounds per annum, after comfortably fupplying my own occasions in such decent and frugal manner as always best suited my inclination. It is from hence that I date the commencement of my most happy days, for (although I was always inclined to relieve my distressed neighbour, as much as my ability would allow) it was only then I was first blessed with the means of practising with a liberal hand, the leffons of benevolence which my untutored heart had dictated almost as early as the first dawning of my reason. In a word, my favings have been regularly difpofed of, in the relief of the many indigent fufferers, whom either chance or private intelligence had pointed out as proper objects; and this with as little partiality or distinction, as the nature of my design could admit of. 'Tis true, indeed, I used every method in my power to distinguish between the real object and the impoftor; between the honest man borne down with the unavoidable misfortunes of life, and the incorrigible reprobate who had reduced himfelf to ruin, by an obftinate course of irregularities; between the induftrious man who, if he had fomething to work upon, would provide for himself and his helpless family, and the fottifh drone on whom a piece of gold would rather entail unhappinefs, by furnishing the means means of gratifying his fenfual appetites, to the confiderable injury of himself, and fcandal of fociety; between the pining infirm beings who, afhamed to beg, confine themselves in their wretched manfions of mifery, the most affecting pictures of diftrefs! And the Aturdy vagrants who daily infeft our doors; a numerous fect, whom no confideration can force from the trade of idleness and begging, no temptation allure to suitable industry.. Thefe diftinctions, however neceffary, have, I con-fefs, fometimes expofed me to fome little inconveniences, which, tho' far from being very aifagreeable to me, might poffibly give offence to many others. For inftance, I have been often pointed out in the streets as an hard-hearted uncharitable fellow, and have heard a fturdy beggar defire another, whom I happened to repulfe, never to expect charity from my hand, for, faid he "That man has no bowels-He never gives any thing to the poor." The tenor of my practice, indeed, might have furnished caufe for the sturdy fellow's opinion of me, as I have always ftudiously endeavoured to conceal myself, as much as poffible, from the partakers of my bounty ; and in this fcheme fucceeded so well, that I have been, not infrequently, joftled by men, and treated with opprobrious language by women who, but a few days before, were removed from loathfome prifons, or unexpectedly furnished. with the neceffaries of life at my expence. This always pleased me, and never in the leaft diminished the unspeakable comfort I had often experienced, in the reflection of having been the inftrument of once fuppreffing the figh of diftrefs, or promoting the fimile of relief unexpected: fenfations rifing in an heart at ease in its inclosure, happily expand ing itself to correfpond with its connate impreffion and the divine precept of its Creator. I never, indeed, fought after objects to give me that pain, which, thro' neceffity, I must selfishly remove, nor has all the good I have been able to do, in this way, been fufficient to curdle one drop of the milk of my blood, whereby an obftruction might be formed, and the farther operation of benevolent functions impeded, perhaps totally prevented. What impelled me? I fay, pure BE NEVOLENCE. "What by this name, then fhall be understood Who to make all, and each man, truly bleft, FIELDING, Should you, Mr. FLYN, or any man, attempt to depreciate benevolence, that noble offspring of a welltempered heart, and to charge its divine impulfes with the foul imputation of felfifhoefs, you will, believe me, do more mischief than you are aware of. For my part, pride will rife up in contradiction to your fyftem, will four my nature, and abfolutely transform me into an unfeeling relentless being. I fhall be forced to put off my natural difpofition, and inftead of being eafy, tranquil and decently gay, fhall become reftlefs, diffatisfied and morofe. You have been m:fled, Mr. FLYN. You have adopted maxims not founded in fact. Confult your own heart, |