talents, may be highly satisfied with their own productions, men of true genius never are. Whatever

be their subject, they always seem to themselves, to fall short of it, even when they seem to others most to excell. And for this reason-because they have a certain sublime sense of perfection, which other men are strangers to, and which they themselves in their performances, are not able to exemplify. Your servant, Sir Joshua! I litttle thought of seeing you when I began, but as you have popped in, you are welcome.

When I wrote last, I was a little inclined to send you a copy of verses, entitled the Modern Patriot, but was not quite pleased with a line or two, which I found it difficult to mend, therefore did not. At night I read Mr. Burke's speech, in the news-paper, and was so well pleased with his proposals for a reformation, and the temper, in which he made them, that I began to think better of his cause, and burnt my verses. Such is the lot of the man, who writes upon the subject of the day; the aspect of affairs changes in an hour or two, and his opinion with it; what was just, and well-deserved satire in the morning, in the evening becomes a libel; the author commences his own judge, and while he condemns

with unrelenting severity, what he so lately approved, is sorry to find, that he has laid his leaf-gold upon touchwood, which crumbled away under his fingers. Alas! What can I do with my wit? I have not enough to do great things with, and these little things are so fugitive, that while a man catches at the subject, he is only filling his hand with smoke. I must do with it, as I do with my linnet: linnet: I keep him for the most part in a cage, but now and then, set open the door, that he may whisk about the room a little, and then shut him up again. My whisking wit has produced the following, the subject of which is more important, than the manner in which I have treated it, seems to imply, but a fable may speak truth, and all truth is sterling; I only premise, that in the philosophical tract in the Register, I found it asserted, that the glow-worm is the nightingale's food.*

An officer of a regiment, part of which is quartered here, gave one of the soldiers leave to be drunk six weeks, in hopes of curing him by satiety—he was drunk six weeks, and is so still, as often as he VOL. 1.

L

This Letter contained the beautiful fable of the Nightingale and the Glow-worm.

can find an opportunity. One vice may swallow up another, but no coroner, in the state of Ethics, ever brought in his verdict, when a vice died, that it was felo de sé.

you in

Thanks for all you have done, and all tend; the biography will be particularly welcome.

LETTER XLI.

Yours,

W. C.

To the Revd. JOHN NEWTON.

March 18, 1780.

I am obliged to you for the communication of your correspondence withIt was impossible for any man, of any temper whatever, and however wedded to his own purpose, to resent so gentle and friendly an exhortation as you sent him. Men of lively imaginations, are not often remarkable for solidity of judgment. They have generally strong passions to bias it, and are led far away from their proper road, in pursuit of petty phantoms of their own creating. No law ever did,

or can, effect what he has ascribed to that of Moses; it is reserved for mercy to subdue the corrupt inclinations of mankind, which threatenings, and penalties, through the depravity of the heart, have always had a tendency rather to inflame.

The love of power seems as natural to kings, as the desire of liberty is to their subjects; the excess of either is vicious, and tends to the ruin of both. There are many, I believe, who wish the present corrupt state of things dissolved, in hope, that the pure primitive constitution, will spring up from the ruins. But it is not for man, by himself man, to bring order out of confusion: The progress from one to the other is not natural, much less necessary, and without the intervention of divine aid, impossible; and they, who are for making the hazardous experiment, would certainly find themselves disappointed.

more from Mr. Newton, upon the subject you men tion; but I dare say, that, having been given to expect the benefit of your nomination, in behalf of his nephew, he still depends upon it. His obligations to Mr. have been so numerous, and so weighty, that, though he has, in a few instances, prevailed upon himself to recommend an object, now and then, to his patronage, he has very sparingly, if at all, exerted his interest, with him, in behalf of his own relations.

With respect to the advice, you are required to give to a young lady, that she may be properly instructed, in the manner of keeping the sabbath, I just subjoin a few hints, that have occurred to me upon the occasion, not because I think you want them, but because it would seem unkind to withhold them. The sabbath then, I think, may be considered, first, as a commandment, no less binding upon modern Christians, than upon antient Jews, because the spiritual people amongst them, did not think it enough, to abstain from manual occupations upon that day, but, entering more deeply into the meaning of the precept, allotted those hours, they took from the world, to the cultivation of holiness, in their own souls, which ever was, and ever will be, a duty in