VALLOMBROSA is a Convent of Benedictine Monks, fituated in the Appennines, about eighteen miles from Florence, and three miles from the fummit of Sechietta. The domain of this Convent

is peculiarly romantic. It abounds in mott beautiful chefnut-trees, is interfected with many rivulets, and is diverfified with many inequalities of hill and dale. It has afforded a very beautiful fimile to our divine poet Milton; who, in the First Book of Paradife Loft, fpeaking of Satan marthalling his army of Fiends, fays, "He called ["intranc'd "His legions, Angel forms, who lay "Thick as autumnal leaves that itrew "the brooks ["fhades "In Vallombrofa, where the "Euurian "High over-arch'd embower."

The ingenious Mr. Parfons, in his "Poetical Tour *" thus defcribes Vallombrota :

"Vallombrofa, facred fhade, "For Peace and ineek Devotion made; "Safe from pangs the worldling knows, "Here fecure in calm repose, "Far from life's perplexing maze, "The pious Fathers país their days. "As the bell's fhrill tinkling found "Regulates their conftant round, ["ray, "They roufe with Hymns the morning "Or Velpers chaunt at clofe of day, "While the Organ ftrong and clear "Joins to charm th' attentive ear. "Oft return their hours of prayer. "E'en at time of fober fare "Some instructive page is read, "And mind and body both are fed.

"Oft they trace th' hiftoric pen,
"And Legends old of fainted men;
"Liften oft to Holy Writ;
"Studies which their ftate befit.
"Here the traveller elate

Finds an ever open gate;

Glad they all his wants fupply, "And welcome beams from ev'ry eye. "But mot I love to wander wide "With a ferious Monk my guide; "Who, while cach icene he proud dif"plays,

"Repeats the holy Founder's praife,
"Gualberto †, who in youthful prime
"Forlook Ambition's march fublime,
"Neighing feeds and feats of arms,
"Tournaments and Beauty's charms,
"And left the fhield and nodding crest
"To be in garb monaftic dreft:
"How Religion's mild control
"Banifh'd vengeance from his foul,
"When his fword, in anger rais'd,
"For a flaughter'd brother blaz'd :
"How his breaft, with fury fteel'd,
"While the proftrate victim kncel'd,
"At the Crofs's powerful fign
"Relenting own'd the fpark divine;
"Learn'd, like his Saviour, to forgive,
"And bade th' appall'd affaffin live;
"Then his raging paffions ceafe,

"Calm'd in the till abode of Peace.
"Next the Monk, with fhuddering
"thought,

"Points the tone by fculpture wrought; "Whole characters tremendous tell "Where the vile Apoftate fell;

"Whom, lighing to regain the world, "The Fiend of Darknefs downward "hurl'd.

"Such

as. On a appris depuis qu'en effet il avoit été question de faire enlever le Chevalier D'Eon qu'on avoit eu l'agrément du Roi, et qu'en même tems fa Majefté avant voulu fçavoir la maniere dont s'executeroit le projet depuis longtems en correfpondence ignorée avec ce confident, lui donnoit avis de tout ce qui paffoit, et les moyens de fe tenir fur fes gardes pour deconcerter fes raviffeurs.

"Il paroit que depuis ce Chevalier toujours refte à Londres, jufqu'à la mort du Roi, lui fervoit d'Efpion moins des Anglois que de fon Ambaffadeur, circonftance qu'un autre auroit mieux fait concourir aux grandes vues de la politique, et dont il ne tira partie que pour s'amufer, que pour rire aux depens de fes Miniftres.

"Louis XV. dans la crainte que fon Miniftre prit trop d'empire fur fui, lui oppofoit quelquesfois d'autres Miniftres ou courtisans, qui fe prevalant de ce moment du faveur, prouvoient au Miniftre que la fienne n'etoit pas toujours inébranlable. C'eft ce parti que Louis XV. avoit pris de s'ifoler en quelque forte de fon reyaume, de diftinguer en lui deux hommes prefque toujours oppofés, la Monarche et le particulier qui donne la clef de plufieurs traits de fa vie."

THE Proprietors of Ranelagh, deeply impreffed with the hardship of the Chevaliere D'Eon's cafe, with great liberality having given her the profits of a night, the following advertifenient appeared in the newspapers:

THE THANKS OF THE CHEVALIERE
D'EON TO THE BRITISH NATION.

No. 38, Brewer's Street,
Golden Square, Saturday
Morning, June 25, 1791.

THE Chevaliere D'Eon, highly touched with the intereft that is taken respecting her in England, is bound in duty to her own character, and from her efteem for the British nation, to fhew herself highly fenfible of it, by accepting of what has been done for her, and grateful for it, in employing the whole pecuniary emoluments arifing to her from the munificence of the nation in the payment of fome debts fhe has been fo unhappy as to contract with fome individuals of it.

The Proprietors of Ranelagh have offered an opportunity to the different talents that adorn this capital, to give the Chevaliere the marks of the most flattering diftinction; and they have offered the Public, of all ranks, an opportunity of proving to her the kind and generous intereft they are fo good as to take in what

Edition. 12mo.

heart, we are happy in obferving fome ftrongly directed against the fashionable evils of infidelity and immorality.

Irreligion, under the maik of free-en

quiry,

quiry, and licentioufnefs under that of liberty have gained of late years, and it is to be feared are till gaining, a wonderful prevalence in every rank of Society. An humble faith in the myfteries of revealed religion is too generally made the fubject of ridicule, and an obedience

to civil authority is artfully oppugned. Whither this will lead us, as a people, is, at prefent, not very easy to be conjectured; but this we may be certain of, that a continuance in fuch a courie cannot ultimately end in good. Happy, very hap. py are they, and much more happy will they be who fave themfelves from fuch an untoward generation, by not adding their own conduct to the aggregate of the national difgrace!

In the honourable number of thefe real patriots may be reckoned the anonymous author of the little volume be fore us. Great, indeed, has been our fatisfaction in the perufal of it, an we truft that our improvement will be proportionate. No reader's judgement, we fhould think, can remain unconvinced by its reasoning, nor his heart be unaffected by its piety. A language elegant y plain, arguments perfpicuoufly ftrong, and an addrefs unaffectedly pathetic, are the leading characteristics of this truly excellent work. "The general defign of thete pages,' fays the author in the Introduction, "is to offer fome curfory remarks on the prefent ftate of religion among a great part of the polite and the fashionable; not only among that defcription of perfons who, whether from difbelief, or whatever other caufe, avowedly neglect the duties of chriftianity; but among that more decent chus alfo, who, while they acknowledge their belief of its truth by a public profeffion, and are not inattentive to any of its forms, yet exhibit little of its spirit in their general temper and conduct: to fhew that christianity, like its divine Author, is not only denied by thofe who in word, difown their fubmiffion to its authority; but betrayed by still more treacherous difciples, even while they fay, Hail Mer

"That religion is, at proient, in a very unflourishing itate among thofe whofe example guides and governs the reft of mankind," is the author's general pofition, and in our opinion cannot poffibly be controverted. In the Firt Chapter we have a comparative view of the religion of the great in the preceding ages. This is very judiciously drawn up, and the contraft which it exhibits is ftrongly coloured: but though ftrong and unpleating, it is no caricature; every lineament and fade

ftrikes us with a conviction of its likeness. What the author fays of the irreligious prefumption of the prefent generation, fo different from the pious humility of their ancestors, is fo juft that we fhall take the liberty of making an extra A.

"Inftead of abiding by the falutary precept of judging no man, it is the fashion to exceed our commiffion, and to fancy every body to be in a fafe ftate. But, in forming our notions, we have to choose between the bible and the world, between the rule and the practice. Where thefe do not agree, it is left to the judgment, of believers at least, by which we are to decide. But we never act in religious concerns by the fame rule of common sense and equitable judgment which governs us on other occafions. In weighing any commodity, its weight is determined by fome generally-allowed ftandard; and if the commodity be heavier or lighter than the ftandard weight, we add to or take from it: but we never break, or clip, or reduce the weight to fuit the thing we are weighing; becaufc the common confent of mankind has agreed that the one thall be confidered as the ftandard to afcertain the value of the other. But, in weighing our principles by the ftandard of the gulpei, we do just the reverte. Instead of bringing our opinions and actions to the balance of the fanctuary, to determine and rectify their comparative deficiencies, we lower and reduce the ftandard of the fcripture doctrines till we have accommodated them to our own purpofes; fo that, inftead of trying others and ourflves by God's unerring rule, we try the truth of God's rule by its conformity or non-conformity to our own depraved notions and corrupt pra&ices."

To the plea that "this is an age of benevolence," the author in the next Chapter yields a cheerful aflent, but at the fame time contends beautifully for that lovely fpecies of benevolence which is not the characteristic of the age, Chriftian charity. "Of charity," fays the author, "piety is the fire from heaven, which can alone kindle the facrifice, and make it acceptable."

In Chapter the Third the author confiders the "neglect of religious education, as both a cute and confequence of this decline of christianity." Here the proofs of the melancholy fat are clearly adduced, and the reafoning clofe and convincing.. The next Chapter Rtates "other fymp toms of the decline of christianity-viz. No family religion-Corrupt or negligent example of fuperiors.-The telf-denying

and