You

The churches are magnificently decorated, but their architecture is in a wretched tafte, by no means comparable to the Roman. You will have a fingular pleasure in this town, which is moft delightful for its fruits, views, and fituation. will penetrate into the famous fubterranean city of IIerculaneum, which was swallowed up in a former age, by an eruption of Mount Vefuvius. If the Mount happens to be raging, you will fee torrents of fire iffue from its bowels, and majeftically overfpread the country.

You must walk with the Eneid in your hand, and compare the cave of the Cumean Sybil and Acheron with what Virgil has faid on these subjects. You will return to Caferta, which from its decorations, marbles, extent and acqueducts worthy of ancient Rome, is the finest place in Europe.

Florence, from whence the fine arts have iffued, and where their most magnificent mafter pieces are deposited, will present other objects to your view. There you will admire a city, which, according to a remark of a Portuguese, "Should only be fhewn on Sundays" it is fo handsome and beautifully decorated.

Leghorn is a well inhabited fea port of great advantage to Tufcany. Pifa always has men of learning in its fchools. Sienna is remarkable for the purity of its air and language. You will find at Milan the fecond church in Italy, for fize and beauty; more than a thousand marble ftatues decorate its outfide. The inhabitants are quite agreeable. They live as they do in Paris, and every thing, even the hospitals and church yards, prefent an air of fplendor.

The Boromean Ifles, placed in the middle of a delightful lake, prefent to your view whatever is magnificent or gay in gardens. Genoa will prove to you that it is truly superb in its churches and palaces. There you will fee a port famous for its commerce. You will fee a Doge changed almost as often as the fuperiors of communities, and with fcarce any greater authority.

VOL. XIV.

W

And

And laftly, Turin, the refidence of a court, where the virtues have long inhabited, will charm you with the regularity of its buildings, the beauty of its fquares, ftraightness of its streets, and the fpirit of the people; and there you will agreeably finish your journey.

I have been just making the tour of Italy, most rapidly, and at little expence, to invite you to its reality; it is fufficient to fhetch painting, to fuch a mafter as you. I make no mention of our morals to you; they are not more corrupt than among other people, let malice fay what it will; they vary only their fhades, according to the difference of the governments. The Roman does not resemble the Genoefe, nor the Venetian the Neapolitan; you may fay of Italy as of the whole world—a little good, and a little bad.

but

I have taken the opportunity of a leifure moment to give you fome idea of my country; it is only a coarse daubing, which in another hand would have been a beautiful miniature: the fubject deserves it, but my pencil is not fufficiently delicate for the execution.

22¢ ¢¢¢22?

LE T TE R. S.

LETTER DLVIII.

[From M. F. S. to the Rev. J. Welley.]

Rev. and dear Sir,

Feb. 21, 1783.

THIS family will think themselves exceeding happy to be

favoured with your company at the time you mention. Your lodging room is already marked out, and will be kept aired for your reception. They are already informed by me, of your hours of dining, fupping, and going to reft, and nothing

here

here is to interrupt your accustomed regularity, and mode of .life.

I thank you for your very friendly letter; but you mistake my cafe. So far from being too wife, I am not wife enough for this world. I cannot relifh the most accomplished head, the moft feeling heart, adorned with every graceful expreflion, and the moft amiable qualities in perfon and manner; if piety be not their leading principle, their ultimate end. I am not wife enough to difguife my forrow, when fuch amiable qualities are feparate from religion; or diffemble an admiration and approbation, which I do not, cannot feel for any thing divefted or fhort of the excellence, which alone can fubfift when the fashion of this world fhall be paffed away. On the other hand, I feel and cannot help feeling, a certain painful fenfation on the collifion of rough, angular, unpolished pieces of free flone, which I fhould imagine (if they are really defigned for, or belonging to the Urbs Jerufalem beata) fhould be hewed into fome tolerable fhape; at least their fpiculas a little chipped off by the workman's trowel.

I do not love to be fcratched and cut, and my skin rubbed off. All I afk is, that courtesy, which ever will appear where religion really is, and is as infeparable as matter and form. I love not ceremony and affected polifh: I only with for charity in the heart, and it will, it muft exprefs itself in outward courtely, fimple in those that have not been used to the great world. But how lovely is that fimplicity! and how fuperior even this, to all the dancing mafter can teach, or the great world perfect!

The Methodists! I fing their praifes every day. Perhaps there is not a body of people, where there is fo little vulgarity among thofe of the lower claffes of life: fo much good fenfe, and fo much good manners. Do not think I defpife the Methodis. I honour them exceedingly; and it is one of my motives for honouring you, that you have been fuch an inftrument in the hand of God for reftoring, with religion, her infeparable

W 2

feparable attendants, clear heads, found judgments, pure morals, good hearts, breathing forth in word and deed, love, good will, and civility between man and man. I am, moft truly, your grateful, affectionate fervant,

M. F. S.

LETTER

DLIX.

[From Mifs A. Loxdale, to the Rev. J. Welley.]

April 11, 1783.

I

Rev. and dear Sir,

Believe I am not going backward, but am ftill increasing in

the divine life; though by fuch flow degrees, as are almost imperceptible. My mind is not, as once it was, always ftaid upon God. Yet I enjoy fome precious feafons of sweet communion, and can at all times rejoice in the clear manifestation of the love of God to my foul, through the Son of his love. I have alfo found, in fome clofe trials, my will given up to God, and an earnest defire that his whole will may be fully accomplifhed in me and by me.

I fee my privilege to attain, but I do not wrestle, ftrive, and agonize with God continually for his falvation. I go on from day to day mourning and rejoicing; but feem to be at night where I was in the morning. I have a clear teftimony that I love the Lord my God with my whole heart. There is not a thing in earth or heaven that I love or defire, in comparison of God. But I want to do the will of God on earth, as I fhall do it in heaven to work, fpeak, and think always to his glory: to be dead to the world, and have my life hid with Chrift in God: to have the evidence that I am every day growing as willows by the water courfes; as calves in the ftall, increasing in holiness, and in every good word and work. And God,

who

who has given these defires, will affuredly accomplish them. I can believe all on the Lord's part is ready, and that he is willing to blefs me, not according to my deferts, but according to his rich mercy in Chrift Jefus. But I do not always afk, as if I would not be denied; "Hofannahs languifh on my tongue, and my devotion dies."

At times, indeed, the Lord does graciously blefs me, not only by giving me power to wreftle with him; but by giving me an answer of peace. Some time ago, I was very earneft with the Lord, that he would bring every thought into fubjection to his will. I asked (I thought) believing he would answer; but he did not blefs me according to my defires. I then begged him to give me as a token for good, a mind staid upon him the remainder of that day, and the next, which was Sunday. While I was fpeaking, my prayer was turned into praife. had no particular words applied; but I felt the Lord had anfwered my prayer, and I proved it fo, for, I had conftant communion with God that day and the next. I feel much pleasure in the thought of foon hearing from you, very particular bleffing to my foul, and remain, dear Sir, your very affectionate and faithful fervant,

as your letters are a

On MATT. vi. ver. 6. 18.-[Thy Father fhall reward thee openly.]

L

ET heathens mock what God injoin'd,

Or fools explain away;

I find it good, I foon fhall find

It glorious to obey :

The