they lay, but a paltry one notwithstanding. Our philofopher was obliged to stoop as he entered it. It was floored with earth, and above were the joifts not plastered, and hung with cobwebs.

7. On a flock bed at one end lay the old man whom he came to vifit; at the foot of it fat his daughter. She was dreffed in a clean white bed gown; her dark locks hung loosely over it as the bent forward, watching the languid looks of her father. The philofopher and his houfe-keeper had ftood fome moments in the room, without the young lady's being fenfible of their entering it.

8. Mademoiselle ! faid the old woman at laft, in a foft tone. She turned and fhewed one of the finest faces in the world. It was touched, not spoiled with forrow; and when the perceived a stranger, whom the old woman now introdu ced to her, a blush at first, and then the gentle ceremonial of native politenefs, which the affliction of the time tempered, but did not extinguish, croffed it for a moment, and changed its expreffion. It was fweetness all, however, and our pàilopher felt it strongly.

9. It was not a time for words; he offered his fervice in a few fincere ones. "Monfieur lies miferably ill here,” said the governant; "if he could poffibly be removed any where." "If he could be moved to our house," faid her mafter. He had a fpare bed for a friend, and there was a great room unoccupied, next to the governant's. It was contrived accordingly.

10. The fcruples of the ftranger, who could look fcruples, though he could not fpeak them, were overcome, and the bafhful reluctance of his daughter gave way to her belief of its ufe to her father. The fick man was wrapped in blankets and carried across the street to the English gentleman's. The old woman helped the daughter to nurfe him there. The furgeon, who arrived foon after, prescribed a little, and nature did much for him; in a week he was able to thank his benefactor.

11. By that time his hoft had le arned the name and character of his gueft. He was a proteftant and Clergyman of Switzerland called La Roche, a widower, who had lately buried his wife, after a long and lingering illness, for which travelling had been prefcribed; and was now returning home after an ineffectual journey, with his only child, the daughter we haye mentioned.

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12. He was a devout man, as became his profeffion-He poffeffed devotion in all its warmth; but with none of its afperity; I mean that afperity which men, who are called devout, fometimes indulge. The philofopher, though he felt no devotion, never quarrelled with it in others. His governant joined the old man and his daughter in the prayers and thanksgivings which they put up on his recovery; for the too was a heretic, in the phrase of the village.

13. The philofopher walked out with his long staff and his dog, and left them to their prayers and thanksgivings. "My mafter," faid the old woman, "alas! he is not a chriftian, but he is the best of unbelievers."-" Not a chriftian!" exclaimed Mademoifelle La Roche, " yet he faved my father! Heaven blefs him for it; I would he were a christian."

14. "There is a pride in human knowledge, my child," faid her father, "which often blinds men to the fublime truths of revelation; hence there are oppofers of christianity among men of virtuous lives, as well as among thofe of diffipated and licentious characters. Nay, fometimes I have known the latter more eafily converted to the true faith than the former; because the fume of paffion is more eafily diffipated than the mift of falfe theory and delufive fpeculation." "But this philofopher," said his daughter, "alas! my father, he shall be a chriftian before he dies."

15. She was interrupted by the arrival of their landlordHe took her hand with an air of kindness-fhe drew it away from him in filence; threw down her eyes to the ground, and left the room. "I have been thanking God," said the good La Roche, "for my recovery.' "That is right," replied his landlord. "I fhould not wifh," continued the old man, hefitatingly, "to think otherwife; did I not look up with gratitude to that Being, I fhould barely be fatisfied with my recovery, as a continuation of life, which, it may be, is not a real good."

16. "Alas! I may live to wish I had died; that you had left me to die, fir, instead of kindly relieving me (clafping the philofopher's hand) but when I look on this renovated being as the gift of the Almighty, I feel a far different fentiment. My heart dilates with gratitude and love to him. It is prepar ed for doing his will, not as a duty, but as a pleasure; and regards every breach of it, not with difapprobation, but with horror."

17. "You fay right, my dear fir," replied the philofopher; "but you are not yet re-established enough to talk much; you must take care of your health, and neither study nor preach for fome time. I have been thinking over a scheme that ftruck me to-day, when you mentioned your intended departure. I was never in Switzerland; I have a great mind to accompany your daughter and you into that country. I will help to take care of you by the road, for, as I was your firft phyfician I hold myfelf refponfible for your cure."

18. La Roche's eyes gliftened at the propofal; his daughter was called and told of it. She was equally pleafed with her father; for they really loved their landlord; not perhaps the lefs for his infidelity; at least that circumftance mixed a fort of pity with their regard for him. Their fouls were not of a mold for harfher feelings-hatred never dwelt with them.

19. They travelled by fhort ftages; for the philofopher was as good as his word, in taking care that the old man fhould not be fatigued. The parties had time to be well acquainted with one another, and their friendship was increafed by acquaintance. La Roche found a degree of fimplicity and gentleness in his companion, which is not always annexed to the character of a learned or a wife man.

20. His daughter, who was prepared to be afraid of him, was equally undeceived. She found in him nothing of that felf-importance which fuperior parts, or great cultivation of them is apt to confer. He talked of every thing but philofophy and religion; he feemed to enjoy every pleafure and amufement of ordinary life, and to be interested in the most common topics of difcourfe. When his knowledge or learning at any time appeared, it was delivered with the utmost plainnefs; and without the leaft fhow of dogmatifm.

21. On his part he was charmed with the fociety of the good clergyman and his lovely daughter. He found in them the guilefs manners of the earliest times, with the culture and accomplishments of the moft refined ones. Every better feeling, warm and vivid; every ungentle one, repreffed or Overcome. He was not addicted to love ; but he felt himself happy, in being the friend of Mademoifelle La Roche; and fometimes envied her father the poffeffion of fuch a child. 22 After a journey of eleven days they arrived at the dwelling of La Roche. It was fituated in one of thofe vallies

in the Canton of Berne, where nature feems to repofe in quiet, and has inclosed her retreat with mountains inacceffible.

23. Aftream, that spent its fury in the hills above, ran in front of the house, and a broken water fall was seen through the woods that covered its fides. Below, it circled round a tufted plain, and formed a little lake in front of a village, at the end of which appeared the spire of La Roche's church, rifing above a clump of beeches.

24. The philofopher enjoyed the beauty of the fcene; but to his companions it recalled the memory of a wife and a par ent they had lost. The old man's forrow was filent; his daughter fobbed and wept. Her father took her hand, kiffed it twice, preffed it to his bofom, threw up his eyes to heaven; and having wiped off a tear that was just about to drop from each, began to point out to his gueft fome of the most striking objects which the profpect afforded. The philofopher interpreted all this; and he could but flightly cenfure the creed from which it arofe.

25. They had not been long arrived, when a number of La Roche's parifhonors who had heard of his return, came to the houfe to fee and welcome him. The honeft folks were aukward but fincere, in their profeffions of friendship. They made fome attempts at condolence; it was too delicate for their handling; but La Roche took it in good part. pleafed God," faid he; and they faw he had fettled the matter with himself. Philofophy could not have done fo much with a thousand words.

"It has

26. It was now evening, and the good peasants, were about to depart, when a clock was heard to strike feven, and the hour was followed by a particular chime. The country folks, who came to welcome their pastor turned their looks towards him at the found; he explained their meaning to his gueft."That is the fignal," faid he, " for our evening exercise.This is one of the nights of the week in which fome of parishoners are wont to join in it; a little ruftic faloon ferves for the chapel of our family, and fuch of the good people as ate with us; if you choofe rather to walk out, I will furnish you with an attendant; or here are a few old books which may afford you fome entertainment within.”

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27. By no means," anfwered the philofopher; "I will attend Mademoiselle at her devotions." She is our organist,"

faid La Roche; "our neighborhood is the country of musical mechanifm, and I have a fmall organ, fitted up for the purpose of affifting our finging." "It is an additional inducement," replied the other, and they walked into the room together.

28. At the end flood the organ mentioned by La Roche; before it was a curtain, which his daughter drew afide, and, placing herfelf on a feat within, and drawing the curtain close, fo as to fave her the aukwardness of an exhibition, began a voluntary, folemn and beautiful in the highest degree. The philofopher was no mufician, but he was not altogether infenfible to mufic. This fastened on his mind more strongly, from its beauties being unexpected.

29. The folemn prelude introduced a hymn, in which, fuch of the audience as could fing, immediately joined. The words were moftly taken from holy writ; it fpoke the praises of God, and his care of good men. Something was faid of the death of the juft; of fuch as die in the Lord. The organ was touched with a hand lefs firm-it paufed-it ceasedand the fobbing of Mademoiselle was heard in its stead. 30. Her father gave a fign for stopping the Pfalmody, and rofe to prayer. He was difcompofed at firft, and his voice faltered as he fpoke; but his heart was in his words, and its warmth overcame his embarraffment. He addreffed a Being whom he loved, and he spoke for those he loved. His parish oners caught the ardor of the good old man, even the philofopher felt himself moved, and forgot, for a moment, to think why he should not.

31. La Roche's religion was that of fentiment, not theory, and his gueft was averfe to difputation; their difcourfe did not therefore lead to queftions concerning the belief of either; yet would the old man fometimes fpeak of his, from the feelings of a heart impreffed with its force, and wishing to spread the pleasure he enjoyed in it.

32. The ideas of his God and his Savior, were fo congenial to his mind, that every emotion of it naturally awakened them. A philofopher might have called him an enthufiaft: but if he poffeffed the fervor of enthusiasts, he was guiltless of their bigotry.

"Our father who art in heaven!" might the good old man fay-for he felt it-and all mankind were his brethren. 33. "You regret, my friend," faid he, to the philofopher, "when my daughter and I talk of the exquifit pleasure deri