comitant, envy, that continually gnaws, not the bones, but the foul of its poffeffor. The devil fifheth with this hook in the little stream of childhood, as well as in the stronger current of youth, and fettled pool of old age. Pride discovereth itself in children, by their paffions, and refentments against their little companions, for injuries and affronts which they either really have, or imagine to have received; and by their diffatisfaction at seeing any of their peers careffed above, or even equal with themfelves; a conceit of being thought beautiful, a taste for fine clothes, and the like; which early sproutings of pride, parents or tutors not checking in the bud, but rather, on the contrary foftering by laughing at, and indulging them in fuch follies, it grows apace with them as they advance in life, and too often, it is much to be feared, terminates in their deftruction. But turn, my thoughts! O turn to a more folemn, yet far lefs irksome subject. Yonder well plum'd hearse, nodding as it cometh, with two mourning coaches, attended by a few in fable, gravely mounted, bringeth not the news only, but the evidences of mortality along. Let me ftep towards the high-way and inquire whofe remains this is; and while I am informed of the mournful tale, learn to prepare for my own diffolution. Ah and is this the direful cafe? I am shocked at the dreadful story! having been juft informed by one of the attendants, that this is the corpfe of a young gentleman, who the other evening being at the theatre, (that fplendid nursery of vice) imagined himself to have received an affront from a young officer in the army, who paffing by the box in which the young gentleman fat to a neighbouring one, the cane below his arm accidentally tipped the young gentleman in the cheek, who happened to be leaning that way; at which, fuppofing himfelf highly affronted in the presence of some young ladies near him, fired with pride immediately left the house, and fent a challenge to the officer, to fettle the affront by an affair of honour, which he accepting, they met next morning, when the young gentleman was fhot. Ah! the folly of indulging pride, and to what degrees of wickednefs doth it drive men! Could we now for a moment remove the covering of the other world, it is not unprobable, but we might fee this young man, with many thousands more in hell, curfing their parents and tutors for not checking that pride in early life, which was the mean, the awful mean, of landing them in tor ment. A good way farther down the river fide, I observe several perfons together, close by its brink, and fome apparently in the water itself. My curiofity is excited to know what they are doing; and in order to discover this, let me walk a little down the flowery bank to yonder eminence which rifes at a little diftance from the fide of the river, from the fummit of which I may clearly perceive what they are engaged in, without intruding myself upon them. How charming is the fpring, and how delightful this verdant walk! but pleasant |