תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

of the company moved to assist her, and the women began to draw down her apron and petticoats over her feet; but Mr Whitefield cried out, "Let her alone! let her alone! A glorious sight! a glorious sight!" No doubt the holy man meant that it was a glorious sight to see a sinner fall before the power of the word; but the young college bucks and wits construed his meaning differently, and put the audience into such immoderate fits of laughter, that even Mr Whitefield's utmost efforts were not able to restore their gravity, but he was obliged to dismiss his congregation abruptly.

For a long time after this happened, the Cantabs, as they reeled homewards in the night-time, disturbed the sober inhabitants, by loudly exclaiming, "A glorious sight! a glorious sight! as Dr Squintum says."

I am, dear friend, yours.

LETTER XVI.

"Love, the most generous passion of the mind;
The softest refuge innocence can find;
The soft director of unguided youth,

Fraught with kind wishes, and secured by truth;
The cordial drop heav'n in our cup has thrown,
To make the nauseous draught of life go down;
On which one only blessing God might raise,
In lands of atheists subsidies of praise;
For none did e'er so dull and stupid prove,
But felt a God, and bless'd his pow'r, in love."
NONPAREIL.

DEAR FRIEND,

I MUST now request you to go back with me a few years, as I have not yet made you acquainted with my

K

principal amours. I was about seventeen years of age when an adventure discovered, that although I was so very spiritual, as I before informed you, I was notwithstanding susceptible of another kind of impression.

"Oh, let me still enjoy the cheerful day,

Till many years unheeded o'er me roll;
Pleas'd in my age I trifle life away,

And tell how much I lov'd ere I grew old."

HAMMOND'S Love Elegies.

Being at farmer Gamlin's at Charlton, four miles from Taunton, to hear a Methodist sermon, I fell desperately in love with the farmer's handsome dairymaid.

"Her home-spun dress in simple neatness lies,
And for no glaring equipage she sighs.
She gratefully receives what heav'n has sent,
And, rich in poverty, enjoys content.
Her reputation which is all her boast,
In a malicious visit ne'er was lost.

No midnight masquerade her beauty wears,
And health, not paint, the fading bloom repairs.
If love's soft passions in her bosom reign,
An equal passion warms her happy swain."

GAY.

At that time I abounded in spiritual gifts, which induced this honest rustic maid to be very kind to me, and to walk several fields with me in my road back to Taunton, talking all the way of her spiritual distress and godly concerns; while I poured heavenly comfort into her soul, and talked so long of divine love, until I found that my affection for her was not altogether of that spiritual nature. And yet

"We lov'd without transgressing virtue's bounds:
We fix'd the limits of our tenderest thoughts,
Came to the verge of honour, and there stopp'd;
We warm'd us by the fire, but were not scorch'd.
If this be sin, angels might live with more;
Aud mingle rays of minds less pure than ours."
DRYDEN'S Love Triumphant.

After this you may be sure that I did not let slip any opportunity of hearing sermons at farmer Gamlin's; and I generally prevailed with Nancy Smith, my charming spiritual dairy-maid, to accompany me part of the way home, and at every gate I accompanied my spiritual advice with a kiss.

[ocr errors]

-Oh then the longest summer's day

Seem'd too, too much in haste; still the full heart
Had not imparted half: 'twas happiness
Too exquisite to last. Of joys departed

Never to return, how painful the remembrance !"
BLAIR'S Grave.

But alas! these comfortable Sunday walks were soon at an end; as my charming Nancy Smith, for some reason or other (I have forgot what) left her place, and went to live as dairy-maid with a farmer in the marsh country, between Bridgewater and Bristol, seventeen miles from Taunton, so that I did not see her for near two years afterwards, during which time I gave spiritual advice to another holy sister, whose name was Hannah Allen.

"Sure philosophy, reason, and coolness must prove
Defences unequal to shield us from love."

C. J. Fox.

I prevailed on this lovely maid to attend the Methodist preaching at five o'clock on Monday mornings, and we often met at three or four, so that we had an hour or two to spend in walking and conversation on spiritual affairs. Had you seen and heard us on the cold frosty mornings, it would have put you in mind of Milton's Devils, whom he represents as at times starving with cold:

"Others apart, sat on a hill, retir'd,

In thoughts more elevate, and reason'd high
Of Providence, foreknowledge, will, and fate;
Fix'd fate, free-will, foreknowledge absolute;
And found no end in wandering mazes lost.'

PARADISE LOST.

But I assure you, my friend, that we were sometimes like the Galatians of old; we began in the spirit, and ended in the flesh.

"Now on the moss-bank, beneath the shade,
For hours of love, or meditation made;
To the soft passion I my heart resign,

COOKE.

To make the long obdurate maiden mine." With this dear girl I spent all my leisure time, for two or three years; so that we enjoyed together hundreds of happy, and I can truly add, innocent hours.

"O days of bliss! To equal this Olympus strives in vain ;

O happy pair,

O happy fair!

O happy, happy swain!"

JOANNES SECUNDUS.

But still I never could entirely forget my charming innocent dairy-maid. In fact, I had love enough for both, to have taken either for better or worse; but my being an apprentice prevented me from marrying at that time.

"Absence," says Rochefoucault, "lessens moderate passions, but increases great ones, like the wind which blows out tapers, but kindles fire."

It is true, I had the greatest love for Nancy Smith; but Hannah Allen had the advantage of Nancy, as I could see Hannah almost every day, and Nancy only once or twice in about three years. However, I at last fell out with Hannah (on what occasion I cannot recollect) and I sent Nancy a letter, which made up matters with her; for, like Sterne, I was always in love with one goddess or other;" and Xenophon in his banquet, informs us, that the divine Socrates said, that he never remembered that he was ever without being in love, nor would he part from the company without saying something on "the attributes of that

66

great power; he resembles but a child, says he, who by his power is master of all things, and is grafted into the very essence and constitution of the soul of man."

Soon after, Nancy Smith came to live for a little time at her father's house at Petherton, near Bridgewater, seven miles from Taunton. This happened during the election at Taunton, when I was changed from a strict Methodist to a rake; and although the wedding ring was purchased, and we were to have been married in a few days, yet the marriage was put off on account of my dissipated character.

"With wine I strove to soothe my love-sick soul,
But vengeful Cupid dash'd with tears the bowl:
All mad with rage, to kinder nymphs I flew."

GRAINGER'S Tibullus.

I soon after set off for Bristol, as I before informed you; nor did I see her after that, until my return from Kingsbridge, when I saw her several times prior to my setting off for Bristol with my friend Jones, and his brother Richard.

I am, dear friend, yours.

« הקודםהמשך »