and I shall never be ashamed of the veneration which I pay; nor of the sigh which I sometimes, offer to the memory of an accomplished, virtuous, and pious; but mistaken, and ill-advised king.

My grandfather was a very sensible, and good man; he was eminent among all who knew him, for the purest integrity. In conversation, and in all his transactions; he was tenacious of truth, with a most religious punctuality. My father, the reverend THOMAS STOCKDALE, Was equally observant of veracity: and he frequently attributed that excellent part of his most respectable character, to a seasonable act of paternal severity. If the anecdote could be of use, to foolishly indulgent parents (the worst enemies of their children) it will be worth relating. When my father was a very young boy, he was, onc day, detected by my grandfather in a lie. It had been extorted by fear, on some very formidable emergency. No notice was taken of it till night; when the boy was naked, and going into bed; after a previous, and salutary lecture, a terrible chastisement was then inflicted on him:-and, in his old age, he assured me, that from that time, his conscience could not reproach him with

having once violated truth. Such was the happy effect of early paternal discipline, co-operating with one of the best human dispositions, that ever existed!

His

My father's person was agreeable; he had clear, and just, not shining abilities. He was a good classical scholar; and a good divine. In performing divine service (for he was a clergyman of the Church of ENGLAND) animation and efficacy were given to a plain delivery, by the unction of a sincere and fervent devotion. sermons were perspicuous, and edifying; they were founded on the genuine precepts of Christ. He carefully, and conscientiously, practised what he taught. His temper had warmth (and there is no generosity; there is no virtue without it;) but when it was occasionally excited, it soon subsided into his general tenour of gentleness, and benevolence. He was endowed, by nature, with good sense; but as his life was retired; as he was conversant with books, but not with mankind; and as that consciousness of honesty, which has had but few opportunities of practical, and external moral information, is apt, weakly to imagine that others are as honest as itself; he was, consequently, exposed to great impositions;

and he suffered many. He, and my everhonoured mother (a pious tear steals on my eye while I mention her) were afflicted with very delicate, and infirm health: and I was the child of their declining years. Yet notwithstanding the necessary expences of valetudinarians, and the smallness of my father's two benefices, (he had the vicarage of BRANXTON, and the perpetual curacy of CORNHILL,) notwithstanding the unmerciful defalcations which were struck off his legal rights, by rude, and unprincipled villainy, they were most humanely attentive, and kind to the poor. The most affectionate of fathers, often extremely stretched his very limited power, to be a father to the indigent, who lamented his death with a simple, but energetick eloquence. One hoary, and deserted widow, who had particularly experienced his benevolence, attended his remains to their place of interment, with the most pathetick emotions of grief; and consecrated his grave with her tears. How feeble is the strain of the most eloquent funeral oration; how ineffective is the point of the most elegant, and vigorous epitaph, in comparison with these obsequies!

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In the eye of reason, our guide to all im

portant and salutary truth; factitious rank, and grandeur, cannot warrant, and dignify vice; they only make it more conspicuous, and more odious. In mere hereditary honours (though VIX EA NOSTRA VOCO) I have no brilliant stem to display. The blood of humane and true christians, flows through my frame; and I hope that it will alleviate my faults, and yet animate me to virtue. My sentiments on the subject which is now before me, are vigorously and beautifully expressed by my admired POPE in the following lines:

Thick o'er with titles, and hung round with strings,

That thou may'st be by kings, or whores of kings;

Boast the pure blood of an illustrious race,

In quiet flow, from LUCRECE to LUCRECE;

But by your father's worth if yours you rate,
Count me those only who were good and great.
Go, if your ancient but ignoble blood,

Has crept through scoundrels ever since the flood;
Go, and pretend your family is young;
Nor own your fathers have been fools so long.
What can ennoble sots, or slaves, or cowards?
Alas! not all the blood of all the HowARDS.

ESSAY ON MAN.

DOROTHY STOCKDALE, my virtuous, and affectionate mother, was of rich and mean pa

rentage. She was born at MURTEN, in NORTHUMBERLAND; and was nearly related to the COLLINGWOODS of CORNHILL, in the county of DURHAM ; and to the CLENNELLS of LILBURN, in the former county. Old THOMAS, and his brother PERCIVAL, CLENNELL, were my godfathers. I had the discredit to be named after this man; instead of being honoured with my father's name. I well knew the families of whom I am speaking. The heads of them; the men whom I have mentioned, had considerable estates, for those times; they were very rich, and as hard as their gold, but with none of its ductility. They thought no object of any significance, comparatively with wealth; they thought none respectable, but the wealthy. THOMAS CLENNELL of LILBURN, and HENRY COLLINGWOOD of CORNHILL, were liberally educated; but that education had neither softened their hearts, nor expanded their minds.

My father passed the last six years of his life at CORNHILL; the immediate spot of his clerical duty. This is one of the pleasantest villages in the north of ENGLAND; and it's adjacent grounds are extremely fertile; to that fertility, it probably owes it's name. It is situated at the distance of