the one is, nor the other cannot, without immediate divine revelation.

There is great force and acuteness in this statement, whatever we may think of the solidity of the author's principles.

BROWN (TOM.)

THOMAS BROWN, of facetious memory, was the son of a considerable farmer in Shropshire, and educated at Newport school in that county, whence he was removed to Christ-church, Oxford. But the irregularities of his college life, soon obliged him to quit the university; and he set out, on a vague scheme of making his fortune, to London. But disappointed in his hopes, starvation stared him in the face, though he found interest enough to establish himself in a school at Kingston-upon-Thames. This occupation, however, ill-accorded with the vivacity of his temperament, and his previous habits, and he soon deserted the school for the metropolis. Here his former companions were more disposed to be pleased with his humour, than to relieve his wants, and he

was driven to the usual resource of necessitous wits-to write for bread. In this project he succeeded to the admiration of a numerous class of readers, though he failed to rise in fortune as he rose in fame. He is said to have wanted urbanity, and to have possessed a quality very common with wits of his description, who would rather lose a friend than a joke. He died in 1704.

His works were printed in 1707; and consist of "Dialogues, Essays, Declamations, Satires, Letters from the Dead to the Living, Translations, Amusements," &c. The following passage will serve to give an idea of his man

ner.

Ladies.

The chief virtue in the ladies' catechism is, to please; and beauty pleases men more effectually than wisdom. One man loves sweetness and modesty in a woman; another loves a jolly damsel with life and vigour; but agreeableness and beauty relishes with all human palates. A young woman who has no other portion than her hopes of pleasing, is at a loss what measures to take that she may make her for tune. Is she simple? We despise her. Is she virtuous? We don't like her company. Is she a coquet? We avoid her. Therefore, to succeed well in this

champion of the new sect. In the course of his life, he travelled with the celebrated William Penn, through the greatest part of England, Holland, and Germany, and died in 1690, about the forty-second year of his age.

Barclay wrote various treatises in defence of his peculiar tenets, of which the principal is his well-known " Apology for the Quakers.” It was written and published in Latin; and afterwards translated by himself into English. It was dedicated to Charles II. and the dedication is remarkable and commendable for the manly, though respectful freedom, with which he undertakes to counsel his prince, and to exhort him, from his own experience of oppression, not to become the oppressor of his subjects. He addresses his majesty with the familiarity peculiar to his sect.

As it is inconsistent with the truth I bear, so it is far from me to use this epistle as an engine tọ flatter thee, the usual design of such works: and therefore I can neither dedicate it to thee, nor cravẹ thy patronage, as if thereby I might have more confidence to present it to the world, or be more hopeful of its success. To God alone I owe what I have, and that more immediately in matters spiritual, and therefore to him alone, and to the service of his truth,

I dedicate whatever work he brings forth in me, to whom only the praise and honour appertain, whose truth needs not the patronage of worldly princes, his arm and power being that alone, by which it is propagated, established, and confirmed.

* *

There is no king in the world, who can so experimentally testify of God's providence and goodness; neither is there any, who rules so many free people, so many true christians; which thing renders thy government more honourable, thyself more considerable, than the accession of many nations, filled with slavish and superstitious souls.

Thou hast tasted of prosperity and adversity; thou knowest what it is to be banished thy native country, to be over-ruled, as well as to rule and sit upon the throne; and being oppressed, thou hast reason to know how hateful the oppressor is to both God and man: if after all these warnings and advertisements, thou dost not turn unto the Lord with all thy heart, but forget him, who remembered thee in thy distress, and give up thyself to follow lust and vanity; surely great will be thy condemnation,

Against which snare, as well as the temptation of those that may or do feed thee, and prompt thee to evil; the most excellent and prevalent remedy will be, to apply thyself to that light of Christ, which shineth in thy conscience, which neither can, nor will flatter