clemency of the air disorders our health, and we must be fick. Here we are exposed to wild beasts, and there to men more favage than the beafts: and if we escape the inconveniencies and dangers of the air and the earth, there are perils by water and perils by fire. This established courfe of things it is not in our power to change; but it is in our power to assume fuch a greatnefs of mind as becomes wife and virtuous men; as may enable us to encounter the accidents of life with fortitude, and to conform ourselves to the order of nature, who governs her great kingdom, the world, by continual mutations. Let us fubmit to this order, let us be perfuaded that whatever does happen ought to happen, and never be fo foolish as to expoftulate with nature. The beft refolution we can take is to fuffer what we cannot alter, and to pursue, without repining, the road which Providence, who directs every thing, has marked out to us: for it is not enough to follow; and he he is but a bad foldier who fighs, and marches on with reluctancy, We must receive the orders with spirit and chearfulness, and not endeavour to flink out of the post which is affigned us in this beautiful difpofition of things, whereof even our sufferings make a neceffary part. Let us addrefs ourselves to God, who governs all, as CLEANTHES did in those admirable verses, which are going to lose part of their grace and energy in my tranflation of them. Parent of nature! Mafter of the world! Thus let us speak, and thus let us act. Refignation to the will of God is true magnanimity. But the fure mark of a pufilanimous and bafe fpirit, is to ftruggle against against, to cenfure the order of Providence, and instead of mending our own conduct, to set up for correcting that of our Maker. THE LETTER IV. That there is in hiftory fufficient authen- ticity to render it useful, notwithstanding all objections to the contrary. 1. The great use of biftory, properly fo called, as diftinguished from the writings of mere annalifts and antiquaries. 2. Greek and Ro- man hiftorians. 3. Some idea of a complete biftory. 4. Further cautions to be obferved in this ftudy, and the regulation of it ac- cording to the different professions, and fi- tuations of men: above all, the ufe to be made of it (1) by divines, and (2) by thofe From what period modern history is pecu- |