table Principle that lies in it takes up a lefs " room than the Kernel itself, little more 'than the Quantity of a fmall Pin's head, as is eafie to be obferved by Experiment; but 'the Exercise of that Spark of Life is large ' and comprehenfive in its Operation; it produceth a great Tree, and in that Tree the Sap, the Body, the Bark, the Limbs, the Leaves, the Fruit; and fo it is with the Principles of true Religion, the Principle • it felf lies in a narrow compafs, but the Activity and Energy of it is diffufive and C various.

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THIS Principle hath not only Productions that naturally flow from it, but where it is, it ferments and affimilates, and gives " a kind of Tincture even to other Actions that do not in their own Nature follow 'from it, as the Nature and civil Actions of our Lives; under the former was our Lord's 'Parable of a Grain of Mustard feed, under the latter of his Comparison of Leaven, juft as we fee in other things of Nature? เ Take a little Red Wine, and drop it into a 'Veffel of Water, it gives a new Tincture to the Water; or take a grain of Salt and put it into fresh Liquor, it doth communicate itself to the next adjacent part of the Li" quor, and that again to the next, until the · whole be fermented: So that small and little vital Principle of the Fear of God doth gradually, and yet fuddenly affimilate the 'Actions of our Life flowing from another Principle. It rectifies and moderates our Affections, and Paffions, and Appetites it gives Truth to our Speech, Sobriety to · I

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our Senfes, Humility to our Parts, and the like.

RELIGION is beft in its Simplici ty and Purity, but difficult to be retained fo, without Superftitions and Acceffions; and thofe do commonly in time Stifle and Choak the Simplicity of Religion, unless much Care and Circumfpection be used: 'The Contemperations are fo many, and fo cumberfom, that Religion lofeth its Nature, or is ftrangled by them: Juft as a Man that bath fome Excellent Simple Cordial Spirit, and puts in Musk in it to make it fmell fweet, and Honey to make it tafte plea fant; and it may be Cantharides to make it look glorious. Indeed by the Infufions he hath given it a very fine Smell, and Tafte, and Colour, but yet he hath fo clogg'd it, and fophifticated it with Superadditions, that it may be he hath altered the Nature, and deftroyed the Virtue of it.

HERE my Friend could go on no fur ther, but reaching to me the Book it felf, he leaned on the Table, covering his Eyes with his Hands, while I read the following Words on the Margin, Grant that this Superaddition which I make, may be Love and Conftancy to Mr. Ofwald. No one could be unaffected with this Incident, nor could I forbear falling into a kind of Confolatory Difcourfe, drawn from the Satisfaction it muft needs be, to find new Proofs of the Virtue of a Perfon he fo tenderly loved; but obferving his Concern too quick and lively for Converfation on that Subje&t, I broke off with repeating only two -Diftichs

Diftichs of Mr. Cowley to my Lady Vandyke, on the Death of her Husband,

Your Foys and Griefs were wont the fame to be; Begin not now, bleft Pair, to disagree.

I cannot but think it was a very right Sentiment in this Lady, to make that Duty of Life in which he took pleafure, the Superftructure upon the Motive of Religion; for nothing can mend the Heart better than an honourable Love, except Religion. It fweetens Difafters, and moderates good Fortune, from a Benevolent Spirit that is naturally in it, and extends itfelf to things the most remote. It cannot be conceived by those who are involved in Libertine Pleasures, the sweet Satisfactions that muft arife from the Union of two Perfons who have left all the World, in order to place their chief Delight in each other; and to promote that Delight by all the methods which Reafon, urged by Religion and Duty, forwarded by Paffion, can intimate to the Heart. Such a Pair give Charms to Virtue, and make pleasant the ways of Innocence: A Deviation from the Rules of fuch Commerce would be courting Pain; for fuch a Life is as much to be preferred to any thing that can be communicated by criminal Satiffactions, (to speak of it in the mildest Terms) as Sobriety and elegant Conversation are to Intemperance and Rioting.

N° 30. Tuesday, May 4.

Defpicere unde queas alios, paffimque videre
Errare, atque viam palanteis quærere vitæ.

I

Luc.

T is a very great Satisfaction to one who has put himself upon the Platonick Foot, to look calmly on, while Carnivorous Lovers run about howling for Hunger, which the Intellectual and more abstracted Ad. mirer is never gnaw'd with. The following Letters give a lively Representation of this

matter.

Mr. MYRTLE,

Chimfelf for Love, I am the Perfon; I IF ever any Man had reafon to dispatch

am loft to all Intents and Purposes, though I was the happieft Man in the World, and have no one to accufe but my felf of my prefent Misfortunes, and yet I am not to be accufed neither. To open this Rid dle, you must know, Mr. Myrtle, that I am not now Twenty Years of Age; I think that Circumftance neceffary to tell you, for they fay the Misfortune which befel me cannot happen but from the Height of Youth and Blood. I live in the Neighbourhood

sof

of a young Lady of Wealth, Wit and Beauty. I love her to Death, and she loves me with no lefs Ardour. We have had frequent Meetings by ftealth, which are now interrupted by a very uncommon Accident. I have a Father who can never be enough fatisfied that his Houfe is not to be burned • before next Morning; and for this reason, as well as, perhaps, other Jealoufies, infists upon the Liberty of coming into my Chamber when I am afleep, to fee whether my Candle is out. One Night he stole foftly in, as indeed he always does, for fear of di'fturbing me, when I faft afleep was talking of my Mistress. As he has fince told me, 'I named her, and then thought fit to go on as follows.

'THE Happiness we now enjoy is dou-'bled by the Secrecy of it. I will come again to Morrow Night, and have ordered the Hackney Coachman to be ready to let me get up to your Window at the Hour appointed. Be ready to throw up the Safh " when I tinkle with a Piece of Money at the Glafs. Your Letters I keep always in a Box under my Bed, and my Father can • never come at them. Pray be fure to write; for the Day-time 'tis mighty fad fhou'd be troubled with the Impertinence and Bustle ་ of the World, and we never to meet or " hear from each other but at Midnight.

&

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THE old Gentleman took my Key out of my Pocket, and by that means made himfelf Mafter of my Papers; and in an hight Point of Honour, the next Day told. 1 3

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