Some Account of the Death of Abel. actually fent to all the islands and colonies of America: And by the care of the governors and clergy, it is hoped by this time, that they are all properly diftributed among the people of their respective colonies, to their great improvement in the knowledge of rational and practical chriftianity. And to mention one inftance more of his great charity and care for the education of youth, he has given to Catherine ball in Cambridge, the place of his education, his valuable library of books; and, in his life-time, and at his death, donations for the founding a librarian's place, and a scholarship, to the amount of feveral thoufand pounds. A B Befides thefe, and many other public inftances of his charity and munificence which might be mentioned, C the private flow of his bounty to many individuals was conftant and regular; and upon all juft occafions he was ever ready to ftretch forth his hand towards the needy and afflicted : of which no one can bear teftimony better than myself, whom he often employed as the diftributor of it. D 25 almost wholly unknown, though it has already paffed through three editions in Switzerland, where it was originally printed, and where the character of the author was fufficient to raise expectation: It appears, however, to be a work of merit in the tranflation that is now offered to the public, which, though not in verse, is yet in a kind of measured language, not unfuitable to the sentiments and imagery of poetry. To give the story with all its incidents as the author has worked it up, would be to preclude the pleasure of reading her performance; fome extracts,therefore, will be felected as a fpecimen of the work and the translation, the fentiments and the language. The author begins where Milton has ended. Milton defcribes the départure of our first parents from paradife; M. Geffner, their entrance into the world. The country they croffed, says he, feemed one wide and dreary defart, and Adam furveyed the uncultivated earth with anxiety and anguish; they kind of rude grotto, and within the came at last to a rock, in which was a grotto, a spring of water; this place Adam fixed upon for his dwelling; but a new fpecies of labour was now become neceffary, ' here, says Adam to his wife, we will prepare our lodging, but before we fleep, I must secure the entrance to keep us from Ebeing furprized by nocturnal ene He was indeed a perfon of great candour and humanity, had a tender feeling of diftrefs, and was easily touched with the misfortunes of others. No man was ever more happy in domestic life, and no one could fhew greater gentleness, good nature, and affection to all around him. To his fervants be was a kind and tender mafter; he knew how to reward fidelity and diligence; efpecially in thofe who had been long in his fervice. They were careful over him, and he remembered. their care, by leaving a large fum among them who had been nearest a- F bout him during his illness. 3 Some Account of the Death of Abel, a HE death of Abel, as it is related mies. What enemies, replied Eve, with emotion: What enemies have we to fear? Hast thou not remarked, faid Adam,that the curfe of our fin has fallen on the whole creation? the bands of friendship between the ani'mals are broken, and the weak are now become the prey of the strong; they are no longer under our com'mand, nor do the leopard, the lion, and the tyger any longer fawn upon us; they look upon us with threat⚫ening afpects, and their roaring is the voice of deftruction; we will endea Tin the facred writings, is a fingle G vour to gain by our kindness, thofe incident fo fimple, that it is not easy to conceive, how it could be made the fubject of a poem, extended thro' five books; nor do we readily fuppofe, that an event which being related without circumstances, we have always read without emotion,can be again told fo as forcibly to remove all the paffions on which the pleasure of poetry depends. It is therefore, probable, that the title of this book has procured it few readers in a country where the author is (Gent. Mag. Jan. 1762.) that are moft tractable, and providence has given us reafon, which will teach us to fecure oprfelves from the most favage.' Eve, now alarmed with the sense of Htion and timidity, to gather fome danger, went out with a look of cau leaves to form their bed, and fome fruits for their repaft; and the, who before wandered through the flowery labyrynths of paradife with a confcíous fecurity, that made her foinetimes D with 26 Some Account of the Death of Abel. wish to be alone, now ftopped and While they were taking their repaft in this grotto, they beheld the first fform, and were feized with fuch terror, as is natural to beings under a fentence of death, which they fuppofed every awful phænomenon was intended to execute. This incident is related by Adam in the following words. A There is fomething very fanciful and poetical, in the manner of furnithing a vehicle for the fpirit of Abel, after he was flain. A dark cloud fuddenly obfcured the declining fun, it extended over our heads with encreafing darkness,, and the black veil which covered the earth, feemed to prefage the deftruction of all nature; a tempeftuous wind arofe, it bellowed in the C "mountains, it overthrew the trees of "the foreft, flames darted from the clouds, and loud bürfts of thunder' augmented the horrors of this tre-Eve, who was mendous fcene.'ftruck with terror, cried out, that the death with which they had been D threatened was now approaching, and throwing herself into Adam's arms, clung, pale, trembling, & fpeechlefs to his bofom. Adam endeavoured to footh her fears,and depricate the impending deftruction, by an address to their ofAnd now, fays he, fended creator: the clouds poured forth their torrents, livid flames no longer flashed from the heavens, and the thunder rolled at a distance; I raised my head from the ground, faying, the Almighty, my dear Eve, has paffed us by; he hath not destroyed the earth, and we are yet permitted to live. We arofe and were comforted: the heavens refumed their brightness, and the fetting Sun fpread a mild radiance through the fky, like the luminous track which we ufed to be. hold in Eden, when legions of angels were carried above us on the flying clouds. Silence reigned over the moift fields, the herbage and flowers G ftill glittering with the drops of heaven, glowed with more than usual beauty. The departing Sun darted upon us his laft beams, while we ceand lebrated with reverential awe, thankful love, the wisdom, power, and love of our Creator.' Thus, paffed the firft day after their leaving paradife; and, the reader may by thefe extracts, fhort and imperfect as they are, form fome notion of the author's turn of thought and power of defcription. a The angel of Death called forth the foul of Abel from the enfanguin'd duft: It advanced with Imile of joy. The more pure and fpirituous parts of the body flew off, and mixing with the balfamic exha'lations wafted by the zephyrs from the flowers which fprung up within the circuit irradiated by the angel, 'environed the foul, forming for it an ethereal body.' The addrefs of the angel to this happy fpirit, and the fong of welcome when it approaches the gates of heaven, are alfo well imagined. Let us quit this earth, nothing now can be dear to thee but the 'virtuous; regret not to leave them behind, for after a few more rifing and fetting Suns, they too will partake "of thy felicity. The foul of Abel "rifing in the air, began to lofe fight of the earth, and was foon surrounded by multitudes of angels, who 'having conducted it to the confines of the cœleftial atmosphere, reclined ' on a crimson cloud, and thus fung in ⚫ chorus.' "HE rifes! the new inhabitant of 'heaven rises to his native land render him homage ye brilliant conftelElations which roll in the immenfity of fpace; render homage with gladnefs to the earth your companion : What glory to that opaque fphere to have nourished in its duft a being prepared for the joys of immortality! glow, ye fields, with brighter • verdure ; reflect, ye hills, a purer Flight. H' ་ ven "Herifes! the new inhabitant of hearifes to his native land.Legions of angels, await his arrival at the cœleftial portals; with what rapture will they welcome their new companion to the feat of blifs! they will crown 'him with unfading rofes. What will be his tranfport, when he traverses the flowery fields of heaven! when, under aromatic bowers of eternal verdure, he joins the angelic choir in their fongs of praife; afcribing glory, honour, power, and dominion to the fource of happiness, the sole principle of good.' The author has, with great judgment, imagined a variety of incidents, which render the death of Abel, and the fituation of Cain, affecting in a high degree. Waile Speech to Parliament, at their While Abel is lying dead on the ground, and Cain fuffering all the torments of remorfe and defpair, Adam and Eve, wholly ignorant of what has happened, walk out to enjoy the fragrance and beauty of the morning, till the hour of labour should call him to the field, and her to their dwelling. A They admire the mild radiance of the rifing fun, the beauty of the prospect, and the fong of the birds, and are touched with joy at the portion of good that is ftill left them; to participate the pleafing fenfations to which they were now conscious, Adam propofes to B feek Abel, where he ufually led his flocks to pasture; but Eve expressed a defire to go first to the field of Cain ; I have in this basket, fays the, brought a little present to my first born; I have picked out fome of my beft figs, and a grapes, C few branches of my fineft dried they will be an agreeable refreshment for him, when at mid-day he retires to the fhade, faint and exhausted with labour. Adam confented, and they encreafed their pace, anticipating the pleasure they should receive from this little teftimony of their regard to it accept Cain, who they hoped would with kindness, as a token that he fhared their affection with Abel: But thefe foothing profpects were all blasted in a moment, by Eve's fuddenly difcovering the dead body of Abel on the ground, disfigured by wounds, and weltering in blood: Át her exclamations, Adam, who was a little behind her, came up, and in the midst of the grief and horror that had feized them, Cain rushed upon them, frantic with defpair, and accufed himself as the murderer of his brother; he then ran again into the woods, and, Adam and Eve, when they recovered the use of fpeech, mixed with their tears the most paffionate felf-accufations as the murderers of their child, having first introduced fin and death into the world, by their original disobedience. D F G Meeting after the Holydays. 27 der the dead body of his fon, with Eve The diftrefs of this fituation is en- terror; her immove ble eyes thed no Thirza, the wife of Abel, whom he As Adam was burying the body, two little boys, the fons of Cain came up, whofe innocent fimplicity, produces exclamations and enquiries, which still heighten the diftrefs. The fentiments are in general, not only juft, but elevated; and a strain of piety runs through the whole poem, which would alone render it pleafing to a mind that has a quick and tender fenfibility to religious impreffions. His Majefty's most gracious Speech to both I My Lords and Gentlemen, Have so often afsured you of my fincere difpofition to put an end to the calamities of war, and to restore the publick tranquillity, on folid and lafting foundations, that no impartial perfon either at home, or abroad, can fufpect me of unneceffarily kindling a new war in Europe. But, it is with concern, I acquaint you, that, fince your recefs, I have found myfelf indifpenfably obliged to declare war against Spain. The caufes are fet forth in my public declaration on this occafion; and therefore I shall not detain you with the repetition of them. My own conduct, fince my acceffion to the 'throne, as well as that of the late king, my royal grandfather, towards Spain, has been fo full of good-will, and friendship; fo averfe to the laying hold of feveral juft grounds of complaint, which might have been alledged; and fo attentive to the advantages of the Catholi 28 Story of Le Fever; from Triftram Shandy. Whatever colours may be endeavoured to be put upon thefe injurious proceedings of the court of Madrid, I B have nothing to reproach myself with: And, though I have left nothing untried, that could have prevented this rupture, I have thought it neceffary to prepare against every event. I therefore rely on the divine bleffing on the juftice of my caufe; the zea-C lous, and powerful affiftance of my faithful fubjects; and the concurrence of my allies, who must find themselves involved in the pernicious, and extenfive projects of my enemies. I leave these confiderations with you, full of the jufteft confidence, that the honour of my crown, and the interests of my kingdoms, are fafe in your hands. The Story of LE FEVER: From the Sixth Volume of Triftram Shandy, lately published. D T was fome time in the fummer of that year, in which Dendermond was E taken by the allies,-which was about jeven years before my father came into the country,-and about as many, after the time, that my uncle Toby and Trim had privately decamped from my father's houfe in town, in order to lay fome of the finest fieges to fome of the fineft fortified places in F Furope when my uncle Toby was one evening getting his fupper, with Trim fitting behind him at a fmall fideboard, that the landlord of a little inn in the village came into the parlour with an empty phial in his hand, to beg a glass or two of fack: 'Fis for a poor gentleman,-I think, of the army, faid the landlord, who has been taken ill at my houfe four days ago, and has never held up his head fince, or had a defire to tafte any thing, till juft now, that he has a fancy for a glafs of fack and a thin toaft,I think, fays he, taking his hand from his forehead, it would comfort me. -If could neither beg, borrow, or buy fuch a thing,added the landlord I would almoft Heal it for the pour sentieman, he is to ill.-I hope G in God he will ftill mend, continued he, we are all of us concerned for him. Thou art a good-natured foul, I will answer for thee, cried my uncle Toby; and thou shalt drink the poor gentleman's health in a glafs of fack thyfelf, and take a couple of bottles, with my fervice, and tell him he is heartily welcome to them, and to a dozen more, if they will do him good. Though I am perfuaded, faid my uncle Toby, as the landlord fhut the door, he is a very compaffionate fellow-Trim, yet I cannot help entertaining a high opinion of his guest too; there must be fomething more than common in him, that in fo fhort a time should win fo much upon the affections of his hoft :-And of his whole family, added the corporal, for they are all concerned for him.Step after him, faid my uncle Toby,do Trim, and ask if he knows his name. I have quite forgot it, truly, faid the landlord, coming back into the parlour with the corporal,-but I can afk his fon again:Has he a fon with him then? faid my uncle Toby.A boy, replied the landlord, of about eleven or twelve years of age;-but the poor creature has tafted almoft as little as his father; he does nothing but mourn and lament for him night and day :-He has not stirred from the bed fide thefe two days. My uncle Toby laid down his knife and fork, and thruft his plate from before him, as the landlord gave him the account; and Trim, without being ordered, took away without faying one word. Trim! faid my uncle Toby, I have a project in my head, as it is a bad night, of wrapping myself up warm in my roquelaure, and paying a vifit to this Foor gentleman.-Your honour's roquelaure, replied the corporal, has not once been had on, fince the night before your honour received your wound, when we mounted guard in the trenches before the gate of St Nicholas;and, befides, it is fo cold and rainy a night, that what with the roquelaure, and what with the weather, 'twill be enough to give your honour your death, and bring on your honour' torment in your groin. I fear fo; reHplied my uncle Toby, but I am not at reft in my mind, Trim, fince the account the landlord has given me.-I wish I had not known fo much of this afair-added my uncle Toby, ог Story of Le Fever; from Triftram Shandy. or that I had known more of it :- It was not till my uncle Toby had knocked the afhes out of his third pipe, that corporal Trim returned from the inn, and gave him the following account: B 29 to my dinner, as I had to cry with him When I gave him the toast, conti- I despaired at firft, faid the corporal, of being able to bring back any intelligence to your honour, about the lieutenant and his fon; for when I afked where his fervant was, from whom I made myself fure of knowing every thing which was proper to be afked, I was anfwered, that he had no fervant with him ;-that he had come to the inn with hired horfes, which, upon finding himself unable to proceed, (to join, I fuppofe, the regiment) he had difmiffed the morn- D ing after he came. If I get better, my dear, faid he, as he gave his puríe to his fon to pay the man,we can hire horses from hence.-But alas ! the poor gentleman will never get from hence, faid the landlady to me, -for I heard the death-watch all night E long; and when he dies, the youth, his fon, will certainly die with him; for he is broken-hearted already. I I was hearing this account, continued the corporal, when the youth came into the kitchen, to order the thin toast the landlord fpoke of;-but I will do it for my father myfelf, faid you the the youth.-Pray let me fave trouble, young gentleman, faid I, taking up a fork for the purpose, and offering him my chair to fit down upon by the fire, whilft I did it.-I believe, Sir, faid he, very modeftly, can please him beft myself.-I am fure, faid I, his honour will not like the toaft the worse for being toasted by an old foldier.-The youth took hold of my hand, and inftantly burst into tears. -Poor youth! faid my uncle Toby,,he has been bred up from an infant in the army; and the name of a foldier, Trim, founded in his ears like the name of a friend;-I wish I had him here. I never, in the longest march, faid the corporal, had fo great a mind F When the lieutenant had taken his glafs of fack and toast, he felt himicit a little revived, and fent down into the kitchen, to let me know, that in abon: ten minutes he should be glad if I would ftep up ftairs.-I believe, faid the landlord, he is going to lay his prayers,-for there was a book laid upon the chair by his bed fide, and as I fhut the door, I faw his fon take up a cushion.- -A I thought, faid the curate, that you gentlemen of the army, Mr Trim, never faid your prayers at all.—I heard the poor gentleman fay his prayers laft night, faid the landlady, very devoutly, and with my own ears, or I could not have believed it.-Are you fure of it? replied the curate. foldier, an' pleafe your reverence, faid I, prays as often (of his own accord) as a parfon; and when he is fight ing for his king, and for his own life, and for his honour too, he has the most reason to pray to God, of any one in the whole world.-'Twas well faid of thee, Trim, faid my uncle Tob. -But when a foldier, faid I, an' please your reverence, has been ftanding for twelve hours together in the trenches, Hup to his knees in cold water,-oi engaged, faid I, for months together in long and dangerous marches;-harrated, perhaps, in his rear to-dayharrating others to-morrow ;-d- G tache |