Nothing is so desirable as religion, – nothing so truly amiable as piety; – what blessings does it not diffuse to all who are within the reach of its influence? – from it all other virtues are derived, and by it alone are enabled to act with vigour; – yet how often have we seen this heavenly quality perverted into its very opposite; and, from the spirit of meekness, benevolence, mercy, charity and universal love, become the spirit of pride, contention, envy, hatred and persecution; – like the arch-angel, who, standing nearest to the throne of glory, precipitated himself into the lowest hell.

Bigotry and superstition are the surest engines which the subtle enemy of mankind makes use of for our destruction; – all other crimes carry their stings with them; conscience reproaches us for doing amiss, and we fall not again into the like without extreme remorse and shame; but the man possess'd of this holy frenzy of the mind glorys in his perseverance, because he looks upon it as the highest virtue.

But this, indeed, is not an age in which errors of this nature much abound; – it has been much more the fashion of late years, for people to laugh at and contemn all the duties of religion, than to be too warm in the practice of any of them; – there are, however, some few examples of the contrary extreme, a melancholy proof of which I am now about to give.

A gentleman, whom I shall distinguish by the name of Flaminio, had attain'd to the age of 50, without having been known to be guilty of any one thing which could call in question either his honour, good nature, or good sense: – he had lived caress'd by his friends, respected by his acquaintance, and almost adored by his tenants and dependants; – he had one son and one daughter, and having lost his wife in bringing the latter into the world, he never ventured on a second bed, but laid out all his cares on the education of these two darlings of his soul.