Amelia -- Volume 3

rangers make th

ountry friend and his son, a young gentleman who was lately in orders

er. "Your wife," said he, "is a vain hussy to think herself worth my anger; but tell her I have the vanity myself to think I cannot be angry without a better cause. And yet tel

I know not how to thank y

ries the doctor; "but you need not tha

ewing a slight to the colonel's invitation? a

e first served. Besides, sir, I have priority of right, even to you y

f determine; and, I believe, it will not be difficult to guess where her choice will fall; fo

t so good a Christian to love those that love me- I will shew you my daughter, my old frien

as gone the old gentleman said to the doctor, "Pray, my good friend, what

ied? and yet some of them have had sons and daughters, I believe; but, how

swered the young clergyman; "fo

eed, I believe never lived. He died suddenly when his children were infants; and, perhaps, to the suddenness of his death it was owing that he did not recommend any care of them to me. However, I, in some measure, took that charge upon me; and particularly of her whom I call my daughter. Indeed, as she grew up she discovered so many good qualities t

or to a man of your disposition, to find out an adequate objec

a happiness,"

ing proper objects of their goodness; for nothing sure can be more irksome to a generous mind, than to di

ies the doctor,

vi povtw [Footnote: To do a kindness to a b

lames men for lamenting the ill return which is so often made to the best offices. [Footnote: D'Esprit.] A true Christian can never be disappoin

the gentleman, "if we

re we like Agrippa, only almost Christians? or, is Christiani

the gentleman. "Your example might indeed have convin

her a heathenish than a Christian doctrine. Homer, I reme

o'nv a

yap t

friend to mankind, f

to the Christian philosophy, condemned this as imp

hius, you might have added the observation which Mr. Dryden makes in favour of this passage, that he found not in all the Latin authors, so admirable an instance of exte

ek v

an a heathen, for Homer could not have transcribed it from any of his d

the old gentleman: "indeed, son, you must n

n that verse of St Matthew- That it is only to heap coals of fire upon their heads. How are we to understand, pr

so as to signify the complacency of the heart; you may hate your enemies as God's enemies, and seek due revenge of them for his honour; and, for your own sakes too, you may seek moderate satisfaction

e old gentleman; "you have a mo

dicule," said the so

s precept is most nobly enforced by the reward annexed-that ye may be the children, and so forth. No man who understands what it is to love, and to bless, and to do good, can mistake the meaning. But if they required any comment, the Scripture itself affords enow. If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if

gentleman. "Indeed, my good friend, you have e

t be an end of all law and justice, for I do not see ho

as the instrument of private malice, and to worry each other with inveteracy and rancour. And where is the great difficulty in obeying this wise, this generous, this noble precept? If revenge be, as a certain divine, not greatly to his honour, calls it, the most luscious morsel the devil ever dropt into the mouth of a sinner, it must be allowed at least to cost us often extremely dear. It is a dainty, if indeed it be one, which we come at with great inquietude, with great difficulty, and with great danger. However pleasant it may be to the palate while we are feeding on it, it is sure to leave a bitter relish behind it; and so far, indeed, it may be called a luscious morsel, that the most gr

nts to the doctor upon it, he turned to his son, and told him he had an opportunity

greed with the greater part; "but I must make a distinction," said he. However, he was inter