strumental to place those in offices, places, and employments of trust and consequence, that were honest and faithful. I removed those that were dishonest, irreligious, false, or unjust, &c.

"Touching my reputation and credit, I never affected the reputation of being rich, great, crafty, or politick; but I esteemed much a deserved reputation of justice, honesty, integrity, virtue, and piety.

"I never thought that reputation was the thing primarily to be looked after in the exercise of virtue, forthat were to affect the substance for the sake of the shadow, which had been a kind of levity and weakness of mind; but I looked at virtue, and the worth of it, as that which was the first desirable, and reputation, as a fair and useful accession to it.

"The reputation of justice and honesty, I was always careful to keep untainted, upon these grounds. First, because a blemish in my reputation would be dishonourable to thee. Second, it would be an abuse of a talent which thou hadst committed to me. Third, it would be a weakening of an instrument which thou hadst put into my hands, upon the strength whereof much good might be done by me.

"Though I have loved my reputation, and have been vigilant not to lose, or impair it, by my own default or neglect, yet I have looked upon it as a brittle thing, a thing that the devil aims to hit in a special manner, a thing that is much in the power of a false report, a mistake, a misapprehension, to wound and hurt; and notwithstanding all my care, I am at the mercy of others, without God's wonderful, over-ruling providence. And as my reputation is the esteem that others have of me, so

that esteem may be blemished without my default. I have, therefore, always taken this care, not to set my heart upon my reputation. I will use all fidelity and honesty, and take care it shall not be lost by any default of mine; and if, notwithstanding all this, my reputation be soiled by evil, or envious men, or angels, I will patiently bear it, and content myself with the serenity of my own conscience.

"When thy honour, or the good of my country, was concerned, I then thought it was a seasonable time to lay out my reputation for the advantage of either, and to act with it, and by it, and upon it, to the highest, in the use of all lawful means. And upon such an occasion, the counsel of Mordecai to Esther was my encouragement'Who knoweth whether God hath not given thee this reputation and esteem for such a time as this?'”

In these striking selections, from this excellent production, our readers will doubtless see reason for the belief, that no small influence was contributed thereby towards the formation of Washington's character. Here we might stop, in the assurance that such a persuasion would be general. But we cannot forbear another quotation, because of the singular coincidence of its sentiments with those which are known to have distinguished the Father of his Country. We cite the discourse in which the author treats" Of Wisdom and the Fear of God." His language is :

66

Sincerity, uprightness, integrity, and honesty, are certainly true and real wisdom. Let any man observe it where he will, an hypocrite, or dissembler, or doublehearted man, though he may shuffle it out for awhile, yet at the long run, he is discovered, and disappointed,

and betrays very much folly at the latter end; when a plain, sincere, honest man, holds it out to the very last; so that the proverb is most true, that "Honesty is the best Policy." Now the great privilege of the fear of God is, that it makes the heart sincere and upright, and even that will certainly make the words and actions so. For he is under the sense of the inspection and animadversion of that God who searches the heart; and therefore, he dares not lie, nor dissemble, nor flatter, nor prevaricate, because he knows the pure, all-seeing, righteous God, that loves truth and integrity, and hates lying and dissimulation, beholds and sees and observes him, and knows his thoughts, words and actions.

"Another great cause of folly in the world is, inadvertence, inconsideration, precipitancy, and over-hastiness in speeches or actions. If men had but the patience many times, to pause but so long in actions and speeches of moment, as might serve to repeat but the Creed or Lord's Prayer, many follies in the world would be avoided that do very much mischief, both to the parties themselves and others. And therefore, inadvertence and precipitancy in things of great moment, and that required much deliberation, must needs be a very great folly, because the consequence of miscarriage in them is of greater moNow the fear of God, being actually present upon the soul, and exerting itself, is the greatest motive and obligation in the world to consideration and attention, touching things to be done or said.

ment.

"It mightily advanceth and improveth the worth and excellency of most human actions in the world, and

makes them a nobler kind of a thing, than otherwise without it, they would be. Take a man that is employed as a statesman or politician, though he have much wisdom and prudence, it commonly degenerates into craft, and cunning, and pitiful shuffling, without the fear of God, but mingle the fear of Almighty God with that kind of wisdom, it renders it noble, and generous, and staid, and honest, and stable. Again, take a man that is much acquainted with the subtler kind of learning, as philosophy for instance, without the fear of God upon his heart, it will carry him over to pride, arrogance, self-conceit, curiosity, presumption; but mingle it with the fear of God, it will ennoble that knowledge, carry it up to the honour and glory of that God, who is the author of nature, to the admiration of his power, wisdom and goodness; it will keep him humble, modest, sober, and yet rather with an advance, than detriment, to his knowledge.”

Copious as these extracts are, from a volume which seems to have been the vade mecum of Washington, the indulgence of the intelligent reader is confidently anticipated. It is gratifying to know that he took delight in such a work, that he was habitually familiar with its holy and edifying instructions, and sympathized with the enlightened and pious author, in views and sentiments so exalted. In contemplating the circumstance, we feel as if a debt of gratitude was due the illustrious man, who gave himself to the labour of writing such a book, while he fulfilled those duties of his high office, which gave him an imperishable claim to the homage and gratitude of his own country. By his pre-eminent ability, and abundant labours, as the chief judicial officer of the English bench, he sustained the character of its brightest ornament, and

yet found time and means, by the admirable production before us, to confer inestimable spiritual good upon his fellow-men. It was of this valued man that one of the first of poets sung.*

66 piety has found

Friends in the friends of science, and true pray'r
Has flow'd from lips wet with Castalian dews.
Such was thy wisdom, Newton, child-like sage!
And such thine, in whom

Our British Themis gloried with just cause,
Immortal Hale! for deep discernment prais'd,
And sound integrity, not more than famed,
For sanctity of manners undefil'd."

Nor can we forget what we owe to the kind and considerate mother, who having stored the mind of her son with the priceless wisdom of this book, gave it to him, in all probability, as the memorial of her love, when he first left her widowed habitation for the boisterous sea of life. Let the example encourage parents to imitate her maternal fidelity, and early sow the seed, which may, in a propitious soil, to ample harvests grow.

* Cowper.