christian flights to the frequenters and supporters of band-meetings, watch.nights, and love-feasts.

But, highly as I appreciate your worth, and anxious as I have ever been to express my sense of it, there is still a selfish latent motive, which has strongly urged me to this covert address. I am upon the point of enduring the toil and pain attendant upon an unprofitable, irksome journey. Now, though I purpose travelling with all possible celerity, yet, in the course of my tour, I shall have to encounter so many disagreeables, and have to wander through such a labyrinth of absurdities, that it will require every aid to support me in my progress. The most pleasing and essential assistance I can possibly devise, is by men. tally enjoying your society during my pursuit: By bearing your idea ever "present in my thoughts, virtue shall keep "an advocate within me;" and as your

cooler judgment used frequently to check the petulence of the Boy, your ideal pre. sence shall restrain the impetuosity of THE MAN, This will inspire me with confidence to accomplish my task, con. quer difficulties, and remove impediments of every description. Thus having fixed the plan to my own wish, let us pro. ceed; I will, however, first of all inform you, that in our rapid excursion, we shall enjoy a transient glance of those cities so celebrated by historians, philosophers, orators, poets, and painters; cities of your earliest acquaintance, and objects of your more mature admiration- -Athens and Rome.

We shall converse, for a short time, with several of your most intimate acquaintance; but they will not, as usual, command that attention, respect, and delight which you have ever considered as their just tribute.

Forbidding, as this prospect is, I am orry to say it is the most brilliant we shall njoy in this intended pilgrimage,-When we quit clasical ground we shall have to ssociate with strange beings, some of whom will provoke your laughter, others your nger. Some will excite your disgust, others merit your contempt, and all will ltimately demand your pity.

Two centuries have nearly elapsed, ince the notorious Mr. Prynne paid the forfeiture of his ears as a just reward for his histrionical researches and per sonal inference. For nearly two centu ries have the opposers of a theatre profited by Mr. Prynne's indefatigable industry, without the credit of possessing his perseverance or the honour of participating in his punishment. He formed for their benefit a reservoir, supplied with the filth of ages, and most amply have they drawn from it, to bespatter and defile the stage

and all its adherents.

Cœlum niare, for

titer et aliquid ad haribet. For more than two centuries have my brother professors received insults and provocations, with a silence to be admired, and a forbearance under injuries to be envied. Two centuries endurance of calumny, give evident proofs of mental superiority on one side, and of imbecile persecution on the other. "Sufferance is the badge of all our tribe." The anti-stagers, upon the authority of Mr. Prynne, have been constantly hurling against the object of their hatred philippics and anathemas furnished them by heathen philosophers and christian fathers.

4

But

Arming themselves with the antiquated opinions of those ancient literary heroes, they have conceived their attacks fatal, and their position impregnable.

But surely this enlightened age, and this advanced period of the world should

uggest to them the propriety of abandoning their worm-eaten entrenchments, of resigning their purloined weapons, disbanding their impotent auxiliaries, parting with their ill-sorted mercenaries, and standing fairly and openly before the tribunal of rational religion, moral reason, truth, and impartiality!-To this tribunal Icite them, and if they can prove to the satisfaction of this august assemblage, that my profession, is in opposition to the interests of religion and reason, the condemnation, by truth and impartiality, must follow. To their sentence I shall not only respectfully submit, but make the most ample atonement in my power, by a public confession of my errors, renunciation of my pursuits, and reformation of MY LIFE. To truth and impartiality I appeal; to them I call for a fair and open hearing; and on them I rely for protection from bigotted ignorance and fanatical zeal. I must here observe to you, Madam, that if our opponents had one par