his body was privily fenced, his hand ever on his dagger, his countenance and manner like one who was ever ready to strike: he took no rest in the night, lay long waking and musing, sore wearied with care and watching, and rather slumbered than slept, troubled with fearful dreams: he sometimes started suddenly up, leaped out of his bed, and ran about the chamber: his restless heart was continually tossed and tumbled with the tedious impression and stormy remembrance of his horrid and abominable deeds."

Conscience, what art thou? thou mysterious pow'r,
That dost inhabit us without our leave,
And art within ourselves another self,
A master self, that loves to domineer,

And treat the monarch frankly as the slave;
How dost thou light a torch to distant deeds,
Make the past, present, and the future frown:
How, ever and anon, awake the soul,
As with a peal of thunder, to strange horrors!

SHAKSPEARE.

The rich Cardinal of Winchester, Henry Beaufort, who procured the death of the good Duke of Gloucester, was soon after struck with an incurable disease; and, understanding by his physicians, that he could not live, he expressed himself thus; "Fy, will not death be hired? Will money do nothing? Must I die who have such great riches? If the whole realm of England would save my life, I am abic, either by policy to get it, or by riches to buy it." But the king of terrors is not to be bribed by gold. It is a pleasure to him to mix the brains of princes and politicians with common dust; and how loath soever he was to depart, yet grim death would sieze upon him.

How shocking must thy summons be, O death!
To him that is at ease in his possessions;
Who, counting on long years of pleasure here,
Is quite unfurnish'd for the world to come?
In that dread moment, how the frantic soul
Raves round the walls of her clay tenement,

Rushes to each avenue, and shrieks for help,
But shrieks in vain.

* The foe,

Like a staunch murderer, steady to his purpose,
Pursues him close through every lane of life,
Nor misses once the track, but presses on,
Till forc'd at last to the tremendous verge,
At once he sinks to everlasting ruin,

BLAIR.

The best remedy against this torturing state of the mind is a good conscience, which is to the soul what health is to the body. It preserves a constant ease and serenity within us, and more than countervails all the calamities and afflictions that can befal us.

When the mind has been under the influence of sudden surprise, or vehement attention to some interesting object, it has frequently suspended, and even entirely cured, ague and fever, asthma, and other chronic diseases.

An officer, of great courage, who had contracted the asthma by long service in India, declares, that during a most severe attack of that complaint, when he could scarcely breathe in an erect posture, and without power to move, as he thought, six yards to save his life, the alarm guns were fired for the whole line to turn out, because the Mahrattas broke into the camp. Knowing that certain death would be his portion if he remained in his tent, he sprung out with an alacrity that amazed his attendants, instantly mounted his horse, and with great ease drew his sword, which the day before he could not move from its scabbard, though he had used his whole strength in the attempt. From the instant of the alarm, the debility left him, together with the asthma, nor did the disorder return for some time after.

I have frequently observed, says the ingenious author of the Medical Extracts, delicate hysterical women, who, for many months, had seldom enjoyed one day's health, suddenly relieved from every complaint, when a favourite child was attacked with a disease, in which danger was apprehended: and they continued in appearance, to be in perfect health during the whole course of the illness, and exhibited an unusual alertness in discharging their duty as nurses and parents. But when they understood that the

danger was over, their former complaint gradually returned, to their great surprise; for from the health they had lately enjoyed, and from so considerable a time, they believed themselves perfectly cured.

A very remarkable instance of the influence the mind has upon disorders of the body, occurred to the celebrated Boerhaave. A person fell down in an epileptic fit in the sight of other patients. The effect of this operated so strongly that great numbers of them became immediately affected in the same manner. The opinion of the great physician above mentioned was requested on this occasion. He judiciously reflected, that, as these fits were originally produced by an impression on the mind, that the most proper means of cure would be to eradicate these impressions by others still more powerful. He therefore directed actual anteries to be prepared, and kept hot, in readiness to be applied to the person who should next be affected. The consequence was, not one person was seized.

Through a most criminal inattention to children in the nursery, a foundation is sometimes laid in their tender minds for those superstitious terrors, from which not all their efforts in subsequent life can entirely relieve them. I allude to those dismal stories about Witches, Spirits, Hobgoblins, Raw-head and bloodybones, wherewith silly nurses, especially poor blacks, are so fond of frightening infants. Considering the importance of deep impressions made during those tender years, parents cannot too strictly forbid every thing of this sort; neither can they ever exceed in their generous labours to illuminate the minds of their children with lofty ideas of their Creator, and that mighty power which he will never fail to exert in their favor, if they will but be good.

Timorous persons are more readily infected by contagious disorders, than those possessed of fortitude. Hence it is we find nurses most frequently escape contagion, while persons of a fearful disposition contract the discase on entering the chamber of the sick only once or twice.

Persons under a violent fit of fear, should be treated like those who suffer from any other spasmodic contraction. Tea, a little

wine, or spirits and water may be given to them; vinegar, laven der-drops, or spirits of hartshorn may be held to the nostrils; warm bathing of the feet, and emollient injections may be of advantage; but above all, the mind ought to be duly composed.Excessive bashfulness borders on fear; it may be corrected by social intercourse with persons of a cheerful disposition.

OF ANGER.

When reason, like a skilful charioteer,

Can break the fiery passions to the bit,
And, spite of their licentious sallies, keep

The radiant track of glory; passions, then,
Are aids and ornaments.

YOUNG.

Resentment of wrong is a useful principle in human nature; and for the wisest purposes was implanted in our frame. It is the necessary guard of private rights; and the great restraint on the insolence of the violent, who, if no resistence were made, would trample on the gentle and peaceable. But in the fulness of selfestimation, we are too apt to forget what we are. We are rigorous to offences, as if we did not daily intreat Heaven for mercy. It is a vice that few persons are able to conceal; for if it do not betray itself by external signs, such as sudden paleness of the countenance, and trembling of the joints, it is more impetuous within.

Pale and trembling Anger rushes in,

With falt'ring speech, and eyes that wildly stare;
Fierce as the tiger, madder than the seas,

Desperate, and arm'd with more than human strength,
He whom Anger stings, drops, if he dies,

At once, and rushes apoplectic down;

Or a fierce fever hurries him to hell.

ARMSTRONG.

Those who feel the approach of anger in their mind, should, as much as possible, divert their attention from the object of pro

vocation, and remain silent. They should never use loud oaths, violent upbraidings, or strong expressions of countenance, or gesticulations of the arms, or clenched fists; as these, by their former associations with anger, will contribute to increase it. I have been told, says Dr. Darwin, of a sergeant or corporal, who began moderately to cane his soldiers, when they were awkward in their exercise; but being addicted to swearing and coarse language, he used soon to enrage himself by his own expressions of anger, till, toward the end, he was liable to beat the delinquents unmercifully. Is this not applicable to some of us, in the treatment of our slaves?

A gentleman in New-Castle county, Delaware, was so enraged with a neighbouring slave, for persevering, contrary to his orders, to visit a female servant in his family, that he bought him of his master at a high price, for the express purpose of getting satisfaction; that is, to give him a severe flogging, and then to sell him to a negro-buyer. What with the bitter curses and blows he inflicted upon the poor fellow, tied hands and feet, his anger rose at length to a flame he could not control, and, by the time the master had lost the power to inflict, the poor slave had lost the power to suffer having literally expired under his cruel

hands.

A sea captain, in Charleston, South Carolina, navigated his vessel with the help of three slaves. On some provocation from one of them, he laid hold of the offender, who was so alarmed at his master's looks, that he jerked away from him. Roused to fury by such an act of treason, as this appeared to him, the master caught up a broad axe, and with the looks and voice of a demon, ordered his other slaves "to seize the d-d villain." Frightened out of their wits, they seized their fellow-servant, and the master black with rage, and regardless of his prayers and supplications, had him dragged to a block, and in a most barbarous manner struck off his head.

Although the laws of the land did not sentence these inhuman masters to death, yet neither of them long survived their infernal acts. The gnawings of a blood-stained conscience soon brought them down to the grave.