pleased, and said he approved of it; and, as it was necessary that I should pass some time at one of the Universt ties previous to my entering on my profession, he wished me to accompany my friend Burton who was intended for the church; to this, of course, I had no objection, and it was agreed that we hould set out for Cambridge in a few weeks.' I received Lord Trevayne's proposal with great pleasure, for as I grew older and gained experience, I had become keenly alive to the unpleasant depen dance of my situation, and I had re solved to apply to him on the subject, when he very fortunately saved me the trouble. This sense of my dependance was the cause of my choice of the law as my profession; had 1 consulted my inclinations, I should, perhaps, have rather chosen the army-but I thought that in the law, if I had any talent, I should have better opportunities of displaying it, and by means of my own exertions, attain that envied independance which was now the summit of my wishes. I staid at college only two years, and devoted most of that time to the theoretical study of the law; as I did not aim at academical distinctions, I was Fittle concerned with the general business of the University. A firm resolation which I had made not to exceed the limits of my allowance, caused me to exert a scrupulous economy in all my expenses, and was the means of preventing my giving in to many col lege imprudences, which frequently hold out temptations too strong for youthful passions to withstand. (To be continued.) A CONVERSAZIONE. (Continued from page 213.) YAPTAIN OTTO, who, during the Capital of the Lecturer's tale, had folded and unfolded his legs twenty tines at least, for the purpose of looking down their fashionable length, and admiring the clocks of his stockings, bowed his chin upon his cravat in token of acknowledgment to the narrator for the trouble which he had gratuitously taken upon himself; to this testimony of his complaisance, he added an involun tary yawn, which sufficiently evinced the obligation that Mr. L.'s long story had conferred upon him, He then took but his odoriferous cambric and stooped down to brush off a speck of dust which he saw. of seemed to ́sce, upon one of his jetty slippers, for shoes they could not be called, as they barely sufficed to cover his toes, and save the soles of his feet from the asperities of a Turkey carpet. Having performed this essential operation, he again threw himself into his former posture of self-complacency→→→ and with a half-wink, to which a natural depression of the upper lid had conformed his right eye, he asked Mrs. --, in the significant tone of a person who knows his question will be fully understood in all its meaning, "What she thought of the runawayscheme of Dona Miranda ?" "Think!" said Mrs. why r think that she was a fool, and young Mannard a rogue." "How good!" exclaimed the Capfain; who for some cause or other seemed to enjoy the answer rather more intimately than any of the party appeared to do. "Pray, madam," asked the City Baronet," did the rogue make the fool or the fool the rogue?" "Neither," was the reply; "they both unmade each other." "Unmade! unmade!" repeated the Curate, how is that? I do not perfectly see the application which you mean to give to this new word, madam." "O sir, if you can't find it out, I dont see how I shall succeed in explaining it. What I mean by it is, that when two young people give themselves so much trouble to make themselves miserable for life, they destroy each other's prospects, and neither is a whit the hap pier for the possession of the other." "But, madam, Mr. L- has made them both happy at last." And why could they not have been so at first?" exclaimed Mrs. ------ with a'quickness which the Curate did not so promptly answer because their wishes were opposed." "Why could they not, madam? Why "Nonsense," cried Mrs. ; such pleas of opposition are very pretty in a Novel, and serve to introduce a great deal of seatimental sighing between the heroine and the hero; but I warrant you a Spanish girl would not have consider ed it any obstacle in her way. What occasion was there for her tramping after Mannard to a camp? Could'nt she have waited till he came back and then have avowed her marriage. She had been married to him a long three weeks; and if she was not tired of him by that time, she might have taken her chance for his return; and lived upon the anticipation and, depend upon it, she would not have died of disappointment if the spear of the French lancer had left him upon the field. I have no notion of a woman throwing away her comfort upon any man for so precarious a stake as the profession of his love and his constancy, and all that there folly." "Surely, madam," observed Miss Julia, "there is something due to the poor young lady's sincerity of affection, if you will not give the lover any credit for that quality." "Lord help the poor young lady," cried Mrs. she went a mighty round-about way to prove it. I would'nt be a camp follower for the best man that ever wore a head." "What!" asked the Baronet, "not if there was a chance of his losing his head and your getting another husband?" This question seemed so well to have measured the extent of Mrs. notion of conjugal attachment, that she was contented to reply with an indignant and emphatic "No, sir, I would'nt." Capital!" exclaimed the hero of perfumes; "I admire your spirit, my dear madam; and I have the happiness to agree with you, that, whatever may be the claim which a man may presume he has upon a female's affections, her will should be at her own disposal." "Not if that female is his wife!" observed the Rev. Doctor. "It has always been my understanding of the faithfulness of the conjugal character of woman, that her affections naturally submit her will to that of her husband." "There, Mrs. ——," said Lady S——, what have you to say to the Doctor's presumption " Why, that he presumes too much, even upon his often-tried experience; for I maintain it, that no man has any authority over the will of a woman unless she be an idiot or mad." "I should be sorry," interposed the Manager," to risk my hopes of the success of any piece at my theatre in which such a sentiment were found-I should certainly cut it out previous to representation." "At all events," cried Miss Julia, "I should not form one of your audience; for, if I am not mistaken, the marriage vow binds the wife to love, and obey. perhaps Mrs. ——— can tell us how we are to love without affection, and obey without the will." At this instant a gentleman was announced by the same name as that which Mrs bore. He paid his complitents to Miss G-, who seemed to receive him with great cordiality. Lady Salso addressed him with appa rent friendly reproach. "My dear sir, you are late.” Captain Otto rose from his seat, and taking his hand, lifted it as far as the third button of bis coat, and made a corresponding declination of his head. The City Curate returned Mr. 's salutation with respectful attention. The Baronet exclaimed, “better late than never.” The Medical Gentlemen acknowledged him as their former acquaintance. The manager addressed him by his name. The Lecturer did the same, with a familiar "How d'ye." The Editor and his wife both at once joined in an exclamation of welcome. Miss Julia and her brother told him that there was a seat near their aunt; and this lady kindly moved the chair for him to sit down. As I was an old College chum, I introduced him to the Colonel and the Rev. Doctor. The East India Director and his wife recognized him as their occasional visitor. All but Mrs. rose from their seat; she sate near the fire, and taking up the poker, cleared the ashes from the lower bar of the grate. When we were all re seated, Mr. nodded to Mrs. ——, and addressing her by her Christian name, told her that he had waited at home to see Doctor F, who had pronounced her little girl out of danger; "I knew," added he, " you would be anxious to hear his opinion, and I staid at home until he came that I might report it to you." "My dear Mrs. —!" exclaimed Miss G- "I did not know the poor child was ill." "Lord bless you!" said the mother, "its nothing but a little cold which she caught by being out in the rain t'other day; but M. makes mountains of mole-bills when any of the children are ill.". Mr. noticed this remark by shake of his head, which seemed to intimate somewhat more of anxiety than the mother appeared to feel. A short pause of silence here intervened, until Mr. expressed his regret that he should have broken in upon the interesting conversation, which he doubted not bad engaged the attention of the company before bis intrusion ; and begged that, whatever might be the subject, it should be resumed. 66 Why, sir," said the City Baronet, "my daughter, some how or other, stumbled upon an enigma, which she thought Mrs. might be able to solve. The subject of our couversation was, I believe, something about the affections and the will of a wife, and she took upon her to quote the words of the matrimonial service. You know young women will be thinking upon it; and the question having originated out of the circumstances of a tale which Mr. L. had been so good as to relate for our amusement, Mrs. had given her opinion upon them, and Julia referred the answer to her. "What was the question, my good sir ?" asked Mr. O, a mere trifle," answered the Baronet; "how we are to love without affection, and to obey without the will." "If the question does not depend upon any previous modifications of its primary reference," replied Mr. "I should say that Apollo himself had not an oracle that could answer it." "But the holy Gospel can," said Doctor W "Well Doctor, what is the answer ?" asked Lady S. "Does your ladyship really wish to hear it?" "Why, man, I am not a married woman; and why should I be afraid of hearing the duties of the character insisted upon? Nay, I can prompt you. 'All that are married, or intend to ye take the holy estate of matrimony upon you, hear what the holy Scripture doth say, as touching the duty of husbands towards their wives.'"' “And, madam," interrupted the Doctor," of Wives towards their husbands." "Well, Well," cried Lady S, “ I was coming to that in due course. "In due course! Lady S," replied the Doctor, "I hope you will." "In due course?" cried the City Baronet;" why, surely, Lady Shas had due time allowed her. I'll tell you what, my Lady, if you don't start soon you'll never reach the winning post. however, there's one comfort left for you, the longer you delay the start the shorter the course will be." ""Pon honour, Sir B., I do not understand your Metaphor; if, as 1 conjecture, it is gathered from the blacklegs at Newmarket, I beg to inform you I do not so associate my ideas." "No offence, I hope, my Lady," rejoined the Baronet, "I was only anxious that you should take the long odds." "It will be long enough," rejoined Lady S, " before 1 shall find so odd a being as yourself, Sir B.” TH Are with more Spirit chased than enjoyed. Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Sc. 6. HERE is a very general disposition amongst those who are mere superficial observers of the manners and habits of such as come within the sphere of their notice, to pronounce upon their characters without a sufficient know. ledge of their distinguishing peculiarities: they look upon this man as in the possession of every thing which is calculated to render life happy, and as enjoying that comfort which they regard as the natural consequence of such a state; and consider that as suffering under all those privations which res tricted means for displaying external splendour, and a mediocrity of pecuniary resources, occasion, and as being destitute of all those pleasures which in their estimation give to life its charms, and to society its enjoyments. If their own self-complacency do not swallow up every generous emotion, and if that satisfaction which often results from the comparison of ourselves with others, followed by a decision greatly in our favour, do not render them altogether insusceptible of feelings of commisseration, they may, perhaps, be led to pity those whom they cannot believe to be happy, and may close the comparison by advancing one step higher in their own estimation. They have affixed a degree of importance to appearances, which they never deserve, and have allotted that to the mere occasional attendants upon solid enjoyment, which are much oftener the splendid robes which are made use of to disguise a deformed and diseased body; the false colours of the pirate, which, whilst they profess to the passing stranger to mark him as belonging to a friendly country, are only assumed to decieve the unwary, and to delude the incautious, than the genuine characteristics of real happiness. This hasty and erroneous judgment not unfrequently proceeds from a long continued habit of attaching particular ideas to certain words, which do not, of right, belong to them. Associations have been formed in the mind which only require the repetition of an accustomed term to call them into exercise. If they are told that an individual is rich, they figure to themselves the splendours of costly ornaments, the imposing grandeur of a superb equipage, the fascinating charms of costly magnificence, the luxúries of modern refinement, the glitter of parade, and the admiring gaze of vulgar astonishment; and with all the propensity which a little mind possesses, to covet what is not within its reach, and to envy the possessor those fancied advantages which it cannot command; they look upon him whom they have thus surrounded in their ideal visions with a circle of fancied lustre, as holding a situation and occupying a station, which, if their own, would in their estimation materially augment their pleasures, if it did not completely satisfy their ambition. If such persons should not have received those advantages which result from a moral education, and be pre served by those considerations of propriety which early restraint imposes; if their years should not have reached that period, when early experience and past experiments have proved to them the contrary; on a cursory view of the life of that man who is whirled round in a constant circle of pleasure, and whose smiling countenance and gaiety of manner, seem the indices of a heart free from care, and a bosom unwrung by grief; they are likely to become the subjects of a very general delusion, to annex to a cheerful face the idea of uninterrupted happiness, and, tempted by the alluring spectacle, if their situation and resources, their age, and their Opportunities will permit, to adopt a course which appears to possess so much to recommend it, and to follow an xample, which, in spite of the graver suunsels of grey-headed wisdom, seems to be a living refutation of cautions admonition. It is not our intention at present, to detail to our readers the awful consequen ces which a wise and supreme disposer of events, and lover of eternal order, has ordained as the attendants upon a Fife spent in habits of dissipation, and passed in scenes of debauchery. If the miseries which they produce in this world, if remorse of conscience, if unavailing regret, if bitter disappointment, if an emaciated body, and an enervated mind, are not sufficient to confirm the truth of the sentiments of the lovers of morality and the patrons of virtue; we would take the miserable slaves of profligacy to the source of all truth, and the fountain of all wisdom, and whilst we pointed out to them the solemn declarations which the word of God contains, we would hope that if the consideration of present unhappiness were not sufficient to change their opi nions and to reform their conduct, that the reflection upon future' retribution, and eternal punishment, would carry home conviction to their bosoms, and offer an argument which the fallacious prospect of present enjoyment, and the delusive hope of immediate gratification could not render inefficient. But whilst there are many, who, on a contemplation of the demonstrative proofs of the unhappy effects of a vicious course, which are every where surrounding them, cannot, however otherwise they might have felt inclined, for one moment withhold their testimony of applause in praise of an opposite.course of conduct, yet they look upon its advantages as the result of a succession of self-denials, of a continued train of mortifications, and of an incessant perseverance in restrictions which they consider as being not only unpleasant, but really painful. They will grant that he, who with the wisdom of a man of experience looks forward to future results, and nicely weighs them in the balance against present gratifications; who makes every enjoyment a subject of calculation, and reckons up all its attendant disadvantages; who holdly casts his eye through the beautifully coloured medium of the prospects of immediate happiness, and fixes his attentive gaze upon the dark clouds of future trouble which are thickening along the distant horizon; and who ventures to push aside the mask which pleasure is holding up before him, and to read her just physiognomy on a contemplation of her undistures: they arẻ ready to grant that such a man is acting wisely, inasmuch as he suffers not that delusion of which so many are the subjects to overcome him, that the only way to enjoy life is, to use their favorite and hackneyed phrase, "to live whilst they can." But, here they are apt to stop. They give the moralist, who carries his sentiments into practice as well as theoretically presents them to others, due credit for his conduct; and they blame the man of pleasure for the course he is pursuing, and are led perhaps to pity his want of foresight; but still they think that if such a state of things could be established as would enable the one to continue all the enjoyments that he now boasts of possessing, without the danger of future remorse, or the chance of eventual punishment; and the other still to lead a life of genuine religion and ardent picty, of strict morality and correct virtue, with out a Heaven to reward him, and an eternity of happiness to crown his well spent life of probation-that the former would have the most real enjoyment, and that the latter would act wisely in exchanging his present line of conduct for one which appeared to have so much more to recommend it. It may appear rather an unwise attempt to endeavour to add a new argu ment in favour of virtue, by appealing for it, to those whose conduct proves that if they are aware of its existence they know nothing of its weight, and are unwilling to act under the influence of its authority. But there are seasons in the life of that man who in the false phraseology of an ill judging world is styled a "man of pleasure," when, if he were to communicate the thoughts which were passing in his mind, and were to unfold to a friend the secrets of his heart, he would afford a more convincing proof of the delusive estimate that others were forming of him, than the most laboured train of reasoning, or the correctest moral disquisition could effect. If he were frankly to tell the whole truth, he would not only acknowledge that the retrospective view of past ill-spent hours was harassing him with unavailing regret; but that bis very feelings, whilst experiencing what might be considered by others as the meridian of his enjoy ments, were far from being enviable: that there was a certain unsatisfying emptiness in amusement, which not only left an aching void" behind it, but which had never been filled, the existence of which, all his endeavours to cheat himself and allude others, could not make him forget; that he had been the slave of a continued system of constraint; that it was material that he should make others believe him to be what he was not; that for this purpose a smile had been playing upon his couptenance, which was the mere mirth of the muscles, and not of those feelings which generally command their motion; that a gaiety of manner had concealed a mind very little in accordance with the professions which it carried with it; that an appearance of satisfaction had been often substituted for the reality; and that an air of self complacency had served as a mask to hide an inconquerable discontent. And if it be really true that a life of pleasure, however paradoxical it may sound, is a life of pain, and that this is not only the case with regard to the miseries which it entails on its victims, but also, that the very seasons of apparent enjoyment are mixed with a consciousness of their jusufficiency to procure what they are resorted to in order to obtain, which invariably defeats their purpose; it may, perhaps, be asked, how it is possible that such deceitful appearances can be kept up, and such hypocritical smiles continued? But an answer to this inquiry may soon be found, by recollecting that every man who has chosen that line of conduct to which we have referred, has, by the very act, declared himself to be in pursuit of a happiness which he does not already possess; that he has felt something to be wanting to add to the enjoyment of which he has been hitherto destitute; and that sensible of the deficiency of his resources in himself, he is requiring that from the corrupted source of the gaieties of the world, which he cannot draw from the pure fountain of the privacies of domestic retirement; and that his pride will not permit him to reveal to others what daily experience is teaching himself; that he has lamen tably mistaken the road to that which is the object of his pursuit, and whilst he is plucking the roses which appear to be blooming around him, and feels that their thorns were concealed, and their tempting appearance a delusion; he puts on an air of satisfaction to en deavour to deceive those who have predicted his disappointment; aud is unwilling to add another pang to those which he already feels, by declaring the mortifying truth of his self-deception and easy credulity. If any should be still inclined to be |