His political re years before t forth. Many fr rican taxation, attention of g were fuppofed to Twice he apper tor of the town fill reckoned an fitions delivereri He had the con citizens fo fully, to act for them i grefs, which fat which body he w Prefident. But ficient merit as though his abilit dition made him the republic of le lured by the mo arms, and chofe foldier. The fir his martial fpirit them who fough ington, 19th A To the Editors of the BOSTON MAGAZINE. Ellay on Vanity. ANITY is nothing more or lefs paffion of the mind A defire to be admired, or a fupreme value for the praife of the world. It frangely operates upon the temper of mankind, and is fhewn in their conduct, whether we regard orders, ages, or fexes.--And wherever it operates, there is danger of its enchanting the whole foul. It abfolutely makes fome who might be thought, and become wife, pursue enly after folly; and others, whofe native propenfities are turned towards virtue, take pains to form habits of vice. See the child of fashion following the multitude to do evil will fhew us what it is to be buoyed up on the pinions of a vain imagina tion. this To do juftice to the fubject, we must hold forth vanity under various Thapes. It is difcovered in the gay and profligate, who fail along the Aream of fashionable follies and vices; and it is discovered alfo in the mind of the philofopher, who receives as much pleasure in the applause of men, as in fearching into the nature of truth. It is difplayed by the rich and the honourable. The most beautiful part of the creation can fhew likewife how much their minds are tickled by the admiration they excite,and by the compliments that are paid to their external appearance. To what we have fuggefted about a perfon's being vain of his knowledge, let me fay, that much of the falle way of thinking now in the world is owing to this defire of being thought great, above the common opinions,or different from the common fenfe,of mankind. And it is indeed a friking inftance of the littleness and depravity of human paffions, which as often tarnifh a brilliant underftanding, as difcolour the native glow of innocence. No one will difpute the vanity of the rich. It is only to obferve the pomp and fplendour of their equipages, the fumptuoufnefs of their tables, the magnificence and elegance of their houfes and gardess. It is only to obferve how they will keep up the appearance, when the means have failed them; how they will firive to roll in opulence, when they are indeed poorer than the half flarved mendicant,who gazes at the splendour which furrounds them. count of in history is Solomon. He The richeft prince we have an ac was from his own relation the vaineft. How fuperb were his buildings, his feraglios, his gardens! What a difplay of his affluence did he afford to the Queen of Sheba, when he led her to behold the glories of his palace! He fhewed, indeed, as much vanity in his plans of human happiness, as he found the things to be VAIN, after he had accomplished his original wishes. Per He who hath an ambition after honour is alfo vain. It matters hot whether he be exalted by his merit, or by the mere accidents of time and place. How fweetly perfumed is the offered incenfe, while the voice of the flatterer founds more melodious than the finest mufic to his ears! haps it is to the circumftances laft mentioned moft men owe their dignity and importance in fociety; they are adorned more by the places they fill, than by any luftre thining from themselves. But it is fometimes the cafe that THEY love flattery, who really deferve to be applauded. They cannot bear that their laurels should be under cover, or that their merit fhould refemble the flower which blushes in obfcurity and diffuses its fweets in the wilderness. I have faid, likewife, that the beautiful perfon is vain. Pardon me, ye gentle and lovely fair-- I mean not to fendan arrow which fhall wound you, as you will be convinced by my declaring in the honeft fimplicity of my heart my opinion, that the fexes are about equal in making appearances, though nature hath certainly endowed you with fuperiour personal vanity is common to the fair fex, but I deny that it is peculiar to them. They may appear with their bonnets and bracelets, with a wanton vivacity in their eyes, and stretch forth their necks, to difplay the fhapeand fnowy whitenefs of their bofoms. But do not we firive with equal arts to allure? Are we behind them in dreis or manners? How many new converts are daily made by the writings of Lord Chefterfield, the apostle of the graces, who are as winning, as (plendid, as effeminate, (though the hand of nature was never employed to give them a polifh) as they who have a right to petticoats, and who perhaps chufe the hoop ones. Look in the glafs, most amiable firs, and, when you go away, do not forget what manner of perfons you are; if you do, we shall conclude there is no fmall refemblance between your mindand the mirror. But is not vanity the effufion of a weak mind? Now, Mr. Ellayift, the fcripture fays the woman is the weaker veffel. You will take notice, however, who it is that fays fo: One who confeffes that he did not at all times fpeak by inspiration, and who poffibly. might have fome of the peculiarities of the fingle life about him. I can rid myfelf of the difficulty ftill better. My parfon, who is well verfed in fcripture, thinks it fhould be rendered finer or more delicate,inftead of weak er. I remember he made ufe of the expreffion at my wedding. I was much fruck with it. My Deary more fo, a moft fenfible and amable girl, who is without any kind of vanity,not even what is common to the fex: This, text amounts then to an exhortation about conjugal tenderness. We ought to be attentive and condefcending in our regards to thefa'r lex, and by no means let them fuffer thro, want of delicacy, in our mode of treating them. This explanation must be fatisfactory to all rational chriftians. And if fome pinque nofed profeffors fhould Vid. Chefterfield's Letters. take offence at it, let them keep their objections to themselves; otherwife my next Effay fhall take in the devout among the vain. And it fhall be done by the pen of my madam, who, with all her foftnefs and fugar, hath some fatire in her compofition. Who are they that, with an auftere countenance, tell us they are very good? The fair face of charity is mild and placid, and vaunteth not itfelf. Who are they that make long. prayers, &c. &c. for a pretence? My good firs, you must be more artful in your hypocrify; we know too much to be deceived by your appearances. Some new methods muft be tried to make you even feem to be religious, as the finer the gold current in a kingdom, the more ingenious muft rogues be in their devices to Counterfeit. N. T. Account of fome fuperftitions practifed in the Highlands of Scotland, from the fecond part of Mr. Pennant's Tour. SHALL now proceed from the diforders of the body to thofe of the foul; for what elfe are the fuperftitions that infect mankind? a few unnoticed before are fti!! preferved, or have, till within afmall fpace, been found in the places I have vifited, and which may merit mention, as their exiftence in a little time may happily be loft. After marriage, the bride immedi ately walks round the church unattended by the bridegroom. The precaution of loofening every knot about the new joined pair is ftrictly obferved, for fear of the penalty denounced in the former volumes. It muft be remarked, that the cuftom is obferved even in France, nouer l'aiguillette being a common phrate for dif appointments of this nature. Matrimony is avoided in the months of January, which is called in the Erfe the cold month; but, what is more fingular, the ceremony is avoided even in the enlivening month of May. Perhaps they might have caught aught this fuperftition from the Romans, who had the fame dread of entering into the nuptial state at that feafon; for the amorous Ovid informs us, Nec viduæ tædis eadem, nec virgi, Tempora, quæ nupfit non diu- Hac quoque de caufa, fi te prover- Menfe malas Maio nubere vul- Fafti, v.485. No tapers then shall burn; for never bride, Wed in ill feafon, long her blifs enjoy'd. If you are fond of proverbs, always fay, No lafs proves thrifty, who is wed in May. After baptifm, the firft meat that the company taftes is crowdie, a mixture of meal and water, or meal and ale thoroughly mixed. Of this every perfon takes three fpoonfuls. The mother never fets about any work till the has been kirked. In the church of Scotland there is no ceremony on the occafion: But the woman, attended by fome of her neighbours, goes into the church, fometimes in service-time, but oftener when it is empty; goes out again, furrounds it, refreshes herself at fome public house, and then returns home. Before this ceremony, fhe is looked on as unclean, never is permitted to eat with the family; nor will any one eat of the victuals the has dreffed. in. Other charms were filed Paiders, a word taken from the Pater nofter. A necklace is called Padreuchain, becaufe on turning every bead they used one of thefe Paiders. Other charms again are called Toifgeuls, from the ufe of particular verfes of the Gospel. The fuperftition of making pil· grimages to certain wells or chapels is ftill preferved. That to St. Phillan's is much in vogue: And others again to different places. The object is relief from the diforders mankind labour under. Ia fome places the pilgrims only drink of the water: In others, they undergo immerfion. A highlander, in order to protect himfelf from any harms apprehended from the fairy tribe, will draw round himself a circle with a fapling of the oak. This may be a relique of Druidifm, and only a continuation of the respect paid to the tree held in fuch veneration by the priesthood of our ancestors. They pay great attention to their lucky and unlucky days. The Romans could not be more attentive on fimilar occafions: And furely the highlanders may be excufed the fuperftition, fince Auguftus could say, that he never went abroad on the day following the Nundinae, nor began any ferious undertaking on the one, and that, merely to avoid the unlucky omen. The Scottish mountaineers efteem the 14th of May unfortunate, and the day of the week that it has happened to fall on. Thus Thurfday is a black day for the prefent year. They are allo very claffical in obferving what they first meet on the commencement of a journey. They confider the looks, garb, and charac has a good countenance, is decently clad, and has a fair reputation, they rejoice in the omen. If the contrary, they proceed with fears, or return home, and begin their journey the fecond time. It has happened that, after baptifm, the father has placed a basket, filled with bread and cheese, on the pot-hook that impended over the fire inter of the fir person they fee. If he the middle of the room, which the company fit around; and the child is thrice handed across the fire, with a defigo to fruftrate all attempts of evil spirits or evil eyes. This originally feems to have been defigned as a purification, and of idolatrous origin, as the Ifraelites made their children pals through the fire to Moloch. The word ufe1 for charms in general, is, Colas, or Knowledge, a proof of the high repute they were once held The Beltein, or the rural facrifice, on the firft of May, O. S. has been mentioned before. Hallow eve is alfo kept facred: As foon as it is dark, a perfon fets fire to a bush of broom faftened round a pole; and, attended attended with a crowd, runs round the village. He then flings it down, keeps a great quantity of combuftible matters in it, and makes a great bon-fe. A whole traft is thus illuminated at the fame time, and makes a fine appearance. The carrying of the fiey pole appears to be relique of Druidifm; for, fays Doctor Borlafe, faces preferre, was efteemed a piece of paganifm, forbidden by the Gallic councils, and the accenfores facularum were condemned to capital punith ment, as if they facrificed to ine de The highlanders form a fort of almanack, or prefage of the weather, of the enfuing year, in the following manner: They make obfervation on twelve days, beginning at the laft of December, and held as an infallible rule, that whatfoever weather hap pens on each of thofe days, the fame will prove to agree in the correspon dent months. Thus, January is to anfwer to the weather of December the 31ft. February to that of January ft; and fo with the reft. Old people fill pay great attention to this 'augury. To thefe fuperftitions may be ad ded certain cuftoms, now worn out' which were peculiar to this country.. In old times, the great highland families fent their heir, as foon as he was weaned, to fome wealthy tenant, who educated him in the hardy manner of the country, at his own expence. : When the fofter father reftored the enild to his parents, he always fent with him a number of cows, proportionédito bisabilities, as a mark of : the fense he had of the honour done thim Aftrong attachment ever after -fubfifted between two families; the whole family of the fofter-father was received under the protection of the chiefrain, and held in the highest ef . teem. To this day the great chieftains are named by their clans from fome of their ancefors, eminent for ftrength, wifdem or valour. Thus the Duke 1. of Argyle is filed Macchailean -mabir, the fon of the great Colin, The head of the family of Doufatige, Mac Innais an Duin, or the fon of Augus of the hill. Moft of the old names of the highlanders were derived from fuch perfonal property. Thus Donald or Donfhuil, fignifies brown eye; Finlay, white head; Dun can, brown head; Colin, or Co-aluin, beautiful; and Gorm la, a blue eye. The old highlanders were fo remarkable for their hofpitality, that their doors were always left open, as if it were to invite the hungry travellers to walk in, and partake of their meals. But if too croffed flicks were feen at the door, it was a fign that the family was at dinner, and did not defire more guests. In this cafe the churi was held in the highest contempt, Hor would the most preffing neceffity induce the paffenger to turn in. Great hofpitality is full preferved through all parts of the country to the ftranger, whofe chara&er or recommendations cla m the mofi d fant pretenfions. But this virtue muft ceale, or, at heß, leffen, in proportion as the inundation of travellers increases: A quick fucceffion of new guefts will be found to be a trouble and an expence unfupportable: But they will have this confolation, that good inns will be the confequence even of a partial fubverfion of the hofpitable fyftem. Propofal for a more speedy and le's expenfive method of deciding Caufes Judicially through the Commonwealth of Minjachufets, than what is new practifed. HE regular and fpeedy admini Atration of Juftice is an object of importance in all civil governments. The Maffachusetts has been happy in this refpect, but as the number of its inhabitants,and their commerce and property increafe, the caufes of a civil and criminal nature, that will require a legal decifion, will also increase, and to fuch a degree, as to render a fpeedy final decifion, in the mode that has hitherto been in ufe, morally impoffible. And this period appears. at no great diftance. There are already Sixteen Terms the Supreme Judicial Court has to fit annually in |