an early period of the church. Hermits and monks determined to annihilate self-love, refused the pleasurable duties and innocent gratifications of life, which promoted the happiness of others as well as their own, in order to practise austerities that injured both themselves and others. They gave up their duties more than their sins, and crucified their affections rather than their pride. Poor Mr. Rashleigh's error was of a similar kind, and we have seen its consequences."

"I shall be very glad," said Mrs. Cecil, "if a just view of the nature of self-love banishes a term often employed to express it; I mean proper pride, which is just like saying laudable sin.”

"I wish, indeed, it may do so. Bad words should not be used to express right feelings, as it confuses our perceptions of right and wrong. Pride and selfishness are two forms of self-idolatry, always evil; self-regard and self-respect are modifications of self-love, and quite innocent and commendable. These, however, are generally called proper pride, and, consequently, I fear, very improper pride is nurtured under this respectable disguise. I was acquainted, some years since, with a lady, who used this plea so constantly, that a satirical friend gave her the surname of proper pride. Her circumstances were reduced, but she would make the same appearance as before, which was proper pride, though she half starved her servant and herself. An only sister, who had offended her, made every reasonable concession to obtain reconciliation; but she was

implacable, which was proper pride. Being in bad

health, she was invited to join a party, and went in a dress quite unsuitable to her delicate state; and having more regard to appearance than life, caught a severe cold, and died from proper pride. Self-respect, indeed, would be liable to abuse; but not, I think, equally so; and our horror of a sin would not be lessened by its being represented sometimes as a virtue."

I think, papa," said Frederick, "you observed the other day, that you thought the objections entertained by some pious people against the use of emulation and rewards in education, arose from their denying the lawfulness of self-love, and confounding it with selfishness."

"Yes, such persons think very justly, that young and old ought alike to be influenced by one supreme motive -love to God; but they err in supposing there must be no subordinate ones. The wisest of men enforces wisdom and industry, by telling us that "Wisdom hath in her left hand riches and honour;" and that, "the hand of the diligent maketh rich." Now, approbation and reward are the same stimulants to the youth, as possessions and reputation are to the man; and it would certainly be much more easy to prove, that it is unjust to treat the diligent and the idle alike, by refusing to reward the former, than that it is a want of benevolence or piety to seek after the prize which our neighbour is too idle to compete with us. There are some other refinements respecting motives indulged by many pious persons, such as this, that no means should be adopted to enlist the feelings in the cause of reli

gious benevolence; and that all influence but the highest-a pure, and holy, and unimpassioned love to God and man-must be rejected. It is, however a sufficient answer to such objections, that in the Scriptures, whose Divine Author assuredly knew the best, and used the holiest means of influencing the human heart, various passions and feelings are addressed; hope, fear, pity, self-love, all being auxiliary, though subordinate to the supreme motive of love to God, and a desire to promote his glory."

"There are, I think," said Mrs. Cecil, "two other mistakes regarding motives and actions, into which we often fall; one is, that every thing we do from zeal for the service of God must be right; and the other, that actions right in themselves are an acceptable service to God, whether they proceed from love to him or not."

"They are, indeed, prevalent and serious errors. Those who fall into the first, resemble ignorant and self-willed children, who think it sufficient if they do what they suppose their father ought to be pleased with, while they take no pains to inquire what he has specifically commanded ;—conduct for which they may expect pardon, but not approbation or reward. Such as indulge the second error, appear to forget that motive is an essential part of virtue, and that no action can be religious that does not proceed from love to God. With regard, also, to those actions which arise from erroneous judgment, and are generally regarded with too much complacency, from the supposed purity

of their motive, it must be remembered that the passions influence our belief as well as our conduct, and that the proud and selfish source of many of our errors taints the action at its fountain head; so that the sincere mistake often originates in a wrong inclination at first, though, from our neglect in scrutinizing motive, that sure gauge of the heart, we are not aware of this influence."

CHAPTER XIII.

THE SELFISH MISTRESS.-A DAUGHTER'S GRAVE.

In the evening they arrived at a small hamlet, beautifully situated amidst the deep seclusion of surrounding mountains, at the head of a valley within whose narrow bosom the silvery lake, bordered with verdant meadows, shone like a diamond in a setting of emerald. They left the carriage, to look in at the cottages, and beyond them all they observed a humble village church, surrounded by the most beautiful burial-place they had ever seen. Within the ever-green inclosure a row of tall forest trees threw a solemn shadow over the ground; and it was divided in the centre by a pure and gentle stream, whose soft murmurings seemed like a perpetual echo of the mourner's sighs. Several weeping willows drooped their pensive branches over it; funereal shrubs, also, were growing round the graves, which, according to the beautiful custom of many parts of the principality, were adorned with flowers-fragrant and lowly flowers; for a correct and simple taste had excluded all gaudy and aspiring plants as inappropriate emblems of that humiliating state of mortality which should hide pride from man.

Mr. D'Arcy was just remarking, that the natural as