grand principles of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.. : "There are fome, I well know, who are fo little acquainted with our principles and our practices, as to contend, that the whole of Freemafonry confifts in conviviality. To thefe we are not afraid to declare, that in this refpect we boat only this fuperiority, that our meetings are not infefted with ftrife and debate and were this the only diftinguishing characteristic of the Bro. therhood, the candle of Mafonry might be pronounced to fink faft into the focket. But to the honour of modern Mafons be it fpoken, that an inftitution has been lately established among our felves, which, though the latest, is perhaps the brighteft jewel in the Mafonic diadem. You will eafily perceive that I allude to our infant Charity in St. George's Fields; an inftitution which refembles the univerfality of our order, by being confined to no parith, country, or climate; it is enough that the objects are the female iffue of deceafed or diftreffed Brethren. A charity, in its defign more benevolent, in its felection more judicious, in event more fuccefsful, was never eftablished.' Mr. Downing concluded with an elegant compliment to the Patrons and Officers of the Inftitution; an appeal to the candour of the Lodge in cafe he fhould err in his future government of it; and an affurance of a conftant and zealous attention to its interefts and welfare. When the threats of the enemy, and the ftill more alarming menaces of in ternal faction, rendered neceffary the incorporation of the loyal and brave inhabitants of the kingdom in volunteer corps, Mr. Downing enlifted him. felf under the popular banner of Colonel Herries, commanding the London Light Horfe Volunteers; and his military ardour and skill promoted him, by due gradations, to the rank of Senior Lieutenant; which office he held till his death (Oct. 9, 1800), which has been with great truth attributed to the effects of a cold brought on by the zeal and exertion which he manifefted during the late unfortunate riots, committed under the pretext of the high price of provifions. [The ceremony obferved at his funeral was defcribed in our XXXVIIIth Volume, p. 319.] It only remains to obferve, that in his perfon Mr. Downing was of middle ftature; of a fomewhat palid complex. ion, the confequence, probably, of exceffive ftudy; his eyes, however, were remarkably vivacious, and his whole countenance was ftrongly indicative of intellectual endowments, and of a dif pofition warm, generous, and kind, His fcholaftic attainments were great and various; and his judgment was acute and comprehenfive. There was carcely a fubject with which he was not in fome degree acquainted, nor any branch of literature that he had entirely neglected. The Writer of this brief outline is happy in faying, that he never met with a companion more entertaining or inftructive, or a friend more fincere. Reafon is extremely apt to be warped by habit. KAIMS SKETCHES. attracted by Truth through the space in which he moves; from which noble order of felf-regulated harmony, no accident or example, power or temptation, can caufe him to recede; Envy may view his fine and admirable course through her treble-reflecting telefeope, and fcarcely detect the fmalleft aberra. tion. How grand how beautiful! how fublime is fuch a character! the acknowledged refemblance of the Creator. It is much to be lamented, that men do not fet a higher value upon this belt gift of God to man; by which they might attain pleasure and peace, and know how to preferve themfelves from evil and mischief; by which they might acquire a proper knowledge of the duties of focial life, and practife them reciprocally for their true interefts and happiness.. The fact is, that we usually fet out in life without even a common fhare of that kind of knowledge by which we are enabled to distinguish good from evil, and right from wrong. The art of ufing reafon conititutes no part of public education; a youth is generally launched into the world without any fixed principles or rule of conduct; thence he adopts any example of novelty or folly that makes an impreffion on him, and takes a bias whichever way he is strongest bent: and thence trifling declinations from truth, grow up at lalt into the ftrong and crooked thoots of prejudice, which can hardly ever after beftraightened. Happy is it, where they do not arrive at that enormous growth which deftroys the fair tree itself, or encumbers it with a weight of hardened and inflexible vice. But, as the latter investigation would only lead us into a melancholy refearch, not exactly fuited to the nature of thefe Elfays, let us content ourfelves with fome obfervations on the many abfurdities and inconfiftencies daily run into and entertained by man, from the want of knowing how to think aright. Innumerable are the prejudices of men, particularly of thofe who mix in the world; a few wholefome rules direct the humble cottager, while a thousand ill-judged opinions and maxims mislead and diftract the man of business and of pleasure. The chief prejudice incident to our fituation in the bufy world, fprings from the falfe appearance of things, from which we draw hafty and rafh conclufions, without waiting to eftimate their true character and worth: thence we connect ideas that have no real resemblance to each other; as poverty and ignorance, wealth and happinefs. the works of an eminent painter, we are not willing to allow that he has any defects thus we judge, not from the things themfelves, but by reference to the impreffion that we have entertained of the character, manners, or talents of the author. This fpecies of prejudice is the most unfair of any, as it never permits us to diftinguith, or to appre ciate properly, the virtues, vices, merits, or imperfections of our neighbours; but either gives too little or too much. An equally strong prejudice, and of a kin with the two former, is that which proceeds from a cafual affociation of ideas, connected fo ftrongly by the imagination, that Reafon has frequently no power to feparate them: thence young people, who have been terrified by the idea of apparitions at night, are never left in a dark room without thinking of apparitions; thence allo proceeds the vulgar prejudice of avoiding a particular name in chriftening an infant, because fome fo called had been peculiarly unfortunate. Thefe ideas, which accident only joins together, are mere follies of the imagination, that our judgment should correct. Another very strong prejudice of the mind is derived from what is called a Yfirft impreffion; which carries us away, as it were by force, out of the reach of judgment: thence we frequently give to a knave of winning addrefs, what we thould deny to an honest man of coarfer manners: thence, because we admire A fourth fource of prejudice is, the different lights in which things may be placed, and the different views in which they appear to us; and, as it fometimes, and under fome circumftances, requires much penetration and judgment to difcover the real form and complexion of things by viewing them on all fides, this fpecies of prejudice is certainly most excufable. Among the most extraordinary fophifts of the fomer claffes, was my friend Peter Bias. Mr. Bias had received the advantages of a tolerably good education; had ferved an ap prenticeship to trade, and was become a mafter filver-plate engraver, and a liveryman of the Goldfmiths' Company; he fmoked his pipe conftantly in the evening at the Horse and Dolphin, and was reckoned a very fenfible man in the club-room. It was, however, remarked, in the character of my friend Bias, that whenever he took an impreffion, it was engraven on his mind, like an armorial bearing on the fide of a caudle-cup executed by his own graver. To the impreffion which my friend received from a flogging at fchool for stealing codlins, was attributed his lasting antipathy to apple-pie; and to a long fit of illnefs at eighteen, was afcribed his inflexible distaste to water grueh and, to his utter astonishment, grafped the rough black head of his favourite Bobby, who was immediately difiniffed; and my friend Peter, to preserve his character for confiftency, would never afterwards do a fervice to any one who was unlucky enough to be named Robert. Numerous are the little anecdotes that I could relate of my friend: ; among the reft, how that nothing could perfuade him to feek a legal remedy, because his coufin the Counsellor had told him never to go to law; under the operation of which refolution he permitted himself to be oufted of a very handfome eftate; how that one day, being introduced to a very wealthy man, who had many years before (in his recollection) been a bankrupt, and paid twenty fhillings in the pound, he afked him very earnestly, Whether be had gruel. Having once been cheated by a Jew, he denounced vengeance against the twelve tribes, and would, like Herod, have exterminated the whole race of Ifraelite babes; nor could any thing perfuade him to ride again in Thomas's Kentish Town ftage, because he had once been overturned in it. Yet Peter Bias was a benevolent man; that is, when Prejudice fet him at work; and when once in his favour, it was no eafy matter for one to be turned out. My friend Peter had a little dirty boy, an apprentice, whom he called Bobby, and of whofe talents and honefty he had formed his own opinion. Certain it is, that Bobby was very clever at thining fhoes; and as certain, that he once brought a crown piece to his mafter, which he had found Carelessly left on the fhop-board. Thele circumstances established Bobby in lafting reputation. For a great many years, my poor got his certificate? And how, another friend Peter was haraffed and tormented by the tricks that Bobby played him his fhoes were neglected, his clothes worn out before they were left off: and his loofe cath pilfered yet none of this could be done by Bobby; Bobby was ftill a good lad; a clean pair of thoes, and a recollection of the crown piece, fet every thing to rights. It was in vain that every body ventured to pronounce Bobby a fcoundrel; he still kept his place, till one fatal day, that my friend Peter, being in his found morning's nap, dreamt he felt fome perfon withdrawing certain articles of drefs, in which it is ufual to keep loose cash, from under his pillow, when being awakened by the reality of the vifion, he turned round, : day, happening to be in company with a Gentleman whom he had once remembered ill of a cold, and his hearing a little affected, nothing could reftrain him from bawling out every now and then; What a pity 'tis he's fo deaf! In fhort, my friend Peter's prejudices remained with him to the last moment of his life; for, though Bobby was reformed, and become a remarkably fober industrious young man, nothing could perfuade him to leave him a fixpence ; and he gave pofitive directions, that no perfon called Robert thould follow him to the grave; which event he used humourously to fay, was, he hoped, the last en-graving that he thould have any thing to do with. CHESHUNT CHURCH. > མ G. B. CHESHUNT, in the county of Hert- The benefaction of Dixon is at large in ford, is fourteen miles from Lon. his epitaph. The vicarage was endowed don. It is in the hundred of Hertford,by King James with 571. per annum, and deanery of Braughing, in the arch- out of the fee-farm rents, in lieu of the deaconry of Middlefx. It is a vicarage finall tithes of thofe lands which he infubject to the Archdeacon, but the right clofed in Theobald's Park. The church of induction is in the Bishop. The is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Queen church was built in the time of Henry Mary granted the adyowfon to the BiVI. by Nicholas Dixon, who was Rector hop of London, who prefented, till by there thirty years. About this time, Act of Parliament the beginning of fays Mr. Salmon, if one may guefs by James the It's reign, this patronage the workmanship and the wearing, most was exchanged with Robert, Earl of of the churches of the country were Salisbury, for that of Orfet, in Effex. built, except thofe of cathedral fashion. |