"have fancied that this may be owing to the narrow ftipend of the prefbyter, "whose poverty will not permit him to "exert that influence over his flock or "to pay them that attention which "the interefts of morality and religion "( require. " A fmall addition to his ftipend would not be felt by us, and "would probably do more for the general improvement of manners in "the neighbourhood than would be "effected by a much larger expenditure any other way. I fee, my lord, you "fmile; but allow me as well as your"felf to quote my father's authority. "He has frequently obferved, that by enlarging Mr. Evans's fphere of usefulness, he did an act of public bene"ficence. I only thought,' he used to fay, of making one worthy man happy; but fince Mr. Evans has been <<< relieved "relieved from the preffure of want, he "has made many men happy, aye and "worthy too." "Why there may be fomething in "what fir William obferves, provided "one could but be fure of having an "Evans to deal with. But I shall have "no leifure for fchemes of this kind; "fo you may amufe yourself with them "when you have no other employment. "You may set up fchools, portion off "young girls, and enrich old divines. But, remember, no manufactories "in my neighbourhood.-All our fa"mily hate the very name of them."They only encourage a horde of idle "infolent vagrants, who fly in your face upon every occafion." "Not if care be taken to improve "their morals in proportion to their "affluence. You fee how thinly your "villages "It will be very different when I spend my fortune among them. The repairs of the caftle will employ the "men." "But the women and children ?" "O, they fhall be fed at the caftle"gate." "No; let them eat the bread of in"dustry, and enjoy thofe delights "which the active exertion of our "native energies always infpires. "Sweet is the food which is earned by labour. When you, my lord, purfue health and pleasure in the "fields and woods, and return home to "tafte the repose which is procured by "exertion, and to partake of the dain"ties for which you are indebted to your own toil, you feel this maxim "true "true; and your heart will exult at the "idea that your provident benevolence "has extended fimilar enjoyments to "hundreds, who must long need the protecting care of their benefac"tor, and confequently cannot effe& an infolent independence on his "bounty." Perhaps lord Monteith's principal objections to his lady's fchemes were, that he should be involved in fome trouble by the execution of them. Her judicious allufion to his favourite purfuits in the preceding speech, and the profpect of the honour being wholly his, while he determined that the difficulties fhould be exclufively hers; thefe reafons, added to fome fecret ideas that if the plan anfwered it would be another triumph over the prejudices of his obftinate aunt, procured his acquiefcence, and he uttered the words, "You |
