An Original LETTER from the younger VILLIERS Duke of BUCKINGHAM upon his death-bed to Dr. BARROW.

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Dear Doctor,

Always looked upon you as a man of true virtue: and know you to be a perfon of found judgment. For, however I may act in oppofition to the principles of religion, or the dictates of reafon, I can honeftly affure you, I had always the highest veneration for both. The world and I may shake hands for, I dare affirm, we are heartily weary of each other. O Doctor, what a prodigal have I been of the most valuable. of all poffeffions, Time! I have fquandered it away, with a perfuafion it was lafting: and now, when a few days would be worth a hecatomb of worlds, I cannot flatter myself with a profpect of half a dozen hours.

How despicable is that man, who never prays to his God, but in the time of his diftrefs! In what manner can he fupplicate that Omnipotent Being in his affliction, with reverence, whom, in the tide of his profperity, he never remembered with dread? Do not brand me with infidelity, when I tell you I am almost ashamed to offer up my petitions to the throne of grace; or of imploring that divine mercy in the next world, which I have fo fcandalously abused in this. Shall ingratitude to man be looked on as the blackeft of crimes, and not ingratitude to God? Shall an infult offered to the king be looked on in the most offenfive light; and yet no notice taken when the King of kings is treated with indignity and disrespect?

The companions of my former libertinifm would fcarce believe their eyes, were you to fhew them this epiftle. They would laugh at me as a dreaming enthufiaft, or pity me as a timorous wretch, who was fhocked at the appearance of fuVOL. XIII. turity.

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turity. They are more entitled to my pity than my refentA future ftate may very well ftrike terror into any man, who has not acted well in this life; and he must have an uncommon fhare of courage indeed, who does not fhrink at the prefence of his God!

You fee, my dear Doctor, the apprehenfions of death will foon bring the most profligate to a proper use of their underftanding. I am haunted by remorfe, defpifed by my acquain tance, and, I fear, forfaken by my God. There is nothing fo dangerous, my dear Doctor, as extraordinary abilities. I cannot be accused of vanity now, by being fenfible that I was once poffeffed of uncommon qualifications; as I fincerely regret that I was ever bleft with any at all. My rank in life ftill made thefe accomplishments more confpicuous; and, fascinated with the general applaufe which they procured, I never considered about the proper means, by which they should be difplayed. Hence, to purchase a smile from a blockhead, whom I defpifed, I have frequently treated the virtuous with disrespect; and fported with the holy name of heaven, to obtain a laugh from a parcel of fools, who were entitled to nothing but my contempt.

Your men of wit, my dear Doctor, look on themselves as discharged from the duties of religion; and confine the doctrines of the gospel to people of meaner understandings: and look on that man to be of a narrow genius, who ftudies to be good. What a pity that the holy Writings are not made the criterion of true judgment. Favour me, my dear Doctor, with a vifit as foon as poffible. Writing to you gives me fome ease. I am of opinion this is the laft vifit I fhall ever folicit from you. My diftemper is powerful. Come, and pray for the departing spirit of the unhappy

BUCKINGHAM.

THOUGHTS

THOUGHTS on that phrafe (in the 110th Pfalm) "Thy people fhall be willing in the day of thy power."

[Extracted from an ancient Author.]

"THE paffage feems to be a prophetic allufion to one of thofe folemn feftivals, in which conquerors and their armies, on their return from battle, offered to God, from whom the victory came, a part of their spoil, which they had taken from their enemies.

"Thefe free-will offerings were carried in grand proceffion. They were haly, because agreeable to the economy under which the Jews lived: and they were beautifully holy, becaufe they were not exacted, but proceeded from the voluntary gra titude of the army. In large conquefts, the offerings of the troops were out of number; like the drops of fuch a shower of dew as the morning brought forth in the youth or Spring of the year. Thus the Meffiah fhall close the scene of his glorious atchievements. His followers and their offerings fhall be numerous as the drops of dew, which the morning brings forth in the youth, or fpring of the year. Compare Judg. v. 2, 9. 2 Chron. xiv. 13-15. and xv. 11.”

To the above we may add the words of Mr. Henry, refpecting the fame paffage. "Excellent things (faith he) are here spoken of Chrift: that he is advanced to the highcft dignity all his enemies fhall in due time be made his foot. ftool: he shall have a kingdom in this world, beginning at Jerufalem: his kingdom fhall prevail in fpite of his foes: he fhall have a great number of fubjects: they shall be a willing people; alluding to fervants that choofe their fervice; or to foldier's, that are volunteers, not pressed men: they fhall be fo in the day of his mufter: when he is enlifting foldiers, he fhall find a number of volunteers: or, when he is drawing

them out to battle, they fhall be willing to follow the Lamb: they fhall be fo in the beauty of holiness; either allured by the beauty of holiness; or admitted by him into the holiest by Jefu's blood; or fhould wait upon him in the beautiful attire of fanctification; he shall have a multitude of people devoted to him; or abundance of young converts, like the drops of dew in a fummer's morning."

A frange Providence in an EARTHQUAKE, at CALLAO in PERU.

THE plains, in which Lima, the capital city of Peru is placed, are the most beautiful in the world. They are of vaft extent, reaching from the foot of the Andes or Cordelier-Mountains, to the fea; and are covered with groves of olive-trees, of oranges, and citrons, watered by many streams; one of the principal among which, washing the walls of Lima, falls into the ocean at Callao; in which latter place is laid the fcene of this enfuing history.

To this city, Don Juan de Mendoza had come over with his father from Old Spain, when an infant. The father, having borne many noble employments in Peru, died much efteemed and honoured rather than rich. This young gentleman had, in early youth, conceived a very strong paffion for Donna Cornelia di Perez, daughter to a very wealthy merchant, who dwelt in the city of Callao, at that time the best port in the whole Western world.

But, although the young lady, who was reputed the most accomplished person in the Indies, returned his affection; yet he met with an infuperable difficulty in the avarice and inflexible temper of the father, who, preferring wealth to every other confideration, abfolutely refused his confent. At length the unfortunate lover faw himfelf under the neceffity of returning

turning to his native country, the most miferable of all mankind, torn away for ever from all that he held most dear. He wa snow on board, in the port of Callao, and the ship ready to fail for Spain. The wind fair: the crew all employed; the passengers rejoicing in the expectation of feeing again the place of their nativity.

Amid the fhouts and acclamations, with which the whole bay refounded, Mendoza fat upon deck alone, overwhelmed with forrow, beholding thofe towers, in which he had left the only person who could have made him happy, whom he was never more to behold: a thousand tender, a thousand melancholly thoughts poffeffed his mind. In the meantime, the ferenity of the sky is disturbed; fudden flashes of lightning dart across, which increafing fill the whole air with flame..

A noife is heard from the bowels of the earth, at firft low and rumbling, but growing louder, and foon exceeding the roaring of the most violent thunder. This was instantly fol lowed by a trembling of the earth: the firft fhocks were of fhort continuance; but in a few minutes they became quicker, and of longer duration. The fea feemed to be thrown up into the sky, the arch of heaven to bend downwards. The Cordeliers, the highest mountains of the earth, fhook, and roared with unutterable noises, fending forth from their bursting fides rivers of flame, and throwing up immense rocks. The houses, arfenals, and Churches of Callao tottered from fide to fide, and at laft tumbled upon the heads of the wretched inhabitants.

Those who had not perished in this manner, you might fee of every age and sex, rushing into the streets and public roads, to escape from the like ruins. But even there, was no fafety: the whole earth was in motion; nor was the ocean lefs difturbed: some of the fhips in the harbour were torn from their anchors, fome of them swallowed up in the waves, fome dashed on rocks, many thrown feveral miles up into the land. The whole town of Callao late so flourishing, filled with half

the