tional, and therefore unwarrantable exertions of power on her part, and of the resolutions of the United Colonies on their part to resist by force of arms the measures prescribed by the parent state, and to die or be free.

I beg to be considered as a servant (though unworthy) of the Gospel of Christ, who am informed by one of its inspired preachers, "that the weapons of our war"fare are not carnal, but mighty "through God to the bringing "every thought to the obedience "of Christ;" which expressions plainly demonstrate them to be spiritual.

I dare not therefore promise to take up and use any carnal arins at all. The same apostle teacheth me, "that in whatever state I am, there"with to be content;" if therefore the providence of God should bring me into a state even of slavery itself, I desire that His will may be done, and that I may be content with that lot, however hard': and considering myself at the same time as being the Lord's freeman, may cheerfully, as well as faithfully, discharge my duty in that state, knowing, that "in Jesus Christ there is "neither bond nor free."

I dare

not therefore resolve that I will be free, because I am sensible that many better men than myself have by the providence of God been brought into a state of bondage, and that I ought not to complain if I should be made a partaker of the same affliction. The second clause of the paper before me, contains an hearty approbation of the Continental Association, and a resolution faithfully to observe and comply with it, without any equivocation, or mental reservation. There is one part of that Association, especially as it hath been practised here, with which I dare not promise to comply: my conscience will not permit me to act upon it, and our common Master hath commanded VOL, I. NEW SERIES.

me to let my yea be yea, and my nay, nay; and I am also enjoined to speak the truth to my neighbour in love: I must not therefore equivocate with you. The part I mean is that which prohibits me from extending the kind offices of humanity and hospitality to any who may refuse to be bound by it. The Saviour of the world, whose servant I am, hath commanded me "to feed the "hungry and give drink to the "thirsty, to clothe the naked," to take in the stranger or traveller, to give to him that asketh of me, and not to turn away from him that would borrow of me. Here it may be to no purpose to say, Such and such persons are mine enemies; because our Lord hath expressly, and that too in an especial manner, commanded me to extend my kind offices to mine enemies, as such. And I beg the Committee to remember, that Ministers of the Gospel are in a particular manner commanded to keep hospitality.

The first paragraph in the last clause in the Association sent me, I have spoken to already; the remainder of it commenceth with a declaration, that we notice and gratefully acknowledge the divine interposition in favour of all our warlike enterprises, crowning them with most unparalleled success. I know not, Gentlemen, that this, if true, is a proper rule for Christians to judge on, concerning the goodness or badness of any cause of this kind in controversy; for history, sacred and profane, furnishes us with many instances in which we shall all agree in saying, that the most unjust cause did not always meet an overthrow, nor the most just prosper. Thus, on the first efforts for establishing the Christian religion, the Protestants in the Smalcaldic League were entirely routed by the Romish Emperor, Charles the Fifth, at the Battle of Mulburge, on the 24th of April, 1574, when one of the two great champions in M

the Protestant cause, the Elector of Saxony, was taken prisoner; the other, the Landgrave of Hesse, was forced to surrender himself and beg pardon of Charles. There are sundry prophecies now to be fulfilled, which declare, that the Potentates of the Earth shall have power to make war against Saints, and to overcome them: I look upon the present unnatural war as being a judgment of God on the people of Old England as well as on us Americans, for our many crying offences against his most holy laws, and a loud call to a sincere and immediate return to him and to our duty. It is therefore a constant part of my prayers to him who doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men, that he would make it effectual to the production of a true and general reformation in both countries to the glory of his mercy.

What follows in the paper seems to be a recapitulation of the substance of what was said before; it is therefore unnecessary for me to add any thing further as to the particulars of it. I shall therefore proceed to consider it as to its general intention.

a

I take it for granted that the design of this Association is to make discrimination between the friends of America and its liberties, and the enemies of both; and now I beg the Committee to believe me when I declare, in the presence of him who knows all hearts, and before whom I am finally to be judged in that awful day when the secrets of all hearts shall be revealed, that I am a sincere friend to both. America is my native country, all my connexions are in it; I have enjoyed the liberty and plenty of it (through the goodness of God) too long and too thankfully not to be sensible of the value of both, and to desire a continuance of them if it be his will. It can be matter of very little importance to the community whether I subscribe the Association or not; for I am no politician; I am not con

nected with politicians, as such, and never will be either; those things belong not to my profession, and I find sufficient employment for my head and my heart in that honourable, though arduous, calling to which, in the presence of the adorable Trinity, I have vowed to devote my whole time. After this open testimony, I cannot fear that you, Gentlemen, will run any breach of the ninth commandment by advertising me as an enemy to my country. Praying that infinite wisdom may guide the councils of my country, infinite power protect it in all its lawful privileges, and infinite love pardon all our misdoing, and comfort us for ever, I subscribe myself,

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Gentlemen,
Your sincere Friend and
Servant in Jesus Christ,
JOHN SAYRE.

To the Gentlemen of the Committee
of the Town of Fairfield..

A desperate and fatal Duel.

SIR-You have very properly devoted a portion of your valuable Miscellany to the consideration of the murderous custom of Duelling, as allied to the still more barbarous practice of War. Some persons may object to their affinity, that the former is contrary to human laws, whilst the latter is carried on under their sanction. Granted. But if we were to judge from the conduct, not only of officers of the highest rank, whether naval or military, but even of Legislators and of Statesmen; of the laws which relate to Duels, we might conclude that they were

more honoured in the breach than in the observance." And no wonder; both practices originate in the same unbending pride of the human heart, in those "lusts that war in the members;" both equally trample upon the holy precepts of the Divine Redeemer. Hence, if you can produce a thorough conviction of the antichristian nature of Duelling, no inconsiderable advance

is made towards stripping, war of that fascinating, deceptive aspect, which has misled even good men. An instance of this effect we meet with in the Letters of Omar to the President of the United States; another, in the young English gentleman, who, under peculiar provocations and marked insult, was withheld from yielding to the polite, but cruel maxims of honour, by atten. tion to a sudden heart-felt conviction * of their contrariety to the dictates of Religion. (See Herald, Vol. iii. p. 162, 163.]

I shall now proceed to give a narrative, extracted from Dibdin's Tour in France and Germany, which will form a melancholy contrast to that just adverted to, but which may nevertheless afford material for warning and instruction.

"About three weeks only before our arrival, a duel was fought between a young French law student and a young Englishman; the latter, the son of a naval captain. I will mention no names; and so far not wound the feelings of the friends of the parties concerned. But this duel, my friend, has been the 'duel of duels' on the score of desperation and of a fixed purpose to murder. It is literally without precedent, and I trust will never be considered as one. You must know, then, that Caen, in spite of all the 'Bouleversemens' of the Revolution, has maintained its ancient reputation of possessing a very large seminary, or college for students at law. These students amount to nearly six hundred in number. Most young gentlemen under twenty years of age are at times riotous, or frolicsome, or foolish. Generally speaking, however, the students conduct themselves with propriety; but there had been a law-suit between a French and English suiter, and the Judge pronounced sentence in fa

* This conviction extended, I am credibly informed, to the practice price of of War

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vour of our countryman. The hall was crowded with spectators, and among them were a plentiful number of law-students. As they were retiring, one young Frenchman either made frightful facesor contemptuous gestures, in a very fixed and insulting manner, at a young Englishman, the son of this naval captain. Our countryman had no means or power of noticing or resenting the insult, as the aggressor was surrounded by his companions. It so happened that it was fair-time at Caen, and in the evening of the same day our countryman recognised, in the crowd at the fair, the physiognomy of the young man who had insulted him in the hall of justice. He approached him, and gave him to understand that his rude behaviour should be noticed at a proper time and in a proper place: whereupon the Frenchman came up to him, shook him violently by the arm, and told him to fix his dise tance on the ensuing morning.' Now the habit of duelling is very common among these law students, but they measure twenty-five paces, fire, and of course-miss-and then fancy themselves great heroes, and there is an end of the affair! Not so upon the present occasion. 'Fifteen paces, if you please,' said the student sarcastically, with a conviction of the backwardness of his opponent to meet him.- FIVE, rather!' exclaimed the provoked antagonist- I will fight you at FIVE paces!'-And it was agreed that they should so meet and fight on the morrow, at five paces only asunder. Each party was under twenty: but I believe the English youth had scarcely attained his nineteenth year. What I am about to relate will cause your flesh to creep. It was determined by the seconds, as one must necessarily fall, from firing at so short a distance, that only one pistol should be loaded with ball: the other having nothing but powder-and that, as the Frenchman had been challenged, he minutes, ere a multitude of students came, determined to avenge the death of their countryman by that of his destroyer! The dead body of the duellist was then placed upon a bier! and his funeral was after

tols lay upon the grass before them; one loaded only with powder, and the other with powder and ball. The Frenchman advanced; took up a pistol, weighed and balanced it most carefully in his hand, and then -laid it down. He seized the other pistol, and cocking it, fixed himself upon the spot from whence he was to fire. The English youth was necessarily compelled to take the abandoned pistol. Five paces were then measured and on the signal being given, they both fired-and the Frenchman fell-DEAD UPON THE SPOT! He had in fact taken up and laid down the very pistol which was loaded with the fatal ball, in the supposition of its being of too light a weight; and even seemed to compliment himself upon his supposed sagacity upon the occasion. But to proceed. The ball went through his heart, as I understood. The Second of the deceased, upon seeing his friend a reeking corpse at his feet, became mad and outrageous, and was for fighting the survivor immediately! Upon which the lad of mettle and courage replied, that he would not fight a man without a second-But go,' said he, (drawing his watch coolly out of his fob,) 'I will give you twenty minutes to come back again with your second.' He waited with his watch in his hand, and by the dead body of his antagonist, for the return of the Frenchman; but on the expiration of the time, his own second conjured him to consult his safety and depart, for that, from henceforth his life was in jeopardy. He left the ground; obtained his passport, and quitted the town instantly; but he had scarcely lost sight of the field of action a dozen

of his companions-who, armed with muskets and swords, threatened destruction to the civil and military authorities if they presumed to interfere-for the Mayor had, in fact, prohibited the funeral rites to be performed within consecrated ground."

Many, no doubt, will think that the young Englishman displayed cool courage and intrepidity in repelling the provocation which he had received. But actions will not lose their real character by the charm of a fashionable vocabulary, which attempts to conceal the deformity of vice. A fool-hardiness, originating in a blind vengeful pride, a contempt of those sacred ties by which men are united together in their civil and social relations, more correctly designate the impetuous impulse by which our countryman was driven to deprive a fellow-creature of life at the risk of his own. And what was the provocation received? Was it any personal injury? No, he was not touched. Was it any reflection on his character or reputation? No, not a word was spoken. What then was the provocation? Nothing more than a contemptuous sneer, or gesticulation. Can there be anything more ridiculous than upon so trivial a provocation to quarrel with a perfect stranger, and to engage in mortal combat with him? Forbearance even on an occasion so beneath the notice of a man of sense, I could not dignify with the name of magnanimity; I say magnanimity, because it is much more magnanimous to forgive, than to resent a real injury. It is even more heroic; it proves that a man has obtained the most difficult of conquests, a victory over himself

over his vindictive passions. Such is the Christian hero, who excites the admiration even of those who have not the courage to imitate him.

But there is another point of view which gives an awful aspect to this, and to every sanguinary conflict. If religion be not a mere fiction; if it be a solemn reality-if there be a part in man which survives the extinction of the mortal spark, which does not mingle with the clods of the valley, but which, upon its dismission from its earthly tenement must appear before the Judge of all the earth and receive its award according to the deeds done in the body-how poignant must be the feelings of that man, in the stillness of self reflection, who has hurried an immortal spirit before its time, out of this state of probation into that fire that never shall be quenched, "where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

We are not to consider that the young men whose sanguinary duel has led to these remarks, were sinners above all men; no, it is not so much against them, as against the false notion of honour and glory, which is the basis of all war, whether personal or national, that these animadversions are directed. Allowance must be made for the youth of the heroes of our tale, and for the false principles which had been instilled into their minds; for I would fain entertain the hope that if the young Englishman were to glance his eye over these lines, he would be impressed with the extreme temerity and sinfulness of his conduct, that he would humble himself before the Most High God, whose Majesty he had offended, and, approaching the throne of Divine mercy, say with the Royal Penitent, "Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth

It

It is strange, but not more strange than true, that the voice of reason. is too often disregarded when it is opposed to the polite and fashionable maxims of Honour. No idol of the Heathen world could have exacted more implicit devotion and obedience of its worshippers, than does Honour. imports not what social or civil ties are broken; its dictates are imperative, they must be obeyed, though they oblige a man to set himself as a mark to be shot at, because another has spoken uncivilly of his dog. Religion, reason, and common sense, have so long lifted up their voice in vain, that it is devoutly to be wished that the shafts of ridicule could be turned against the fatal self-devotion to this sanguinary idol, against a self-devotion which has, in opposition to better judgment, robbed society of valuable members, and wrung the heart of the mother and of the wife with anguish.-Thus, to preserve the reputation of courage, a man plays the fool and madman, through a cowardly fear of the world's dread laugh. If we could therefore turn this laugh against the Duellist, his courage would soon cool, and in less than half a century this creature of fashion would have no existence. If he were not literally thrown out of the window as the hero of the tale which I am about to relate, he would be discarded society as a mischievous animal; and thus not only one duel, but every duel, would be prevented.

The following Anecdote is taken from a Work entitled Histoire de la Peinture en Italie. (History of Painting in Italy. By M. B. A. A. in 2 vols.) It appears in the latter end of the first volume.