brother, which was so visible, that every one spoke of it with diflike; for when I was fick, and met with any thing

II. BENEDICT was the patriarch or founder of a famous order called the Benedictines. He was the first who brought a monaftic life into efteem in the Weft. He was born at Nurfi, a town in Itay, about 480. This order, as it is the most ancient, is the most famous of the Roman church. It has been the fource of feveral orders, which follow the rule of the firft founder, and have made new branches of Monks in the church of Rome, as Carthufians, Celeftines, Humiliati, &c.

III. DOMINIC de Gufman, a Spanish gentleman, died at Bologne in Italy, in 1221, and was canonized by Pope Gregory IX, 1235.1 He had preached zealoufly againft the Albigenfes; and his zeal did not ftop there. He was the founder of the order of the Dominicans, under St. Augustine's rule, and his own conftitutions. He likewise in his furious zeal established a military order against the poor Albigenfes. The knights of this order were called Jefus Chrift's foldiers, or the brethren of St. Dominic's militia,

Thefe Albigenfes were reformers from popery, firft fpringing up at Albi, a city in upper Languedoc in France, like the Vaudois of Waldenfes, who fprang up at the city of Lyons in France. Thefe latter were fo called from Peter Waldo, or Vaud, a rich and charitable merchant there, who expofed the fuperftition of the church of Rome, in 1160. They spread from thence into many parts of France, Germany, and Italy. These two bodies of men defended themfelves

The Huns left their own country, and settled at first in Pannonia, a vaft tract which comprehends the greatest part of Auftria, with Bofnia, Sclavonia, and that part of Hungary which lies between the rivers Danube, Raab and Drave. Their King Attila, who filed himself The plague of God, led them into Germany, France, and Healy, great part of which they cruelly deftroyed, 'till Merovius King of France, joined with Etius General of the Romans, met them and gave them a great overthrow, killing, it is faid, two hundred thoufand of them, in the year 450. After this lofs, they retired into Pannonia, where they defended themselves 'till the Hongres, the very fame fort of people, came out of Scythia, a wild country. further North, and difpoffeffed them. Writers tell us of the Huns, that they were continually on horfe back, whether eating, trading, or fleeping; that like a deluge, before they got that check, they over-ran the Scythians, Alans, and other warlike nations, putting them to flight by the very terror of their countenances; that they were altogether unlearned, knew not the names of letters, and ufed to divine by the entrails and veins of beasts.

thing I liked, he demanded it; it was then taken from me, and given to him, tho' he was perfectly well in health. He was continually giving me new vexations. One day he made me mount upon the top of the coach; when he had done that, he threw me down on the ground, and by the fall I was bruifed. At other times

themselves against the vaftly fuperior popifh powers, till at length overpowered they funk. The fmall remains, of fuch as held out, retired to the Alps and vallies of Piedmont, where their defcendants continue 'till this day, and where they have often been feverely perfecuted.

IV. AUGUSTINE, twice mentioned above, was born at Tagaste in Numidia, (now Biledulgerid) in Africa. He taught rhetoric there, and afterward at Rome, where it is faid that hearing St. Ambrofe archbishop of Milan, he imbibed the principles of the Chriftian religion, in 387, being then thirty years of age. Three years after, he was ordained priest of Hippo (now Bona,) a town on the coast of the kingdom of Algiers, and in 395 elected bishop thereof. He died in 430, in the 76th year of his age. * The Vandals at that time befieging Hippo took it; yet fpared the dead body, writings and library of this faint. The Popes and learned men of his time confulted him, and fince his death his memory has been much refpected.

* The Vandals were an ancient people of the North-east of Germany on the coaft of the Baltic fea, from whence they fpread themselves fouthward even to Africa. They were Arians, and furious perfecutors. The Arians, fo called from Arius their founder, afferted the Word, or Son of God, to be inferior to the Father, and to be a creature, yet created before all other beings. This herefy was condemned in the first council of Nice in 321. And yet it became the reigning religion in the Eaft. It was carried into Africa under the Vandals, and into Afia under the Goths, (an ancient people of Germany, who dwelt along the banks of the Viftula, as far as the mouth of that river at Dantzick,) who often paffed the Danube, and made terrible incurfions into feveral Afianic regions. Alfo Italy, Gaul and Spain became deeply infected with Arianifm; but having reigned there thirty years with great fplendor, it funk almost all at once; tho' of late years fome have been found to attempt its revival. The Arians themselves were divided into a great number of parties, under different denominations, who mutually condemned each other.

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times he beat me: But whatever he did, however wrong, was winked at, or had the most favourable conftruction put upon it. This conduct foured my temper: I had little difpofition to do good, faying, "I was never the better for it." It was not then for thee alone, oh my God, that I did good; fince I ceased to do it, when it met not with fuch a reception from others as I wanted. Had I known how to make a right ufe of this crucifying conduct which thou held over me, I should have made a good progrefs. Far from turning me out of the way, it would have made me turn more entirely to thee. With jealous eyes I looked on my brother, seeing the wide difference made betwixt him and me. Whatever he did, he always did well; but the blame of all fell on me. My fifters by the mother made their court to her, by careffing him, and falling foul on me. It is true, I was bad: I was relapfed into my former faults of lying and peevishness. With all these faults, I was very tender and charitable to the poor, prayed to God affiduoufly, loved to hear any speak of him, and to read good books.

I doubt not but fuch a long train of inconfiftencies will furprize you: But what follows will furprize you much more, when you will fee thofe manners of acting gather ftrength with age; and that reafon, far from correcting fuch an unreafonable procedure, ferved only to give more force and latitude to my fins. It feemed, oh my God, as if thou poured out thy graces on me, in proportion as my ingratitude increased. There paffed in me what paffes in the fiege of cities. Thy grace befieged my heart, and I thought of nothing but defending it against thy attacks, redoubling every day my iniquities, to hinder thee from taking it. When it seemed as if thou was going to be victorious, I erected counterbatteries, and threw up ramparts to ftop thy goodnefs, and repell the force of thy favours. There was nothing less than thyfelf, oh my divine love, to break them down, who by thy facred fire was ftronger than

death itself, to which fin has brought me fo often over and over.

"We

I cannot hear with patience any one who fays,. "are not free to refilt grace." I have made too long and fatal an experience of my liberty. I closed up all the avenues of my heart, that I might not fo much as hear that fecret voice of God, which was calling me to himself. I have indeed, from my tendereft youth, paffed thro' a series of grievances, either by maladies or by perfecutions. The girl to whofe care my mother left me, in dreffing my head ufed to beat me, and did not make me turn it but with rage and blows. Every thing feemed in concert to punish me. My father knew nothing of all this; for his love to me was fuch that he would not have fuffered it. I loved him much, but at the same time I feared him, so that I told him nothing of it. My mother was often teazing him with complaints of me, to which he made no other reply than, "There are twelve hours in the day; the'll grow wifer." This rigorous proceeding was not the worft for my foul, tho' it foured my temper, which was otherwife very mild and easy. But what caufed my greatest hurt was, that not being able to endure thofe who treated, me ill, I chofé to be among those who careffed me, in order to corrupt and spoil me.

My father, feeing I was now grown pretty tall, placed me in Lent among the Urfulines, to have my first communion at Eafter, at which time I was to complete my eleventh year. And here my moft dear fifter, under whofe inspection my father placed me, redoubled her cares, to caufe me to make the best preparation poffible for this act of devotion. I thought now of giving myself to God in good earneft. I often felt a combat between my good inclinations and my bad habits. I even did fome penances. As I was almost always with my fifter, and as the boarders in her clafs, which was the firft, were very reasonable and civil, I became fuch also, while among them. It

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had been murder to educate me badly; for my very nature was ftrongly difpofed to goodness, and I loved every thing that tended thereto. Eafily won with mildness, I did with pleasure whatever my good fifter defired. At length Eafter arrived, and I made my first communion (which was preceded by a general confeffion) with much joy and devotion. And in this house I stayed 'till Whitfuntide. But as my other fifter was mistress of the fecond clafs, the demanded me, in her week, to be with her in that class. Her manners, fo oppofite to the other's, made me relax my former piety. I felt no more that new and delightful ardour which had feized my heart at my first communion. Alas! it held but a fhort time; for my faults and failings were foon reiterated, and drew me off from the care and duties of religion.

As I now grew very tall for my age, and more to my mother's liking than heretofore, she took care to deck and drefs me out, to make me fee company, and to take me abroad with her. She took an inordinate pride in this beauty, which God had put on me, only to blefs and praife him, which yet has been to me a fource of pride and vanity. Several fuitors offered to me. But as I was not yet twelve years of age, my father would not liften to any proposals. I loved reading much, and fhut myself up all alone every day to read without interruption.

What proved effectual to gain me over entirely to God, at least for a time, was that a nephew of my father's (whofe life is writ in the relation of foreign miffions) paffed by our houfe, going with the bifhop of -to Cochinchina. I happened at that time to be gone a walking with my companions, which I feldom did. At my return he was gone. They gave me an account of his fanctity, and the things he had faid. I was fo touched therewith, that I was overcome with forrow. I cried all the rest of the day and of the night. Early in the morning, I went in great diftrefs to feek my confeffor.