king, like a pious Christian, went to St. Paul's Church to return thanks to the Almighty for having restored him to his family and his subjects. This was on the 23d of April, 1789.

About this time, the Revolution in France began. You have heard of the miseries which this ,occasioned, and the dreadful cruelties which were practised. The people talked much of liberty and equality, and held some strange and dangerous -opinions. The people in France, it is true, had not the liberty which we have in England; but the methods by which they attempted to better themselves only reduced them to a much worse state. There seemed to be nothing but force and violence; the government of a furious mob, at one time; and, at another, the dreadful cruelties of their National Assemblies. These things went on for several years, with first one man at their head and then another: but almost all of them were monsters of cruelty. At length they made Buonaparte first consul: they gave him this title because they did not like the name of a king. Afterwards he was made Emperor; so that, with all their complaints against arbitrary power, and all their opposition to their king, and all their

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them much worth your notice now. However, I will send you a few of them.

In 1784 there was a strong contest about the Westminster election, between sir Cecil Wray and Mr. Fox.

I believe that Sunday-schools were first opened in the same year. The first of these was at Glou-, cester, established by an excellent gentleman, Mr. Raikes.

In 1786, a mad woman, named Margaret Nicholson, attempted to stab the king with a knife, as he was getting out of his carriage. This unhappy creature was confined in Bedlam; where she died only a few months

ago.

About this time began the trial of Mr. Hastings, for supposed ill-conduct as governor of India. This trial lasted about nine years, and at last ended in his favour.

In the year 1788, the king was seized with a serious illness, so that he could not attend to the affairs of the nation. Happily, however, whilst arrangements were making about appointing the prince of Wales as regent, his Majesty recovered. There were rejoicings and a general thanksgiving for this good news all over the kingdom; and the

king, like a pious Christian, went to St. Paul's Church to return thanks to the Almighty for having restored him to his family and his subjects. This was on the 23d of April, 1789.

About this time, the Revolution in France began, You have heard of the miseries which this ,occasioned, and the dreadful cruelties which were practised. The people talked much of liberty and equality, and held some strange and dangerous opinions. The people in France, it is true, had not the liberty which we have in England; but the methods by which they attempted to better themselves only reduced them to a much worse state. There seemed to be nothing but force and violence; the government of a furious mob, at one time; and, at another, the dreadful cruelties of their National Assemblies. These things went on for several years, with first one man at their head and then another: but almost all of them were monsters of cruelty. At length they made Buonaparte first consul: they gave him this title because they did not like the name of a king. Afterwards he was made Emperor; so that, with all their complaints against arbitrary power, and all their opposition to their king, and all their

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bloodshed, they were now under a more tyrannical government than ever they had been before the Revolution. There is a great deal to write about during all the troubles in France; but, as these do not properly belong to English history, we need not attempt particularly to describe them. All nations, however, seemed so much interested in these things at the time, that we listened to the accounts which came over to us, as much as if they had belonged to our country. You know that they beheaded their king, Louis the Sixteenth; this was in the year 1793. Soon afterwards, they also beheaded the queen, as well as other members of the royal family and, in short, they pursued their dreadful work, as if their only object was cruelty and bloodshed. When these things began in France, there were people in England who seemed as if they wished to have a revolution here too; the miseries, however, which were experienced in France, taught us to be thankful for the blessings we enjoyed, instead of bringing troubles and distresses on ourselves, for no purpose. I think we have quite as much liberty as is good for us: we have full liberty to do all that is right, and I am sure we

ought not to wish for liberty to do wrong. And, as to equality, which during the French Revolution was so much spoken of, people are now grown wise enough to see there can be no such thing. If we were all equal to-day, if all the property in the country were to be equally divided amongst us, we should not be all equal to-morrow. In a twelvemonth, an idle careless person would be in gaol, and a careful one would have doubled his property; so that there would presently be inequality again; there would presently be gentlemen, and there would be beggars.

You are aware that the nations of Europe did not look quietly on, and witness all the cruelties which were practised in France. They could not help seeing that their own states were in danger from the violence of the French, and the bad principles which they encouraged and spread abroad. The Austrians and the Prussians went to war with the French; and, about the year 1793, the English joined them. Since that time, till within the last few years, we have had nothing but war. It continued more than twenty years. There was, indeed, a short peace about the year 1801, which, however, lasted but a very short