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    . . ' ** He first * in a florid and elaborate , fet common-place style , complimented his Country on her missionary exertions and her indefatigable labours , her mighty works of self-denial ^ and the glorious pattern she exhibited before all nations . He spoke of her Bible Societies and her Missionary Societies ; he congratulated her on her valiant sons and her beautiful daughters , the greater part of whom , he said > were engaged in one mighty labour of love , viz . the conversion " of the Heathen , the spread of the Bible , and the relief of the afflicted . He

    then passed some very well-turned compliments on his own town ; and next he proceeded to utter a liigh panegyric on a certain individual ; whom he did not name , but whom he described as having spent a long and laborious life devoted to missionary labours , in a voluntary banishment from his country , his home , his friends : subjecting himself to endless privations , excessive fatigue under the burning sun of a tropical climate , and exposed to every kind of indignity ; and he called on his town to receive and reward this Christian hero with every testimony of love * , honour and approbation , and to hold him up as a burning and shining light to their sons and daughters .

    " While the young orator was thus vehemently labouring his point , in a manner , and with an expression , to which I despair of doing justice , the Misses Clinton , as parties nearly concerned , were hiding their blushes with their fans , while the good old gentleman , to the astonishment of Mrs . Essington and her party , sat perfectly unmoved , looking at the speaker , and not being in the least able to comprehend what he meant . At length , being struck with some very extraordinary expressions , of which he could make neither head nor tail , he turned to Mr . Sandford , who sat next to him , and very

    simply asked him the name of the extraordinary person of whom the young gentleman was speaking . Mr * Sandford smiled and said , Do you know any man to whom this description answers ? ' * In some points , ' said Mr . Eliot , ' it might suit David Brainerd , but in others , no mere man can deserve such praise . ' . *> .. * .. So saying , the good old gentleman settled himself in his chair , hemmed twice , took a pinch of snuff , and prepared himself to listen

    again with undisturbed curiosity . In the mean time , the young panegyrist finished his harangue , and retired gracefully to his seat ; while Mrs . Essington ' s party excited a second thunder of applause , which lasted long , bursting forth again and again , while every eye was fixed on Mr . Eliot , who sat , as I before remarked , perfectly unmoved , except that on the clapping continuing somewhat too long , he turned to Mr . Sandford and said , ' Too much of the theatre in this business , Mr . Sandford ! too much of the theatre ! Are not you 3

    of this opinion , my good Sir ?" Mrs . Sherwood has occupied a large space , but another point or two must be remarked . It is , perhaps , not extraordinary that she should record so confident an opinion respecting the acceptance and available repentance of a profligate sinner , of whose sincere conversion no proof whatever is given ; but can she think it judicious to bring forward in so prominent a manner , as she does in the story of Altamont , ( Vol . I ., ) what she is pleased to call an instance of the power of Divine grace , not for the purpose of comfort to the despairing sinner , but for the sake of instruction to the young ? We must

    add , that there is abundance of womanl y decorum in her advice to young females , but so great an absence of womanly tenderness , that it is questionable whether her counsels will have weight where they would be most valuable . In drawing broad lines of- distinction between the converted and the unconverted , she seems to have lost sight of all care for the differences of natural disposition . Every thing , however amiable in itself , is bad , if it be not directly religious , in her uncompromising sense of the term : there is no help to the feeble and halting Christian . To conclude ; it is sincerel y to be desired that some writer for the young might come forward , endowed with equal or superior talent , impressed a #

    Untitled Article

    J 04 Review . —* Mrs , Sherwoods ' Lady of the Mandr .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1827, page 204, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1794/page/44/