meat never sits well upon those who fill their belly with the east wind, Job xv. 2.

Steward. Not that, indeed; for I have observed, when I have seen the young princes and princesses leading them through the dressing apartments into the dining-room, that, as soon as they have cast their eyes on the royal robes, they have given such a secret, sly, contemptuous, inveterate leer, or glance, that I could compare their faces to nothing but the image of the devil that I once saw, who is represented as peeping out under the battlements of Lincoln Minster. And, even at table, they could eat nothing of the King's meat. They acted as their Gibeonitish relations did when they came to Joshua; they came not to take hold of the King's covenant already made, but to make a league with him, and therefore they brought their own old shoes, old garments, and their mouldy bread, with them, Josh. ix. 5, 6. To have their feet shod, their souls fed, and themselves enrobed, at the King's expence, they cannot away with. Just so do these Hagarene ladies act; they carry their own crust in their satchels, and sit and mumble it like a squirrel; while their hearts, like a pouting pigeon, swell with indignation at every dish that stands before them, and even at the poor servant also who attends the table. In short, they want nothing of the King but his name; nor any favour of him, but to nurse their pride, and get honour to themselves before the elders of the

people. The universal language of every Hagarené stands upon record thus: "In that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, we will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach."

Shepherd. It is surprising to me that the young princes and princesses do not see through such persons themselves, for some of the King's children are very discerning; and I am sure they must be all so, if they take after either their father or their mother.

Steward. When any of the Hagarenes come to the palace, they never come without a mask, or a veil. The penitent Jewess at the feet of the Messiah never appeared with more simplicity, sincerity, contrition, and devotion, than they do. They are swift to hear, and slow to speak. Of loyalty, and love to the King, they talk; of their unworthiness, they complain; for superabounding service, they contend; and to all you can say they give their apparent consent, if they perceive any at the table who have the gift of discerning of spirits. With this mask, this veil, this garb, this feigned conversation, and this apparent assent and consent, they deceive legions, by ingratiating themselves into their affections, and obtaining a charitable opinion of them; insomuch that the watchmen's alarms and warnings, the King's proclamations and declarations, together with all the counsel and advice of his

Majesty's domestics, shall hardly gain credence, if they should sound an alarm, and testify against those arch deceivers.

Shepherd. This is the only way to set the King's seed on a level with the bastard race, indeed; for, when they have stripped the King's children of their ornaments, led them into a rebellious spirit, and dressed themselves up in their masquerade dress, in external appearance, the latter must cut the best figure. One would think it impossible, under the penetrating eye of the King, to counterfeit the garb, language, countenance, and ornaments, of the seed royal, to such a degree as that.

Steward. It is done to the highest pitch of deception; and serves to shew us that there is an uncommon beauty in real religion, our enemies themselves being judges; or else the worst of men would never be at such pains, and run such perilous risks, only to appear in a counterfeit garb of it. Shepherds in rural life are strangers to the arts and artifices which are used in metropolitan cities. It is not impossible to meet, in the public streets, an engaging figure of a woman, that to all appearance should not exceed forty years of age, when, were you to be smitten with love, and espouse the object, you might be as much deceived in the morning as Jacob was, who espoused Rachel, and was beguiled with Leah. Her teeth might be manufactured by the dentist; her ornamental hair, taken from the crest of a horse, put

on, and coloured, by the hair-dresser; her ruddy, ór blooming face, be the art of the perfumer; her hips purchased at the milliner's; and her feet set off by the craft of Saint Crispin; insomuch that you might throw all that struck you, and one half of the bulk that you espoused, into the rag-bag; and what little remained might be found, upon proof, to be old enough to be- your mother. Eyes, eyebrows, teeth, hair, arms and hands, legs and feet, have been made in Fleet Street, as well as in Paradise.

Shepherd. If this be the case, it looks as if most people would wish to be their own makers, menders at least. And if all that you say be true, were I ever to be in any of these great cities, I should suspect every engaging person to be an automaton figure, instead of the work of Jehovah's hands.

Steward. Wiser men than you or I have been deceived; and you are a singular shepherd in success if you never had a wolf in sheep's clothing among your flock. All that I have said about external deception is not more artfully carried on than internal disguise is by the Hagarene ladies. I have often observed, when any of the young princesses have invited any of the more refined of them to the royal banquets, if any of the tutors have been mentioning any thing respecting his Majesty's sovereignty, his eternal and discriminating love, the royal law of liberty, his Majesty's will being his children's rule, the immutability of the King's

counsel and clemency, the royal robes of the family, the certainty of all who are of the blood royal coming to inherit the kingdom and the throne of glory, &c. it has been enough; off went the mask; the demure countenance hath visibly faded; the palpitations of the heart have beat uncommonly high; the sheep's clothing has given way; the ornaments, cawls, bracelets, and mufflers, have all fallen off together; and, instead of wellset hair, there has been baldness; instead of a girdle, a rent; instead of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth; and burning with rage instead of Zion's beauty, Isa. iii.

Shepherd. Then such is the best conversation that can be brought forth in order to discover them and purge them out.

Steward. It is, for it either mends them or makes them worse. The King hates a feigned loyalist, or a lukewarm profession of his name and cause; and says, he would they were either cold or hot.

Shepherd. I know they must either be loyal to him or Mammon; they must hate one of the two, and hold to the other. Pray, did you ever see any of them there when the servants have been bringing forth the best robe for any of the children?

Steward. Yes: and have watched their countenances narrowly, and observed the contemptuous glances they have given at it; while their hearts have heaved with indignation, as bad as the