e frugality without
narrowness of mind, and made her see how few of all the expenses the
world ran into were necessary to happiness. He deprived her of all
temptation to purchase pleasures, by instructing her to seek only in
herself for them; and by the various accomplishments he had given her,
prevented that vanity of mind which leads people to seek external
amusements. The day was not sufficient for her employments, therefore
she could not be reduced to trifle away any part of it for fear of its
lying heavy on her hands.

Thus Miss Selvyn was bred a philosopher from her cradle, but was better
instructed in the doctrine of the ancient moralists than in the
principles of Christianity. Mr Selvyn was not absolutely a free-thinker,
he had no vices that made him an enemy to Christianity, nor that pride
which tempts people to contradict a religion generally received; he did
not apprehend that disbelief was a proof of wisdom, nor wished to lessen
the faith of others, but was in himself sceptical; he doubted of what he
could not entirely comprehend and seemed to think those things at least
improbable which were not level to his understanding. He avoided the
subject with Miss Selvyn; he could not teach her what he did not
believe, but chose to leave her free to form that judgement which should
in time seem most rational to her.

I could not forbear interrupting Mrs Maynard to signify my approbation
of Mr Selvyn's conduct in this particular as the only instance I had
ever met with of a candid mind in one who had a tendency towards
infidelity; for 'I never knew any who were not angry with those that
believed more than themselves, and who were not more eager to bring
others over to their opinions than most foreign missionaries; yet surely
nothing can be more absurd, for these men will not dare to say that the
virtues which Christianity requires are not indispensable duties; on the
contrary, they would have us imagine they are most sincerely attached to
them; what advantage then can accrue to any one, from being deprived of
the certainty of a reward for his obedience? If we deny revelation, we
must acknowledge this point to be very uncertain; it was the subject of
dispute and doubt among all the philosophers of antiquity; and we have
but a poor dependence for so great a blessing if we rest our expectation
where they did theirs. Can a man therefore be rendered happier by being
deprived of this certainty? Or can we suppose he will b