thou indeed wish to be taught," said Mr. Lay. “ I do,” said the citizen. "Then," said Mr. Lay, "Do justice→ love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God."

He wrote a small treatise upon negro-slavery, which he brought to Dr. Franklin to be printed. Upon looking over it, the Doctor told him that it was not paged, and that there appeared to be no order or arrangement in it. "It is no matter said Mr. Lay-print any part thou pleasest first.”— This book contained many pious sentiments, and strong expressions against negro slavery; but even the address and skill of Dr. Franklin were not sufficient to connect its different parts together, so as to render it an agreeable or useful work. This book is in the library of the city of Philadelphia.

Mr. Lay was extremely attentive to young people. He took great pleasure in visiting schools, where he often preached to the youth. He frequently carried a basket of religious books with him, and distributed them as prizes, among the scholars.

He was fond of reading. In the print of him, which is to be seen in many houses in Philadelphia, he is represented with "Tryon on Happiness". in his hand, a book which he valued very much, and which he frequently carried with him in his excursions from home.

He was kind and charitable to the poor, but had no compassion for beggars. He used to say, "there was no man or woman, who was able to go abroad to beg, that was not able to earn four pence a day, and this sum, he said, was enough to keep any person above want, or dependence, in this country.”

His humanity was as ingenious as it was extensive, and embraced the sufferings which arise from even the common inconveniences of life. One, among many instances that might be mentioned of this species of humanity, was his advising the farmers who lived near to public roads to plant fruit trees along them, in order" to protect the weary traveller by their shade, and to refresh him with their fruits.”

He was a severe enemy to idleness, insomuch that when he could not employ himself out of doors, or when he was tired of reading, he used to spend his time in spinning. His common sitting room was hung with skains of thread, spun entirely by himself. All his clothes were of his own manufactory.

He was extremely temperate in his diet, living chiefly upon vegetables-Turnips boiled, and afterwards roasted, were his favourite dinner. His drink was pure water. From a desire of imitating our Saviour, in every thing, he once attempted to fast for forty days. This experiment, it is said had nearly cost him his life. He was obliged to desist from it, long before the forty days were expired; but the fasting, it was said, so much debilitated his body, as to accelerate his death. He lived above eighty years, and died in his own house in Abington, about thirty years ago...

In reviewing the history of this extraordinary man, we cannot help absolving him of his weaknesses, when we contemplate his many active virtues. He was the pioneer of that war, which has since been carried on, so successfully, against the commerce and slavery of the negroes. Perhaps the turbulence and severity of his temper were necessary to rouse the torpor of the human mind, at the period in which he lived, to this interesting subject. The meekness and

gentleness of Anthony Benezet, who compleated what Mr. Lay began would probably have been as insufficient for the work performed by Mr. Lay, as the humble piety of De Renty, or of Thomas A. Kempis, would have been to accomplish the works of the zealous Luther, or the intrepid Knox in the sixteenth century.

The success of Mr. Lay, in sowing the seeds of a principle which bids fair to produce a revolution in morals-commerce -and government, in the new and in the old world, should teach the benefactors of mankind not to despair, if they do not see the fruits of their benevolent propositions, or undertakings, during their lives. No one seed of truth or virtue ever perished. Wherever it may be sowed, or even scattered, it will preserve and carry with it the principle of life.Some of these seeds produce their fruits in a short time, but the most valuable of them, like the venerable oak are centuries in growing; but they are unlike the pride of the forests, as well as all other vegetable productions, in being incapable of a decay;

They exist and bloom for ever.

February 10th. 1790.

BIOGRAPHICAL ANECDOTES OF ANTHONY Benezet.

HIS excellent man was placed by his friends in early

Tlife in a counting-house, but finding commerce open

ed temptations to a worldly spirit, he left his master, and bound himself as an apprentice to a cooper. Finding this business too laborious for his constitution, he declined it, and devoted himself to school-keeping; in which useful employment, he continued during the greatest part of his life.

He possessed uncommon activity and industry in every thing he undertook. He did every thing as if the words of his Saviour were perpetually sounding in his ears, "wist ye not, that I must be about my Father's business ?”

He used to say, "the highest act of charity in the world was to bear with the unreasonableness of mankind.”

He generally wore plush clothes, and gave as a reason for it, that after he had worn them for two or three years, they made comfortable and decent garments for the poor.

He once informed a young friend, that his memory began to fail him; “but this," said he, "gives me one great ad"vantage over thee for thou canst find entertainment in "reading a good book only once-but I enjoy that pleasure 66 as often as I read it; for it is always new to me."

He published several valuable tracts in favor of the emancipation of the blacks, and of the civilizing and christianizing

BIOGRAPHICAL ANECDOTES OF ANTHONY BENEZET.

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the Indians. He also published a pamphlet against the use of ardent spirits. All these publications were circulated with great industry, and at his own expense, throughout every part of the United States.

He wrote letters to the queen of Great-Britain, and to the queen of Portugal to use their influence with their respective courts to abolish the African trade. He accompanied his letter to the queen of Great-Britain with a present of his works. The queen received them with great politeness, and said after reading them," that the author appeared to be a very good "man."

He also wrote a letter to the king of Prussia, in which he endeavoured to convince him of the unlawfulness of war.

During the time the British army was in possession of the city of Philadelphia, he was indefatigable in his endeavours to render the situation of the persons who suffered from captivity as easy as possible. He knew no fear in the presence of his fellow men, however dignified they were by titles or station, and such were the propriety and gentleness of his manners in his intercourse with the gentlemen who commanded the British and German troops, that when he could not obtain the objects of his requests, he never failed to secure their civilities, and frequently their esteem.

So great was his sympathy with every thing that was capable of feeling pain, that he resolved towards, the close of his life, to eat no animal food. Upon coming into his brother's house one day, when his family was dining upon 'poultry, he was asked by his brother's wife, to sit down and dine with them. "What!" (said he,) " would you have eat my neigh"bours?"