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 BROOKE 210 Beauty," has a charming display of faney in many parts. It has been insinuated that Pope, to whom he submitted it, gave soime assistance; but this may admit of doubt, from the absence of that regularity and smoothness so universal in the writings of the latter. During a great part of the life of Brooke, his religious opinions approached to what is termed methodistical, yet he uniformly supported the stage; and we find even trifling farces among his works. Whether the importunity of injudicious friends, or the pressing occasions of embar- rassed circumstances, pointed to the stage as a profitable resource, cannot now be known; but, it is certain he lived more consistently than he wrote. No day passed in which he did not collect his family to prayer; and he not only read, but expounded the Scriptures to them, with elearness and fervency edifying and interesting. The following anecdote will more imthediately illustrate his ability on this head:- 2 One Sunday, while the congregation were assembled in the rural church of the parish in which he lived, they waited a long time the arrival of their clergyman. At last,finding he was not likely to come that day, they judged that some aceident had detained him; and, being loth to depart entirely without their errand, they, with one accord, requested that Mr. Brooke would perform the service for them, and expound a part of the Seriptures. He con- sented, and the previous prayers being over, he opened the Bible, and preached extempore on the first text that struck his eye. In the niddle of his discourse the clergy- man entered, and found the whole congregation in tears. He entreated Mr. Brooke to proceed; but this he modestly refused; and the other as modestly declared, that, after the testimony of superior abilities, which he perceived in the moist eyes of all present, he would think it pre- sumption and folly to hazard any thing of his own. Ac- cordingly, the lconcluding prayers alone were said, and the congregation dismissed for the day.