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234 the impoibility of regaining repectability by a return to virtue, though men preerve theirs during the indulgence of vice. It was natural for women then to endeavour to preerve what once lot—was lot for ever, till this care wallowing up every other care, reputation for chatity, became the one thing needful to the ex. But vain is the crupuloity of ignorance, for neither religion nor virtue, when they reide in the heart, require uch a puerile attention to mere ceremonies, becaue the behaviour mut, upon the whole, be proper, when the motive is pure.

To upport my opinion I can produce very repectable authority; and the authority of a cool reaoner ought to have weight to enforce conideration, though not to etablih a entiment. Speaking of the general laws of morality, Dr. Smith oberves,—'That by ome very extraordinary and unlucky circumtance, a good man may come to be upected of a crime of which he was altogether incapable, and upon that account be mot unjutly expoed for the remaining part of his life to the horror and averion of mankind. By an accident of this kind he may be aid to loe his all, notwithtanding his integrity and jutice, in the ame manner as a cautious man, notwithtanding his utmot circumpection, may be ruined by an earthquake or an inundation. Accidents of the firt kind, however, are perhaps till more rare, and till more contrary to the common coure of things than thoe of the econd; and it till remains true, that the practice of truth, jutice, and humanity, is a certain and almot infallible method of&ensp;