told he writes indexes to perfection; he makes essays on the origin of evil, philosophical inquiries upon any subject, and draws up an answer to any book upon twenty-four hours' warning. You may distinguish him from the rest of the company by his long gray wig and the blue handkerchief round his neck. "The next to him in merit and esteem is Tim Syllabub, a droll creature: he sometimes shines as a star of the first magnitude among the choice spirits of the age; he is reckoned equally excellent at a rebus, a riddle, a bawdy song, and an hymn for the Tabernacle. You will know him by his shabby finery, his powdered wig, dirty shirt, and broken silk stockings. After him succeeds Mr. Tibbs, a very useful hand: he writes receipts for the bite of a mad dog, and throws off an Eastern tale to perfection; he understands the business of an author as well as any man, for no bookseller alive can cheat him. You may distinguish him by the peculiar clumsiness of his figure and the coarseness of his coat; however, though it be coarse, (as he frequently tells the company,) he has paid for it. "Lawyer Squint is the politician of the society: he makes speeches for Parliament, writes addresses to his fellow-subjects, and letters to noble commanders; he gives the history of every new play, and finds seasonable thoughts upon every occasion." My companion was proceeding in his description, when the host came running in, with terror on his countenance, to tell us that the door was beset with bailiffs. "If that be the case, then," says my companion, "we had as good be going; for I am positive we shall not see one of the company this night." Wherefore, disappointed, we were both obliged to return home-he to enjoy the oddities which compose his character alone, and I to write as usual to my friend the occurrences of the day. -Adieu. LETTER XXX. To the same. By my last advices from Moscow I find the caravan has not yet departed for China: I still continue to write, expecting that you may receive a large number letters at once. In them you will fi rather a minute detail of English pe liarities, than a general picture of th manners or dispositions. Happy it w for mankind, if all travellers would thus,! stead of characterising a people in gene terms, lead us into a detail of those mint circumstances which first influenced the opinion. The genius of a country shou be investigated with a kind of experiment inquiry: by this means we should ha more precise and just notions of forei nations, and detect travellers themselv when they happened to form wra conclusions. My friend and I repeated our visit the club of authors; where, upon o entrance, we found the members : assembled, and engaged in a loud debat The poet in shabby finery, holding manuscript in his hand, was earnestly e deavouring to persuade the company hear him read the first book of an herc poem, which he had composed the da before. But against this all the membe very warmly objected. They knew reason why any member of the club shou be indulged with a particular hearing when many of them had published who volumes which had never been looked in They insisted that the law should be ol served, where reading in company wa expressly noticed. It was in vain that th poet pleaded the peculiar merit of hi piece; he spoke to an assembly insensibl to all his remonstrances: the book of law was opened, and read by the secretary where it was expressly enacted, “Tha whatsoever poet, speech-maker, critic, o historian, should presume to engage th company by reading his own works, h was to lay down sixpence previous to open ing the manuscript, and should be charges one shilling an hour while he continued reading: the said shilling to be equally distributed among the company, as recompense for their trouble.' Our poet seemed at first to shrink at the penalty, hesitating for some time whether he should deposit the fine or shut up the poem; but, looking round, and perceiving two strangers in the room, his love of fame outweighed his prudence, and laying on the sum by law established, he sisted on his prerogative. 66 A profound silence ensuing, he began explaining his design. Gentlemen," as he, "the present piece is not one of or common epic poems, which come the press like paper-kites in summer: there are none of your Turnuses or Didos in it; it is an heroical description of nature. I only beg you'll endeavour to make your sa's unison with mine, and hear with the same enthusiasm with which I have The poem begins with the detion of an author's bedchamber: the Fare was sketched in my own aparttent; for you must know, gentlemen, that Iar myself the hero." Then, putting himto the attitude of an orator, with all the emphasis of voice and action he proceeded: : rug. A window, patched with paper, lent a ray, face. board. A night-cap decked his brows instead of bay; A cap by night-a stocking all the day! With this last line he seemed so much ted, that he was unable to proceed. There, gentlemen!" cries he, "there is la description for you; Rabelais' bed amber is but a fool to it. A cap by night-a stocking all the day! There is sound, and sense, and truth, and rature in the trifling compass of ten little tyllables." He was too much employed [in selfadmiration to observe the company, who by nods, winks, shrugs, and stifled laughter, testified every mark of contempt. He turned severally to each for their opinion, and found all, however, ready to applaud. One swore it was inimitable, another said it was damned fine, and a third cried out in a rapture, Carissimo! At last, addressing himself to the president, "And pray, Mr. Squint," says he, "let us have your opinion."-"Mine!" answered the president, taking the manuscript out of the author's hand, "may this glass suffocate me, but I think it equal to anything I have seen: and I fancy," continued he, doubling up the poem and forcing it into the author's pocket, "that you will get great honour when it comes out; so I shall beg leave to put it in. We will not intrude upon your good-nature, in desiring to hear more of it at present; ex ungue Herculem, we are satisfied, perfectly satisfied." The author made two or three attempts to pull it out a second time, and the president made as many to prevent him. Thus, though with reluctance, he was at last obliged to sit down, contented with the commendations for which he had paid. When this tempest of poetry and praise was blown over, one of the company changed the subject, by wondering how any man could be so dull as to write poetry at present, since prose itself would hardly pay. "Would you think it, gentlemen," continued he, "I have actually written last week sixteen prayers, twelve bawdy jests, and three sermons, all at the rate of sixpence a-piece; and, what is still more extraordinary, the bookseller has lost by the bargain. Such sermons would once have gained me a prebend's stall; but now, alas! we have neither piety, taste, nor humour among us. Positively, if this season does not turn out better than it has blunders to furnish us with a new topic of begun, unless the ministry commit some abuse, I shall resume my old business of working at the press, instead of finding it employment." The whole club seemed to join in condemning the season, as one of the worst that had come for some time: a gentleman particularly observed that the nobility were never known to subscribe worse than at present. "I know not how it happens," said he, "though I follow them up as close as possible, yet I can hardly get a single subscription in a week. The houses of the great are as inaccessible as a frontier garrison at midnight. I never see a nobleman's door half opened, that some surly porter or footman does not stand full in the breach. I was yesterday to wait with a subscription proposal upon my Lord Squash, the Creolian. I had posted myself at his door the whole morning, and just as he was getting into his coach, thrust my proposal snug into his hand, folded up in the form of a letter from myself. He just glanced at the superscription, and, not knowing the hand, consigned it to his valet-de-chambre; this respectable personage treated it as his master, and put it into the hands of the porter; the porter grasped my proposal frowning; and, measuring my figure from top to toe, put it back into my own hands unopened.' "To the devil I pitch all the nobility," cries a little man, in a peculiar accent; "I am sure they have of late used me most scurvily. You must know, gentlemen, some time ago, upon the arrival of a certain noble duke from his travels, I sat myself down, and vamped up a fine flaunting poetical panegyric, which I had written in such a strain, that I fancied it would have even wheedled milk from a mouse. In this I represented the whole kingdom welcoming his grace to his native soil, not forgetting the loss France and Italy would sustain in their arts by his departure. I expected to touch for a bankbill at least; so, folding up my verses in gilt paper, I gave my last half-crown to a genteel servant to be the bearer. My letter was safely conveyed to his grace, and the servant, after four hours' absence, during which time I led the life of a fiend, returned with a letter four times as big as mine. Guess my extasy at the prospect of so fine a return. I eagerly took the packet into my hands, that trembled to receive it. I kept it some time unopened before me, brooding over the expected treasure it contained; when opening it, as I hope to be saved, gentlemen, his grace had sent me, in payment for my poem, no bank-bills, but six copies of verses, each longer than mine, addressed to him upon the same occasion." "A nobleman," cries a member who bad hitherto been silent, "is created as much for the confusion of us authors the catch-pole. I'll tell you a story, g tlemen, which is as true as that this pi is made of clay :-When I was delive of my first book, I owed my tailor fo suit of clothes; but that is nothing ne you know, and may be any man's case well as mine. Well, owing him for a s of clothes, and hearing that my book to very well, he sent for his money, and insist upon being paid immediately. Thoug was at that time rich in fame-for i book ran like wild-fire-yet I was v short in money, and, being unable to sati his demand, prudently resolved to ke my chamber, preferring a prison of 1 own choosing at home to one of my tailo choosing abroad. In vain the bailiffs us all their arts to decoy me from my citade in vain they sent to let me know that gentleman wanted to speak with me the next tavern; in vain they came wi an urgent message from my aunt in t country; in vain I was told that a par cular friend was at the point of deat and desired to take his last farewell: was deaf, insensible, rock, adamant; tl bailiffs could make no impression on n hard heart, for I effectually kept my liber by never stirring out of the room. "This was very well for a fortnight when one morning I received a mo splendid message from the Earl of Dooms day, importing, that he had read my book and was in raptures with every line of it he impatiently longed to see the author and had some designs which might tur out greatly to my advantage. I pause upon the contents of this message, an found there could be no deceit, for the can was gilt at the edges, and the bearer, was told, had quite the looks of a gentle man. Witness, ye powers, how my hear triumphed at my own importance! I sav a long perspective of felicity before me I applauded the taste of the times whicd never saw genius forsaken: I had prepare a set introductory speech for the occasion five glaring compliments for his lordship and two more modest for myself. The next morning, therefore, in order to be punctual to my appointment, I took coach, and ordered the fellow to drive to the stree and house mentioned in his lordship dress. I had the precaution to pull up window as I went along, to keep off e busy part of mankind, and, big with pectation, fancied the coach never went st enough. At length, however, the i-had-for moment of its stopping arrived: is kr some time I impatiently expected, ad letting down the window in a transurt, in order to take a previous view of his sup's magnificent palace and situation, and-poison to my sight!-I found elf not in an elegant street, but a nary lane; not at a nobleman's door, but Le coor of a spunging-house: I found coachman had all this while been driving me to gaol; and I saw the bailiff, wiha devil's face, coming out to secure Γ. To a philosopher no circumstance, however trilling, is too minute; he finds struction and entertainment in occuraces which are passed over by the rest of mankind as low, trite, and indifferent; Astrom the number of these particulars, to many appear insignificant, that sat last enabled to form general cisions: this, therefore, must be my ase for sending so far as China accounts manners and follies, which, though ute in their own nature, serve more y to characterise this people, than Luries of their public treaties, courts, *usters, negotiations, and ambassadors. LETTER XXXI. To the same. English have not yet brought the art ardening to the same perfection with Chinese, but have lately begun to tate them. Nature is now followed * greater assiduity than formerly: the *s are suffered to shoot out into the Frost luxuriance; the streams, no longer red from their native beds, are perted to wind along the valleys; sponneous flowers take place of the finished arterre, and the enamelled meadow of he shaven green. Yet still the English are far behind us this charming art: their designers have ot yet attained the power of uniting instruction with beauty. An European will scarcely conceive my meaning, when I say that there is scarce a garden in China which does not contain some fine moral, couched under the general design, where one is taught wisdom as he walks, and feels the force of some noble truth, or delicate precept, resulting from the disposition of the groves, streams, or grottos. Permit me to illustrate what I mean by a description of my gardens at Quamsi. My heart still hovers round those scenes of former happiness with pleasure; and I find a satisfaction in enjoying them at this distance, though but in imagination. You descended from the house between two groves of trees, planted in such a manner, that they were impenetrable to the eye; while on each hand the way was adorned with all that was beautiful in porcelain, statuary, and painting. This passage from the house opened into an area surrounded with rocks, flowers, trees, and shrubs, but all so disposed as if each was the spontaneous production of nature. As you proceeded forward on this lawn, to your right and left hand were two gates, opposite each other, of very different architecture and design; and before you lay a temple, built rather with minute elegance than ostentation. The right hand gate was planned with the utmost simplicity, or rather rudeness : ivy clasped round the pillars, the baleful cypress hung over it; time seemed to have destroyed all the smoothness and regularity of the stone; two champions, with lifted clubs, appeared in the act of guarding its access; dragons and serpents were seen in the most hideous attitudes, to deter the spectator from approaching; and the perspective view that lay behind seemed dark and gloomy to the last degree; the stranger was tempted to enter only from the motto,-PERVIA VIRTUTI. The opposite gate was formed in a very different manner: the architecture was light, elegant, and inviting; flowers hung in wreaths round the pillars; all was finished in the most exact and masterly manner; the very stone of which it was built still preserved its polish; nymphs, wrought by the hand of a master, in the most alluring attitudes, beckoned the stranger to approach; while all that lay behind, as far as the eye could reach, seemed gay, luxuriant, and capable of affording endless pleasure. The motto itself contributed to invite him; for over the gate were written these words, FACILIS DESCENSUS. By this time I fancy you begin to perceive that the gloomy gate was designed to represent the road to Virtue, the opposite the more agreeable passage to Vice. It is but natural to suppose, that the spectator was always tempted to enter by the gate which offered him so many allurements. I always in these cases left him to his choice; but generally found that he took to the left, which promised most entertainment. Immediately upon his entering the gate of Vice the trees and flowers were disposed in such a manner as to make the most pleasing impression; but, as he walked farther on, he insensibly found the garden assume the air of a wilderness, the landscapes began to darken-the paths grew more intricate-he appeared to go downwards-frightful rocks seemed to hang over his head-gloomy caverns, unexpected precipices, awful ruins, heaps of unburied bones, and terrifying sounds, caused by unseen waters, began to take place of what at first appeared so lovely: it was in vain to attempt returning; the labyrinth was too much perplexed for any but myself to find the way back. In short, when sufficiently impressed with the horrors of what he saw, and the imprudence of his choice, I brought him by a hidden door a shorter way back into the area from whence at first he had strayed. The gloomy gate now presented itself before the stranger; and though there seemed little in its appearance to tempt his curiosity, yet, encouraged by the motto, he gradually proceeded. The darkness of the entrance, the frightful figures that seemed to obstruct his way, the trees of a mournful green, conspired at first to disgust him: as he went forward, however, all began to open and wear a more pleasing appearance; beautiful cascades, beds of flowers, trees loaded with fruit or blossoms, and unexpected brooks, improved the scene; he now found that he was ascending, and as he proceeded all nature grew more beautiful; the prospect wide as he went higher; even the air itself seer to become more pure. Thus, pleased happy from unexpected beauties, I at led him to an arbour, from whence could view the garden and the wh country around, and where he might o that the road to Virtue terminated Happiness. Though from this description you m imagine that a vast tract of ground w necessary to exhibit such a pleasing vari in, yet, be assured, I have seen seve gardens in England take up ten times space which mine did, without half beauty. A very small extent of ground enough for an elegant taste; the grea room is required if magnificence is in vi There is no spot, though ever so lit which a skilful designer might not t improve, so as to convey a delicate a gory, and impress the mind with truths most useful and necessary.—Adieu. LETTER XXXII. To the same. IN a late excursion with my friend i the country, a gentleman with a b riband tied round his shoulder, and i chariot drawn by six horses, passed swi by us, attended with a numerous train captains, lackeys, and coaches filled w women. When we were recovered fr the dust raised by this cavalcade, and co continue our discourse without danger suffocation, I observed to my compani that all this state and equipage, which seemed to despise, would in China regarded with the utmost reverence, cause such distinctions were always reward of merit; the greatness of a m darine's retinue being a most certain m of the superiority of his abilities or vir "The gentleman who has now pa us," replied my companion, “has no cla from his own merit to distinction; h possessed neither of abilities nor virtu is enough for him that one of his ance was possessed of these qualities two dred years before him. There was a t indeed, when his family deserved title; but they are long since degenera and his ancestors, for more than a cen |