more jocund than ordinary. In the height of his good-humour, meeting a common beggar upon the road who was no conjuror, as he went to relieve him he found his pocket was picked: that being a kind of palmistry at which this race of vermin are very dextrous. I might here entertain my reader with historical remarks on this idle profligate. people, who infeft all the countries of Europe, and live in the midst of governments in a kind of commonwealth by themselves. But instead of entering into obfervations of this nature, I fhall fill the remaining part of my paper with a ftory which is ftill freth in Holland, and was printed in one of our monthly accounts about twenty years ago. 'As 'the trekfchuyt, or hackney-boat, which carries paffengers from Leyden to Am'fterdam, was putting off, a boy running along the fide of the canal de'fired to be taken in; which the master of the boat refufed, because the lad had not quite money enough to pay the ufual fare. An eminent merchant being pleased with the looks of the boy, and fecretly touched with com'paffion towards him, paid the money for him, and ordered him to be taken on board. Upon talking with him afterwards, he found that he could fpeak readily in three or four languages, and learned upon farther examination that he had been stolen away 'when he was a child by a gipfy, and ' had rambled ever fince with a gang of thofe ftrollers up and down feveral parts of Europe. It happened that the merchant, whofe heart feems to have inclined towards the boy by a fecret kind of instinct, had himself lott a child fome years before. The parents, after a long fearch for him, gave him for drowned in one of the canals with which that country abounds; and the mother was fo afflicted at the lofs of a fine boy, who was her only fon, that he died for grief of it. Upon laying together all particulars, and examining the feveral moles and marks by which the mother used to describe the child when he was firft milling, the boy proved to be the fon of the merchant whofe heart had fo unaccountably melted at the fight of him. The lad was very well pleated to find a father who was fo rich, and likely to leave him a good eftate; the father on the other hand was not a little delighted to fee a fon return to him, whom he had given for loft, with fuch a ftrength of conftitution, fharpness of understanding, and skill in languages. Here the printed story leaves off; but if I may give credit to reports, our linguift having received fuch extraordinary rudiments towards a good education, was afterwards trained up in every thing that becomes a gentleman; wearing off by little and little all the vicious habits and practices that he had been used to in the courfe of his peregrinations: nay, it is faid, that he has fince been employed in foreign courts upon national bufinefs, with great reputation to himself, and honour to those who fent him, and that he has vifited feveral countries as a public minifter, in which he formerly wandered as a giply: the worst. By this means the breed about his houfe has time to increase and multiply, befides that the sport is the more agreeable, where the game is the harder to come at, and where it does not lie fo thick as to produce any per plexity or confufion in the purfuit. For thefe reafons the country gentleman, like the fox, teldom preys near his own home. In the fame manner I have made a month's excurfion out of the town, which is the great field of game for fportfinen of my fpecies, to try my fortune in the country, where I have Яtarted feveral fubjects, and hunted them down, with fome pleasure to myfelf, and I hope to others. I am here forced to ufe a great deal of diligence before I can fpring any thing to my mind, whereas in town, whilst I am following one character, it is ten to one but I am croffed in my way by another, and put up fuch a variety of odd creatures in both fexes, that they foil the fcent of one another, and puzzle the chafe. My greatest difficulty in the country is to find fport, and in town to chufe it. In the mean time, as I have given a whole month's reft to the cities of London and Weftminster, I promise myself abundance of new game upon my return thither. It is indeed high time for me to leave the country, fince I find the whole neighbourhood begin to grow very inquifitive after my name and character: my love of folitude, taciturnity, and particular way of life, having raised a great curiofity in all these parts. The notions which have been framed of me are various; fome look upon me as very proud, fome as very modest, and fome as very melancholy. Will Wimble, as my friend the butler tells me, obferving me very much alone, and extremely filent when I am in company, is afraid I have killed a man. The country people feem to fufpect me for a conjuror; and fome of them hearing of the vifit which I made to Moll White, will needs have it that Sir Roger has brought down a cunning-man with him, to cure the old woman, and free the country from her charms. So that the character which I go under in part of the neighbourhood, is what they here call a White Witch. A juftice of peace, who lives about five miles off, and is not of Sir Roger's party, has it feems faid twice or thrice at his table, that he wishes Sir Roger does not harbour a Jefuit in his house, and that he thinks the gentlemen of the country would do very well to make me give fome account of myself. On the other fide, fome of Sir Roger's friends are afraid the old knight is impofed upon by a defigning fellow; and as they have heard that he converfes very promifcuously when he is in town, do not know but he has brought down with him fome difcarded Whig, that is fullen, and fays nothing because he is out of place. Such is the variety of opinions which are here entertained of me, fo that I pafs among fome for a difaffected perfen, and among others for a popith prieft: among fome for a wizard, and among others for a murderer; and all this for no other reason, that I can imagine, but because I do not hoot and halloo and make a noife. It is true my friend Sir Roger tells them, that it is my way, and that I am only a philo-fopher; but this will not fatisfy them. They think there is more in me than he difcovers, and that I do not hold my tongue for nothing. For thefe and other reafons I fhall fet out for London to-morrow, having found by experience that the country is not a place for a perfon of my temper, who does not love jollity, and what they call good neighbourhood. A man that is out of humour when an unexpected gueft breaks in upon him, and does not care for facrificing an afternoon to every chance-comer; that will be the mafter of his own time, and the purfuer of his own inclinations, makes but a very unfociable figure in this kind of life. I fhall therefore retire into the town, if I may make use of that phrafe, and get into the crowd again as faft as I can, in order to be alone. I can there raife what fpeculations I please upon others without being obferved myself, and at the fame time enjoy all the advantages of company with all the privileges of folitude. In the mean while, to finish the month and conclude thefe my rural speculations, I fhall here infert a letter from my friend Will ́ Honeycomb, who has not lived a month for thefe forty years out of the smoke of London, and rallies me after his way upon my country life. witches. Thy fpeculations begin to fmell confoundedly of woods and meadows. If thou dost not come up quickly, we fhall conclude that thou art in love with one of Sir Roger's dairymaids. Service to the knight. Sir N° CXXXII. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1. QUI, AUT TEMPUS QUID POSTULET NON VIDET, AUT PLURA LOQUITUR, AUT SE OSTENTAT, AUT EORUM QUIBUSCUM EST RATIONEM NON HABET, TULL IS INEPTUS ESSE DICITUR. THAT MAN IS GUILTY OF IMPERTINENCE, WHO CONSIDERS NOT THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF TIME, OR ENGROSSES THE CONVERSATION, OR MAKES HIMSELF THE SUBJECT OF HIS DISCOURSE, OR PAYS NO REGARD TO THE COMPANY HE IS IN. AVING notified to my good friend the feat of the coach: and the captain invidious behaviour of military men, ordered his man to look fharp, that none but one of the ladies fhould have the place he had taken fronting the coachbox. We were in fome little time fixed in our feats, and fat with that diflike which people not too good-natured ufually conceive of each other at firft fight. The coach jumbled us infenfibly into fome fort of familiarity: and we had not moved above two miles, when the widow afked the captain what fuccefs he had in his recruiting? The officer, with a franknefs he believed very graceful, told her, that indeed he had but very little luck, and had suffered much by defertion, therefore fhould be glad to end his warfare in the fervice of her or her fair daughter. In a word,' continued he, I am a foldier, and to be plain is my character: you fee me, Madam, young, found, and impudent; take me yourfelf, widow, or 'give me to her; I will be wholly at your difpofal. I am a foldier of for London the next day, his hories were ready at the appointed hour in the evening, and attended by one of his grooms, I arrived at the county town at twilight, in order to be ready for the stage-coach the day following. As foon as we arrived at the inn, the fervant, who waited upon me, inquired of the chamberlain in my hearing what company he had for the coach? The fellow anfwered'Mrs. Betty Arable the great fortune, ( and the widow her mother; a recruit. ing officer, who took a place becaufe they were to go; young Squire Quickfet her coufin, that her mother wished 'her to be married to; Ephraim the Quaker, her guardian; and a gentle'man that had ftudied himself dumb 'from Sir Roger de Coverley's.' I obferved by what he faid of myself that according to his office he dealt much in intelligence; and doubted not but there was fome foundation for his reports of the rest of the company, as well as for the whimsical account he gave of me. The next morning at day-break we were all called; and I, who know my own natural hynefs, and endeavour to be as little liable to be difputed with as poffible, dreffed immediately, that I might make no one wait. The first preparation for our fetting out was, that the captain's half-pike was placed near the coachman, and a drum behind the toach. In the mean time the drum-nion who is fallen alleep, to be the mer, the captain's equipage, was very loud, that none of the captain's things fhould be placed fo as to be fpoiled; upon which his cloke-bag was fixed in tune, ha!' This was followed by a vain laugh of his own, and a deep filence of all the reft of the company. I had nothing left for it but to fall faft afleep, which I did with all speed. Come,' faid he, * refolve upon it, we ⚫ will make a wedding at the next town: we will awake this pleasant compa brideman, and,' giving the Quaker a clap on the knee, he concluded This fly faint, who, I will warrant, under⚫ftands what is what as well as you or 2 K I, widow, I, widow, fhall give the bride as fa- Ephraim and he took a particular dether. The Quaker, who happened light in being agreeable to each other to be a man of ffmartness, anfwered for the future; and affumed their dif• Friend, I take it in good part that ferent provinces in the conduct of the ⚫ thou hast given me the authority of a company. Our reckonings, apartments, father over this comely and virtuous and accommodation, fell underEphraim; child; and I muft affure thee, that if and the captain looked to all difputes I have the giving her, I shall not on the road, as the good behaviour of bestow her on thee. Thy mirth, our coachman, and the right we had ⚫ friend, favoureth of folly: thou art a of taking place as going to London of perfon of a light mind; thy drum is a all vehicles coming from thence. The type of thee, it foundeth because it is occurrences we met with were ordinary, empty. Verily, it is not from thy and very little happened which could fulness, but thy emptinefs, that thou entertain by the relation of them; but haft spoken this day. Friend, friend, when I confidered the company we were we have hired this coach in partner- in, I took it for no fmall good-fortune fhip with thee, to carry us to the great that the whole journey was not spent in city; we cannot go any other way. impertinences, which to the one part of This worthy mother muft hear thee us might be an entertainment, to the other if thou wilt needs utter thy follies; we a fuffering. What therefore Ephraim cannot help it, friend, I fay: if thou faid when we were almost arrived at ← wilt, we must hear thee; but if thou London, had to me an air not only of wert a man of understanding, thou good understanding but good breeding. 'wouldst not take advantage of thy cou- Upon the young lady's expreffing her rageous countenance to abafh us chil- fatisfaction in the journey, and declardren of peace. Thou art, thou sayeft, ing how delightful it had been to her, a foldier; give quarter to us, who Ephraim delivered himfelf as follows: ⚫ cannot refift thee. Why didit thou ⚫ fleer at our friend, who feigned him• self afleep? He said nothing; but how doft thou know what he containeth? If thou fpeakeft improper things in the hearing of this virtuous young virgin, confider it as an outrage against a diftreffed perfon that cannot get from thee: to speak indifcreetly what we are obliged to hear, by being hafped up with thee in this public vehicle, is in fome degree affaulting on the high road.' Here Ephraim paused, and the сарtain with an happy and uncommon impudence, which can be convicted and fupport itself at the fame time, cries Faith, friend, I thank thee; I should have been a little impertinent if thou • hadst not reprimanded me. Come, thou art, I fee, a fmoky old fellow, and I will be very orderly the ensuing part of my journey. I was going to give myself airs-but, ladies, I beg pardon.' The captain was fo little out of humour, and our company was fo far from being foured by this little ruffle, that There is no ordinary part of human life which expreffeth fo much a good mind, and a right inward man, as his behaviour upon meeting with ftrangers, efpecially fuch as may seem the moft unfuitable companions to him: fuch a man, when he falleth in the way with perfons of fimplicity and innocence, however knowing he may be in the ways of men, will not vaunt himfelf thereof; but will the rather hide his fuperiority to them, that he may not be painful unto them. My good friend, continued he, turning to the officer, thee and I are to part by and by, and peradventure we may never meet again: but be advised by a plain man; modes and apparel are but tri fles to the real man, therefore do not think fuch a man as thyfelf terrible for thy garb, nor fuch a one as me contemptible for mine. When two fuch as thee and I meet, with affections as we ought to have towards each other, thou shouldst rejoice to fee my peaceful demeanour, and I should be glad to fee thy strength and ability to protect me in it.' T N° CXXXIII. WHO CAN GRIEVE TOO MUCH, WHAT TIME SHALL END OUR MOURNING FOR SO DEAR A FRIEND? HERE is a fort of delight, which Tis alternately mixed with terror and forrow, in the contemplation of death. The foul has it's curiofity more than ordinarily awakened, when it turns it's thoughts upon the fubject of fuch who have behaved themselves with an equal, a refigned, a chearful, a generous or heroic temper in that extremity. We are affected with these respective manners of behaviour, as we fecretly believe the part of the dying perfon imitable by ourselves, or fuch as we imagine ourselves more particularly capable of. Men of exalted minds march before us like princes, and are, to the ordinary race of mankind, rather fubjects for their admiration than example. However, there are no ideas strike more forcibly upon our imaginations, than those which are raised from reflections upon the exits of great and excellent men. Innocent men who have fuffered as criminals, though they were benefactors to human fociety, feem to be perfons of the highest distinction, among the vaftly greater number of human race, the dead. When the iniquity of the times brought Socrates to his execution, how great and wonderful is it to behold him, uníupported by any thing but the teftimony of his own conscience, and conjectures of hereafter, receive the poifon with an air of mirth and good-humour, and as if going on an agreeable journey, befpeak fome deity to make it fortunate. When Phocion's good actions had met with the like reward from his country, and he was led to death with many others of his friends, they bewailing their fate, he walking compofedly towards the place of execution, how gracefully does he fupport his illuftrious charafter to the very laft inftant! One of the rabble fpitting at him as he paffed, with his ufual authority he called to know if no one was ready to teach this fellow how to behave himself. When a poor-spirited creature that died at the CREECH. fame time for his crimes bemoaned himfelf unmanfully, he rebuked him with this question: Is it no confolation to fuch a man as thou art to die with Phocion? At the inftant when he was to die, they asked what commands he had for his fon, he anfwered-' To forget this injury of the Athenians.” Niocles, his friend, under the fame fentence, defired he might drink the potion before him; Phocion faid, because he never had denied him any thing, he. would not even this, the most difficult request he had ever made. Thefe inftances were very noble and great, and the reflections of thofe fublime fpirits had made death to them what it is really intended to be by the Author of nature, a relief from a various being ever fubject to forrows and difficulties. Epaminondas the Theban general, having received in fight a mortal ftab with a fword, which was left in his body, lay in that pofture until he had intelligence that his troops had obtained the victory, and then permitted it to be drawn out, at which inftant he expreffed himself in this manner; This is not the end of my life, my fellow-foldiers; it is now your Epaminondas is born, who dies in fo much glory." It were an endlefs labour to collect the accounts with which all ages have filled the world of noble and heroic minds that have refigned this being, as if the termination of life were but an ordinary occurrence of it. This common-place way of thinking I fell into from an aukward endeavour to throw off a real and fresh affliction, by turning over books in a melancholy mood; but it is not easy to remove griefs. which touch the heart, by applying remedies which only entertain the imagination. As therefore this paper is to confift of any thing which concerns human life, I cannot help letting the prefent fubject regard what has been the Ĵaft object of my eyes, though an entertainment of forrow. 2 K 2 I went |