theftentation. You will not, I am perfuad- ftand in the highest ranks of literature. ed, find in the prefent age, another country in Europe, where induftry could have been so strangely mifapplied. The labours of this learned prelate ought, in justice to the fruitlessness of their object, to be claffed with the manufacturers of thofe poetical artists who worked their verfes into the figure of hearts, and wings, and altars, and many other ingenious devices. It may be made a general obfervation, that the few natives of Ruffia who have devoted their lives to ftudy, have attained only the praise which is due to the middle clafs of the learned: they have by no means equalled thofe who If the condition of the peasants be fo highly unfavourable to the progrefs of improvement, the fituation and character of the clergy are equally unfriendly to it. A fmall number of the fuperior clergy may be found eminent among the Ruffians for learning and virtue; but, with this abatement, the order confifts of men either ignorant, or profli gate, or both the one and the other. A great proportion of the regular cler gy confifts of the lowest of the free peo. ple, who have taken fanctuary from the business of their stations in the torpor of the monafteries. ON TRAVELLERS. WITH A CURIOUS ANECDOTE. A FRENCH writer remarks, that Ad- French, who stood near him in the vefdison, in one of his papers in the Spectator, returns thanks to Providence for being an Englishman; as the English language is more analogous to the taciturnity of his character; and the number of monofyllables of which it is composed, affords him the means of expreffing his ideas with as little found as poffible. "Now I," continues our wri"alfo thank the Almighty for having been born a Frenchman, because I am fond of rambling about; and it is very agreeable and convenient to me, to find my language spoken among all people throughout Europe; and this being the cafe, we never think of study. ing any other language, as with our own we may travel any where." ter, The confidence with which the French travel about, fpeaking their language indifcriminately to all nations, and the certainty with which they think they must be underflood, has often been productive of laughable miftakes. The following is an example; and what renders it more really amufing, is, that we are affured it is a fact: A young Parifian, travelling to Amfterdam, was attracted by the remarkable beauty of a houfe fituated near the canal. He addreffed a Dutchman in fel, with "Pray, Sir, may I afk to When he arrived at Amfterdam, he faw a most beautiful woman on the quays, walking arm in arm with a gentleman; he asked a person that paffed him, who that charming lady was? but the man, not understanding French, anfwered: "Ik kan niet verftaan?”: "What, Sir," replied our travellers "is that Mr Kaniferftane's wife, whose house is near the canal? Indeed, this gentleman's lot is enviable to poffefter fuch fuch a noble houfe, and fo lovely a companion!" The next day, when he was walking out, he faw fome trumpeters playing at a gentleman's door, who had got the largeft prize in the Dutch lottery. Our Parifian, wishing to be informed of the gentleman's name, was ftill anfwered; "Ik kan niet verstaan." "Oh!" faid he, this is too great an acceffion of good fortune! Mr Kaniferftane, proprietor of fuch a fine house, husband to fuch a beautiful woman, and to get the largeft prize in the lottery! It must be allowed that there are fome very fortunaté men in the world." too complete to be of long duration." He then went home, reflecting all the way on the instability of human affairs. From among fome fingularly happy thoughts of Balthazar Gratian, author of the Courtier, we select the follow. ing: he defcribes his hero as travelling in fearch of a true friend. Among the moft curious things that attracted his attention, these are diftinguished. A poor judge, with his wife, neither of whom had any fingers on their hands; a great lord, without any debts; a prince, who was never offended at the truth being told him to his face; a poet, who became rich by the produce of his works; a About a week after this, our travel- monarch, who died without any fufpi ler walking about, faw a very fuperb cion of having been poisoned; a hum funeral. He asked whofe it was?" Ik ble Spaniard; a filent Frenchman; a kan niet verflaan," replied the perfon of lively Englishman; a German, who whom he asked the question. "Oh! difliked wine; a learned man recommy God," exclaimed he, " poor Mr penfed; a chafte widow; a madman Kaniferftane, who had fuch a noble difcontented; a fincere female; and, houfe, fuch an angelic wife, and the largest prize in the lottery. He must have quitted this world with great regret; but I thought his happiness was what was more extraordinary than all these fingularities, he meets a true friend. From a Didionary of Literary Curiofities ALBERT AND EMMA *. toils, by employing herself in fpinning and netting, which contributed to ac quire thofe comforts, that rendered them happy and contented. IN a village in the fouth of France, generofity, and innate excellence of lived a peafant, whofe only wealth con- heart, were his characteristics; and he fifted in thofe mental poffeffions which was the idol of the furrounding coun-. adorn greatness and dignify poverty. try. Emma affifted her father's honeft He had acquired, by his integrity and induftry, the approbation of the mafter whom he had long ferved as under-bailiff, and the efleem of all his neighbours. In his hours of leifure he delighted in the discharge of his parental duty, by cultivating the native graces of an only child. Emma, at the age of eighteen, was lovely in her perfon, gentle in her manners, and virtuous in her principles, Their cottage was the scene of ruftic peace, and their little garden a bower of intermingled fweets. Bernard had long ferved, with fidelity and zeal, the Marquis of Clairville, who poffeffed a fumptuous chateau, and extenfive domaias, in the neighbourhood.-Juftice, * From a series of periodical papers by the Hon. M. Hawke and Sir Robert Vincent. The duty and affection of Emma was unparallelled: oft would fhe climb the verdant fteep, or wander in the filent vale, to wait the return of her father from his daily labours, when the ever ing fun caft its faint gleams upon the fummer fcene. Sometimes feated by this venerable fire, the difcourfed with him on the virtues of her departed mother, whom fate had fummoned from the world in the early infancy of her daughter; and they fhed tears of for. row and regret to her loved memory. Sometimes, in the seasons of feftivity, Emma would join in the rural dance with the villagers, or chant her melo- tention was foon attracted toward the dious notes to the foft flutes of the youthful peasants. How often has she bleffed the coming day, GOLDSMITH. loveliest object he had ever beheld; she was diftinguished from her companions by a fuperior elegance of mien and grace of features, he wore a vest of round her flender waift was bound a white ftuff, fitted to her fhape, and fcarf of black gauze; a fmall cap, whiter than Alpine fnows, attempted vainly to confine her flaxen treffes, which fell in waving ringlets on her shoulders, and ftrayed over her fair forehead. When the had emptied the fragrant contents of her basket, fhe bent on one knee upon the brink of the grave, then raifing her tearful eyes of celeftial blue to heaven, fhe feemed to breathe a filent prayer for the foul of the departed Marquis; then, accompanied by the village maidens, the retired from the spot, paffing through the vacancy which again was formed for them. Albert followed the fweet mourner, who, bidding adieu to her affociates, moved down the church, looking around with anxious eyes, as if in queft of fome object interefting to her affections. Suddenly she sprang toward a venerable old man, who was tottering to the porch, and throwing around him her fair arms, she fupported him to a feat, where, placing herfelf by him, they paffed fome mo ments in the eloquent filence of unaffected grief. Never had Albert beheld fo beautiful a picture. It was Emma, who fupported on her bofom the filver head of Bernard, while from her eyes, tear after tear, in quick fucceflion, dropped on his furrowed cheek!-The ftranger refpected too much their mutual grief to interrupt it, and perceiving the funeral train returning from the grave, he accofted one of the peafants who was neareft to him, and eagerly inquired the n name of the maiden who feemed to lead the young group that ftrewed flowers at the grave. The peafant gave Albert every information which he defired, and as the day was declining faft, he offered the traveller a bed at his cottage, which being contiguous to that of Bernard, proved a temptation not to Such was the life led by Emma and her father; but they were foon to experience a fatal calamity, in the death, of the Marquis de Clairville, whofe lofs was univerfally lamented. For fome days after his deceafe, the eyes of his tenants and dependents ceafed not to flow with tears of gratitude and forrow. At the funeral of the Marquis, conducted with all the pomp due to his rank, the inhabitants of the furrounding hamlets attended; grief was imprinted on every countenance, as they followed the body in mute dejection. A young ftranger, returning to Swifferland from a tour, chanced to strike out of the road as he approached near the caftle, tempted by the beauty of the long avenues which led to it. He reached the gates just as the mournful proceffion was beginning to move.-Enquiring the name of the deceased, one of the peasants informed him, that, in their mafter, the Marquis de Clairville, they had loft the best of lords, and most generous of patrons; the tears which rolled down his cheeks as he spoke, gave evidence of his feelings: Albert difmounted from his horse, and giving charge of it to his fervant, mingled with the peafantry, and, moving flowly, arrived with them at the church, about half a mile diftant, where the remains of Clairville were to be depofited in the vault of his anceftors. He placed himself near the grave: before the ceremony was ended, and while a folemn dirge was chanting, he obferved the mourners to fall back, and form on each fide an opening, through which he beheld advancing a group of village maidens, with baskets of flowers on their arms, which they ftrewed in profufion over the coffin. Albert's at be be refifted. Honeft Pierot led Albert time made a ftout refiftance, but he had a fhort cut through fome fields, and every reafon to fear that, overpowered after having recommended his gueft to by numbers, they had fcarce a chance the attention of his wife, he haftened of defending their mistress from the to the caftle gates, in queft of the fer- fury of thefe affaffins, and in all prowant whom Albert had ordered to wait bability they had fallen victims with there his return. In this humble but her to the murderous fwords of their neat dwelling, the young ftranger de- affailants. The meffenger of these dreadtermined to refide fome days, under pre- ful tidings, had been tempted by an tence of exploring, at his leifure, the early flight to escape to the caftle, imextenfive domains of the caftle, but in pelled by the feeble hope of gaining reality to introduce himself to the love them fome affiftance; but the road bely Emma and her father. The impref- ing folitary which led to the chateau, fion which her artless beauty had made he had met no human being on his way. on his heart, was of so serious a nature, The Marquis loft no time in useless lathat he indulged the hopes of making mentations, but inftantly arming himher his wife, if he found, on acquaint- felf and feveral of his brave domeftics, ance, her mind as charming as her perfon, and she would accept his proffered a who were ready to encounter any dan ger for fo beloved a mafter, they mounted their horfes, and in a short time reached the fatal fpot. They here found a fpectacle of horror: the mangled bodies of the fervants lay lifelefs round the carriage, in which the murdered Marchionefs and her two women remained, with wounds yet bleeding! We must make a fhort digreffion while we return to the ftate of the family affairs of the late Marquis, for fome years before his decease. He had been married, late in life, to an amiable woman, by whom he had an only fon: having paffed the winter at Paris, In the midft of this defolation, the he was unexpectedly called away to at- Marquis fought in vain his infant fon, tend fome important business at Clair- whofe abfence infpired, amid his forville-caftle he fet off immediately, rows, a fecret and prefaging hope, that leaving his lady and infant fon, then a- he had been either rescued or preferved. bout three years old, to follow. After He placed himself and his followers in the fatigues of a busy day, on the even- ambuscade in the wood, for the remaining that he expected the Marchioness der of the day, with a view to furprise to arrive, he waited her approach up- the villains fhould they return at night, on a terrace which commanded his fine and either revenge this horrid maffacre park. As his anxious eyes were turn- or fall in the attempt: his hopes were ed towards the grand avenue, which led vain: the wretches, fated with their to the castle, he perceived one of the bloody deeds, approached no more the domeftics who had been left to attend fatal fpot. Early on the enfuing mornher, advancing with as much speed as ing, they began to remove the flaughterthe tired state of his horfe would allow. ed victims: they had been joined by all The Marquis haftened toward him, to the neighbouring villagers, who affisted receive tidings of his beloved wife, but in the fad office. As they were railing what were his fenfations, when the fome of the lifelefs attendants, they fervant informed him, that the carriage were ftartled by a groan from one of of the Marchionefs, and her retinue, the bedies: on an immediate fearch, had been attacked by an armed banditti, they found a dying ftranger, whom they who ruthed out of a wood, about a concluded to be one of the banditti, who league diftant from the caftle. The at- had fallen by the hands of the domef tendants, who were likewife armed, tics, during the conteft: and who had furrounded the carriage, and for fome probably, from being concealed under Jeveral feveral dead bodies, efcaped the recol- long been the objects of his bounty; He feemed to revive a little, by an effect which the attention had upon him. The Marquis affifted in fupporting him, while the furgeon poured a cordial down his throat. His faculties in fome degree appeared to return, he gazed on the Marquis and attempted to fpeak, but in vain. Clairville then addreffed him thus: "I conjure thee, by the hopes of mercy here and hereafter, tell me, if thou haft power to speak, where is my fon?-does he furvive? Anfwer that queftion only for the prefent, and I will wait the event of thy recovery for further information." The dying man, made particular efforts to articulate, but for fome moments he remained fpeechlefs: at length he faintly uttered, Young Clairville lives." He could no more; the exertion overcame him; and fucceffive convulfions feizing his whole frame, he expired in agonies. This confeffion, in the midst of fo fevere an affliction, long kept alive in the bofom of the Marquis fome feeble embers of expiring hope: he returned to his folitary caftle, fo late the fcene of all his happinefs, where he fhut himfelf up for feveral days, to give vent so the firft emotions of his forrow. The fufpenfe, which he yet endured, relative to his fon's destiny, had fuch an effect upon his fpirits, that he determined to retire wholly from the world, and to deplore, in the folitude of his caftle, the misfortunes of his family: but he did not fo much yield to the imprefhons of grief, as to be regardless of his tenants and dependents; his generous nature would not permit him to be unmindful of their interefts. They had Vol. LVIII. He beheld death approaching with that fecrét fatisfaction, which anticipated a bleft re-union with thofe dear objects, who had already fo long partaken of the rewards of innocence and virtue. On the deceafe of the Marquis, his eftates devolved, by inheritance, on the Baron of Morenzi, who was of a haughty cruel character, and revengeful; whofe reafon and actions were fubfervient to his paffions; and who fcrupled not the commiffion of any excefs, to gratify his ambition, avarice, or fenfuality. Over these vices he had, by art and cunning, drawn a veil, which imposed on strangers; and to unfold which, a confiderable share of fagacity and penetration was requifite: on thofe whom his heart fecretly detefted, he could fmile with eafe. A character fo hypocritical, could not fail of becoming the averfion of the adjacent country: for however the deceiver may conceal his vices, in the formalities of courts and public life, they will always appear in their true light, to those to whom they are objects of neither fear, nor regard. His new vaffals and dependents received a fpecimen of that treatment, which they were in future to expect, from the firft moment of his arrival at his new abode. They had collected together in the court of the caftle, to celebrate his approach. Wherefore," faid he, as he defcended from his carriage," are you 5 N affem |