wendillus's court the other Yorick is myself, who have flourished, my lord, in no court-He shook his head Good God! said I, you might

as well confound Alexander the Great with Alexander the copper-smith, my lord — It was all one, he replied

– If Alexander king of Macedon could have translated your lordship, said 1-I am sure your lordship would not have said so.

The poor comte de B fell but into the same

error

Et Monsieur est-il Yorick? cried the count. Je le suis, said I. Vous? Moi moi qui ai l'honneur de vous parler, Monsieur le comte — Mon Dieu! said he, embracing me-vous êtes Yorick!

The count instantly put the Shakspeare into his pocket and left me alone in his room.

XLVIII.

THE PASSPORT,

VERSAILLES.

I

COULD not conceive why the comte de Bhad gone so abruptly out of the room, any more than I could conceive why he had put the Shakspeare into his pocket Mysteries which must explain themselves are not worth the loss of time which a conjecture about them takes up: it was better to read Shakspeare; so taking up * Much * One of Shakspeare's comedies.

ado about nothing, I transported myself instantly from the chair I sat in to Messina in Sicily, and got so busy with Don Pedro, and Benedict, and Beatrice, that I thought not of Versailles, the count, or the passport.

Sweet pliability of man's spirit, that can at once surrender itself to illusions, which cheat expectation and sorrow of their weary moments! Long-long since had ye numbered out my days, had I not trod so great a part of them upon this enchanted ground: when my way is too rough for my feet, or too steep for my strength, I get off it, to some smooth velvet path which fancy has scattered over with rose-buds of delights; and having taken a few turns in it, come back strengthened and refreshed When evils press sore upon me, and there is no retreat from them in this world, then I take a new course -I leave it and as I have a clearer idea of the Elysian fields than I have of heaven, I force myself, like Eneas, into them I see him meet the pensive shade of his forsaken Dido-and wish to recognize it I see the injured spirit wave her head, and turn off silent from the author of her miseries and dishonours I lose the feelings for

myself in hers

-and in those affections which were wont to make me mourn for her when I was at school.

Surely this is not walking in a vain shadow ➡nor does man disquiet himself in vain by it›

he oftener does so in trusting the issue of his commotions to reason only. I can safely say for myself, I was never able to conquer any one single bad sensation in my heart so decisively, as by beating up as fast as I could for some kindly and gentle sensation to fight it upon its own ground.

When I had got to the end of the third act, the comte de B- entered, with my passport in his hand. Monsieur le duc de C-, said the count, is as good a prophet, I dare say, as he is a statesman Un homme qui rit, said the duke, ne sera jamais dangereux. — Had it been for any one but the king's jester, added the count, I could not have got it these two hours. — Pardonnez-moi, Monsieur le comte, said I-I am not the king's jester. But you are Yorick?—Yes. - Et vous plaisantez?-I answered, indeed I did jest - but was not paid for it—it was entirely at my own

expence.

We have no jester at court, Monsieur le comte, said I; the last we had was in the licentious reign of Charles II-Since which time, our manners have been so gradually refining, that our court at present is so full of patriots, who wish for nothing but the honours and wealth of their country and our ladies are all so chaste, so spotless, so good, so devout there is nothing for a jester to make a jest of

Voilà un persiflage! cried the count.

XLIX.

THE PASSPORT.

VERSAILLES.

As the passport was directed to all lieutenant

governors, governors and commandans of cities, generals of armies, justiciaries, and all officers of justice, to let Mr. Yorick the king's jester, and his baggage, travel quietly along - I own the triumph of obtaining the passport was not a little tarnished by the figure I cut in it—but there is nothing unmixed in this world; and some of the gravest of our divines have carried it so far as to affirm, that enjoyment itself was attended even with a sigh and that the greatest they knew of terminated, in a general way, in little better than a convulsion.

I remember the grave and learned Bevoriskius, in his commentary upon the generations from Adam, very naturally breaks off in the middle of a note, to give an account to the world of a couple of sparrows upon the out-edge of his window, which had incommoded him all the time he wrote, and at last had entirely taken him off from his genealogy.

It is strange! writes Bevoriskius; but the facts are certain, for I have had the curiosity to mark them down one by one with my pen - but the cock-sparrow, during the little time that I could have finished the other half of this note, has

actually interrupted me with the reiteration of his caresses three and twenty times and a half.

How merciful, adds Bevoriskius, is heaven to his creatures! Ill-fated Yorick! that the gravest of thy brethren should be able to write that to the world, which stains thy face with crimson, to copy in even thy study.

But this is nothing to my travels-So I twice -twice beg pardon for it.

AND how do you find the French? said the count de B—, after he had given me the passport.

The reader may suppose, that after so obliging a proof of courtesy, I could not be at a loss to saysomething handsome to the inquiry.

- Mais passe pour cela- Speak frankly, said he; do you find all the urbanity in the French, which the world give us the honour of?—I had found every thing, I said, which confirmed it

Vraiment, said the count, les François

sont polis-To an excess, replied I.

The count took notice of the word excess; and would have it I meant more than I said. I defended myself a long time, as well as I could, against it he insisted I had a reserve, and that I would speak my opinion frankly.