Beersheba, and cry, 'Tis all barren and so it is; and so is all the world to him who will not cultivate the fruits it offers. I declare, said I, clapping my hands cheerily together, that was I in a desart, I would find out wherewith in it to call forth my affections - If I could do no better, I would fasten them upon some sweet myrtle, or seek some melancholy cypress to connect myself to-I would court their shade, and greet them kindly for their protection I would cut my name upon them, and swear they were the loveliest trees throughout the desart if their leaves withered, Iwould teach myself to mourn; and when they rejoiced, I would rejoice along with them. The learned SMELFUNGUS travelled from Bou logne to Paris — from Paris to Rome—and so on but he set out with the spleen and jaundice, and every object he passed by, was discoloured or distorted. He wrote an account of them, but 'twas nothing but the account of his miserable feelings.

*

I met Smelfungus in the grand portico of the Pantheon he was just coming out of it 'Tis nothing but a huge cock-pit **, said he― I wish you had said nothing worse of the Venus of Medicis, replied Ifor in passing through Florence,

* Smollet; a writer of great merit, author of an History of England, of Roderick Random, a romance little inferior to Tom Jones, &c.

** Vide Smollet's Travels.

I had heard he had fallen foul upon the goddess, and had used her worse than a common strumpet, without the least provocation in nature.

I popped upon Smelfungus again at Turin, in his return home; and a sad tale of sorrowful adventures he had to tell, «* wherein he spoke of moving accidents by flood and field, and of the Cannibals which each other eat: the Anthropophagi >> he had been flayed alive, and be deviled and used worse than St. Bartholomew, at every stage he had come at —

-I'll tell it, cried Smelfungus, to the world. You had better tell it, said I, to your physician. Mundungus, with an immense fortune, made the whole tour; going on from Rome to Naples, from Naples to Venice- from Venice to Vienna to Dresden, to Berlin, without one generous connection or pleasurable anecdote to tell of; but he had travelled straight on, looking neither to his right hand or his left, lest Love or Pity should seduce him out of his road.

Peace be to them! if it is to be found; but heaven itself, was it possible to get there with such tempers, would want objects to give it every gentle spirit would come flying upon the wings of Love to hail their arrival-Nothing would the souls of Smelfungus and Mundungus hear of, but fresh anthems of joy, fresh raptures of love, and fresh congratulations of their common felicity

* A part of Othello's speech to the Senate, act 1, sc. 3.

I heartily pity them they have brought up no faculties for this work; and was the happiest mansion in heaven to be alloted to Smelfungus and Mundungus, they would be so far from being happy, that the souls of Smelfungus and Mundungus would do penance there to all eternity,

I

HAD once lost my portmanteau from behind my chaise, and twice got out in the rain, and one of the times up to the knees in dirt, to help the postillion to tie it on, without being able to find out what was wanting - Nor was it till I got to Montreuil, upon the landlord's asking me if I wanted not a servant, that it occurred to me that that was the very thing.

A servant! that do I most sadly, quoth Ibecause, Monsieur, said the landlord, there is a clever young fellow, who would be very proud of the honour to serve an Englishman - But why an English one, more than any other? - They are so generous, said the landlord I'll be shot if this is not a livre out of my pocket, quoth I to myself, this very night - But they have where

withal to be so, Monsieur, added he

-

Set down

one livre more for that, quoth I- It was but last night said the landlord, qu'un mylord Anglois présentoit un écu à la fille de chambre Tant pis pour mademoiselle Jeanneton, said I.

Now Jeanneton being the landlord's daughter, and the landlord supposing I was young in French, took the liberty to inform me, I should not have said tant pis-but, tant mieux. Tant mieux, toujours, Monsieur, said he, when there is any thing to be got tant pis, when there is nothing. It comes to the same thing, said I. Pardonnez-moi, said the landlord.

I cannot take a fitter opportunity to observe, once for all, that tant pis and tant mieux being two of the great hinges in French conversation, a stranger would do well to set himself right in the use of them, before he gets to Paris.

A prompt french marquis, at our ambassador's table, demanded of Mr. Hume, if he was Home the poet? No, said Hume mildly - Tant pis, replied the marquis.

Tant

It is Hume the historian, said another mieux, said the marquis. And Mr. Hume, who is a man of an excellent heart, returned thanks for both.

When the landlord had set me right in this matter, he called in La Fleur, which was the name of the young man he had spoke of-saying only first, that as for his talents, he would presume to say nothing Monsieur was the best judge what would suit him; but for the fidelity of La Fleur, he would stand responsible in all he was worth.

The landlord delivered this in a manner which instantly sel my mind to the business I was upon

— and La Fleur, who stood waiting without, in that breathless expectation which every son of Nature of us have felt in our turns, came in.

I

AM apt to be taken with all kinds of people at first sight; but never more so, than when a poor devil comes to offer his service to so poor a devil as myself; and as I know this weakness, I always suffer my judgment to draw back something on that very account - and this more or less, according to the mood I am in, and the case and I may add the gender too, of the person I am to govern.

-

:

and

but I them

When La Fleur entered the room, after every discount I could make for my soul, the genuine look and air of the fellow determined the matter at once in his favour; so I hired him first then began to inquire what he could do shall find out his talents, quoth I, as I want besides, a Frenchman can do every thing. Now poor La Fleur could do nothing in the world but beat a drum, and play a march or two upon the fife. I was determined to make his talents do; and can't say my weakness was ever so insulted by my wisdom, as in the attempt.

La Fleur had set out early in life, as gallantly as most Frenchmen do, with serving for a few years; at the end of which, having satisfied the