centre, and advanced up gravely to him: there was fomething, I fear, forbidding in my look: I have his figure this moment before my eyes, and think there was that in it which deferved better. The Monk, as I judge from the break in his tonfure, a few fcattered white hairs upon his temples being all that remained of it, might be about feventy--but from his eyes, and that fort of fire which was in them, which feemed more tempered by courtesy than years, could be no more than fixty-truth might lie between-He was certainly fixty-five; and the general air of his countenance, notwithstanding fomething feemed to have been planting wrinkles in it before their time, agreed to the account. It was one of thofe heads which Guido has often painted-mild-pale-penetrating, free from all common-place ideas of fat contented ignorance looking downwards upon the earth-it look'd forwards; but look'd as if it look'd at fomething beyond this world. How one of his order came by it, Heaven above, who let it fall upon a Monk's fhoulders, best knows; but it would have fuited a Bramin, and had I met it upon the plains of Indoftan, I had reverenced it. The reft of his outline may be given in a few ftrokes; one might put it into the hands of any one to defign, for 'twas neither elegant nor otherwife, but as character and expreflion made it fo: it was a thin, fpare form, fomething above the common fize, if it loft not the distinction by a bend forwards in the figure-but it was the attitude of intreaty; and as it now flands prefent to my imagination, it gain'd more than it loft by it. When he had entered the room three paces, he food ftill; and laying his left hand upon his breaft (a flender white ftaff with which he journeyed being in his right) when I had got close up to him, he introduced himself with the little ftory of the wants of his convent, and the poverty of his order and did it with fo fimple a grace-and fuch an air of deprecation was there in the whole caft of his look and figure -I was bewitched not to have been ftruck with it- -A better reafon was, I had pre-deter mined not to give him a fingle fous. 'Tis very true, faid I, replying to a caft upwards with his eyes, with which he had concluded his addrefs-'tis very true and Heaven be their refource who have no other but the charity of the world, the ftock of which, I fear, is no way fufficient for the many great claims which are hourly made upon it. As I pronounced the words "great "claims," he gave a flight glance with his eye downwards upon the fleeve of his tunic-I felt the full force of the appealI acknowledge it, faid I-a coarse habit, and that but once in three years, with meagre diet-are no great matters: and the true point of pity is, as they can be earn'd in the world with fo little industry, that your order fhould wish to procure them by preffing upon a fund which is the property of the lame, the blind, the aged, and the infirm: the captive, who lies down counting over and over again the days of his affliction, languishes alfo for his share of it; and had you been of the order of Mercy, inftead of the order of St. Francis, poor as I am, continued I, pointing at my portmanteau, full chearfully fhould it have been opened to you for the ranfom of the unfortunate. The Monk made me a bow→→ but of all others, refumed I, the unfortunate of our own country, furely, have the firft rights; and I have left thoufands in distress upon our own fhore--The Monk gave a cordial wave with his head-as much as to fay, No doubt, there is mifery enough in every corner of the world, as well as within our convent--But we diflinguifh, faid 1, laying my hand upon the fleeve of his tunic, in return for his appea!--we diflinguifh, my good father! betwixt those who with only to eat the bread of their own labour-and those who eat the bread of other people's, and have no other plan in life, but to get through it in floth and ignorance, for the love of God. The poor Francifcan made no reply: a hetic of a moment pafs'd across his check, but could not tarry-Nature feemed to have had done with her refentments in him; he fhewed none--but letting his ftaff fall within his arm, he preffed both his hands with refignation upon his breaft, and retired. My heart fmote me the moment he fhut the door---Piha! faid I, with an air of careleffhefs, three feveral times--but it would not do; every ungracious fyllable I had uttered crowded back into my imagination; 1 reflected I had no right over the poor Francifcan, but to deny him; and that the punishment of that was enough to the difappointed without the addition of unkind language-I confidered his grey § 5- Sir Bertrand. A Fragment. Sir Bertrand turned his fteed towards the woulds, hoping to cross thefe dreary moors before the curfew. But ere he had proceeded half his journey, he was bewildered by the different tracks; and not being able, as far as the eye could reach, to elpy any object but the browa heath furrounding him, he was at length quite uncertain which way he should direct his courfe. Night overtook him in this fituation. It was one of thofe nights when the moon gives a faint glimmering of light through the thick black clouds of a low ering fky. Now and then the fuddenly emerged in full fplendour from her veil, and then inftantly retired behind it; having just ferved to give the forlorn Sir Bertrand a wide extended profped over the defolate wafte. Hope and native courage awhile urged him to push forwards, but at length the increafing darkness and fatigue of body and mind overcame him; he dreaded moving from the ground he stood on, for fear of unknown pits and bogs, and alighting from his horfe in defpair, he threw himself on the ground. He had not long continued in that pofture, when the fullen toll of a diflant bell ftruck his ears-he ftarted up, and turning towards the found, difcerned a dim twinkling light. Instantly he feized his horfe's bridle, and with cautious steps advanced towards it. After a painful march, he was stopped by a moated ditch, furrounding the place from whence the light proceeded; and by a momentary glimpfe of moon-light he had a full view of a large antique manfion, with turrets at the corners, and an ample porch in the centre. The injuries of time were strongly marked on every thing about it. The roof in various places was fallen in, the battle. ments were half demolished, and the windows broken and dismantled. A drawbridge, with a ruinous gate-way at each end, led to the court before the building He entered, and inftantly the light, which proceeded from a window in one of the urrets, glided along and vanished; at the fame moment the moon funk beneath a black cloud, and the night was darker than ever. All was filent-Sir Bertrand faftened his steed under a fhed, and approaching the house, traverfed its whole front with light and flow footfteps-All was ftill as death-He looked in at the lower windows, but could not diftinguish a fingle object through the impenetrable gloom. After a fhort parley with himfelf, he entered the porch, and feizing a maffy iron knocker at the gate, lifted it up, and hefitating, at length ftruck a loud ftroke-the noife refounded through the whole manfion with hollow echoes. All was ftill againhe repeated the ftrokes more boldly and louder-another interval of filence enfued -A third time he knocked, and a third time all was ftil. He then fell back to fome diftance, that he might difcern whether any light could be feen in the whole front-It again appeared in the fame place, and quickly glided away as before-at the fame inftant a deep fullen toll founded from the turret. Sir Bertrand's heart made a fearful flop-he was a while motionlefs; then terror impelled him to make fome hafty steps towards his fteed—but shame ftopt his flight; and urged by honour, and a refiftless defire of finishing the adventure, he returned to the porch; and working up his foul to a full steadiness of refolution, he drew forth his fword with one hand, and with the other lifted up the latch of the gate. The heavy door creeking upon its hinges reluctantly yielded to his hand-he applied his fhoulder to it, and forced it open-he quitted it, and ftept forward→→→ the door infiantly fhut with a thundering clap. Sir Bertrand's blood was chilledhe turned back to find the door, and it was long ere his trembling hands could feize it but his utmoft ftrength could not open it again. After several ineffectual attempts, he looked behind him, and beheld, across a hall, upon a large flair-cafe, a pale bluish flame, which caft a dismal gleam of light around. He again fummoned forth his courage, and advanced towards it-it retired. He came to the foot of the ftairs, and after a moment's deliberation afcended. He went flowly up, the flame retiring before him, till he came to a wide gallery The flame proceeded along it, and he followed in filent horror, treading lightly, for the echoes of his foot-steps startled him. It led him to the foot of another ftair-cafe, and then vanished-At the fame inftant another toll founded from the turret-Sir Bertrand Bertrand felt it ftrike upon his heart. He was now in total darknefs, and with his arms extended, began to afcend the fecond ftair-cafe. A dead-cold hand met his left hand, and firmly grasped it, drawing him forcibly forwards he endeavoured to difengage himself, but could not, he made a furious blow with his fword, and inftantly a loud fhriek pierced his ears, and the dead hand was left powerlcis with his -He dropt it, and rushed forwards with a defperate valour. The ftairs were narrow and winding, and interrupted by frequent breaches, and loofe fragments of tone. The ftair-cafe grew narrower and narrower, and at length terminated in a low iron grate. Sir Bertrand pushed it open-it led to an intricate winding paffage, juft large enough to admit a perfon upon his hands and knees. A faint glimmering of light ferved to fhew the nature of the place-Sir Bertrand entered-A deep hollow groan refounded from a distance through the vault-He went forwards, and proceeding beyond the firft turning, he difcerned the fame blue flame which had before conducted him He followed it. The vault, at length, fuddenly opened into a lofty gallery, in the midit of which a figure appeared, compleatly armed, thrufting forwards the bloody ftump of an arm, with a terrible frown and menacing gefture, and brandishing a fword in his hand. Sir Bertrand undauntedly fprung forwards; and aiming a fierce blow at the figure, it inftantly vanifhed, letting fall a mafly iron key. The flame now refled upon a pair of ample folding doors at the end of the gallery. Sir Bertrand went up to it, and applied the key to a brazen lock-with difficulty he turned the bolt-inftantly the doors flew open, and difcovered a large apartment, at the end of which was a coilin refted upon a bier, with a taper burning on each fide of it. Along the room, on both fides, were gigantic ftatues of black marble, attired in the Moorish habit, and holding enormous fabres in their right hands. Each of them reared his arm, and advanced one leg forwards, as the knight entered; at the fame moment the lid of the coffin flew open and the bell tolled. The flame ftill glided forwards, and Sir Bertrand refolutely followed, till he arrived within fix paces of the coffin. Suddenly a lady in a throud and black veil rofe up in it, and ftretched out her arms towards him-at the fame time the ftatues clashed their fabres and advanced. Sir Bertrand flew to the lady, and clafped her in his arms-fhe threw up her veil, and kifled his lips; and inftantly the whole building thook as with an earthquake, and fell afunder with a horrible crafh. Sir Bertrand was thrown into a fudden trance, and on recovering found himself feated on a velvet fofa, in the most magnificent room he had ever feen, lighted with innumerable tapers, in luftres of pure cryftal. A fumptuous banquet was fet in the middle. The doors opening to foft mufic, a lady of incomparable beauty, attired with amazing splendour, entered, furrounded by a troop of gay nymphs more fair than the Graces-She advanced to the knight, and falling on her knees, thanked him as her deliverer. The nymphs placed a garland of laurel upon his head, and the lady led him by the hand to the banquet, and fat befide him. The nymphs placed themfelves at the table, and a numerous train of fervants entering, ferved up the feast ; delicious mufic playing all the time. Sir Bertrand could not speak for aftonishment he could only return their honours by courteous looks and geftures. After the banquet was finished, all retired but the lady, who leading back the knight to the fofa, addreffed him in thefe words: Aikin's Mifcel. § 9. On Human Grandeur. An alehoufe-keeper near Iflington, who had long lived at the fign of the French King, upon the commencement of the laft war pulled down his old fign, and put up that of the Queen of Hungary. Under the influence of her red face and and golden fceptre, he continued to fell ale, till (he was no longer the favourite of his customers; he changed her therefore, fome time ago, for the King of Pruflia, who may probably be changed, in turn, for the next great man that fhall be fet up for vulgar admiration. In this manner the great are dealt out, one after the other, to the gazing crowd. When we have fufficiently wondered at one of them, he is taken in, and another exhi bited in his room, who feldom holds his ftation long; for the mob are ever pleafed with variety. I must own I have fuch an indifferent opinion of the vulgar, that I am ever led to fufpect that merit which raifes their fhout: at least I am certain to find thofe great, and fometimes good men, who find fatisfaction wore the appearance of flattery, as I should to offer it. fatisfaction in fuch acclamations, made worse by it; and history has too frequently taught me, that the head which has grown this day giddy with the roar of the million, has the very next been fixed upon a pole. As Alexander VI. was entering a little town in the neighbourhood of Rome, which had been just evacuated by the enemy, he perceived the townfmen bufy in the market-place in pulling down from a gibbet a figure which had been defigned to reprefent himself. There were foine alfo knock ing down a neighbouring ftatue of one of the Orfini family, with whom he was at war, in order to put Alexander's effigy in its place. It is poffible a man who knew lefs of the world would have condemned the adulation of thofe bare-faced flatterers: but Alexander feemed pleafed at their zeal; and, turning to Borgia, his fon, faid with a fmile, "Vides, mi fili, quam leve "difcrimen, patibulum inter et ftatuam." "You fee, my fon, the fmall difference "between a gibbet and a statue." If the great could be taught any leffon, this might ferve to teach them upon how weak a foundation their glory ftands: for, as popular applaufe is excited by what feems like merit, it as quickly condemns what has only the appearance of guilt. Popular glory is a perfect coquet: her lovers must toil, feel every inquietude, indulge every caprice; and, perhaps, at laft, be jilted for their pains. True glory, on the other hand, refembles a woman of fenfe; her admirers must play no tricks; they feel no great anxiety, for they are fure, in the end, of being rewarded in proportion to their merit. When Swift ufed to appear in public, he generally had the mob fhouting at his train. "Pox take "thefe fools," he would fay, "how much "joy might all this bawling give my lord"mayor?" We have feen thofe virtues which have, while living, retired from the public eye, generally tranfmitted to pofterity, as the trueft objects of admiration and praite. Perhaps the character of the late duke of Marlborough may one day be fet up, even above that of his more talked-of predeceffor; fince an affeniblage of all the mild and amiable virtues are far fuperior to thofe vulgarly called the great ones. I must be pardoned for this fhort tribute to the memory of a man, who, while living, would as much deteft to receive any thing that I know not how to turn fo trite a fubject out of the beaten road of commonplace, except by illuftrating it, rather by the affiftance of my memory than judgment; and, instead of making reflections, by tel ling a ftory. A Chinefe, who had long ftudied the works of Confucius, who knew the characters of fourteen thousand words, and could read a great part of every book that came into his way, once took it into his head to travel into Europe, and obferve the cuf toms of a people which he thought not very much inferior even to his own countrymen. Upon his arrival at Amfterdam, his paffion for letters naturally led him to a bookfeller's fhop; and, as he could fpeak a little Dutch, he civilly asked the bookfeller of the works of the immortal Xixofou. The bookfeller affured him he had never heard the book mentioned before. "Alas!"* cries our traveller, "to what purpose, then, "has he fated to death, to gain a renown "which has never travelled beyond the " precincts of China !” There is fcarce a village in Europe, and not one univerfity that is not thus furnished with its little great men. The head of a petty corporation, who oppofes the defigns of a prince, who would tyrannically force his fubjects to fave their best cloaths for Sundays; the pany pedant, who finds one undifcovered quality in the polype, or deferibes an unheeded procefs in the skeleton of a mole; and whofe mind, like his microfcope, perceives nature only in detail; the rhymer, who makes smooth verfes, and paints to our imagination, when he fhould only fpeak to our hearts; all equally fancy themfelves walking forward to immortality, and defire the crowd behind them to look on. The crowd takes them at their word. Patriot, philofopher, and poet, are shouted in their train." Where was there ever "fo much merit feen? no time fo im portant as our own! ages, yet unborn, "thall gaze with wonder and applaufe!" To fuch mufic the important pigmy moves forward, bustling and fwelling, and aptly compared to a puddle in a storm. I have lived to fee generals who once had crowds hallooing after them whereever they went, who were bepraifed by news-papers and magazines, thofe echoes of the voice of the vulgar, and yet they have long funk into merited obfcurity, with fcarce fcarce even an epitaph left to flatter. A few years ago the herring-fifhery employed all Grub-ftreet; it was the topic in every coffee-houfe, and the burden of every balJad. We were to drag up oceans of gold from the bottom of the fea; we were to fupply all Europe with herrings upon our own terms. At prefent, we hear no more of all this. We have filhed up very little gold that I can learn; nor do we furnish the world with herrings, as was expected. Let us wait but a few years longer, and we fhall find all our expectations an herring-fishery. Goldjmith. § 7. A Dialogue between Mr. ADDISON and Dr. SWIFT. Dr. Swift. Surely, Addifon, Fortune was exceedingly bent upon playing the fool (a humour her ladyfhip, as well as moft other ladies of very great quality, is frequently in) when fhe made you a minifter of ftate, and me a divine! Addifon. I must confefs we were both of us out of our elements. But you do not mean to infinuate, that, if our destinies had been reverfed, all would have been right? Savift. Yes, I do--You would have made an excellent bifhop, and I should have governed Great Britain as I did Ireland, with an absolute sway, while I talked of nothing but liberty, property, and fo forth. Addifon. You governed the mob of Ireland; but I never heard that you governed the kingdom. A nation and a mob are different things. Savift. Aye, fo you fellows that have no genius for politics may fuppofe. But there are times when, by putting himself at the head of the mob, an able man may get to the head of the nation. Nay, there are times when the nation itfelf is a mob, and may be treated as fuch by a skilful obferver. Addifon. I do not deny the truth of your axiom but is there no danger that, from the viciffitudes of human affairs, the favourite of the mob fhould be mobbed in his turn? Swift. Sometimes there may; but I rifked it, and it answered my purpofe. Afk the lord-licutenants, who were forced to pay court to me inftead of my courting them, whether they did not feel my fuperiority. And if I could make my felf fo confiderable when I was only a dirty dean of St. Patrick's, without a feat in either houfe of parliament, what should I have done if fortune had placed me in England, unincumbered with a gown, and in a situation to make myself heard in the house of lords or of commons? Addifon. You would doubtless have done very marvellous acts! perhaps you might have then been as zealous a whig as lord Wharton himfelf: or, if the whigs had offended the ftatelman, as they unhappily did the doctor, who knows but you might have brought in the Pretender? Pray let me afk you one queflion, between you and me: If you had been firit minister under that prince, would you have tolerated the Proteftant religion, or not? Swift. Ha! Mr. Secretary, are you witty upon me? Do you think, because Sunderland took a fancy to make you a great man in the ftate, that he could allo make you as great in wit as nature made me? No, no; wit is like grace, it must come from above. You can no more get that from the king, than my lords the bi fhops can the other. And though I will own you had fome, yet believe me, my friend, it was no match for mine. I think you have not vanity enough to pretend to a competition with me. Addijon. I have been often told by my friends that I was rather too modeft: "fo, if you pleafe, I will not decide this dispute for myfelf, but refer it to Mercury, the god of wit, who happens juft now to be coming this way, with a foul he has newly brought to the fhades. Hail, divine Hermes! A queftion of precedence in the clafs of wit and humour, over which you prefide, having arifen between me and my countryman, Dr. Swift, we beg leave Mercury. Dr. Swift, I rejoice to fee you.-How does my old lad? How does honeft Lemuel Gulliver? Have you been in Lilliput lately, or in the Flying Island, or with your good nurfe Glumdalclitch? Pray, when did you eat a cruft with Lord Peter? Is Jack as mad ftit as ever? I I hear the poor fellow is almost got well by more gentle ufage. If he had but more food he would be as much in his fenfes as brother Martin himself. But Martin, they tell me, has fpawned a strange brood of fellows, called Methodists, Moravians, Hutchinfonians, who are madder than Jack was in his worst days. It is a pity you are not alive again to be at them: they would be excellent food for your tooth; and a fharp tooth it was, as ever was placed in the |