fervices, can justify her attachments to that history of a female reign, all contemporary nobleman. Even the manners of the age, authors agree in afcribing to Mary the utmoft licentious as they were, are no apology for beauty of countenance and elegance of shape this unhappy paffion; nor can they induce of which the human form is capable. Her us to look on that tragical and infamous hair was black; though, according to the fcene, which followed upon it, with lefs ab- fashion of that age, the frequently wore borhorrence: Humanity will draw a veil over rowed locks, and of different colours. Her this part of her character, which it cannot ap-eyes were a dark grey, her complexion was prove, and may, perhaps, prompt fome to exquifitely fine, and her hands and arms impute her actions to her fituation, more than remarkably delicate, both as to fhape and coto her difpofition; and to lament the unhap- lour. Her ftature was of a height that rofe pinefs of the former, rather than accufe the to the majeftic. She danced, the walked, and perverfenefs of the latter. Mary's fufferings rode with equal grace. Her tafte for mufic exceed, both in degree and duration, thofe was juft, and the both fung, and played upon tragical diftreffes which fancy has feigned the lute with uncommon fkill. Towards the to excite forrow and commiferation; and end of her life the began to grow fat; and her while we furvey them, we are apt altogether long confinement, and the coldness of the to forget her frailties, we think of her faults houfes in which the was imprisoned, brought with lefs indignation, and approve of our on a rheumatifm which deprived her of the tears, as if they were fhed for a perfon ufe of her limbs. No man, fays Brantome, who had attained much nearer to pure vir- ever beheld her perfon without admiration and love, or will read her history without for row. Robertfon. tue. With regard to the queen's perfon, a circumftance not to be omitted in writing the END OF THE THIRD BOOK. M 2 THE PROSE EPITOME; OR, ELEGANT EXTRACTS ABRIDGED, &c. BOOK IV. NARRATIVES, DIALOGUES, &c. With other HUMOROUS, FACETIOUS, and ENTERTAINING PIECES; I And with SPECIMENS of NATURAL HISTORY. 1. The Story of LE FEVRE. fancy for a glafs of fack and a thin roast-I think, fays he, taking his hand from his forehead, it would comfort me.▬▬▬ --If I could neither beg, borrow, not would almoft fteal it for the poor gentleman, he is fo ill.I hope in God he will fill nend, continued he--we are all of us concern T was fome time in the fummer of that year in which Dendermond was taken by the allies, which was about feven years be-buy fuch a thing,-added the landlord,-I fore my father came into the country, and about as many after the time that my uncle Toby and Trim had privately decamped from my father's houfe in town, in order to layed for him. fome of the fineft fieges to fome of the finest fortified cities in Europe-When my uncle Toby was one evening getting his fupper, with Trim fitting behind him at a fmall fideboard;-The landlord of a little inn in the village come into the parlour with an empty phial in his hand to beg a glafs or two of fack; 'tis for a poor gentleman,-I think, of the army, faid the landlord, who has been taken ill at my houfe four days ago, and has never held up his head fince, or had a defire to tafte any thing 'till just now, that he has a Thou art a good-natured foul, I will answer for thee, cried my uncle Toby; and thou fhalt drink the poor gentleman's health in a glafs of fack thyfelf, and take a couple of bottles, with my fervice, and tell him he is heartily welcome to them, and to a dozen more, if they will do him good. Though I am perfuaded, faid my uncle Toby, as the landlord fhut the door, he is a very compaffionate fellow-Trim, yet I can not help entertaining an high opinion of his guest too; there mult be fomething more th comma and rainy a night, that what with the roquelaure, and what with the weather, 'twill be enough to give your honour your death, and bring on your honour's torment in your groin. common in him, that in so short a time should win fo much upon the affections of his hoft; And of his whole family, added the corporal, for they are all concerned for him. -Step after him, faid my uncle Toby,--I fear fo, replied my uncle Toby; but I am do Trim,-and afk if he knows his name. not at reft in my mind, Trim, Gince the account the landlord has given me.-I wish I had not known fo much of this affair,-added my uncle Toby, or that I had known more of it: How fhall we manage it Leave it, an't please your honour, to me, quoth the corporal; I have quite forgot it, truly, faid the landlord, coming back into the parlour with the corporal,-but I can afk his fon again: -Has he fon with him then? faid my uncle Toby.A boy, replied the landlord, of about eleven or twelve years of age;;-but-I'll take my hat and stick, and go to the the poor creature has tafted almost as little as his father; he does nothing but mourn and lament for him night and day;-he has not ftirred from the bed-fide thefe two days. My uncle Toby laid down his knife and fork, and thruft his plate from before him, as the landlord gave him the account; and Trim, without being ordered, took away without faying one word, and in a few minutes after brought him his pipe and tobacco. -Stay in the room a little, fays my uncle Toby. Trim!-faid my uncle Toby, after he had lighted his pipe, and smoked about a dozen whiffs-Trim came in front of his mafter, and made his bow;-my uncle Toby smoked on, and faid no more.-Corporal! faid my uncle Toby-the corporal made his bow.My uncle Toby proceeded no farther, but finished his pipe. Trim! faid my uncle Toby, I have a project in my head, as it is a bad night, of wrapping myfelf up warm in my roquclaure, and paying a vifit to this poor gentleman.-Your honour's roquelaure, replied the corporal, has not once been had on fince the night before your honour received your wound, when we mounted guard in the trenches before the gate of St. Nicholas; and befides, it is fo cold house and reconnoitre, and act accordingly; and I will bring your honour a full account in an hour.-Thou shalt go, Trim, faid my uncle Toby, and here's a fhilling for thee to drink with his fervant-I fhall get it all out of him, faid the corporal, fhutting the door. My uncle Toby filled his fecond pipe; and had it not been that he now and then wandered from the point, with confidering whether it was not full as well to have the curtain of the tennaile a ftraight line, as a crooked one,-be might be faid to have thought of nothing elle but poor Le Fevre and his boy the whole time he fmoked it. It was not till my uncle Toby had knocked the afhes out of his third pipe, that corporal Trim returned from the inn, and gave him the following account. I defpaired at firft, faid the corporal, of being able to bring back your honour any kind of intelligence concerning the poor fick lieutenant-Is he in the army then faid my uncle Toby-He is, faid the corporal-And in what regiment? faid my uncle TobyI'll tell your honour, replied the corporal, every thing ftraight forwards, as I learnt it.Then, Trim, I'll fill another pipe, faid my uncle Toby, and not interrupt thee till thou haft done; fo fit down at thy cafe, Trim, in the window-feat, and begin thy ftory again. The corporal made his old bow, which generally spoke, as plain as a bow could speak it "Your honour is good:" And having done that, he fat down, as he was ordered, and began the story to my uncle Toby over again in pretty near the fame words. I defpaired at first, faid the corporal, of being able to bring back any intelligence to your honour about the lieutenant and his fon; for when I asked where his fervant was, from whom I made myself fure of knowing every thing which was proper to be asked-That's a right diftinétion, Trim, faid my uncle Toby -I was answered, an' pleafe your honour, that he had no fervant with him ;-that he had come to the inn with hired horfes, which, upon finding himself unable to proceed, (to join, I fuppofe, the regiment) he had difmiffed the morning after he came.-If I get better, my dear, faid he, as he gave his purfe to his fon to pay the man,-we can hire horses from hence. But alas! the poor gentleman will never get from hence, faid the landlady to me, ---for I heard the death-watch all night long; ---and when he dies, the youth, his fon, will certainly die with him: for he is brokenhearted already. I was hearing this account, continued the corporal, when the youth came into the kitchen, to order the thin toaft the landlord spoke of;--but I will do it for my father myself, faid the youth. Pray let me fave you the trouble, young gentleman, faid I, taking up a fork for the purpofe, and offering him my chair to fit down upon by the fire, whilft I did it. I believe, fir, faid he, very modeftly, I can please him beft myfelf. I am fure, faid I, his honour will not like the toast the worfe for being toafted by an old foldier. The youth took hold of my hand, and inftantly burft [into tears. Poor youth! faid my uncle Toby, he has been bred up from an infant in the army, and the name of a foldier, Trim, founded in his ears like the name of a friend; I wish I had him here. I never, in the longest march, faid the corporal, had fo great a mind to my dinner, as I had to cry with him for company :What could be the matter with me, an' please your honour? Nothing in the world, Trim, faid my uncle Toby, blowing his nofe, but that thou art a good-natured fellow, When I gave him the toaft, continued the corporal, I thought it was proper to tell him I was Captain Shandy's fervant, and that your honour (though a ftranger) was extremely concerned for his father; and that if there was any thing in your house or cellar---(and thou might'ft have added my purfe too, faid my uncle Toby, he was heartily welcome to it:) he made a very low bow, (which was meant to your honour) but no anfwer, for his heart was full; fo he went up ftairs with the toaft: ---I warrant you, my dear, faid I, as I opened the kitchen-door, your father will be well again. Mr. Yorick's curate was smoking a pipe by the kitchen-fire, but faid not a word good or bad to comfort the youth.-—I thought it was wrong, added the corporalI think fo too, faid my uncle Toby. When the lieutenent had taken his glafs of fack and toaft, he felt himself a little revived, and fent down into the kitchen, to let me know, that in about ten minutes he fhould be glad if I would step up ftairs. I believe, faid the landlord, he is going to fay his prayers, for there was a book laid upon the chair by his bed-fide; and as I fhut the door I faw his fon take up a cushion. I thought, faid the curate, that you gentle men of the army, Mr, Trim, never faid your pra prayers at all. I heard the poor gentleman | Toby, that God Almighty is fo good and juft a governor of the world, that if we have but done our duties in it,it will never be enquired into, whether we have done them in a red coat era black one:-1 hope not, faid the corporal.But go on, Trim, faid my uncle Toby, with thy ftory. fay his prayers last night, faid the landlady, very devoutly, and with my own ears, or I could not have believed it.-Are you fure of it replied the curate: -A foldier, an please your reverence, faid I, prays as often (of his own accord) as a parton;-and when he is fighting for his king, and for his own life, and for his honour too, he has the most reafon to pray to God of any one in the whole world. -Twas well faid of thee, Trim, faid my uncle Toby.-But when a foldier, faid I, an' please your reverence, has been ftanding for twelve hours together in the trenches, up to his knees in cold water, or engaged, faid I, for months together in long and dangerous marches;-harraffed, perhaps, in his rear to day;-harrailing others to-morrow:- detached here; countermanded there:-refting this night upon his arms;-beat up in his fhirt the next;-benumbed in his joints;-) perhaps without ftraw in his tent to kneel on; -he muft fay his prayers how and when he can-I believe, faid 1,-for I was piqued, quoth the corporal, for the reputation of the army-I believe, an't pleafe your reverence, faid I, that when a foldier gets time to pray, -he prays as heartily as a parfon-though not with all his fufs and hypocrify.-Thou fhould'ft not have faid that, Trim, faid my uncle Toby, for God only knows who is a hypocrite, and who is not:At the great and general review of us all, corporal, at the day of judgment, (and not till then)—it will be ften who has done their duties in this world, --and who has not; and we thall be advanced, Trim, accordingly.-I hope we fhall, faid Trim.It is in the Scripture, faid my uncle Toby; and I will fhew it thee to-mortow:-In the mean time, we may depend upon it, Trim, for our comfort, faid my uncle When I went up, continued the corporal, into the lieutenant's room which I did not do till the expiration of the ten minutes,-he was lying in his bed with his head raised upon his hand, with his elbow upon the pillow, and a clean white cambric handkerchief befide it: -The youth was just stooping down to take up the cufhion, upon which I fuppofe he had been kneeling the book was laid upon the bed,--and as he rofe, in taking up the cushion with one hand, he reached out his other to take it away at the fame time.--Let it remain there, my dear, faid the lieutenant. He did not offer to speak to me, till I had walked up clofe to his bed-filc:-If you are Captain Shandy's fervant, faid he, you must prefent my thanks to your mafter, with my little boy's thanks along with them, for his courtesy to me,--if he was of Leven's—faid the lieutenant.—I told him your honour was. -Then, faid he, I ferved three campaigns with him in Flanders, and remember himbut 'tis most likely, as I had not the honour of any acquaintance with him, that he knows nothing of me.-You will tell him, however, that the perfon his good-nare has laid under obligations to him, is one Le Fevre, a lieutenant in Angus's--but he knows me not,faid he, a fecond time, muting,poffible he may my story-added he pray tell the captain, I was the chign at Breda, whofe wife was molt unfortunately kined with a musketthot, as the lay in my arms in my tent.I remember the ftory, an't pleafe your honour, M 4 faid |