express with words the various agitations of mind appearing in both their faces on this occasion; vanity at the preference given them over the rest of mankind; affection for their present wives; fear of losing them; hope (if they must lose them) to obtain the proposed comfort; jealousy of each other, in case both wives should die together, -all working at the same time, jumbled their features into inexplicable confusion. They parted, at length, with professions and outward appearances of ever-during friendship; but it was shrewdly suspected, that each of them wished health and long life to the other's wife; and that however long either of these friends might like to live himself, the other would be very well pleased to survive him.

It is remarked, that the skies have wept every day in Craven Street the absence of the Queen.

The public may be assured, that this morning a certain great person was asked very complaisantly by the mistress of the household, if he would choose to have the blade-bone of Saturday's mutton, that had been kept for his dinner to-day, broiled or cold. He answered gravely, If there is any flesh on it, it may be broiled; if not, it may as well be cold. Orders were accordingly given for broiling it. But when it came to table, there was indeed so very little flesh, or rather none at all (puss having dined on it yesterday after Nanny), that, if our new administration had been as good economists as they would be thought, the expense of broiling might well have been saved to the public, and carried to the sinking fund. It is assured the great person bears all with infinite patience. But the nation is astonished at the insolent presumption, that dares treat so much mildness in so cruel a manner.

A terrible accident had like to have happened this afternoon at tea. The boiler was set too near the end

of the little square table.

The first ministress was

sitting at one end of the table to administer the tea; the great person was about to sit down at the other

end, where the boiler stood. lady gave the table a tilt. person must have been

By a sudden motion, the Had it gone over, the great scalded; perhaps to death.

Various are the surmises and observations on this occasion. The godly say, it would have been a just judgment on him for preventing, by his laziness, the family's going to church last Sunday. The opposition do not stick to insinuate, that there was a design to scald him, prevented only by his quick catching the table. The friends of the ministry give out, that he carelessly jogged the table himself, and would have been inevitably scalded, had not the ministress saved him. It is hard for the public to come at the truth in these

cases.

At six o'clock this afternoon, news came by the post, that her Majesty arrived safely at Rochester on Saturday night. The bells immediately rang― for candles to illuminate the parlour; the court went into cribbage; and the evening concluded with every demonstration of joy.

It is reported that all the principal officers of state have received an invitation from the Duchess Dowager of Rochester, to go down thither on Saturday next. But it is not yet known whether the great affairs they have on their hands will permit them to make this excursion.

We hear, that, from the time of her Majesty's leaving Craven-Street House to this day, no care is taken to file the newspapers; but they lie about in every room, in every window, and on every chair, just where the Doctor lays them when he has read them. It is impossible government can long go on in such hands.

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TO THE PUBLISHER OF THE CRAVEN-STREET GAZETTE.

"SIR,

"I make no doubt of the truth of what the papers tell us, that a certain great person has been half-starved on the blade-bone of a sheep (I cannot call it of mutton, because none was on it), by a set of the most careless, blundering, foolish, crafty, and knavish ministers, that ever got into a house, and pretended to govern a family and provide a dinner. Alas, for the poor old England of Craven Street! If these nefarious wretches continue power another week, the nation will be ruined; undone, totally undone, if the Queen does not return, or (which is better) turn them all out, and appoint me and my friends to succeed them. I am a great admirer of your useful and impartial paper, and therefore request you will insert this, without fail, from

in

"Your humble servant,

"INDIGNATION."

"TO THE PUBLISHER OF THE CRAVEN-STREET GAZETTE.

"SIR,

"Your correspondent, Indignation,' has made a fine story in your paper against our excellent Craven Street ministry, as if they meant to starve his Highness, giving him only a bare blade-bone for his dinner, while they riot upon roast venison. The wickedness of writers in this age is truly amazing. I believe we never had, since the foundation of our state, a more faithful, upright, worthy, careful, considerate, incorrupt, discreet, wise, prudent, and beneficent ministry, than the present But if even the angel Gabriel would condescend to be our minister, and provide our dinners, he could scarcely escape newspaper defamation from a gang of

hungry, ever-restless, discontented, and malicious scribblers.

"It is, Sir, a piece of justice you owe our righteous administration to undeceive the public on this occasion, by assuring them of the fact, which is, that there was provided, and actually smoking on the table under his royal nose at the same instant, as fine a piece of ribs of beef roasted, as ever knife was put into; with potatoes, horse-radish, pickled walnuts, &c.; which beef his Highness might have eaten of, if he had pleased so to do; and which he forbore to do, merely from a whimsical opinion (with respect be it spoken), that beef doth not with him perspire well. This is the truth; and, if your boasted impartiality is real, you will not hesitate a moment to insert this letter in your very next paper.

"I am, though a little angry with you at present, "Yours, as you behave,

"A HATER OF SCANDAL."

Junius and Cinna came to hand too late for this day's paper, but shall have place in our next.

MARRIAGES. None since our last; but puss begins to go a courting.

DEATHS. In the back closet and elsewhere, many poor mice.

very

STOCKS. Biscuit low. Buckwheat and Indian meal-both sour. Tea lowering daily — in the canister.

Wednesday, September 26th. Postscript. Those in the secret of affairs do not scruple to assert roundly, that the present first ministress proves very notable, having this day been at market, bought excellent mutton-chops, and apples four a penny, made a very fine apple-pie with her own hands, and mended two pair of breeches.

A LETTER FROM CHINA.

THIS jeu d'esprit was first published in The Repository for May, 1788. A correspondent, who was for several years personally and intimately acquainted with Dr. Franklin, writes to me; "He was very fond of reading about China, and told me, that if he were a young man he should like to go to China." In the form of a pretended narrative of a sailor, he has embodied in the following letter some of his knowledge derived from books, with fanciful descriptions of his own. In a few passages his peculiar manner of thought and style is very apparent. - EDITOR.

SIR,

Lisbon, May 5, 1784.

AGREEABLE to your desire, I have examined the sailor more particularly, and shall now give you the circumstances of his story, with all the observations he made in the country, concerning which you are so curious. He appears a more intelligent fellow than seamen in general. He says that he belonged to the Resolution, an English ship, one of those that made the last voyage with Captain Cook. That on their return, being at Macao, he and a comrade of his were over-persuaded by a Portuguese captain, who spoke English and Chinese, to desert, in order to go with him in a brigantine to the northwestern coast of America, to purchase sea-beaver skins from the savages, by which they hoped to make fortunes. That accordingly they took a boat belonging to the ship, got ashore in the night, turned the boat adrift, and were hid by the Portuguese captain till the Resolution was gone. That this was in January, 1780, and that in April following they sailed from Macao, intending to go first to a place he calls Nooky-Bay, in latitude 50. That

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