tue in individuals; but it never was diffufed, as with us, among the great body of the people. The porters and hackney coachmen at Rome and Athens were deplorably ignorant of the affairs of ats. There were no clubs in thofe capitals for constitutional reformation, Carpenters and bricklayers reformed the boroughs only by the axe and hammer; fhoemakers and taylors were dextrous enough at the awl and the needle, but could not mend the govern

ment,

:

"Perhaps even the patriotifin of individuals among the ancients has got more than its due fhare of praife; and upon a fair eflimate it might be found, that the moderns could produce equal, if not fupe, rior examples of the fame heroic virtue. What is there, for in fance, fo remarkable in the boated example of Themistocles and Arifides? They were bitter ene mies, but forget their quarrels when their country was in danger, and joined their interefts to prevent its falling a prey to the Perfians fapur modern ftatefmen, who the one day declare the most rooted abhorrence and deteftation of each other, both in their public and private characters, the next day shake hands for the good of their country, agree in every mea fure, and profefs for each other the most fincere efteem and veneration. Decius, it is true, devoted himfelf for his country, and, by ficrificing his own life, won a great victory over the enemies of Rome: but our commanders go much farther: for they devote whole armies from a pure fpirit of patriotifin. In fhort, it may be confidently afferted, that all thofe bright examples we read of in an

1

cient ftory, may find their parallels in a modern newspaper.

"And now, fir, that I have mentioned a newfpaper, allow me to oblerve, that thofe brief chronicles of the times afford every day numberiefs proofs of the fuperio rity of the moderns to the ancients, in many of the most useful arts and fciences. In that most noble of all arts, the art of healing, fo great is the perfection to which the maderns have attained, that one of your predeceffors has very july expreffed his aftonifliment at reading in the bills of mortality the great number of people who chufo to die of fuch and fuch dittempers, for every one of which there are infallible and fpecific cures To be fure, there is no helping the folly of fome people, who will perfitt in refusing a cure till they are in a manner is articulo mortis, (in the last agony); but it is to be hoped we fhall hear no more of fuch de termined fuicide, when we read, that fome of those modern Efculaplufes chufe only fuch patients as are precifely in the fituation of ins çurables, to be the fubjects of their practice. One of thofe excellent phyficians profeffes, in his adver

fements, that he wishes none (his words are strongly exclufive) to apply to him, but fuch as have been deemed incurable, or made fuch by the faculty; thereby encouraging the difeafed of all kinds first to take every poffible means to re: der themselves incurable, that they may thus be qualified for be. ing perfectly cured by him.

Somewhat analogous to the fcience of medicine, is the art of repairing the human figure. And here, fir, the pre-eminence of the moderns is equally distinguished. In this most useful art, the kill of

te

the ancients went no farther than to give a little exterior embellifment to the countenance. They knew nothing of that creative pow er which extends to the making of limbs and organs as well as features. The parchment-calves, the cork-rump, and boltter'd fpring boddice; the making of glafs eyes, and the transplantation of teeth, are all inventions abfolutely modern. And fince we know for certain, that mechanism is now fo perfected, that a wooden man can be made to perform a folo on the violin, play a game at chefs, walk, and even utter articulate founds; I fee no rea fon to doubt, that in procefs of time we may have artificial men currently walking the streets, performing all the functions of life, and difcharging their duty in for ciety just as well and more peace ably than the real ones. When the art of making automatons has attained to this perfection, which we may reasonably hope will happen in a very few years, we may congratulate ourself on the very great

political benefits which muft arise from this admirable invention. As there is no doubt that the merits of this clafs of men will entitle them to the highest promotions, it is then we may expect every department of the fate to be fupplicd by a fet of upright and inflexible magiftrates: the great machine of government will be most ably con ducted judges will adminifter juftice with the most rigid impartia, lity; and (what is the great defideratum of the prefent age) a wooden. king may fit at the helm of affairs, who will fupport the dignity of the crown with no expence to the na❤ tion, and relieve them at the same time of all their anxious fears about the extenfion of his prerogative,

"I could eafily, fir, draw out this eftimate to a much greater length; but believing I have already faid enough to produce a thorough conviction of the truth of my propofition, I fubfcribe myfelf with great respect, yours, &c."

a near relation, to a confiderable land-eftate, Upon this event I refolved to fix my refidence at the family manfion houfe. I was very little acquainted with that part of the country where it was fituated; but I was told it was an uncommonly good neighbourhood; and that I hould be particularly fortunate in having it in my power to enjoy an excellent fociety. I found

collection of modern ones: from the perufal of them, from the at tention which I propofed to give to the culture of a part of my ef tate which I meant to farm myself, and from the enjoyment which I expected to reap from the company and converfation of my good neighbours, I was in hopes that my life would flide on in a very agreeable manner,

deficiency of matter is fupplied by repeated bumpers. It is a favourite maxim here, that converfation fpoils good company; and this maxim is most invariably followed in practice, unless noife and vociferation, after the fwallowing of more than one bottle, can be called converfation. Without injuftice it may be faid of mott of my neighbours, that when fober they are filent, and when not fober, it were better they remained filent. I have frequently made efforts to check the iot and intemperance of my guests, and to with-hold the bottle from them, when I have thought they have drunk fully as much as was good for them; but I have always found myself unable to do it. I fhould hate to be called a ftingy fellow; and I know, if I were to establish fobriety, I fhould be called ftingy. When I cannot keep my guefts fober, I fometimes try to efcape the glafs, and to be fober myfelf; but, when I do this, I find fome of them look upon me with an evil eye, as if I meant to be a fpy upon the unguarded moments of my guests; others laugh at me for giving my felf airs, as they call it; and I cannot bear to be laughed at.

"But riot and drunkenness are not all the ills I have to submit to. After we have drunk oceans of liquor, cards are commonly propofed; and gambling and drunkennefs, though very unfit companions, are joined together. We do not play for a very deep ftake, but ftill we play for fomething confider able. I do not like to lofe, and yet it is equally difagreeable to win. I am commonly pretty lucky; and, in a run of luck, often fuffer a good deal in gaining their guineas from people who I know well can not afford to lofe them. It is a

morifying fpectacle, to fee those who are frequently together, and feem to be the greatest friends when the bottle is going round, after they have drunk as much as they can hold, fit down to pilfer one another of fums which they cannot eafily pay, and which, in their fober moments, they will feel the dif trefs of paying.

"Sometimes, to avoid play, I counterfeit fleepinefs, and efcape to bed. But this does not break up the party;-they are only left more at their liberty; and the morning is far advanced before matters are brought to a conclufion. The evil confequences of this to my domeftic economy are obvious. My family is difturbed with noife during the whole night, and my fervants are prevented from going to bed. My houfe is thus rendered a fcene of confufion, and every household-concern is neglected. I wifh to get up by times in the morning. and to have breakfast at an early. hour: but this cannot be accomplithed; for when I ring for John to bring up the tea-kettle, I am told he has not been above an hour in bed.

"The corruption of the higher orders of the family I find is fpreading among the lower. Going into the fervants hall one night at a late hour, when I had efcaped from the gambling party in the drawing room, I found the whole fervants engaged at brag. I could hardly he angry at them; they were only doing on a smaller scale what was doing on a larger above stairs; and being forced to fit up all night, they were obliged to fill up their time with fomething.

"I have thus, fir, laid before you fome of the diftreffes of my fituation, all of which feem to

pro

proceed from my having a good neighbourhood. I have frequently refolved to exert myself manfully to put a stop to thefe grievances, to quarrel with all my neighbours, and to tell them, that for the future I am to lock up my doors, and nei. ther to give nor receive their vifits. But my refolution has hitherto failed me. One of the comforts I expected to have received from liv. ing in the country, was, that I might live undisturbed; that the cafinefs of my temper fhould not be broke in upon; and that I fhould have no occafion for vigorous exertion. Defirous of being on a good footing with every body, and unable to bear either the cenfure or the derifion of others, I have not been able, nor do I believe I ever fhall be able, to fummon up as

much refolution as to expose myself to the fcorn or to the hatred of thofe around me.

"In this fituation it has occurred to me, that if you think proper to publish this letter, it may poffibly, without my taking any stronger meafure, have a good effect; it may perhaps afford a hint to my neighbours, which may relieve me in fome measure, without any fur ther ftir of mine. But if this fhall not happen, and if my grievances fall fill continue, I find I fhall be obliged, however unwillingly, to give up my habitation in the coun try, and to take a house in town, in order that I may fometimes enjoy the pleasures of folitude and retirement, and escape the evils of a good neighbourhood. I am, &c."

"WH

HEN I was, lat autumn at my friend colonel Cauftic's in the country, I faw, there, on a visit to mifs Cauftic, a young gentleman and his fifter, children of a neighbour of the colonel's, with whofe appearance and manner I was peculiarly pleafed. "The hiftory of their parents," faid my friend, is fomewhat particular, and I love to tell it, as I do every thing that is to the ho nour of our nature. Man is fo poor a thing taken in the grofs, that when I meet with an inftance of nobleness in detail, I am fain to rest upon it long, and recall it often; as, in coming hither over our barren hills, you would look with

double delight on a spot of culti vation or of beauty.

The father of thofe young fols, whofe looks you were ftruck with, was a gentleman of confiderable domains and extenfive influ ence on the northern frontier of our county. In his youth he lived, as it was then more the fashion than it is now, at the feat of his ancestors, furrounded with Gothic grandeur, and compaffed with feudal followers and dependents, all of whom could trace their connection, at a period more or lefs remote, with the family of their chief. Every domestic in his house bore the family-name, and looked on himself as in a certain degree par