tiny ends as foon as the object of our enquiry is known to be of title or condition; and the fame man who holds a contemptuous fuperiority over the next inferior, bows with infinite complai fance to the blockhead whom chance has placed above him.

The chief reason why we fo feldom find character, talents, or fortune, duly appreciated is, that we judge rather from accidental circumftan es, than from a candid examination of facts. This fpecies of fophifin logicians cail fallacia accidentis, where we pronounce concerning the nature and effential properties of any fubject, according to fomething which is merely accidental to it: thus we decide, that the welldreffed man is a perfon of condition, the man in the big wig a prodigy of learning, and the walking physician a fellow of no merit at all. It is by the ftrength of this fophifm,that we acquire an utter averfion to the canine race, because we knew an in tance of a dog having gone mad, and that we cannot bear the name of laudanum, because Betty Blueftocking almoft killed herself by taking an ounce phial full, in a fit of defpair, occafioned by her lover's not meeting her on a Whitfunday. It is from the fame fpecies of vanity that we make our coufin the attorney a counfeilor, our old friend the Lieutenant a Captain, and our neighbour the Coun try Efquire, who has the good luck to poffets five hundred per annum, to be worth at leaft double the fum. The ingenuity of the artful involves us ftill more in these errors of judgment, as they are constantly eftabiifhing falfe propofitions, to confound and dazzle the weak and credulous.

Taking the common conclufions of men, upon the appearances of drefs, equipage, and manners, it is a wonder that they are not oftener deceived; when they are, it is a juft punishment that they receive for the judgments they fometimes too haftily form against the

modest and humble.

Let a man go forth on his journey through life without the accidental acquirements, ornaments, or decorations of rank or riches, in a plain unfashion. able coat; and, though his face expreffed the noblet characters of genius and worth ever defcribed by Lavater, it is ten to one that not a fingle creature would find it out.

From the above reasoning it appears, that however eafy it may be at times to

fet ourselves off to advantage, it is much cafier to depreciate ourselves whenever we choofe; to be fure, the latter fpecies of vanity is but rarely found, and is harmiefs enough in its coníequences; yet, having no better principle than deception, it is not altogether without blame. There is, however, a fecret fatisfaction in laughing at the Important Croud; and no man can do this more effectually than he who, from divers circumstances, contingencies, and vi cillitudes, has laid up a store of that kind or knowledge which may be justly called materia experientia; in thort, than he who has been upon almost every itep of the ladder of life, up and down alternately, without getting much of a fall.

Perhaps few people could be better qualified in this reipect than myself. I had received a tolerable education, had been feveral years in the fea fervice, had ftudied the law, was a bit of an author, fomething of a printer, and knew a little of what is called the world. With this ftock in trade for carrying on the bufinefs of philofophy, and a little independence, I arole one fine fummer's morning in the month of July, full of gaiety and good humour, directed my iteps to Billing gate, went in a wherry on board the Margate hoy, and took my place among the other pallengers.

The firit object that attracted my notice in the vellel was, naturally enough, the man at the helm, whofe hard inflexible features fet the whole fcience of phyfiognomy at defiance. Next the heimfnan, in the place of pre-eminence, was feated a little genteel wɔman reading the tale of Paul and Virginia; and on her right hand a corpulent dame, in whofe round red face you might difcover ignorance and happines blended together to great advantage. On the opposite feat was a lady of a very different defcription, who affumed an air of infinite fuperiority over the reit; the was dreffed in white mullin, and feldom deigned to look at the people round her, and for her, the beauty of the rifing fun, and the delightful landfcape of the Kentish hills, had no charms. She was going to Margate to fee the fine people, and to fay that the had been there. A thin pale-faced Gentleman, with a well-powdered

head, and molt unmeaning face, was placed next her, who I afterwards found was her husband. The rest of the company consisted of a young man

of

of important air, dreffed in a green coat and hussar boots; a little bustling Gentleman in black, who had his fhare of confequence alfo; and a Lieutenant in the Navy, who, together with a plain dreifed old man, that took no notice of any body, made up the group. As foon as I stepped upon deck, I made my debut by entreating the Ladies to take care of the lines and pullies, which caution obtained me, exactly what I expected, a contemptuous fneer from the boatman, and a broad fatirical grin from the Lieutenant. I was, however, determined to establish the opinion that Ijuftly conceived they had formed, by faying I thould go down stairs, for fear I thould catch cold from the morning air.

At my return on deck, I seated my felf next the fat Lady with the goodhumoured face, who, by-the-bye, was the only one that gave me the leaft en couragement. I told her, I was afraid that Ihould be fea-fick, and recommended her to taste a drop of brandy, which I produced in a fmall bottle from my pocket. I next offered the infpiring fluid to the Lady oppofite, who rejected it with a look of ineffable fcorn. By this time, however, the fat Lady's tongue went, as feamen call it, at the rate of feven knots an hour. She told me about her fon Jacky, who was gone abroad, and who the was afraid the should never fee no more; that The had been very bad of the rheumatise; that it was a terrible thing, for all the finners were drawn up, and the was going to Margate to bathe. My goodtempered companion then enquired the names of the fails, yards, and rigging, on all which points I anfwered with appropriate ignorance. I now completed my character, by deliring the matter to ftop the fhip for a boat that I faw making towards us; and by calling a Weft Indiaman lying at Long Reach a feventy-four gun man of war, effectually antwered my defign: the Lieutenant whispered the Boatman, that I was fome lubber of a man-milliner, and afked me, fignificantly, how long it was fince I had last weathered the corner of Bond-ftreet.

The company had now defcended, to partake of the refreshment they had refpectively provided; and here I was admitted by producing fome cold ham and chicken. I now addreffed myfelf particularly to the Lady in the white mulin, by obferving, that I fhouldn't like to be a failor; and that I thought

it much pleasanter to be ferving cuf tomers behind a counter, than in a ftorm at fea. The counter anfwered completely; the Lady fhrunk like the fentitive plant, turned up her nofe, muttered fome indistinct fyllables, and fcornfully averted her head. The important Gentleman in the green coat joined converfation with the other important Gentleman in black; and my last attempt was with the fentimental Lady, of whom I enquired, whether the had ever read Jack the Giant Killer.

I now began to find, that I had got to low water mark, and refolved in my own mind to turn the tide of opinion. Luckily, as soon as we had re-afcended the deck, an opportunity offered: the fat Lady happened to ask the name of the main-theet, which works the mainboom to the great annoyance of the genteel paffengers of a hoy. I answered, with an appearance of great fagacity, that it was the jigger-tackle. I had intended to raise myself up by degrees into estimation, but the jigger-tackle did the bufinefs at once; the Boatman gave me a leer and a wink; the Lientenant, after confulting my face with fome attention, took me by the hand, "I fay, fhipmate, none of your tricks upon old travellers. I fay what thip?" To this I antwer'd, "The Merrydon of Dover, the largest man of war in the fervice. Don't you remember that a frigate failed into one of her port-holes at Torbay, and was kicked overboard by Tom Tightfoot, the Boatfwain, who happened to be dancing a hornpipe?" This joke was a good trap for applaufe; the Lieutenant handed me fome bottled porter, and the boatman honoured me with a fimile of approbation.

We had got fome way beyond Gravefend, when I discovered a new character in the hoy; this was a tall thin man in a black coat and tye-wig, tooping over the fide of the veffel, drawing up buckets of fea-water one after another, and industriously examining the contents with a microfcope. I thought this a good opportunity, and, putting on a learned face, enquired if he was not feeking for animalculi; to which he politely replied, "Yes," and that it was a queftion among the learned, Whether the luminous appearance of fea water at night was occationed by numerous animal culi, or the viscous fpawn of fish. In this converfation the Gentleman in the

plain coat joined, whom I found to be a very intelligent man. One fubject introduced another, and we difcourfed fucceffively upon natural philofophy, ethics, jurifprudence, and theology; in the courfe of which investigation I took care to introduce fome paflages from the ancient authors. The fentimental Lady ftared with astonishment; the confequential Lady ventured a look, but, upon fumming up my drefs, the counter, and other circumstances, relapfed into her former referve: her husband, however, ventured to speak, and, upon my mentioning Tully, afked whether I meant Mr. Tully the cheese monger in Carnaby Market?

We had now arrived at the Pier of Margate, when an old fchool acquaintance came on board, and welcomed my arrival, in the hearing of the confequential Lady, in the following way: "My dear George, Your old friend Sir Jacob Morgan and Lady Maxwell are here; they have juft fat down to dinner, and we'll join them." His fervant was ordered to take my trunk, and a bluth of conscious fhame overfpread the cheek of the Lady in the white muflin. By this time, I had discovered the different conditions in life of my fellow paffengers:

Mr. Vacant, a Grocer near the Haymarket.

Mrs. Vacant, the Lady in the White Muflin.

Mifs Williams, the fentimental Lady, a

Teacher at a School. Lieut. Windlafs.

Mrs. Pumpkin, the fat Lady, a Market Gardener's Wife.

Mr. Frizzle, the important Gentleman in Green, a Hair Dreffer. Dr. Vitriol, the Searcher for Animalculi, a great Naturalift, Chemist, and Philofopher.

The important Gentleman in Black, an Attorney.

The Gentleman in Brown, Non Deicript..

Being about to take my leave, Dr. Vitriol gave me a card to attend his Lectures on Chemistry; the Lieutenant fhook me by the hand; the Boatman ftyled me, "Your Honour;" the Gardener's Wife gave me a low curtfey; and the Lady in the White Mulin favoured me with a moft graceful bow: upon which I addreffed them nearly as follows: "My good friends, don't be difpleafed if I have amufed myself a little at your expence. I would have you know, that wherever we travel we fhould take men as we find them, and endeavour to be pleafed with one another. All have not the fame endowments of mind or fortune; but what is wanting of one quality is, per.. haps, fupplied by another; and reciprocal advantages and pleafure are derived from the variety of characters and conditions into which we are thrown in life. In a hoy, therefore, we should bring forward our talents and acquirements, like our provifions, into the common stock; there would then be fomething to please all palates, by which means we thould make our paffage pleafant, and our meeting together a feat of good humour and initruction."

As I walked along the pier, I meditated on the occurrences of my little voyage; nor could I feel thoroughly fatisfied with myself. Good nature and urbanity checked my exultation, and whispered, "Away with you! you are rightly ferved; henceforth appear in your true character, and try to make it as valuable to your fellow-pallengers as you can. Increate the stock of plain honeity and truth, and throw away the dregs of pride and folly; you may appear in what character you choose to the world, but will never be able to impore on the judge within your own breaft."

G. B.

BISHOP HILDESLEY TO THE REV. MR. ST. ELOY, RECTOR OF LANGFORD AND MARSTON, BEDFORDSHIRE.

DEAR SIR, Hitchin, 7th May 1745. HAVE herewith fent you, for your perufil, Dr. Clark's Effays, which I was mentioning when I had the plea.

fure of feeing you. Randolph and White (of our Society books the belt we have had for fome time) are not now in my hands; but I defired Mr. Ault or Dr. Oborn would take care to forward them to you.

Warburton's Appendix to the pamphlet I here fend you is a curiofity, for its

tharp