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crimes you must have punishments; and punishment supposes law." "We have such crimes," answered the deputy, they are duly punished. If one man puts another to death unjustly, he also must suffer death." Here he stopped: he thought he had said enough. "But what," resumed her majesty, the punishments of theft and adultery?" "How," said the Samoid, with a good deal of surprise," is not detection sufficient punishment?"

ΟΡΙΝΙΟΝ.

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It is with some reason that opinion has been called the queen of the world. Passion is nothing but a vehement desire we have to satisfy our opinion in what we think capable of procuring our fe licity. Every man derides and censures his neighbour for his bad taste in this pursuit, and for the choice of the object that is to render him happy. The covetous blame the prodigal; the scholar retiring to his study condemns the courtier, immersed in the dissipations of the world; the petit maitre in return laughs at the scholar; the connoisseur in paintings, in antiquities, or natural curiosities, cannot account for that excessive love which the miser has for his money; the usurer shrugs his shoulders, and is astonished that any one should mispend his time in the pursuit of learning: in a word, each one is unable to account for his neighbour's taste; and no one is satisfied but in proportion as he is able to gratify his favorite passion; that is, what in his opinion constitutes human happiness. It is apparent we do not speak here of eternal happiness, for that is the object of theology, but of temporal felicity; which the merest bauble is as able to procure as any thing of real use. It is pleasant enough, however, to hear a philosopher cry out, Mortals! you cannot be happy but by such and such means, or by such and such maxims; but he forgets that the happiness of a woman frequently consists in a diamond or trinket.

BEARS.

THEIR sagacity is very great. The Kamschadales are obliged. to them for what little advancement they have hitherto made, either in the sciences or the polite arts. From them they learned the value of simples for internal use and external application. They acknowledge the bears likewise for their dancing-masters: what they call the bear-dance is an exact counterpart of every atti tude and gesture peculiar to this animal, through its several functions; and this is the foundation and ground-work of all their other dances, and what they value themselves most upon.

JOHNSON,

Ir was much wished by many who well knew and highly valued this great writer, that he would have directed the force of his understanding against that modern paper-building of philosophical infidelity, which is founded in pride and ignorance, and

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supported by sensuality and ridicule. A great personage was of opinion, that Johnson, so employed, would have borne them down with the weight of his language: and he is reported to have expressed the sentiment with singular felicity to a certain person, when the mischievous writings of Voltaire were brought in ques tion; "I wish Johnson (said he) would mount his dray-horse, and ride over some of those fellows."

PROVIDENCE.

WHAT inextricable confusion must the world for ever have been in, but for the variety which we find to obtain in the faces, the voices, and the hand-writings of men! No security of person, no certainty of possession, no justice between man and man, no distinction between good and bad, friends and foes, father and child, husband and wife, male and female. All would have been. exposed to malice, fraud, forgery, and lust. But now, every man's face can distinguish him in the light, his voice in the dark, and his hand-writing can speak for him though absent, and be his witness in all generations. How manifest and admirable an indication of a Divine superintendance!

VANITY.

It has been observed by one who seems to have studied flattery as a science, that a professed beauty must not be complimented upon her person, but her understanding, because there she may be supposed to be more doubtful of her excellence; while one whose pretensions to beauty are but small, will be most flattered by compliments on her personal charms. The same may be ob served of other qualities; for though most people would consider flattery as an insult, if addressed to such qualities as they know. they do not possess; yet in general they are best pleased with it where they feel any degree of doubt, or suspect that others may do so.

When Cardinal Richlieu expressed more desire to be admired as a poet and a critic, than as one of the greatest politicians in the world, we cannot suppose it was because he thought those talents of more consequence in a prime minister: but he was certain of his excellence in one respect, and wanted not to be told what all the world must think of him; in the other he wished to excell, and was not sure of success.

The same may probably be the reason of the partiality which some writers are said to have expressed for their worst performances. It seems scarcely possible to suppose, that Millor really preferred his Paradise Regained to his Paradise Lost; but if he had any doubts of its success, it was very natural for him to feel more anxiety about it, and to endeavour to persuade others, and even himself, of its superior merit.

ANECDOTES.

ANECDOTES.

CROMWELL.

THIS usurper preserved the records of this country from being

destroyed by puritannical and fanatical violence. He saved those celebrated works of the divine Raphael, the Cartoons, from being cut to pieces; and many of Charles's curiosities he saved from ruin. The fate of the statues of that unhappy monarch, and of his predecessor, James the First, that decorate Inigo Jones's beautiful skreen at Winchester, was singular. They are of bronze, and were destined by Sir William Waller's soldiers to be melted down for cannon balls, Some persons in consequence being apprized of what was intended to be done with them, carried them off by night to Portsmouth, and buried them in a place in the sands near that town, which he distinctly marked. At the revolution he dug them up and restored them to their original situation. Cromwell kept his political fanatics in order, in their own way, for when one of them waited upon him, as he said, in the name of the Lord, to know the destination of one of his fleets, he told him, "My good friend, the Lord shall know, for thou shalt go with the fleet.” He immediately stamped with his foot, and on the appearance of some soldiers, he told them to take away his inquisitive friend, and stow him in the hold of one of the ships that were then under sailing orders.

LOCKHART.

MARSHAL VILLEROY, governor to Louis XIV. asked Lockhart, Cromwell's ambassador, “ Why his master had not taken the title of King?" "Monsieur," replied Lockhart, "we know the extent of the prerogatives of a King, but know not those of a Protector."

CHARLES V.

CHARLES V. (after his abdication of the imperial crown) amused himself in his retirement with making collections of clocks and watches, and in observing their different motions; and used to observe, with a sigh, how ill he had spent his time in endeavouring to make mankind think alike in religious matters, when he had never been able to make two watches go perfectly together.

GENERAL WOLFE.

GENERAL WOLFE had very fair hair. Observing one day several young officers more attentive to the outside of their heads, than they ought to be, in the field, he took a pair of scissars and cut off those locks which had been frequently admired by both

sexes. Then he gave his scissars to the young gentleman who seemed to have the greatest affection for his hair-" I dare say, sir, you will be polite enough to follow my example." He did so, and his well-curled companions immediately cropped them

selves.

QUIN AND RYAN.

QUIN and RYAN contracted a very early friendship for each other in their juvenile days they were engaged to act under the management of Wilkes, Booth, and Cibber; they obtained leave to dress together; but notwithstanding their great regard for each other, their passions were occasionally so strong, that they fell into frequent bickerings and contentions about what the actors call their properties; such as a plume of feathers, an ermine robe, a gilt truncheon, or an embroidered waistcoat. The contest was carried once so high, about one of these important trifles, that Wilkes thought proper to separate them, and sent them to dress in different apartments. Though they could not always agree when together, they soon felt the vexation of being parted; and in consequence of it, they made their new associates, with whom they were obliged to dress, feel the effects of their uneasiness so effectually, that they petitioned the managers to get rid of such troublesome guests. Wilkes reprimanded our two heroes for their violent behaviour: "Gentlemen, (said this good-natured manager) I find you cannot be happy with or without one another: however, I am told that you do more mischief when separate than when together; so go back to your old dressing-room, and live more peaceably for the future."

GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS, KING OF SWEDEN.

THIS great general never engaged in any battle without first. praying at the head of the troops he was about to lead toward the enemy, sometimes with book and sometimes without. This done he used to thunder out in a strong and energetic manner some German hymn or psalm, in which he was followed by his whole army. The effect of this, in unison with near 40,000, was wonderful and terrible. Immediately before the battle of Lutzen, so fatal to himself, but so honourable to his army, he vociferated the translation of the 46th psalm, made by Luther when he was a prisoner in Coberg, beginning "God is our strong castle." The drums and trumpets instantly struck up and were accompanied by the ministers and all the soldiers in the army. To this succeeded a hymn made by Gustavus himself. The word given by the king for that day was, "God be with us."

FREDERICK THE GREAT.

THIS monarch was, in many points, a master of court policy. He frequently checked, by gentle, yet effectual means, the almost impertinent

impertinent curiosity of foreign ministers. About the latter part of his reign these gentlemen were exerting all their political intrigues to spy out the true state of his health, Once, when Fre derick was really very well, he bid his servants look sorrowful, shrug up their shoulders, and answer nothing, when they should be asked how the king did. The order was so strict that none dared to disobey. The French ambassador, Marquis de Pons, sent as usual his secret emissaries to enquire after the king's health. The servants acted their parts well. The marquis directly wrote to his sovereign" that the king of Prussia was so very ill, that before his dispatch reached Versailles he would be no more!" The letter came to Lewis's hands the end of the year 1782;--and the day he received the new-year's compliments before the whole court, he said, "I can give you information that grieves me: the greatest man in Europe is dead! I have got secret intelligence that the king of Prussia is no more." Some courtiers replied, that the Prussian ambassador knew nothing of the event: but Lewis maintained the authenticity of his information. At the very time this was passing at Versailles, Frederick arrived at Berlin, and was studious to shew himself in public. The Marquis de Pons stood petrified, and was at last obliged to write home to his court, confessing that he had been deceived.

Frederick had but an indifferent opinion of the character of an ambassador, and thought it mattered little what his abilities were. "He is a letter-carrier," he would say, "whose business is to deliver his instructions and get the answer." He thought that the success of a negotiation depended less on the capacity of such letter-carrier, than on a concourse of fortuitous events.

SIR ANDREW MITCHEL.

FREDERICK the Great is reported never to have esteemed any foreign minister so much as the British Ambassador, Sir Andrew Mitchel. This brave man followed him through the whole of the seven years' war, and often stood by his side in the bloodiest battles. Near Zorndorf he was close to the king, when he attacked the formidable square formed by the Russian army under General Fermer. The Russians fired with grape-shot upon the very spot Frederick and Mitchel were standing. The king turned instantly to him, and said, "My dear Mitchel, this is not your place. "Is it your's, Sire," answered Mitchel, "I am sent to your Majesty, and my place is wherever you are pleased to

be."

The day before the glorious battle of Liegniz, fought at so critical a period, Frederick entreated his friend Mitchel, as Catu did his in Utica, to withdraw from the field. The Englishman burnt all his papers, for he thought all lost; but he left not the king; who, by a complete victory over Laudon, rescued himself from impending ruin.

LITERATURE.

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