Numberless were the migrations of the defperate and enterprizing of this country, to people the defolate dominions lately poffeffed by the Tartar; between thefe colonies and the mother country, a very advantageous traffic was at firft carried on; the republic fent their colonies large quantities of the manufactures of the country, and they in return provided the republic with an equivalent in ivory and ginseng. By this means the inhabitants became immenfely rich, and this produced an equal degree of voluptuoufnefs; for men who have much money will always find fome fantaftical modes of enjoyment. How shall I mark the steps by which they declined! Every colony, in procefs of time, fpreads over the whole country where it firit was planted. As it grows more populous, it becomes more polite; and thofe manufactures for which it was in the beginuing obliged to others, it learns to drefs up itself: fuch was the cafe with the colonies of Lao; they in lefs than a century became a powerful and a polite people; and the more polite they grew, the lefs advantageous was the commerce which ftill fubfitted between them and others. By this means the mother country, being abridged in it's commerce, grew poorer, but not lefs luxurious. Their former wealth had introduced luxury; and wherever luxury once fixes, no art can either leffen or remove it. Their commerce with their neighbours was totally destroyed; and that with their colonies was every day naturally and neceffarily declining; they still, however, preferved the infolence of wealth, without a power to fupport it; and perfevered in being luxurious, while contemptible from poverty. In fhort, the itate refembled one of those bodies

bloated with disease, whofe bulk is only a fymptom of it's wretchednefs.

Their former opulence only rendered them more impotent, as thofe individuals who are reduced from riches to poverty, are of all men the most unfortunate and helplets. They had imagined, becaufe their colonies tended to make them rich upon the first acquifition, they would still continue to do fo; they now found, however, that on themfelves alone they should have depended for fupport; that colonies ever afforded but temporary affluence, and when cultivated and polite are no longer useful. From fuch a concurrence of circumtances they foon became contemptible. The Emperor Honti invaded them with a powerful army. Hiftorians do not fay whether their colonies were too remote to lend affiftance, or elfe were defirous of thaking off their dependance: but certain it is, they fcarce made any refiftance; their walls were now found but a weak defence; and they at length were obliged to acknowledge fubjection to the empire of China.

Happy, very happy, might they have heen, had they known when to bound their riches and their glory. Had they known, that extending empire is often diminishing power; that countries are ever ftrongest which are internally powerful; that colonies, by draining away the brave and enterprizing, leave the country in the hands of the timid and the avaricious; that walls give little protection, unless manned with refolution; that too much commerce may injure a nation as well as too little; and that there is a wide difference between a conquering and a flourish ng empire. Adieu.

TH HOUGH fond of many acquaint ances, I defire an intimacy only

with a few. The man in black whom I have often mentioned, is one whofe friendship I could with to acquire, because he poffeffes my efteem. His manners, it is true, are tinctured with fome ftrange inconfiftencies; and he may be justly termed an humourist in a nation

of humourifts. Though he is generous even to profufion, he affects to be thought a prodigy of parfimony and prudence; though his converfation be replete with the most fordid and selfish maxims, his heart is dilated with the most unbounded love. I have known him profess himself a man-hater, while his cheek was glowing with compaffion; and while

his looks were foftened into pity, I have heard him ufe the language of unbounded ill nature. Some affect humanity and tenderness, others boast of having fuch difpofitions from Nature; but he is the only man I ever knew who seemed athamed of his natural benevolence. He takes as much pains to hide his feelings as any hypocrite would to conceal his indifference; but on every unguarded moment the mafk drops off, and reveals him to the most fuperficial obferver.

In one of our late excurfions into the country, happening to difcourfe upon the provifion that was made for the poor in England, he feemed amazed how any of his countrymen could be fo foolishly weak as to relieve occafional objects of charity, when the laws had made fuch ample provifion for their fupport. In every parish houfe,' fays he, the poor are fupplied with food, cloaths, fire, and a bed to lie on; they want no more, I defire no more myfelf; yet ftill they feem difcontented. I'm furprized at the inactivity of our magiftrates, in not taking up fuch vagrants who are only a weight upon the induftrious; I'm furprized that the people are found to relieve them, when they must be at the fame time fenfible that it, in fome meafure, encourages idlenefs, extravagance, and impofture. Were I to advise any man for whom I had the leaft regard, I would caution him by all means not to be impofed upon by their false pretences: let me affure you, Sir, they are impoftors, every one of them; and rather merit a prison than relief."

ed to difcover his weaknefs to me. While he thus hefitated between compaffion and pride, I pretended to look another away, and he seized this opportunity of giving the poor petitioner a piece of filver, bidding him at the fame time, in order that I should not hear, go work for his bread, and not teaze paffengers with fuch impertinent falfhoods for the future.

He was proceeding in this ftrain earneftly, to diffuade me from an imprudence of which I am feldom guilty; when an old man, who ftill had about him the remnants of tattered finery, implored our compaffion. He affured us that he was no common beggar, but forced into the fhameful profeffion, to fupport a dying wife and five hungry children. Being prepoffeffed against fuch falfhoods, his flory had not the least influence upon me; but it was qu te otherwife with the man in black; I could fee it visibly operate upon his countenance, and effectually interrupt his harangue, I could easily perceive that his heart burned to relieve the ve arving children, but he seemed afham

As he had fancied himfelf quite un perceived, he continued, as we proceeded, to rail against beggars with as much animofity as before; he threw in fome epifodes on his own amazing prudence and œconomy, with his profound skill in difcovering impoftors; he explained the manner in which he would deal with beggars were he a magistrate, hinted at enlarging fome of the prifons for their reception, and told two stories of ladies that were robbed by beggarmen. He was beginning a third to the fame purpofe, when a failor with a wooden leg once more croffed our walks, defiring our pity, and bleffing our limbs. I was for going on without taking any notice, but my friend looking withfully upon the poor petitioner, bid me ftop, and he would thew me with how much eafe he could at any time detect an impoftor.

He now therefore affumed a look of importance, and in an angry tone began to examine the failor, demanding in what engagement he was thus difabled and rendered unfit for service. The failor replied in a tone as angrily as he, that he had been an officer on board a private fhip of war, and that he had loft his leg abroad in defence of those who did nothing at home. At this reply, all my friend's importance vanished in a moment; he had not a fingle queftion more to afk; he now only studied what method he should take to relieve him unobferved. He had however no easy part to act, as he was obliged to preferve the appearance of ill-nature before me, and yet relieve himself by relieving the faifor. Cafting therefore a furious look upon fome bundles of chips which the fellow carried in a ftring at his back, my friend demanded how he fold his matches; but not waiting for a reply, defired, in a furly tone, to have a thilling's worth. The failor feemed at first furprized at his demand, but foon recollected himself, and presenting his

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whole

whole bundle Here, mafter,' fays he, take all my cargo, and a bleffing into the bargain.'

It is impoffible to defcribe with what an air of triumph my friend marched off with his new purchase; he affured me that he was firmly of opinion that thofe fellows must have ftolen their goods, who could thus afford to fell them for half value; he informed me of feveral different ufes to which thofe chips might be applied; he expatiated largely upon the favings that would refult from lighting candles with a match instead of thrusting them into the fire. He averred, that he would as foon have parted with a tooth as his money to thofe vagabonds, unlefs for fome valuable confideration. I cannot tell how long this panegyric upon frugality and matches might have continued, had not his attention been called off by another object more diftrefsful than either of the former. A woman in rags, with one child in her arms, and another on her

A

back, was attempting to fing ballads, but with fuch a mournful voice that it was difficult to determine whether the was finging or crying. A wretch, who, in the deepest diftrefs ftill aimed at goodhumour, was an object my friend was by no means capable of withstanding: his vivacity and his discourse were inftantly interrupted; upon this occafion his very diffimulation had forfaken him. Even, in my prefence, he immediately applied his hands to his pockets, in or der to relieve her; but guess his confu fion, when he found he had already given away all the money he carried about him to former objects. The mifery painted in the woman's vifage was not half fo strongly expreffed as the agony in his. He continued to fearch for fome time, but to no purpofe, till, at length, recollecting himself, with a face of ineffable good nature, as he had no money, he put into her hands his fhilling's worth of matches.

S there appeared fomething reluctantly good in the character of my companion, I must own it surprized me what co libe his motives for thus concealing virtues which others take fuch pains to difplay. I was unable to reprefs my defire of knowing the history of a man who thus feemed to act under continual reftraint, and whofe benevolence was rather the effect of appetite than reafon.

It was not however till after repeated folicitations he thought proper to grati fy my curiofity. If you are fond,' fays he, of hearing "hair breadth

was all he wanted: the fame ambition that actuates a monarch at the head of an army, influenced my father at the • head of his table; he told the story of the Ivy Tree, and that was laughed at; he repeated the jeft of the Two Scholars and One Pair of Breeches, and the company laughed at that; but the story of Taffy in the Sedan Chair was fure to fet the table in a roar: thus his pleafure encreased in proportion to the pleasure he gave; he loved all the world, and he fancied all the world loved hira.

As his fortune was but finall, he lived up to the very extent of it; he had no intentions of leaving his children money, for that was drofs; he was refolved they fhould have learning, for learning, he ufed to obferve, was better than filver or gold. For this purpofe he undertook to inftru&t · us himself; and took as much pains to form our morals, as to improve our understanding. We were told that • univerfal benevolence was what first cemented fociety; we were taught to 'confider all the wants of mankind as

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