not charmed even by its least skilful sounds?

(C. 15.)

Tes. "Well, then! what think you of "the comfort of lying, awake and unwell, "in bed, at night,-wishing anxiously to "know the hour,-and hour after hour, "for half the night, being by one little "incident or another, hindered from it, "by counting the sounds of the clock, or distinguishing the imperfect articu"lation of the watchman?"

Chear. Even this is, in truth, a comfort.-Awake and unwell in bed, one particularly wants something that may fix attention, and so amuse the mind. The feverishness, the indisposition of the mind to levity, and its temporary incapacity of serious meditation, with the absence of all the ordinary means of amusement in the light, leave it in a destitution of resources to divert ennui, by which the fever is con-. tinually augmented. But as soon as it gets an exterior object of attention, the fever is relieved. Watching to count the

hours, it is diverted from preying upon.

itself: it settles into a state of comparative composure; and by the effect of this, it subsides, at last, into sleep. Does the striking of the hour elude one's vigilance a first time? Attention is renewed till, either the hour is satisfactorily counted, or sleep ensues. In either case, there is a gain of ease, of comfort, to him whose sleeplessness put him upon such an éxpedient. Every one, who has ever been in the situation, knows the truth of this.You yourself, Mr. Testy, must, assuredly have felt it. Your physician, if you chuse to consult him, will tell you the same thing as I.

Sen. On my life, I believe, you are in the right.-How I envy you, this art of yours, by which you so constantly convert the driest bones into rich portable soup; extract a precious spirit out of tinder and old rags; change verjuice into capillaire; and deprive the nauseous, the noisome, the rough, the discordant, of all their native power to annoy the senses!

Tes. But, it is now late in the morning:

COMFORTS OF LONDON,

101

and an engagement calls me away. Shall we meet and renew the conversation tomorrow?

Sen. Most gladly! I am desirous to have the opinion of our friends in regard to the comforts of every department of human life and affairs?

Chear. Merry-We will chearfully meet you. We shall esteem it the greatest happiness of life, if we can only restore to our old friends, that which appears to us to be the native tone of the feelings, fancy, and senses of man.

Tes. To-morrow, then, you shall take a family dinner with me at Highgate, Sen. &c.-Agreed!

M

COMFORTS OF HUMAN LIFE.

DIALOGUE THE FOURTH.

COMFORTS OF SPORTS AND GAMES.

Sensitive, Testy, Chearful, and Merryfellow.

Scene-TESTY'S HOUSE AT HIGHGATE.

Testy.

WELCOME! Welcome to Highgate, my friends! You are late.-I have been in eager expectation of you, these two hours. I almost imagined, that my old cook-maid was to have toiled and broiled herself in vain, in getting ready a dinner for you.I began to fear, that you were going to enable me to add to the other Comforts of Life, that of being disappointed of an expected Dialogue about its Comforts.

Merry. Oh! Sir! I must intreat your pardon. I am solely to blame. I had been reading, before breakfast, the printed Dialogue between you and Mr. Sensitive, on the Miseries of Sports and Games.-I was willing to convince Sensitive, that he had mistaken in suffering himself to be persuaded, that Misery could so poison the best cates of felicity which ingenuity can provide for remedies against sorrow and care.-An Advertisement in the Morning Newspapers told us, that a grand cricket match was, this forenoon, to be played in Lord's grounds. I asked him and Chearful to pass that way,-that they might witness the gay excitement of spirits, the brisk, light exertion, and the play of lively, vigorous health, with which the contest of the game was pursued. They have beheld it.

Sen. Would, that I had been one among the Cricketers!

Chear. It is a game I have often played→ Even now, I retain strength, activity and spirits not unequal to it.

Tes. The time has been when I could