ther the loudeft thunder, nor the moft angry tempeft, could perfuade the traveller to unbind his eyes. The dæmon directed his flight downwards, and fkimmed the furface of the ocean; a thousand voices, fome with loud invectives, others in the farcaftic tones of contempt, vainly endeavoured to perfuade him to look round; but he ftill continued to keep his eyes covered, and would in all probability have arrived at the happy land, had not flattery effected what other means could not perform. For now he heard himself welcomed on every fide to the promised land, and an univerfal fhout of joy was fent forth at his safe arrival; the wearied traveller, defirous of feeing the long-wifhed-for country, at length pulled the fillet from his eyes, and ventured to look round him. But he had unloofed the band too foon; he was not yet above half way over. The dæmon, who was ftill hovering in the air, and had produced thofe founds only in order to deceive, was now freed from his commiffion; wherefore throwing the aftonished traveller from his back, the unhappy youth fell headlong into the subjacent Ocean of Doubts, from whence he never after was feen to rife.

From Lien Chi Altangi, to Fum Hoam, first President of the Ceremonial Academy at Pekin, in China.

WHEN Parmenio, the Grecian, had done fomething which excited an univerfal fhout from the furrounding multitude, he was inftantly ftruck with the doubt, that what had their approbation must certainly

certainly be wrong; and turning to a philofopher who ftood near him, Pray, Sir, fays he, pardon me; I fear I have been guilty of fome abfurdity.

You know that I am not lefs than him a despiser of the multitude; you know that I equally deteft flattery to the great; yet fo many circumftances have concurred to give a luftre to the latter part of the prefent English monarch's reign, that I cannot withhold my contribution of praife; I cannot avoid the acknowledging the crowd for once juft, in their unanimous approbation.

Yet think not that battles gained, dominion extended, or enemies brought to fubmiflion, are the virtues which at prefent claim my admiration. Were the reigning monarch only famous for his victories, I fhould regard his character with indifference; the boaft of heroifm in this enlightened age is juftly regarded as a qualification of a very fubordinate rank, and mankind now begin to look with becoming horror on these foes to man; the virtue in this aged monarch which I have at present in view, is one of a much more exalted nature, is one of the most difficult of attainment, is the leaft praised of all kingly virtues, and yet deferves the greatest praife; the virtue I mean is JUSTICE; a ftrict adminiftration of juftice, without severity and without favour..

Of all virtues this is the moft difficult to be practifed by a king who has a power to pardon. All men, even tyrants themfelves, lean to mercy when unbiaffed by paffions or intereft, the heart naturally perfuades to forgiveness, and pursuing the dictates of this pleafing deceiver, we are led to prefer our private fatisfaction to public utility; what a thorough love for the publick, what a strong command over the paffions, what a finely-conducted judgment muft he poffefs, who opposes the dictates of reafon to thofe of his heart, and prefers the future intereft of his people to his own immediate fatisfaction.

If ftill to a man's own natural bias for tenderness, we add the numerous folicitations made by a criminal's friends for mercy; if we furvey a king not only oppofing his own feelings, but reluctantly refufing thofe he regards, and this to fatisfy the publick, whofe cries he may never hear, whofe gratitude he may never receive, this furely is true greatnefs! Let us fancy ourselves for a moment in this just old man's place, furrounded by numbers, all foliciting the fame favour, a favour that Nature difpofes us to grant, where the inducements to pity are laid before us in the ftrongeft light, fuppliants at our feet, fome ready to resent a refufal, none oppofing a compliance; let us, I fay, fuppofe ourfelves in such a fituation, and I fancy we fhould find ourselves more apt to act the character of good-natured men than of upright magiftrates.

What contributes to raise juftice above all other kingly virtues is, that it is feldom attended with a due fhare of applaufe, and those who practise it muft be influenced by greater motives than empty fame; the people are generally well pleafed with a remiffion of punishment, and all that wears the appearance of humanity; it is the wife alone who are capable of difcerning that impartial juftice is the trueft mercy: they know it to be very difficult, at once to compaffionate, and yet condemn an object that pleads for tenderness.

I have been led into this common-place train of thought by a late ftriking inftance in this country of the impartiality of juftice, and of the king's inflexible refolution of inflicting punithment where it was juftly due. A man of the first quality in a fit either of paffion, melancholy, or madnels, murdered his fervant; it was expected that his ftation in life would have leffened the ignominy of his punishment; however, he was arraigned, condemned, and underwent the fame degrading death with the meaneft VOL. III. malefactor.

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malefactor. It was well confidered that virtue alone is true nobility; and that he whofe actions fink him even beneath the vulgar, has no right to those diftinctions which fhould be the rewards only of merit; it was perhaps confidered that crimes were more heinous among the higher claffes of people, as neceffity expofes them to fewer temptations.

Over all the Eaft, even China not excepted, a perfon of the fame quality guilty of fuch a crime might, by giving up a fhare of his fortune to the judge, buy off his fentence; there are feveral countries even in Europe, where the fervant is entirely the property of his mafter; if a flave kills his lord, he dies by the moft excruciating tortures; but if the circumftances are reverfed, a fmall fine buys off the punishment of the offender. Happy the country where all are equal, and where thofe who fit as judges have too much integrity to receive a bribe, and too much honour to pity from a fimilitude of the prifoner's title or circunftances with their own. Such is England; yet think not that it was always equally famed for this ftrict impartiality. There was a time even here when title foftened the rigours of the law, when dignified wretches were fuffered to live, and continue for years an equal difgrace to juftice and nobility.

To this day, in a neighbouring country, the great are often moft fcandalously pardoned for the moft fcandalous offences. A perfon is ftill alive among them who has more than once deferved the moft ignominious feverity of juftice. His being of the blood royal, however, was thought a fufficient atonement for his being a difgrace to humanity. This remarkable perfonage took pleasure in fhooting at the paffengers below, from the top of his palace; and in this moft princely amufement he ufually spent fome time every day. He was at length arraigned by the friends of a person whom in this manner he

had

had killed, was found guilty of the charge, and condemned to die. His merciful monarch pardoned him in confideration of his rank and quality. The unrepenting criminal foon after renewed his ufual entertainment, and in the fame manner killed another man. He was a fecond time condemned; and, strange to think, a fecond time received his majesty's pardon! Would you believe it? believe it? A third time the very fame man was guilty of the very fame offence; a third time therefore the laws of his country found him guilty-I wish for the honour of humanity I could fupprefs the reft!-A third time he was pardoned ! Will you not think such a story too extraordinary for belief, will you not think me defcribing the favage inhabitants of Congo; alas, the ftory is but too true, and the country where it was tranfacted, regards itself as the politeft in Europe! Adieu.

From Lien Chi Altangi to ***, Merchant in
Amfterdam.

CEREMONIES are different in every country, but true politenefs is every where the fame. Ceremonies, which take up fo much of our attention, are only artificial helps which ignorance affumes, in order to imitate politenefs, which is the refult of good fenfe and good-nature. A person poffeffed of thofe qualities, though he had never feen a court, is truly agreeable; and if without them would continue a clown, though he had been all his life a gentleman usher.