his life affords, then are we miferable indeed; if we are born only to look about us, repine and die, then has Heaven been guilty of injuftice. If this life terminates my existence, I defpife the bleffings of Providence, and the wifdom of the giver; if this life be my all, let the following epitaph be written on the tomb of Altangi: By my father's crimes I received this; by my own crimes I bequeath it to pofterity!

YET, while I fometimes lament the case of humanity, and the depravity of human nature, there now and then appear gleams, of greatnefs that ferve to relieve the eye, oppreffed with the hideous profpect; and refemble thofe cultivated fpots that are fometimes found in the midst of an Afiatic wildernefs. I fee many fuperior excellences among the English, which it is not in the power of all their follies to hide: I fee virtues, which in other countries are known only to a few, practifed here by every rank of people.

I know not whether it proceeds from their fuperior opulence that the English are more charitable than the rest of mankind; whether, by being poffeffed of all the conveniences of life themfelves, they have more leisure to perceive the uneafy fituation of the diftreffed; whatever be the motive, they are not only the moft charitable of any other nation, but moft judicious in diftinguishing the propereft objects of compaffion.

In other countries the giver is generally influenced by the immediate impulfe of pity; his generofity is exerted as much to relieve his own uneafy fenfations, as to comfort the object in diftrefs. In England benefactions are of a more general nature. Some men of fortune and univerfal benevolence propose the proper objects; the wants and the merits of the petitioners are canvaffed by the people; neither paffion nor pity find a place in the cool difcuffion; and charity is then only exerted when it has received the approbation of reafon.

A late inftance of this finely-directed benevolence forces itself strongly on my imagination; that it in a manner reconciles me to pleafure, and once more makes me the univerfal friend of man.

The English and French have not only political reasons to induce them to mutual hatred, but often the more prevailing motive of private intereft to widen the breach. A war between other countries is carried on collectively; army fights against army, and a man's own private refentment is loft in that of the community; but in England and France the individuals of each country plunder each other at 'fea without redrefs, and confequently feel that animofity against each other which paffengers do at a robber. They have for fome time carried on an expenfive war; and feveral captives have been taken on both fides: thofe made prifoners by the French have been used with cruelty, and guarded with unneceffary caution; those taken by the English, being much more numerous, were confined in the ordinary manner; and, not being released by their countrymen, began to feel all thofe inconveniences which arife from want of covering and long confinement.

Their countrymen were informed of their deplorable fituation; but they, more intent on annoying their enemies than relieving their friends, refufed the leaft affiftance. The English now faw thousands

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of their fellow-creatures ftarving in every prifon, forfaken by those whofe duty it was to protect them, labouring with disease, and without cloaths to keep off the feverity of the feafon. National benevolence prevailed over national animofity; their prifoners were indeed enemies, but they were enemies in diftrefs; they ceased to be hateful, when they no longer continued to be formidable: forgetting, therefore, their national hatred, the men who were brave enough to conquer, were generous enough to forgive; and they, whom all the world feemed to have difclaimed, at last found pity and redress from those they attempted to fubdue. A subscription was opened, ample charities collected, proper neceffaries procured, and the poor gay fons of a merry nation were once more taught to refume their former gaiety.

When I caft my eye over the lift of those who contributed on this occafion, I find the names almoft entirely English; fcarcely one foreigner appears among the number. It was for Englishmen alone to be capable of fuch exalted virtue. I own, I cannot look over this catalogue of good men and philofophers without thinking better of myself, because it makes me entertain a more favourable opinion of mankind. I am particularly ftruck with one who writes these words upon the paper that enclosed his benefaction: The mite of an Englishman, a citizen of the world, to Frenchmen, prisoners of war, and naked. I only wish that he may find as much pleasure from his virtues, as I have done in reflecting upon them; that alone will amply reward him. Such an one, my friend, is an honour to human nature; he makes no private diftinctions of party; all that are ftamped with the divine image of their Creator are friends to him; he is a native of the world; and the emperor of China may be proud that he has fuch a countryman.

To

To rejoice at the deftruction of our enemies is a foible grafted upon human nature, and we must be permitted to indulge it: the true way of atoning for fuch an ill-founded pleasure, is thus to turn our triumph into an act of benevolence, and to teftify our own joy by endeavouring to banish anxiety from others.

Hamti, the best and wifeft emperor that ever filled the throne, after having gained three fignal victories over the Tartars, who had invaded his dominions, returned to Nankin in order to enjoy the glory of his conqueft. After he had refted for fome days, the people, who are naturally fond of proceffions, impatiently expected the triumphant entry, which emperors upon fuch occafions were accuftomed to make their murmurs came to the emperor's ear; he loved his people, and was willing to do all in his power to fatisfy their juft defires. He therefore affured them, that he intended, upon the next feaft of the Lanthorns, to exhibit one of the moft glorious triumphs that had ever been feen in China.

The people were in raptures at his condefcenfion; and on the appointed day, affembled at the gates of the palace with the moft eager expectations. Here they waited for fome time without feeing any of those preparations which usually precede a pageant. The lanthorn, with ten thousand tapers, was not yet brought forth; the fire-works, which ufually covered the city walls, were not yet lighted; the people once more began to murmur at this delay; when in the midft of their impatience, the palace-gates flew open, and the emperor himself appeared; not in fplendour or magnificence, but in an ordinary habit, followed by the blind, the maimed, and the ftrangers of the city, all in new cloaths, and each carrying in his hand money enough to fupply his neceffities for the year. The people were at first amazed, but VOL. III.

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foon

foon perceived the wisdom of their king, who taught them, that to make one man happy, was more truly great than having ten thoufand captives groaning at the wheels of his chariot. Adieu.

WHATEVER may be the merits of the English in other fciences, they feem peculiarly excellent in the art of healing. There is fcarcely a diforder incident to humanity, against which they are not poffeffed with a moft infallible antidote. The profeffors of other arts confefs the inevitable intricacy of things; talk with doubt, and decide with hefitation; but doubting is entirely unknown in medicine; the advertising profeffors here delight in cafes of difficulty: be the diforder never fo defperate or radical, you will find numbers in every ftreet, who, by leveling a pill at the part affected, promife a certain cure without lofs of time, knowledge of a bedfellow, or hindrance of business.

When I confider the affiduity of this profeffion, their benevolence amazes me. They not only in general give their medicines for half value, but ufe the moft perfuafive remonftrances to induce the fick to come and be cured. Sure there moft be fomething ftrangely obftinate in an English patient, whơ refules fo much health upon fuch eafy terms: does he take a pride in being bloated with a dropfy? does he find pleasure in the alternations of an intermittent fever? or feel as much fatisfaction in nurfing up