"filled with good things from one end to the other. "The author had nothing but the jeft in view; no "dull moral lurking beneath, nor ill-natured fatire "to four the reader's good-humour; he wifely con"fidered that moral and humour at the fame time "were quite over-doing the bufinefs." To what purpofe was the book then published? cried I. "Sir, the book was published in order to be fold; and no "book fold better, except the criticifms upon it, "which came out foon after; of all kinds of writings that goes off beft at prefent; and I generally "faften a criticifin upon every felling book that is published.

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"I once had an author who never left the leaft "opening for the critics; clofe was the word, always very right, and very dull, ever on the fafe "fide of an argument; yet, with all his qualifica❝tions, incapable of coming into favour. I foon "perceived that his bent was for criticifm; and as "he was good for nothing else, fupplied him with 66 pens and paper, and planted him at the beginning "of every month as a cenfor on the works of others. "In fhort, I found him a treasure, no merit could ❝efcape him but what is moft remarkable of all, "he ever wrote beft and bittereft when drunk.” But are there not fome works, interrupted I, that from the very manner of their compofition must be exempt from criticifm; particularly fuch as profefs to difregard its laws.

There is no work whatfoever but he can criticife," replied the book feller; even though you wrote in

Chinese he would have a pluck at you. Suppofe "you fhould take it into your head to publifh a book, "let it be a volume of Chinefe letters for inftance; write how you will, he fhall fhew the world you could have written better. Should you, with the moft local exactnefs, ftick to the manners and cuftoms of the country from whence you come; "" fhould

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fhould you confine yourself to the narrow limits "of Eastern knowledge, and be perfectly fimple, and perfectly natural, he has then the ftrongest ❝reason to exclaim. He He may with a fneer fend you "back to China for readers. He may observe, that "after the firft or second letter the iteration of the "fame fimplicity is infupportably tedious; but the "worst of all is, the publick in fuch a cafe will anticipate his cenfures, and leave you with all your un"inftructive fimplicity to be mauled at difcretion." Yes, cried I, but, in order to avoid his indignation, and what I should fear more, that of the publick, I would in fuch a cafe write with all the knowledge I was master of. As I am not possessed of much learning, at least I would not fupprefs what little I had; nor would I appear more stupid than Nature made me. "Here then," cries the bookfeller, we should "have you entirely in our power; unnatural, un"eaftern; quite out of character; erroneoufly fen"fible would be the whole cry; Sir, we fhould then you down like a rat." Head of my father! faid I, fure there are but the two ways; the door must either be fhut, or it must be open. I must either be natural or unnatural. "Be what you will, we fhall "criticife you," returned the bookfeller, "and prove you a dunce in fpite of your teeth. But, "Sir, it is time that I fhould come to bufinefs. "have juft now in the prefs an hiftory of China; ❝ and if you will but put your name to it as the au

"hunt

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I

thor, I fhall repay the obligation with gratitude." What, Sir, replied I, put my name to a work which I have not written! Never while I retain a proper reSpect for the publick and myself. The bluntnefs of my reply quite abated the ardour of the bookfeller's converfation; and, after about half an hour's difagreeable reserve, he with fome ceremony took his leave and withdrew.

Adieu.

LETTER

LETTER LI.

TO THE SAME.

IN all other countries, my dear Fum Hoam, the rich are diftinguifhed by their drefs. In Perfia, China, and most parts of Europe thofe who are poffeffed of much gold or filver, put fome of it upon their cloaths; but in England, thofe who carry much upon their cloaths, are remarked for having but little in their pockets. A tawdry outfide is regarded as a badge of poverty, and those who can fit at home, and glote over their thousands in filent fatisfaction, are generally found to do it in plain cloaths.

This diverfity of thinking from the rest of the world which prevails here, I was firft at a lofs to account for; but am fince informed that it was introduced by an intercourfe between them and their neighbours the French; who, whenever they came in order to pay thefe iflanders a vifit, were generally very well dreffed, and very poor, daubed with lace, but all the gilding on the outfide. By this means laced cloaths have been brought fo much into contempt, that at prefent even their mandarines are afhamed of finery.

I must own myself a convert to English fimplicity; I am no more for oftentation of wealth than of learning; the perfon who in company fhould pretend to be wifer than others, I am apt to regard as illiterate and ill-bred; the person whofe cloaths are extremely fine, I am too apt to confider as not being poffeffed of any fuperiority of fortune, but resembling thofe Indians who are found to wear all the gold they have in the world in a bob at the nofe.

I was lately introduced into a company of the beft-dreffed men I have feen fince my arrival. Upon entering the room, I was ftruck with awe at the grandeur of the different dreffes. That perfonage, thought I, in blue and gold, muft be fome emperor's fon; that in green and filver a prince of the blood; he in embroidered fcarlet a prime minifter, all firstrate noblemen, I fuppofe, and well-looking noblemen too. I fate for fome time with that uneafinefs which confcious inferiority produces in the ingenuous mind, all attention to their difcourfe. However, I found their converfation more vulgar than I could have expected from perfonages of fuch diftinction: if thefe, thought I to myfelf, be princes, they are the most stupid princes I have ever converfed with: yet ftill I continued to venerate their drefs; for drefs has a kind of mechanical influence on the mind.

My friend in black indeed did not behave with the fame deference, but contradicted the finest of them all in the most peremptory tones of contempt. But I had fcarcely time to wonder at the imprudence of his conduct, when I found occafion to be equally furprized at the abfurdity of theirs; for upon the entry of a middle-aged man, dreffed in a cap, dirty shirt and boots, the whole circle feemed diminished of their former importance, and contended who fhould be firft to pay their obeifance to the ftranger. They fomewhat refembled a circle of Kalmucs offering incenfe to a bear.

Eager to know the cause of so much seeming contradiction, I whispered my friend out of the room, and found that the auguft company confifted of no other than a dancing-inafter, two fiddlers, and a third-rate actor, all affembled in order to make a fet at country dances; as the middle-aged gentleman whom I faw enter was a fquire from the country, and defirous of learning the new manner of

footing,

footing, and fmoothing up the rudiments of his rural minuet.

I was no longer furprized at the authority which my friend affumed among them, nay, was even difpleafed (pardon my Eaftern education) that he had not kicked every creature of them down ftairs. "What," faid I, "fhall a fet of fuch paltry fel"lows dress themselves up like fons of kings, and "claim even the tranfitory refpect of half an hour! "There fhould be fome law to reftrain fo manifeft a "breach of privilege; they fhould go from houfe "to house, as in China, with the inftruments of "their prefeffion ftrung round their necks; by this "means we might be able to diftinguith and treat "them in a ftyle of becoming contempt." Hold, my friend, replied my companion, were your reformation to take place, as dancing-mafters and fiddlers now mimic gentlemen in appearance, we fhould then find our fine gentlemen conforming to theirs. A beau might be introduced to a lady of fashion with a fiddle-cafe hanging at his neck by a red ribbon; and, inftead of a cane, might carry a fiddleflick. Though to be as dull as a firft rate dancingmafter might be ufed with proverbial juftice; yet, dull as he is, many a fine gentleman fets him up as the proper ftandard of politenefs, copies not only the pert vivacity of his air, but the flat infipidity of his converfation. In fhort, if you make a law againft dancing-mafters imitating the fine gentleman, you should with as much reafon enact, that no fine gentleman fhall imitate the dancing-mafter.

After I had left my friend, I made toward home, reflecting as I went upon the difficulty of diftinguifhing men by their appearance. Invited, however, by the fre hnefs of the evening, I did not return directly, but went to ruminate on what had paffed in a public garden belonging to the city. Here, as I fat upon

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