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the Persians, they make a splendid figure everywhere but at home. The proverb of Xixofou is, that a man's riches may be seen in his eyes: if we judge of the English by this rule, there is not a poorer nation under the sun.

I have been here but two days, so will not be hasty in my decisions. Such letters as I shall write to Fipsihi in Moscow I beg you'll endeavour to forward with all diligence; I shall send them open, in order that you may take copies or translations, as you are equally versed in the Dutch and Chinese languages. Dear friend, think of my absence with regret, as I sincerely regret yours; even while I write, I lament our separation.-Farewell.

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THINK not, O thou guide of my youth! that absence can impair my respect, or interposing trackless deserts blot your reverend figure from my memory. The farther I travel I feel the pain of separation with stronger force; those ties that bind me to my native country and you are still unbroken. By every remove I only drag a greater length of chain.

Could I find ought worth transmitting from so remote a region as this to which I have wandered, I should gladly send it; but, instead of this, you must be content with a renewal of my former professions, and an imperfect account of a people with whom I am as yet but superficially acquainted. The remarks of a man who has been but three days in the country can only be those obvious circumstances which force themselves upon the imagination. I consider myself here as a newly created being introduced into a new world. Every object strikes with wonder and surprise. The imagination, still unsated, seems the only active principle of the mind. The most trifling occurrences give pleasure, till the gloss of novelty is worn away. When I have ceased to wonder, I may possibly grow wise; I may then call the reasoning principle to my aid, and compare those

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objects with each other, which were before examined without reflection.

Behold me, then, in London, gazing the strangers, and they at me. It seem they find somewhat absurd in my figur and had I never been from home, it possible I might find an infinite fund ridicule in theirs: but by long travellin I am taught to laugh at folly alone, and find nothing truly ridiculous but villain and vice.

When I had just quitted my nati country, and crossed the Chinese wall, fancied every deviation from the custor and manners of China was a departing fro nature. I smiled at the blue lips and re foreheads of the Tonguese; and cou hardly contain when I saw the Daur dress their heads with horns: the Ostia muck beauties, tricked out in all the fine powdered with red earth; and the Ca of sheepskin, appeared highly ridiculou But I soon perceived that the ridicule 1 not in them, but in me; that I falsely co demned others for absurdity, because th happened to differ from a standard o ginally founded in prejudice or partiali

I find no pleasure, therefore, in taxi the English with departing from nature their external appearance, which is all yet know of their character: it is possit they only endeavour to improve her simp plan, since every extravagance in dr proceeds from a desire of becoming m beautiful than nature made us; and t is so harmless a vanity, that I not or pardon, but approve it. A desire to more excellent than others is what actua makes us so; and as thousands find a l lihood in society by such appetites, n but the ignorant inveigh against them.

You are not insensible, most revere Fum Hoam, what numberless trades, e among the Chinese, subsist by the har less pride of each other. Your nose-bore feet-swathers, teeth-stainers, eyebro pluckers, would all want bread, sho their neighbours want vanity. ΤΗ vanities, however, employ much fe hands in China than in England; am fine gentleman or a fine lady here, dres up to the fashion, seems scarcely to h a single limb that does not suffer sc distortions from art.

To make a fine gentleman several trades re required, but chiefly a barber. You ave undoubtedly heard of the Jewish hampion, whose strength lay in his hair. One would think that the English were for Jacing all wisdom there. To appear wise othing more is requisite here than for a nan to borrow hair from the heads of all ais neighbours, and clap it like a bush on isown The distributors of law and physicstick on such quantities, that it is almost mpossible, even in idea, to distinguish between the head and the hair.

Those whom I have now been describing affect the gravity of the lion; those I am guing to describe more resemble the pert vivacity of smaller animals. The barber, who is still master of the ceremonies, cuts their hair close to the crown; and then, with a composition of meal and hog's-lard, plasters the whole in such a manner as to make it impossible to distinguish whether the patient wears a cap or a plaster: but, tomake the picture more perfectly striking, Cceive the tail of some beast, a greybani's tail, or a pig's tail, for instance, spended to the back of the head, and reching down to the place where tails in ther animals are generally seen to begin: the betailed and bepowdered, the man of tate fancies he improves in beauty, dresses his hard-featured face in smiles, and Cempts to look hideously tender. Thus equipped, he is qualified to make love, hopes for success more from the powon the outside of his head than the timents within.

Yet when I consider what sort of a creature the fine lady is to whom he is supposed pay his addresses, it is not strange to find A thus equipped in order to please. She s herself every whit as fond of powder, and Bus, and hog's-lard, as he. To speak my Bret sentiments, most reverend Fum, the des here are horribly ugly; I can hardly ure the sight of them; they no way semble the beauties of China: the Lropeans have a quite different idea of ty from us. When I reflect on the all-footed perfections of an Eastern auty, how is it possible I should have res for a woman whose feet are ten inches ng? I shall never forget the beauties of y native city of Nangfew. How very

broad their faces! how very short their noses! how very little their eyes! how very thin their lips! how very black their teeth! the snow on the tops of Bao is not fairer than their cheeks; and their eyebrows are small as the line by the pencil of Quamsi. Here a lady with such perfections would be frightful. Dutch and Chinese beauties, indeed, have some resemblance, but English women are entirely different: red cheeks, big eyes, and teeth of a most odious whiteness, are not only seen here, but wished for; and then they have such masculine feet, as actually serve some for walking!

Yet, uncivil as nature has been, they seem resolved to outdo her in unkindness: they use white powder, blue powder, and black powder for their hair, and a red powder for the face on some particular occasions.

They like to have the face of various colours, as among the Tartars of Koreki, frequently sticking on, with spittle, little black patches on every part of it, except on the tip of the nose, which I have never seen with a patch. You'll have a better idea of their manner of placing these spots when I have finished a map of an English face patched up to the fashion, which shall shortly be sent to increase your curious collection of paintings, medals, and monsters.

But what surprises more than all the rest is what I have just now been credibly informed of by one of this country. "Most ladies here," says he, "have two faces; one face to sleep in, and another to show in company. The first is generally reserved for the husband and family at home; the other put on to please strangers abroad: the family face is often indifferent enough, but the out-door one looks something better; this is always made at the toilet, where the looking-glass and toad-eater sit in council, and settle the complexion of the day."

I cannot ascertain the truth of this remark: however, it is actually certain, that they wear more clothes within doors than without; and I have seen a lady, who seemed to shudder at a breeze in her own apartment, appear half naked in the streets.-Farewell.

LETTER IV.

To the same.

THE English seem as silent as the Japanese, yet vainer than the inhabitants of Siam. Upon my arrival I attributed that reserve to modesty, which, I now find, has its origin in pride. Condescend to address them first, and you are sure of their acquaintance; stoop to flattery, and you conciliate their friendship and esteem. They bear hunger, cold, fatigue, and all the miseries of life, without shrinking; danger only calls forth their fortitude; they even exult in calamity but contempt is what they cannot bear. An Englishman fears contempt more than death; he often flies to death as a refuge from its pressure; and dies when he fancies the world has ceased to esteem him.

Pride seems the source not only of their national vices, but of their national virtues also. An Englishman is taught to love his king as his friend, but to acknowledge no other master than the laws which himself has contributed to enact. He despises those nations who, that one may be free, are all content to be slaves; who first lift a tyrant into terror, and then shrink under his power as if delegated from Heaven. Liberty is echoed in all their assemblies: and thousands might be found ready to offer up their lives for the sound, though perhaps not one of all the number understands its meaning. The lowest mechanic, however, looks upon it as his duty to be a watchful guardian of his country's freedom, and often uses a language that might seem haughty even in the mouth of the great emperor who traces his ancestry to the Moon.

A few days ago, passing by one of their prisons, I could not avoid stopping, in order to listen to a dialogue which I thought might afford me some entertainment. The conversation was carried on between a debtor through the grate of his prison, a porter, who had stopped to rest his burden, and a soldier at the window. The subject was upon a threatened invasion from France, and each seemed extremely anxious to rescue his country from the impending danger. "For my part," cries the prisoner, 'the greatest of my apprehensions is for

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our freedom; if the French should conqu what would become of English libery My dear friends, liberty is the Englishma prerogative; we must preserve that at i expense of our lives; of that the Fren shall never deprive us. It is not to be pected that men who are slaves themselv would preserve our freedom should th happen to conquer."-" Ay, slaves," cr the porter, "they are all slaves, fit only carry burdens, every one of them. Befc I would stoop to slavery may this be 1 poison! (and he held the goblet in 1 hand,) may this be my poison!-but would sooner list for a soldier."

The soldier, taking the goblet from 1 friend with much awe, fervently cried o "It is not so much our liberties, as our ❘ligion, that would suffer by such a chang ay, our religion, my lads. May the de sink me into flames, (such was the sole nity of his adjuration,) if the French shot come over, but our religion would utterly undone !"—So saying, instead a libation, he applied the goblet to lips, and confirmed his sentiments w a ceremony of the most perseveri devotion.

In short, every man here pretends to a politician; even the fair sex are son times found to mix the severity of nation altercation with the blandishments of lo and often become conquerors by m weapons of destruction than their eyes.

This universal passion for politics gratified by daily gazettes, as with us China. But as in ours the emperor deavours to instruct his people, in the the people endeavour to instruct administration. You must not, howev imagine, that they who compile the papers have any actual knowledge of politics, or the government, of a sta they only collect their materials from oracle of some coffeehouse, which on has himself gathered them the night be from a beau at a gaming-table, who pillaged his knowledge from a great m porter, who has had his information f the great man's gentleman, who has vented the whole story for his own am ment the night preceding.

The English, in general, seem for of gaining the esteem than the lov

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What they want, however, in gaiety, hey make up in politeness. You smile at hearing me praise the English for their politeness; you who have heard very different accounts from the missionaries at Pekin, who have seen such a different behaviour in their merchants and seamen at home. But I must still repeat it, the English seen more polite than any of their neighbours: their great art in this respect lies in Endeavouring, while they oblige, to lessen the force of the favour. Other countries are fond of obliging a stranger; but sem desirous that he should be sensible of the obligation. The English confer the kindness with an appearance of indiference, and give away benefits with air as if they despised them.

Walking, a few days ago, between an English and a French man, into the suburbs the city, we were overtaken by a heavy dower of rain. I was unprepared; but they had each large coats, which defended tem from what seemed to me a perfect adation. The Englishman, seeing me tak from the weather, accosted me thus: *Fsha, man, what dost shrink at? Here, ake this coat; I don't want it; I find it way useful to me; I had as lief be bout it." The Frenchman began to to his politeness in turn. "My dear rad," cries he, "why won't you oblige by making use of my coat? you see ow well it defends me from the rain; T should not choose to part with it to whers, but to such a friend as you I ad even part with my skin to do him

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LETTER V.

To the same.

I HAVE already informed you of the singular passion of this nation for politics. An Englishman, not satisfied with finding, by his own prosperity, the contending powers of Europe properly balanced, desires also to know the precise_value of every weight in either scale. To gratify this curiosity, a leaf of political instruction is served up every morning with tea: when our politician has feasted upon this, he repairs to a coffeehouse, in order to ruminate upon what he has read, and increase his collection; from thence he proceeds to the ordinary, inquires what news, and treasuring up every acquisition there, hunts about all the evening in quest of more, and carefully adds it to the rest. Thus at night he retires home, full of the important advices of the day when lo! awaking next morning, he finds the instructions of yesterday a collection of absurdity or palpable falsehood. This one would think a mortifying repulse in the pursuit of wisdom; yet our politician, no way discouraged, hunts on, in order to collect fresh materials, and in order to be again disappointed.

I have often admired the commercial spirit which prevails over Europe; have been surprised to see them carry on a traffic with productions that an Asiatic stranger would deem entirely useless. It is a proverb in China that an European suffers not even his spittle to be lost; the maxim, however, is not sufficiently strong, since they sell even their lies to great advantage. Every nation drives a considerable trade in this commodity with their neighbours.

An English dealer in this way, for instance, has only to ascend to his workhouse, and manufacture a turbulent speech averred to be spoken in the senate; or a report supposed to be dropped at court; a piece of scandal that strikes at a popular mandarine; or a secret treaty between two neighbouring powers. When finished, these goods are baled up, and consigned to a factor abroad, who sends in return two battles, three sieges, and a shrewd letter

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stars *** of great importance. Thus you perceive that a single gazette is the joint manufacture of Europe; and he who would peruse it with a philosophical eye might perceive in every paragraph something characteristic of the nation to which it belongs. A map does not exhibit a more distinct view of the boundaries and situation of every country, than its news does a picture of the genius and the morals of its inhabitants. The superstition and erroneous delicacy of Italy, the formality of Spain, the cruelty of Portugal, the fears of Austria, the confidence of Prussia, the levity of France, the avarice of Holland, the pride of England, the absurdity of Ireland, and the national partiality of Scotland, are all conspicuous in every page.

But, perhaps, you may find more satisfaction in a real newspaper, than in my description of one; I therefore send a specimen, which may serve to exhibit the manner of their being written, and distinguish the characters of the various nations which are united in its composition.

NAPLES.-We have lately dug up here a curious Etruscan monument, broke in two in the raising. The characters are scarce visible; but Nugosi, the learned antiquary, supposes it to have been erected in honour of Picus, a Latin king, as one of the lines may be plainly distinguished to begin with a P. It is hoped this discovery will produce something valuable, as the literati of our twelve academies are deeply engaged in the disquisition.

PISA. Since Father Fudgi, prior of St. Gilbert's, has gone to reside at Rome, no miracles have been performed at the shrine of St. Gilbert: the devout begin to grow uneasy, and some begin actually to fear that St. Gilbert has forsaken them with the reverend father.

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turn these debates may take time can discover. However, certain it is shall be able to bring into the field, att opening of the next campaign, sever five armed men, a commander-in-ch and two drummers of great experience SPAIN. Yesterday the new king show himself to his subjects, and, after hav stayed half an hour in his balcony, reti to the royal apartment. The night c cluded, on this extraordinary occasi with illuminations and other demonst tions of joy.

The queen is more beautiful than rising sun, and reckoned one of the f wits in Europe. She had a glorious opp tunity of displaying the readiness of invention and her skill in repartee lat at court. The Duke of Lerma coming to her with a low bow and a smile, presenting a nosegay set with diamon

Madam," cries he, "I am your m obedient humble servant."-"O sir,' plies the queen, without any prompter the least hesitation, "I'm very proud of very great honour you do me." U which she made a low courtesy, and all courtiers fell a-laughing at the readin and the smartness of her reply.

LISBON.-Yesterday we had an a da fé, at which were burned three yo women accused of heresy, one of th of exquisite beauty, two Jews, and an woman, convicted of being a witch: of the friars who attended this last repo that he saw the devil fly out of he the stake in the shape of a flame of The populace behaved on this occas with great good-humour, joy, and sin devotion.

Our merciful sovereign has been some time past recovered of his frig though so atrocious an attempt deser to exterminate half the nation, yet has been graciously pleased to spare lives of his subjects, and not above hundred have been broke upon the wh or otherwise executed, upon this ho occasion.

VIENNA. We have received cer advices that a party of twenty thous Austrians, having attacked a much sup body of Prussians, put them all to and took the rest prisoners of war.

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