monarch himself had given the example of in their suppers at Sans Souci, where they freely conversed in the absence of the king, although at the same table with him. And he concluded his keen, yet guarded, reproaches, with that inimitable fable of the "Town and Country Mouse." Yet, notwithstanding this appearance of resentment, the marquis D'Argens resolved to return to Frederick at the expiration of the stated period; but it cost him a severe struggle to determine on leaving Aix, to return to Berlin. It was to expose the remainder of his days to new scenes of vexation and disappointment, and shorten their duration. The agitated state of his mind, which this situation involved him in, produced the very effect he wished to have avoided, and he died without being able to fulfil his promise.

"In the midst of all these sufferings," says M. Thiebault, "he was detained at Bourg-en-Bresse by a long and very dangerous illness. The marchioness, whose whole care was devoted to him, never once thought of writing to the king, although the time of his leave of absence had expired. Frederick suspected him of wishing to deceive him. He sent to the marchioness's sister, and to all the members of the academy, with whom he was connected as the director, to know if they had not heard from him. And as he was informed, that no person had received any news of him, and that several months had passed without a letter either from the husband or the wife, the king's doubts were soon changed to certainty. His anger and his indignation were extreme. He despatched orders that very day to the different offices at which the salaries of the marquis were paid, strictly enjoining them to erase his name out of the publick books, and forbidding them to pay him any thing for the future. Sulzer, who received this order at the academy, thought it his duty to acquaint D'Argens, and in consc

quence of this determination, he prïvately gave a letter to a person who was going that way, and who promised to inquire for the marquis, and give him the letter if he should char.ce to meet him; if not, to address it under cover to the president D'Eguilles. The traveller found him at Bourg-enBresse, in a state of convalescence, and preparing to set off for Berlin. The letter produced an effect which might be expected. The old courtier was more irritated than afflicted. He wrote another, which was never made publick, but its contents may easily be guessed at, and immediately returned to his beloved retreat, from which he seldom went, except to make some few slight journeys through parts of Provence. It was in one of these excursions that he died at Toulouse, of an indigestion, on the 11th of January, 1771.

The publick journals and the wri, ters of the day have asserted, that the marquis D'Argens received the sacraments before his death; that he read the Bible during his last illness, and that he caused himself to be admitted as a member of a society of penitents. Facts, which but little ac cord with the character of a man, who, always occupied by religious chicanery, theological disputations, and discourses of incredulity, had, however, a strong predeliction in fayour of superstition, and the errours to which it gives rise.

In all that we have said here of the marquis D'Argens, we have scarcely made any mention of his works. They are, however, very numerous; but if we except "The Jewish Letters," or, as it was called in English, "The Jewish Spy," none of them appears to have given him any great title to Frederick's recommendation. And of all that he has written, his Memiors are at this day the most interesting, and offer an agreeable fund of amusement, which, at the same time makes you acquainted with both the men and the manners of the time in which he lived.

SUCH is the depravation of the human species, that it is often compelled to seek, beyond its own limits, as well the example as the habitual practice of the most necessary virtues. Would we possess an incorruptible guardian, a faithful and disinterested companion, a friend whom adversity cannot alienate, we must not turn to man, for if we do, we shall only excite useless regret: regret to think that we must efface these esti mable virtues from the history of society, or at most be content to recall peculiar instances, and admire them as something extraordinary, without, however, attempting to render them less rare.

But, on the contrary, a numerous species of animals present themselves, rich in the requisite gifts of sentiment, and happy in preserving them, without reserve, for the use of man, who too often only abuses them, and seldom ennobles them by appropriating them to himself. The proof which we have daily of the intelligence of dogs is, to every reflecting mind, a subject of astonish ment and admiration. And no feeling heart can be insensible to the marks of constancy and attachment which they unceasingly lavish on us.

"I have seen," says Montiagne, in his naïf but philosophick language, "a dog, conducting a blind man by the side of a ditch in the city, leave a plain and even path and take a worse, in order to remove his master from the ditch. How could this dog conceive that it was his office to watch only for the safety of his master, and despise his own convenience? And how could he know that the path, which was broad enough for himself, was yet too narrow for a blind man? How could he compre hend all this without ratiocination?" [Essais, liv. ii. ch. 12.]

What attachment can be compared to that of the dog, seen by all Paris in 1660, who remained during

VOL. IL.

many years upon the tomb of his master in the cemetery of the Innocents? In vain caresses were employed to induce him to quit the loved remains. Nothing could remove him from his post of fidelity and affliction Several times he was removed by force, and shut up at the extremity of the city but as soon as they loosened him, he returned to the spot which his constant affection had assigned to him, and where, exposed to the elements, he braved the rigour of the most severe winters. The inhabitants who resided near the spot, touched with the perseverance of this interesting animal, sup. plied him with food, which he seemed to receive only as the means of prolonging his grief, and the example of a fidelity truly heroical.

More recently, Valenciennes was the witness of a similar event An inhabitant of the city died. His dog followed him to the churchyard, and lay upon his tomb. Food was carried to him, which he refused to touch for three days. After having tried his fidelity by every means of enticement, a doghouse was built for him on the tomb, and he remained there for nine years without ever absenting himself more than twelve or fifteen paces from the spot, and he died then of old age and grief. [See Cours d'histoire naturelle, ou tableau de la Nature; Paris, 1770, tom. II. p. 103].

But it is not only with regard to its master that the dog develops all the superiority of its instinct. There are some to whom every human being is equally the object of his solici tude There exists, for example, upon the high mountains of the Alps a particular race of dogs, the sole destination of which is to seek for travellers who may have been involved in the snow, lost in the midst of the thick fogs which prevail there, or bewildered in impassable paths during the tempests of winter. The

monks of Mount St. Bernard, hospitable inhabitants of these frozen and almost inaccessible heights, never fail to send, every day in winter, a confidential servant, accompanied by two dogs, for the purpose of meeting with travellers on the side of the Valais as far as St. Pierre. The dogs follow the steps of the person (if any) who has lost his way, overtake him, bring him back, and thus snatch him from inevitable death.

The hair of this sort of dogs is white with black spots round the ears; and others, which are smaller and of a fawn colour, near the eyes.

It is about the size of a mastiff. Its long hair, its pointed snout, and almost all the qualities of its body approximate it to the species of the shepherd dog, from which it probably proceeded, by an intermixture, not very ancient, with the mastiff.

This race is also estimable as a watch dog; so that it unites the good qualities of its original stock; the intelligence of the shepherd dog; and the vigilance of our yard dogs.

In the species of animals which man has domesticated, or rather reduced to a state of servitude, nature often produces monsters, either by excess or defect. Of the latter sort I will here cite an example as a new proof of the perfection of instinct in the dog, and of the resources of nature. It was first communicated to the publick by M. Peret, jun. in the Journal du Physique, for the month of August 1770.

In the month of July 1768, a black spaniel bitch, with red spots, littered eight young ones. She was only allowed to keep four, and of these four it was discovered in a few days that one was deprived of the two

front paws. It was thought it would not live; but this defect of conformation did not prevent it from growing equally as fast and as strong as the others. And it was two years old when the following description of it was drawn up.

a

Two-legs, for so she was called, had considerable resemblance to the wolfdog; but the body was more elongated. Her hair was long, rather rough, and of a brown colour. She often carried her ears erect. Her tail was a good deal like that of the fox, not only in its form, but also in the manner in which she carried it.

he would caress very freely, and approached towards persons whom she knew, upon her two hind legs, which she held wide apart, and the toes very open. If she wished to advance quickly, she used the under part of her neck as a third leg to support herself with. She then proceeded with considerable velocity by suc cessive leaps and springs; but this constrained progression fatigued her very much. Her respiration seemed to be interrupted each time her neck touched the ground; and to save her head and nose from the blows which they were likely to receive, the muscles of the neck were always in a state of contraction, in order that the head might constantly be erect.

If Two-legs heard any noise, she immediately sat upright, even for a considerable time. If she wished to go up stairs, she effected it pretty easily by means of her neck; but to descend was absolutely impossible. In 1769, this extraordinary creature had six young ones, none of which were in any manner deformed.

NOT many miles from Castle Grant, I found a gentleman who was not displeased that a couple of eagles, whose nest I went to see regularly

every summer, built on a rock in the hill, not far from his house. There was a stone within a few yards of it, about six feet long, and nearly

as broad, and upon this stone, almost continually, but always when they [the eagles] had young, the gentleman and his servants found a number of muir fowl, partridges, hares, rabbits, ducks, snipes, ptarmacans, rats, mice, &c. and sometimes kids, fawns, and lambs. When the young eagles were able to hop the length of this stone, to which there was a narrow road, hanging over a dreadful precipice, as a cat brings live mice to her kittens, and teaches them to kill them, so the eagles, I learned, often brought hares and rabbits alive, and placing them before their young, taught them to kill and tear them to pieces. Sometimes, it seems, hares, rabbits, rats, &c. not being sufficiently tamed, got off from the young ones while they were amusing themselves with them; and one day, a rabbit got into a hole, where the old eagle could not find it. The eagle, one day, brought to her young ones the cub of a fox, which, after it had bit ten some of them desperately, attempted to escape up the hill, and would, in all probability, have accomplished it, had not the shepherd, who was watching the motion of the eagles, with a view to shoot them (which they do with bullets, swan-shot not being able to penetrate their feathers) prevented it. As the eagles kept what might be called an excellent larder, when any visiters surprised the gentleman, he was in the habit

of sending his servants to see what the eagles had to spare, and who scarcely ever returned without something good for the table. Game of all kinds, it is well known, is the better for being kept a considerable time.

When the gentleman or his servants carried off things from the cagle's shelf or table, near the nest (for it was next to impossible to approach the nest itself) the eagles were active in replenishing it; but when they did not take them away, the old ones loitered about inactive, amusing themselves with their young till the stock was nearly exhausted.

use.

When the hen eagle was hatching, the table or shelf of the rock was generally kept well furnished for her While the eagles were very young, her mate generally tore a wing from the fowls for her, and a leg from the beasts he frequently brought. Those eagles, as is generally the case with animals that are not gregarious, were faithful to one another, but would not permit any of their young to build a nest, or live near them, always driving them to a considerable distance. The eagles of this country are uncommonly large and voracious, and their claws are so long and strong, that they are used by young people as a horn, with a stopper, for holding snuff, and carried regularly in the pocket for that purpose.

SIR,

I HAVE long been in possession of an anecdote of one of the brute creation, which I send to you, not so much for the amusement of your readers, as that Mr. Bingley may, if he thinks it worthy, insert it in the next edition of his Animal Biography. It is strictly true, and would have appeared before, had it

been less extraordinary; for nothing but diffidence has hindered me from sending it. But recollecting that truth needs not to be ashamed, it is brought before the publick, and is as follows. Walking with a lady through some meadows between two villages, of the names of Upper and Lower Slaughter, in the county of Gloucester, the path

lay within about one hundred yards of a small brook. Many ewes and Jambs were in the meadow. We were about half way over it when a ewe came up to us and bleated very loudly, looking up in my face; and then ran off towards the brook. I could not help remarking this extraordinary behaviour; but my attention was particularly roused when she repeated it; and, bleating louder, seemed to wish to signify something in particular. She then ran off as before in the same direction, repeatedly looking behind her till she reached the brook, where she stood still. After standing to look at her some time, we continued our walk, and had nearly reached the gate that led into the next meadow, when she came running after us the third time, and seemed yet more earnest, if possible, than before. I then determined to endeavour to discover the motive for such singular behaviour. I followed

the ewe towards the brook; seeing me advance, she ran as fast as she was able, looking behind her several times; when we came to the brook; she peeped over the edge of a hillock, into the water, looked up in my face, and bleated with the most significant voice I ever heard from a quadruped, Judge of my surprise, when, on looking into the stream, I saw her lamb standing close under the hillock, with the water nearly over its back. I instantly drew it out, when the fond mother began to lick, and give it suck, and, looking up to me, uttered several sounds very different from those she had uttered before; and evidently expressing satisfaction and pleasure. I needed not those thanks; for I never performed one action in my life that gave me more unmixed pleasure; nor did ever brute appear more grateful. Your's &c.

J. COLLET.

FEEL your ground before you take a single step, and adapt yourself to your company. You may find yourself among a set of wretches who never read Joe Miller, and yet have comprehension enough to understand him. his is fine! Make the most of such a situation; for it is a happiness not often to recur. If any aspiring member venture to oppose you, crush him without mercy. If you do not know what he is going to say, tell him you can help him out in that story, should he be at a loss; if you do, cut him short, by snatching the sting of the tale from him, and turn it against himself. You will get the laugh, and the audience will be happy to reduce him to their own level, by measuring him with you.

Never mind what smart you occasion, provided you can say a smart

thing. Your enemy you have a right to wound; and with whom can you take a liberty, if not with a friend? A pretty thing, truly, if a jest were to be stifled because it might give pain! It would give much more to suppress it: and if others do not like the taste, how can they expect you to swallow it?

Latin bon mots are safe, if you are sure of the pronunciation; for they who understand them will laugh naturally, and they who do not, for fear of being thought ignorant. With women this rule will not apply; do not, therefore, in their society, quote Horace, or confess yourself a freemason; for they naturally hate and suspect whatever they are excluded from.

It is a very successful and laudable practice to poach upon Joe's premises with some poor dog who is fain at