· difafters, to which the life of man is expofed; in cafes of this nature, Eucrate was the patron; and enjoyed this part of the royal favour fo much without being envied, that it was never inquired into by whofe means, what no one elfe cared for doing, was brought about. One evening when Pharamond came into the apartment of Eucrate, he found him extremely dejected; upon which he asked (with a fmile which was natural to him) What, is there any one too miferable to be relieved by Pharamond, "that Eucrate is melancholy?" "I fear there is, "anfwered the favourite; a perfon without, of a good air, well dreffed, and though a man in the ftrength of his life, feems to faint under fome "inconfolable calamity: All his features feem fuf"fufed with agony of mind, but I can obfervě in " him, that it is more inclined to break away in 86 tears than rage. I afked him what he would "have; he faid, he would fpeak to Pharamond. "I defired his bufinefs; he could hardly fay to me, "Eucrate, carry me to the king, my ftory is not to be told twice; I fear I fhall not be able to fpeak it at all." Pharamond commanded Eucrate to let him enter; he did fo, and the gentleman approached the king with an air which spoke him under the greatest concern in what manner to demean himself. The king, who had a quick difcerning, relieved him from the oppreffion he was under; and, with the moft beautiful complacency, faid to him," Sir, do not add to that "load of forrow I fec in your countenance the awe "of my prefence: Think you are fpeaking to your friend; if the circumftances of your diftrefs "will admit of it, you fhall find me fo." To whom the stranger: "Oh, excellent Pharamond, "name not a friend to the unfortunate Spinamont. "I had one, but he is dead by my own hand; but, "oh Pharamond, though it was by the hand of Spinamont, B 2 66 "Spinamont, it was by the guilt of Pharamond, I come not, oh excellent prince, to implore your pardon; I come to relate my forrow, a forrow "too great for human life to fupport: From "henceforth fhall all occurrences appear dreams or fhort intervals of amufement, from this one "affliction which has feized my very being: Par"don me, oh Pharamond, if my griefs give me leave, that I lay before you, in the anguish of a "wounded mind, that you, good as you are, are "guilty of the generous blood fpilt this day by this unhappy hand: Oh that it had perifhed before "that inftant!" Here the ftranger paufed, and recollecting his mind, after fome little meditation, he went on, in a calmer tone and gefture, as ⚫ follows. "There is an authority due to diftrefs, and as none "of human race is above the reach of forrow, none should be above the hearing the voice of it: "I am fure Pharamond is not. Know then, that I "have this morning unfortunately killed in a duel "the man whom of all men living I moft loved. "I command myfelf too much in your royal pre fence, to fay, Pharamond, give me my friend! Pharamond has taken him from me! I will not fay, fhall the merciful Pharamond deftroy his own fubjects? Will the father of his country "murder his people? But, the merciful Pharamond "does deftroy his fubjects, the father of his coun"try does murder his people. Fortune is fo much "the purfuit of mankind, that all glory and ho nour is in the power of a prince, because he has "the diftribution of their fortunes. It is there"fore the inadvertency, negligence, or guilt of "princes, to let any thing grow into cuftom which is against their laws. A court can make fafhion "and duty walk together; it can never, without "the guilt of a court, happen, that it fhall not "be unfashionable to do what is unlawful. But, "alas! **alas! in the dominions of Pharamond, by the "force of a tyrant cuftom, which is mifnamed a point of honour, the duellift kills his friend whom he loves; and the judge condemns the "duellift, while he approves his behaviour. Shame "is the greateft of all evils; what avail laws, when "death only attends the breach of them, and "fhame obedience to them? As for me, oh Pha"ramond, were it poffible to defcribe the nameless "kind of compunctions and tenderneffes I feel, "when I reflect upon the-little accidents in our "former familiarity, my mind fwells into forrow "which cannot be refifted enough to be filent in "the prefence of Pharamond." (With that he fell into a flood of tears, and wept aloud.) "Why fhould not Pharamond hear the anguifh he only can relieve others from in time to come? Let "him hear from me, what they feel who have given death by the falfe mercy of his adminiftra"tion, and form to himself the vengeance called for by thofe who have perifhed by his negligence." 68 No 85. THURSDAY, JUNE 7. Interdum fpeciofa locis, morataque rectè Sometimes in rough-and undigested plays IT T is the cuftom of the Mahometans, if they fee any printed or written paper upon the ground, to take it up and lay it afide carefully, as not knowing but it may contain fome piece of their Alcoran. I must confefs I have fo much of the Muffulman in me, that I cannot forbear looking into every printed paper which comes in my way, under whatfoever defpicable circumftances it may appear; for as no mortal author, in the ordinary fate and viciffitude of things, knows to what ufe his work may, fome time or other, be applied, a man may often meet with very celebrated names in a paper of tobacco. I have lighted my pipe more than once with the writings of a prelate; and know a friend of mine, who, for thefe feveral years, has converted the effays of a man of quality into a kind of fringe for his candlesticks. I remember, in particular, after having read over a poem of an eminent author on a victory, I met with feveral fragments of it upon the next rejoicing day, which had been employed in fquibs and crackers, and by that means celebrated its fubject in a double capacity. I once met with a page of Mr. Baxter under a Christmas-pye. Whether or no the paftry-cook had made use of it through chance or waggery, for the defence of that fuperftitious viande, I know not; but, upon the perufal of it, I conceived fo good an idea of the author's piety, that I bought the whole book. I have often profited by these accidental readings, and have fometimes found very curious pieces, that are either out of print, or not to be met with in the fhops of our London bookfellers. For this reafon, when my friends take a furvey of my library, they are very much furprifed to find, upon the fhelf of folios, two long band-boxes ftanding upright among my books, till I let them fee that they are both of them lined with deep erudition and abftrufe literature. I might likewife mention a paper-kite, from which I have received great improvement; and a hat-cafe, which I would not exchange for all the beavers in Great Britain. This my inquifitive tem: per, or rather impertinent humour of prying into all forts of writing, with my natural averfion to loquacity, give me a good deal of employment when I enter any houfe in the country; for I can not for my heart leave a room, before I have tho roughly ftudied the walls of it, and examined the feveral printed papers which are ufually pafted upon them. The laft piece that I met with upon this occafion gave me a moft exquifite pleafure. My reader will think I am not ferious, when I acquaint him that the piece I am going am going to fpeak of was the old ballad of The Two Children in the Wood, which is one of the darling fongs of the common people, and has been the delight of moft Englishmen in fome part of their age. This fong is a plain fimple copy of nature, deftitute of the helps and ornaments of art. The tale of it is a pretty tragical ftory, and pleafes for no other reafon but because it is a copy of nature. There is even a defpicable fimplicity in the verfe; and |