character whofe nobler qualities they can never emulate, but they have alfo rendered it the ill-chofen object of their pointless ridicule, as a frenzy of nature wounding itself with unneceffary pangs, and appropriating forrows which happier indifference might with ease avoid; and the irritable nurflings of morbid affectation, to whom, in fact, nothing of fympathy is familiar, but the name, while they fought, by correfponding complaints of the pangs of fenfibility, to exalt the reputation of their own feelings, have given apparent fupport to the unfounded infinuation. Thofe, however, who are acquainted with the emotions I have attempted to describe, must often have felt, and they to whom my reasoning has been confpicuous, will be convinced, that fuch a difpofition, though it may be liable to fome pangs which mere animal vegetation, if I may venture the term, can never be conscious of, has an ample compenfation in the pleasures and enjoyments to which none but itself can aspire. It has often been faid, that virtue is its own reward; and this, true as it is of all virtue, is even more particularly fo of benevolence. Indeed, as felf-love is the grand fource of individual security, in that folitary condition which fome philofophical vifionaries have chofen to denominate the state of nature, fo is benevolence the chief fountain of all that more permanent fafety, and thofe more exalted pleasures, of which the focial compact has rendered us fufceptible: and thofe who prefer the fordid, to the nobler feelings, had better, for confiftency's fake, either return to their favage woods, or acknowledge that, if without the feelings of benevolence, they experience its advantages, there must be an exquifite satisfaction in its full poffeffion, which those who are destitute of it can never know. Self-love, it is true, adminifters to the fenfes; but does not benevolence, ftill more extenfively to mental gratification? and whofe enjoyments are of the longest duration? The fenfes, like the dull clay in the hands of the workman, are capable of no pleasures but thofe immediately impreffed upon them; while the mental affections, like ornamented mirrors of exquifite workmanship, are not only adorned with their own impreffions, but catch, by reflection, all the pleafures of furrounding objects; and, perhaps, in many instances, where fenfibility has given its finest polish, reflect the image with a beauty and expreffion even fuperior to the original. Thus then, while the benevolent enthufiaft is diffufing happiness, he is, in fact, multiplying his own enjoyments; his highest enjoymentsthofe, which being implanted in the mind, will bloom (to borrow an oriental metaphor) like the unfading amaranths of paradife, through the eternity of mental exiftence; while the pleasures of fenfe, like the fickly bloffoms of this fublunary sphere, fmile but for a moment, expire, and are forgotten. ANECDOTE of SUPERSTITION. THE monks in Spain have in troduced a custom which is very ufeful to them. It is, that the money to pay the maffes which a dying man orders to be faid for him, must be paid out of the eftate he leaves, in preference to all his debts. The Spaniards, who feem to have a terrible dread of his Satanic majetty, order frequently fo great a number of maffes, ARDENS. that too often there remains little or nothing for their unfortunate heirs and creditors. On thefe occafions, they fay, in their humorous wayMr. Such-an-one has left his foul his heir.' A Spanish monarch ordered 100,000 maífes to be faid for him. If maffes will stand in lieu of so many virtues, the worst kings will certainly have the beft feats in heaven. SINGU SINGULARITIES obferved by various NATIONS in their REPASTS. The following Article is felected from Curiofities of Literature,' an Octavo Volume, just published, replete, throughout, with Inftruction and Amusement. I have collected from a very curious book, entitled-' L' Efprit des Ufages, et des Coutumes,' the greater part of the prefent article. The Maldivian Islanders eat alone. They retire into the moft hidden parts of their houses; and they draw down the cloths that ferve as blinds to their windows, that they may eat unobferved. This custom probably arifes -remarks our philofophic Authorfrom the favage, in the early periods of fociety, concealing himself to eat he fears that another, with as fharp an appetite, but more strong than himself, fhould come and ravish his meal from him. Befides, the ideas of witchcraft are widely spread among barbarians; and they are not a little fearful that fome incantation may be thrown among their victuals. In noticing the folitary meal of the Maldivian flander, another reafon may be alledged for this mifanthropical repaft. They never will eat with any one who is inferior to them in birth, in riches, or dignity; and, as it is a difficult matter to fettle this equality, they are condemned to lead this unfociable life. On the contrary, the islanders of the Philippines are remarkably fociable. Whenever one of them finds himself without a companion to partake of his meal, he runs till he meets with one; and, we are affured, that however keen his appetite may be, he ventures not to fatisfy it without a gueft. Savages (fays Montaigne) when The tables of the rich Chinese fhine with a beautiful varnish, and are covered with filk carpets very elegantly worked. They do not make use of plates, knives, or forks: every guest has two little ivory or ebony sticks, which he handles very adroitly. The Otaheiteans, who are lovers of fociety, and very gentle in their manners, feed feparate from each other. At the hour of repaft, the members of each family divide; two brothers, two fifters, and even hufband and wife, father and mother, have each their respective basket. They place themselves at the distance of two or three yards from each other; they turn their backs, and take their meal in profound filence. The custom of drinking, at different hours from thofe affigned for eating, is to be met with among many favage nations. It was originally begun from neceffity. It became a habit, which fubfifted even when the fountain was near to them. A people transplanted,' observes our ingenious philofopher, preferve, in another climate, modes of living which relate to thofe from whence they originally came. It is thus the Indians of Brazil fcrupulously abstain from eating when they drink, and from drinking when they eat.' When neither decency or politenefs are known, the man who invites his friends to a repaft, is greatly embarrassed to teftify his esteem for his guests, and to prefent them with fome amufement; for the favage guest imposes on him this obligation. Among the greater part of the American Indians the hoft is continually on the watch to folicit them to eat; but touchesnothing himself. In New France, he wearies himself with finging, to divert the company while they eat. When civilization advances, we wish to fhew our confidence to our friends: friends: : we treat them as relations; and it is faid that, in China, the master of the house, to give a mark of his politeness, abfents himfelf while his guests regale themfelves at his table in undisturbed revelry. The demonstrations of friendship, in a rude state, have a favage and grofs character, which it is not a little curious to obferve. The Tartars pull a man by the ear, to press him to drink; and they continue tormenting him till he opens his mouth. It is then they clap their hands, and dance before him. No cuftoms feem more ridiculous than those practised by a Kamtschadale, when he withes to make another his friend. He first invites him to eat. The hoft and his guest strip themselves in a cabin, which is heated to an uncommon degree. While the guest devours the food with which they serve him, the other continually firs the fire. The ftranger must bear the excess of the heat as well as of the repaft. He vomits ten times before he will yield; but, at length, obliged to acknowledge himself overcome, he begins to compound matters. He purchases a moment's refpite by a prefent of clothes or dogs; for his host threatens to heat the cabin, and to oblige him to eat till he dies. The ftranger has the right of retaliation allowed to him: he treats in the fame manner, and exacts the fame prefents. Should his hoft not accept the invitation of his guest, whom he handfomely regaled, he would come and inhabit his cabin till he had obtained from him the prefents he had in fo fingular a manner given to him. A MUSICAL The For this extravagant cuftom a curious reafon has been alledged. It is meant to put the perfon to a trial whofe friendship is fought. Kamtfchadale, who is at the expence of the fires and the repaft, is deurous to know if the stranger has the ftrength to fupport pain with him, and if he is generous enough to fhare with him fome part of his property. While the gueft is employed on his meal, he continues heating the cabin to an infupportable degree; and, for a laft proof of the ftranger's conftancy and attachment, he exacts more clothes and more dogs. The hoft paffes through the fame ceremonies in the cabin of the firanger; and he fhews, in his turn, with what degree of fortitude he can defend his friend. It is thus the most fingular cuftoms would appear fimple, if it were poffible for the philofopher to contemplate them on the fpot. As a diftinguishing mark of their efteem the Negroes of Ardra drink out of one cup at the fame time. The king of Loango eats in one house, and drinks in another. A Kamtfchadale kneels before his guest; he cuts an enormous flice from a feacalf; he crams it entire into the mouth of his friend, furiously crying outTana!-There!' and, cutting away what hangs about his lips, ínatches and swallows it with avidity. A barbarous magnificence attended the feafts of the monarchs of France. We are informed that, after their coronation or confecration, when they fat at table, the nobility served them on horseback. ANECDOTE. [From the SA ME. ] NATURALISTS pretend, that ani- nifter Louvois, was (as once was the birds, as well as cuftom) immediately configned to the • Knotted oaks,' as Congreve informs us, are exquifitely fenfible to the charms of mufic. This may ferve as an inftance. An officer, having spoken fomewhat too freely of the mi Baftile. He begged the governor to permit him the ufe of his lute, to foften, by the harmonies of his inftrument, the rigours of his prifon. At the end of a few days, this modern Dd Orpheus, Orpheus, playing on his lute, was greatly aftonished to fee friking out of their holes great numbers of mice; and, defcending from their woven habitations, crowds of fpiders, who formed a circle about him, while he continued breathing his foul-fubduing inftrument. His furprize, was, at firit, fo great, that he was petrified with aftoni.hment; when, having ceafed to play, the affembly, who did not come to fee his perfon, but to hear his inftrument, immediately broke up. As he had a great diflike to spiders, it was two days before he ventured again to touch his inftru ment. At length, having conquered, for the novelty of his company, his diflike of them, he recommenced his concert; when the affembly was by far more numerous than at first; and, in the course of farther time, he found himself furrounded by a hundred mufical amateurs. Having thus fucceeded in attracting this company, he treacherously contrived to get rid of them at his will. For this purpose, he begged the keeper to give him a cat, which he put in a cage, and let loofe at the very inftant when the little. hairy people were moft entranced by the Orphean skill he displayed. The LESSON of MISFORTUNE: A Moral Tale. The Tranflation of a fecond Volume of new Tales, by the celebrated M. Marmontel, has appeared fince the Publication of The Tales of an Evening,' from which we have recently given two interesting Selections. The following Tale, from the fecond Volume, we infert with particular Pleasure, as there cannot be a more interesting nor a more inftructive Spectacle than that of a virtuous Man Struggling with Misfortune, and enjoying, at last, all the Happiness refulting from unfhaken Fortitude and inflexible Integrity. O overcome adverfity and brave Tdeath itself, is effort of a noble refolution. But there is ftill a fpecies of courage which I think lefs frequently to be met with in the world, but not lefs admirable. I fhall give an instance of it, in relating what I heard from Watelet, as we were one day walking together in the groves of Moulin Joli. Of all men of the prefent century, Watelet feemed to have conducted himself in a manner the moft likely to fecure a life of happiness. He was a man of univerfal tafle, a lover of the arts, and an encourager of artifts and men of letters: he was himself a literary man and an artist, but not with fufficient fuccefs to awaken envy; he poffeffed that moderate excellence of talent, which fues for indulgence, and which, without fame and confequence, acquiring efteem and difpenfing with glory, amufes the leifure hours of unambitious retirement, or of a few partial friends. He was wife enough to confine his defire of applace within the limits off that narrow circle, and not to feek for the applaufe of admirers or the criticism of jealoufy. Add to thefe advantages an uncommon amenity of manners, a delicate fenfibility of difpofition, an attentive and conciliating politeness, and you will have the idea of a life that was innocently pleasurable. Such was the life of Watelet. Every body heard of his philofophical retreat on the banks of the Seine. I fometimes paid him a vifit there. One day, I met a new married couple that were happy in each other; the hufband fill in the prime of life, and the bride not yet twenty. Watelet feemed himself to derive happinefs from theirs, and their looks were expreffive of their owing it to him. As they fpeak the French tongue with purity, I was surprised to hear them fay they were going to live in Holland, and that they were come to take their leave of him. When dinner was over, and they were gone away, I had the curiofity to afk who this happy and grateful couple were. My friend led me to a favourite fpot of his enchanting ifland, where we both fat down. I will now fatisfy your curiofity,' faid he, you will fee honour faved from fhipwreck by virtue. In a journey to Holland, which I undertook folely to fee a country for which man is conftantly contending with the fea, and which is enriched by commerce, in defpite, as it were, of nature, I was recommended to a rich merchant of the name of Odelman; a man as liberal in his house, as he was avaricious in his commerce. In his counting-house, and at his table, I found a young Frenchman of a prepoffeffing appearance and uncommon modesty of deportment. He was known in Holland by no other name than that of Oliver. In vain Odelman, who was a man of plain manners, treated him like a friend and almost as an equal; the young man, with a certain respectful dignity, always kept at a proper diftance; you would have faid, as that of a fon ever attentive to the will of his father, who he was ferving for love. 'I fhewed him an attention of which he appeared very fenfible, and which he returned by a certain nobleness of deportment, but with an air of humility and bafhfulness. At table, he faid little, but with a manner, a decency, a choice of expreffion, that bespoke a well-educated man. After dinner, he accosted me in the moft obliging manner, and made me a tender of his fervices. I did not take an undue advantage of it: but I begged him to affift me with his advice relative to the management of my expences, and to fome purchafes I wifhed to make. To this friendly office he joined the kindest attentions and the moft affectionate care. I endeavoured to learn what had induced him to live in Hoiland. He anfwered, it was misfortune,' and in every thing that related to himself, I thought I perceived, that he did not wifh to come to an explanation. ་ In the mean time, we fpent all the time he could fpare together; and with a complaifance that my curiofity might fometimes fatigue, but never exhaufted, he gave me information relative to whatever was interefting in Holland. He reprefented it as having no more than an artificial exiftence in its relative fituation to all the nations of the earth, and inceffantly occupied in repairing its dykes, and defending its liberties. Impreffed with gratitude in favour of his new country, he spoke of it with the expreffion of a fentiment to which his melancholy gave greater force, and which, though full of esteem for that country, was mingled with regret at the recollection of his own. "Ah!" would he fay, "if France did the fourth part as much to affift nature as Holland does to fubdue it!"--And from a view of the manners and laws of the Dutch, and their indefatigable induftry, he led me to admire the prodigies that are effected by neceffity. You may be fure I began to conceive a particular affection for him. This is an entertaining young man,’ faid I to Odelman, and I have the greatest reafon to speak in his favour. It was, doubtlefs, you that recommended him to fhew me fuch attention.'-" Not at all," anfwered he; "but you are a Frenchman, and he idolizes his country. I am very glad, however, to profit by its lofs, for it has few more fuch to boaft of. He is an affemblage of every eftimable quality. Good fenfe, fidelity, indefatiga ble application, expertnefs in bufinefs, an extreme quicknefs and nicety of perception; a minutenefs of method which nothing can efcape; and, above all, an economy-Ah! he is the man, indeed, that knows the value of money.' The laft article of his eulogium was not to my tafte; and, in his excufe, I obferved, that it was allowable in the unfortunate to be avariciDdz ous. |
