well it defends me from the rain; I should not chufe to part with it to others, but to fuch a friend as you I could even part with my skin to do him fervice."

From fuch minute inftances as thefe, moft reverend Fum Hoam, I am fenfible your fagacity will collect inftruction. The volume of Nature is the book of knowledge; and he becomes moft wife who makes the most judicious felection. Farewell.

LETTER V.

I

TO THE SAME.

HAVE already informed you of the fingular paffion of this nation for politics. An Englishman not fatisfied with finding, by his own profperity, the contending powers of Europe properly balanced, defires alfo to know the precife value of every weight in either fcale. To gratify this curiofity, a leaf of political inftruction is ferved up every morning with tea: when our politician has feafted upon this, he repairs to a coffee-house, in order to ruminate upon what he has read, and encrease his collection; from thence he proceeds to the ordinary, enquires what news, and, treasuring up every acquifition there, hunts about all the evening in queft of more, and carefully adds it to the reft. Thus at night he retires home, full of the important advices of the day. When lo! awaking next morning, he finds the inftructions of yesterday a collection of abfurdity or palpable falfhood. This, one would think, a mortifying repulfe in the pursuit of wisdom; yet our politician, no way difcouraged, hunts on, in order

to

'to collect fresh materials, and in order to be again. disappointed.

I have often admired the commercial spirit which prevails over Europe; have been furprised to fee them carry on a traffic with productions, that an Afiatic ftranger would deem entirely useless. It is a proverb in China, that an European fuffers not even his fpittle to be loft; the maxim, however, is not fufficiently strong; fince they fell even their Lies to great advantage. Every nation drives a confiderable trade in this commodity with their neigh

bours.

An English dealer in this way, for inftance, has only to afcend to his work-houfe, and manufacture a turbulent speech, averred to be spoken in the fenate; or a report supposed to be dropt at court; a piece of scandal that strikes at a popular mandarine; or a fecret treaty between two neighbouring powers. When finished, these goods are baled up, and configned to a factor abroad, who fends in return two battles, three fieges, and a fhrewd letter filled with dafhes blanks and ftars **** of

great importance.

Thus you perceive, that a fingle gazette is the joint manufacture of Europe; and he who would peruse it with a philofophical eye might perceive in every paragraph fomething characteristick of the nation to which it belongs. A map does not exhibit a more diftinct view of the boundaries and fituation of every country, than its news does a picture of the genius and the morals of its inhabitants. The fuperftition and erroneous delicacy of Italy, the formality of Spain, the cruelty of Portugal, the fears of Auftria, the confidence of Pruffia, the levity of France, the avarice of Holland, the pride of England, the abfurdity of Ireland, and the national partiality of Scotland, are all confpicuous in every page.

But,

But, perhaps, you may find more fatisfaction in a real newspaper, than in my defcription of one; I therefore fend a fpecimen, which may ferve to exhibit the manner of their being written, and diftinguish the characters of the various nations which are united in its compofition.

NAPLES. We have lately dug up here a curious Etrufcan monument, broke in two in the raifing. The characters are fcarce vifible; but Lugoff, the learned antiquary, fuppofes it to have been erected in honour of Picus, a Latin King, as one of the lines may be plainly diftinguished to begin with a P. It is hoped this difcovery will produce fomething valuable, as the literati of our twelve academies are deeply engaged in the difquifition.

PISA. Since father Fudgi, prior of St. Gilbert's, has gone to refide at Rome, no miracles have been performed at the fhrine of St. Gilbert; the devout begin to grow uneafy, and fome begin actually to fear that St. Gilbert has forfaken them with the reverend father.

LUCCA. The adminiftrators of our ferene republic have frequent conferences upon the part they fhall take in the prefent commotions of Europe.. Some are for fending a body of their troops, confifting of one company of foot, and fix horfemen, to make a diverfion in favour of the emprefs queen; others are as ftrenuous afferters of the Pruffian intereft; what turn these debates may take, time only can discover. However, certain it is, we fhall be able to bring into the field, at the opening of the next campaign, feventy-five armed men, a commander in chief, and two drummers of great experience.

SPAIN. Yesterday the new king fhewed himself to his fubjects, and, after having ftayed half an hour in his balcony, retired to the royal apartment.

The

The night concluded on this extraordinary occafion with illuminations, and other demonstrations of joy.

at court.

The queen is more beautiful than the rifing fun, and reckoned one of the firft wits in Europe: fhe had a glorious opportunity of difplaying the readinefs of her invention, and her skill in repartee lately The duke of Lerma, coming up to her with a low bow and a fmile, and prefenting a nofegay fet with diamonds, Madam, cries he, I am your moft obedient bumbie fervant. Oh, Sir, replies the queen, without any prompter, or the least hesitation, I'm very proud of the very great honour you do me. Upon which the made a low curtefy, and all the courtiers fell a laughing at the readiness and the fmartness of her reply.

LISBON. Yefterday we had an auto de fe, at which were burned three young women accused of herefy, one of them of exquifite beauty; two Jews, and an old woman convicted of being a witch: one of the friars, who attended this laft, reports, that he faw the devil fly out of her at the stake in the shape of a flame of fire. The populace behaved on this occafion with great good-humour, joy, and fincere devotion.

Our merciful Sovereign has been for some time paft recovered of his fright: though so atrocious an attempt deserved to exterminate half the nation, yet he has been graciously pleased to spare the lives of his fubjects; and not above five hundred have been broke upon the wheel, or otherwife executed, upon this horrid occafion.

VIENNA. We have received certain advices that a party of twenty thoufand Auftrians, having attacked a much fuperior body of Pruffians, put them all to flight, and took the reft prifoners of war.

BERLIN. We have received certain advices that a party of twenty thousand Pruffians, having attacked

tacked a much fuperior body of Auftrians, put them to flight, and took a great number of prifoners, with their military cheft, cannon, and baggage.

Though we have not fucceeded this campaign to our wishes; yet, when we think of him who commands us, we reft in fecurity: while we fleep, our king is watchful for our fafety.

PARIS. We fhall foon ftrike a fignal blow. We have feventeen flat-bottomed boats at Havre. The people are in excellent fpirits, and our minifters make no difficulty in raifing the fupplies.

We are all undone; the people are difcontented to the last degree; the minifters are obliged to have recourse to the most rigorous methods to raise the expences of the war.

Our diftreffes are great; but madam Pompadour continues to fupply our king, who is now growing old, with a fresh lady every night. His health, thank heaven, is ftill pretty well; nor is he in the leaft unfit, as was reported, for any kind of royal exercitation. He was fo frightened at the affair of Damien, that his phyficians were apprehenfive left his reafon fhould fuffer, but that wretch's tortures foon composed the kingly terrors of his breast.

ENGLAND. Wanted an ufher to an academy. N. B. He must be able to read, drefs hair, and must have had the small-pox.

DUBLIN. We hear that there is a benevolent fubfcription on foot among the nobility and gentry of this kingdom, who are great patrons of merit, in order to affift Black and All Black, in his conteft with the Padderen mare.

We hear from Germany that prince Ferdinand has gained a complete victory, and taken twelve kettle-drums, five ftandards, and four waggons of ammunition, prisoners of war. VOL. III. C

EDIN