moftly by narration, were I to addrefs them, I fhould convey my fentiments in the following story.

Takupi had long been Prime Minister of Tipartala, a fertile country that ftretches along the Weftern confines of China. During his adminiftration, whatever advantages could be derived from arts, learning, and commerce were feen to bless the people; nor were the neceffary precautions of providing for the fecurity of the ftate forgotten. It often happens, however, that when men are poffeffed of all they want, they then begin to find torment from imaginary afflictions, and leffen their prefent enjoyments, by foreboding that thofe enjoyments are to have an end. The people now therefore endeavoured to find out grievances; and after fome fearch, actually began to think themselves aggrieved. A petition againft the enormities of Takupi was carried to the throne in due form; and the Queen who governed the country, willing to fatisfy her fubjects, appointed a day, in which his accufers fhould be heard, and the minifter fhould ftand upon his defence.

The day being arrived, and the minister brought before the tribunal, a carrier, who fupplied the city with fish, appeared among the number of his accufers. He exclaimed, that it was the custom time immemorial for carriers to bring their fifh upon an horfe in a hamper; which being placed on one fide, and balanced by a ftone on the other, was thus conveyed with ease and fafety; but that the prifoner, moved either by a fpirit of innovation, or perhaps bribed by the hamper-makers, had obliged all carriers to use the ftone no longer, but balance one hamper with another; an order entirely repugnant to the customs of all antiquity, and thofe of the kingdom of Tipartala in particular.

The

The carrier finifhed; and the whole court fhook their heads at the innovating minifter: when a fecond witnefs appeared. He was infpector of the city buildings, and accufed the difgraced favourite of having given orders for the demolition of an antient ruin, which obftructed the paffage through one of the principal streets. He obferved, that fuch buildings were noble monuments of barbarous antiquity; contributed finely to fhew how little their ancestors understood of architecture; and for that reason fuch monuments should be held facred, and fuffered gradually to decay.

The laft witness now appeared. This was a widow, who had laudably attempted to burn herself upon her husband's funeral pile. But the innovating minifter had prevented the execution of her defign, and was infenfible to her tears, proteftations, and entreaties.

The Queen could have pardoned the two former offences; but this laft was confidered as fo gross an injury to the fex, and fo directly contrary to all the cuftoms of antiquity, that it called for immediate justice. "What," cried the Queen," not fuffer 66 a woman to burn herself when the thinks proper ? "The fex are to be very prettily tutored, no doubt, "if they must be restrained from entertaining their "female friends now and then with a fried wife, or "roafted acquaintance. I fentence the criminal to "be banished my prefence for ever for his injurious "treatment of the fex."

Takupi had been hitherto filent, and spoke only to fhew the fincerity of his refignation. "Great "Queen," cried he, "I acknowledge my crime; " and fince I am to be banished, I beg it may be to "fome ruined town, or defolate village in the coun

try I have governed. I fhall find fome pleasure

in improving the foil, and bringing back a fpirit "of industry among the inhabitants.' His requeft appearing reasonable, it was immediately complied with; and a courtier had orders to fix upon a place of banishment, anfwering the minifter's defcription. After fome months fearch, however, the enquiry. proved fruitless; neither a defolate village, nor a ruined town was found in the kingdom. Alas, faid Takupi then to the Queen, How can that country be ill-governed which has neither a defolate village, nor a ruined town in it? The Queen perceived the juftice of his expoftulation, and the minifter was received into more than former favours.

LETTER CI.

FROM THE SAME.

THE ladies here are by no means fuch ardent gamefters as the women of Afia. In this refpect I muft do the English juftice; for I love to praise where applaufe is juftly merited. Nothing more common in China, than to fee two women of fashion continue gaming till one has won all the other's cloaths, and ftripped her quite naked; the winner thus marching off in a double fuit of finery, and the lofer fhrinking behind in the primitive. fimplicity of Nature.

No doubt, you remember when Shang, our maiden aunt, played with a fharper. Firft her money went; then her trinkets were produced; her cloaths followed piece by piece foon after; when fhe had thus played herself quite naked, being a woman of spirit,

and

and willing to pursue her own, fhe staked her teeth; Fortune was against her even here, and her teeth followed her cloaths; at laft fhe played for her left eye, and, oh, hard fate, this too fhe loft: however, the had the confolation of biting the fharper; for he never perceived that it was made of glafs till it became his own.

How happy, my friend, are the English ladies, who never rife to fuch an inordinance of paffion! Though the fex here are generally fond of games of chance, and are taught to manage games of fkill from their infancy, yet they never purfue ill-fortune with fuch amazing intrepidity. Indeed I may entirely acquit them of ever playing—I mean of playing for their eyes or their teeth.

It is true, they often ftake their fortune, their beauty, health, and reputations at a gaming-table. It even fometimes happens, that they play their hufbands into a gaol; yet ftill they preferve a decorum unknown to our wives and daughters of China. I have been present at a route in this country, where a woman of fashion, after losing her money, has fat writhing in all the agonies of bad luck; and yet, after all, never once attempted to ftrip a fingle petticoat, or cover the board, as her laft ftake, with her head-cloaths.

However, though I praise their moderation at play, I must not conceal their affiduity. In China our women, except upon fome great days, are never permitted to finger a dice-box; but here every day feems to be a feftival; and night itself, which gives others reft, only ferves to increase the female gamefter's induftry. I have been told of an old lady in the country, who being given over by the phyficians, played with the curate of her parish to pafs the time away: having won all his money, the next propofed playing for her funeral charges; the pro

pofal

pofal was accepted; but unfortunately the lady expired juft as fhe had taken in her game.

There are fome paffions, which though differently pursued, are attended with equal confequences in every country: here they game with more perfeverance, there with greater fury; here they ftrip their families, there they ftrip themselves naked. A lady in China, who indulges a paffion for gaming, often becomes a drunkard; and by flourishing a dice-box in one hand, the generally comes to brandifh a dram cup in the other. Far be it from me to fay there are any who drink drams in England; but it is natural to fuppofe, that when a lady has loft every thing else but her honour, fhe will be apt to tofs that into the bargain; and, grown infenfible to nicer feelings, behave like the Spaniard, who, when all his money was gone, endeavoured to borrow more, by offering to pawn his whisker. Adieu.

LETTER CII.

From Lien Chi Altangi to ***, Merchant in
Amfterdam.

I HAVE juft received a letter from my fon, in

which he informs me of the fruitfulness of his endeavours to recover the lady with whom he fled from Perfia. He ftrives to cover under the appearance of fortitude a heart torn with anxiety and disappointment. I have offered little confolation; fince that but too frequently feeds the forrow which it pretends to deplore, and ftrengthens the impreffion, which

nothing