and as for Corydon, I do not choose his company. Elegies and epiftles are very fine to thofe to whom they are addreffed; and as for epic poems, I am generally able to difcover the whole plan in reading the two firft pages.

Tragedies, however, as they are now made, are good inftructive moral fermons enough; and it would be a fault not to be pleased with good things. There I learn feveral great truths; as, that it is impoffible to fee into the ways of futurity; that punishment always attends the villain, that love is the fond foother of the human breaft, that we should not refift heaven's will, for in refifting heaven's will heaven's will is refifted; with feveral other fentiments equally new, delicate and ftriking. Every new tragedy therefore I fhall go to fee; for reflections of this nature make a tolerable harmony, when mixed up with a proper quantity of drum, trumpet, thunder, lightning, or the scene fhifter's whistle. Adieu.

From Lien Chi Altangi, to Fum Hoam, first Prefident of the Ceremonial Academy at Pekin, in China. I HAD fome intentions lately of going to vifit Bedlam, the place where thofe who go mad are confined. I went to wait upon the man in black to be my conductor, but I found him preparing to go to Weftminster-hall, where the English hold their courts of juftice. It gave me fome furprize to find my friend engaged in a law-fuit, but more fo

when

when he informed me that it had been depending for feveral years. How is it possible, cried I, for a man who knows the world to go to law; I am well acquainted with the courts of justice in China, they refemble rat-traps every one of them, nothing more eafy than to get in, but to get out again is atiended with fome difficulty, and more cunning than rats are generally found to poffefs!

Faith, replied my friend, I fhould not have gone to law, but that I was affured of fuccefs before I began; things were prefented to me in fo alluring a light, that I thought by barely declaring myself a candidate for the prize, I had nothing more to do than to enjoy the fruits of the victory. Thus have I been upon the eve of an imaginary triumph every term these ten years, have travelled forward with victory ever in my view, but ever out of reach; however, at prefent I fancy we have hampered our antagonist in fuch a manner, that without fome unforefeen demur, we fhall this day lay him fairly on his back.

If things be fo fituated, faid I, I do not care if I attend you to the courts, and partake in the pleasure of your fuccefs. But prithee, continued I, as we set forward, what reafons have you to think an affair at laft concluded, which has given fo many former disappointments? My lawyer tells me, returned he, that I have Salkeld and Ventris ftrong in my favour, and that there are no lefs than fifteen cafes in point. I understand, faid I, thofe are two of your judges who have already declared their opinions. Pardon me, replied my friend, Salkeld and Ventris are lawyers who fome hundred years ago gave their opinions on cafes fimilar to mine; thefe opinions which make for me my lawyer is to cite, and thofe opinions which look another way are cited by the lawyer employed by my antagonist; as I obferved, I have

Salkeld

Salkeld and Ventris for me, he has Coke and Hale for him, and he that has moft opinions is most likely to carry his caufe. But where is the neceffity, cried I, of prolonging a fuit by citing the opinions and reports of others, fince the fame good fenfe which determined lawyers in former ages may ferve to guide your judges at this day. They at that time gave their opinions only from the light of reafon, your judges have the fame light at prefent to direct them, let me even add a greater, as in former ages there were many prejudices from which the prefent is happily free. If arguing from authorities be exploded from every other branch of learning, why fhould it be particularly adhered to in this? I plainly forefee how fuch a method of investigation must embarrass every fut, and even perplex the fludent; ceremonies will be multiplied, formalities must increase, and more time will thus be spent in learning the arts of litigation than in the difcovery of right.

I fee, cries my friend, that you are for a speedy administration of justice, but all the world will grant that the more time that is taken up in confidering any fubject the better it will be understood. Befides, it is the boaft of an Englishman, that his property is fecure, and all the world will grant that a deliberate administration of juftice is the best way to fecure his property. Why have we fo many lawyers, but to fecure our property, why fo many formalities, but to fecure our property? Not less than one hundred thousand families live in opulence, elegance and eafe, merely by fecuring our property.

To embarrass juftice, returned I, by a multiplicity of laws, or to hazard it by a confidence in our judges, are, I grant the oppofite rocks on which legislative wisdom has ever fplit; in one cafe the client resembles that emperor, who is faid to have been fuffocated with the bedcloaths, which were

only

only defigned to keep him warm; in the other, to that town which let the enemy take poffeffion of its walls, in order to fhew the world how little they depended upon aught but courage for fafety:

But blefs me, what numbers do I fee here-all in black-how is it poffible that half this multitude find employment? Nothing fo eafily conceived, returned my companion, they live by watching each other. For inftance, the catchpole watches the man in debt, the attorney watches the catchpole, the counsellor watches the attorney, the folicitor the counfellor, and all find fufficient employment. conceive you, interrupted I, they watch each other, but it is the client that pays them all for watching; it puts me in mind of a Chinese fable, which is intituled, Five animals at a meal.

I

A grafhopper filled with dew, was merrily finging under a fhade; a whangam that eats grafhoppers had marked it for its prey, and was juft ftretching forth to devour it ; a ferpent that had for a long time fed only on whangams, was coiled up to faften on the wangham; a yellow bird was juft upon the wing to dart upon the ferpent; a hawk had juft ftooped from above to feize the yellow bird; all were intent on their prey, and unmindful of their danger fo the whangam eat the grafhopper, the ferpent eat the whangam, the yellow bird the ferpent, and the hawk the yellow bird; when foufing from on high, a vulture gobbled up the hawk, grafhopper, whangam, and all in a moment.

I had fcarcely finished my fable, when the lawyer came to inform my friend, that his caufe was put off till another term, that money was wanted to retain, and that all the world was of opinion, that the very next hearing would bring him off victorious. If fo, then cries my friend, I believe it will be my wifeft way to continue the cause for another

term,

term, and in the mean time, my friend here and I will go and fee Bedlam.

Adieu.

LETTER XCVIII.

FROM THE SAME.

I LATELY received a vifit from the little beau, who I found had affumed a new flow of fpirits with a new fuit of cloaths. Our difcourfe happened to turn upon the different treatment of the fair fex here and in Afia, with the influence of beauty in refining our manners and improving our conver→ fation.

I foon perceived he was ftrongly prejudiced in favour of the Afiatic method of treating the fex, and that it was impoffible to perfuade him, but that a man was happier who had four wives at his command, than he who had only one. It is true," cries he, "your men of fashion in the Eaft are "flaves, and under fome terrors of having their "throats fqueezed by a bow-ftring; but what then,

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they can find ample confolation in a feraglio; "they make indeed an indifferent figure in conver"fation abroad, but then they have a feraglio to "confole them at home. I am told they have no ❝balls, drums, nor operas, but then they have got "a feraglio; they may be deprived of wine and "French cookery, but they have a feraglio; a fe"raglio, a feraglio, my dear creature, wipes off "every inconvenience in the world.

"Befides, I am told, your Afiatic beauties are "the most convenient women alive, for they have VOL. III.

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