and willing to pursue her own, fhe ftaked 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 skill 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 lofing 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 muft 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 itfelf, 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 some paffions, which though differently pursued, are attended with equal confequences in every country: here they game with more perfeve rance, 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 brandish 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 elfe 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 strives to cover under the appearance of fortitude a heart torn with anxiety and difappointment. I have offered little confolation; fince that but too frequently feeds the forrow which it pretends to deplore, and ftrengthens the impreffion, which

nothing

nothing but the external rubs of time and accident can thoroughly efface.

He informs me of his intentions of quitting Mofcow the first opportunity, and travelling by land to Amfterdam. I must therefore, upon his arrival, entreat the continuance of your friendship; and beg of you to provide him with proper directions for find ing me in London. You can fcarcely be fenfible of the joy I expect upon feeing him once more: the ties between the father and the fon among us of China are much more closely drawn than with you of Europe.

The remittances fent me from Argun to Mofcow came in fafety. I cannot fufficiently admire that fpirit of honefty, which prevails through the whole country of Siberia: perhaps the favages of that defolate region are the only untutored people of the globe that cultivate the moral virtues, even without knowing that their actions merit praise. I have been told furprifing things of their goodness, benevolence, and generofity; and the uninterrupted commerce between China and Ruffia ferves as a collateral confirmation.

Let us, fays the Chinese law-giver, admire the rude virtues of the ignorant, but rather imitate the delicate morals of the polite. In the country where I refide, though honefty and benevolence be not fo conge nial; yet Art fupplies the place of Nature. Though here every vice is carried to excefs; yet every virtue is practifed alfo with unexampled fuperiority. A city like this is the foil for great virtues and great vices; the villain can foon improve here in the deepest myfteries of deceiving; and the practical philofopher can every day meet new incitements to mend his honeft intentions. There are no pleasures, fenfual or fentimental, which this city does not produce; yet I know not how, I could not be content

to

to refide here for life. There is fomething fo feducing in that spot in which we firft had exiftence, that nothing but it can pleafe; whatever viciffitudes we experience in life, however we toil, or wherefoever we wander, our fatigued wishes ftill recur to home for tranquillity, we long to die in that spot which gave us birth, and in that pleasing expectation opiate every calamity.

You now therefore perceive that I have fome intentions of leaving this country; and yet my defigned departure fills me with reluctance and regret. Though the friendships of travellers are generally more tranfient than vernal fnows, ftill I feel an uneafiness at breaking the connexions I have formed fince my arrival; particularly I fhall have no fmall pain in leaving my usual companion, guide, and inftructor.

I shall wait for the arrival of my fon before I set out. He shall be my companion in every intended journey for the future; in his company I can fupport the fatigues of the way with redoubled ardour, pleafed at once with conveying inftruction, and exacting obedience. Adieu.

LETTER CIII.

From Lien Chi Altangi, to Fum Hoam, firft Prefident of the Ceremonial Academy at Pekin, in China.

OUR scholars in China have a moft profound veneration for forms. A firft-rate beauty never ftudied the decorums of drefs with more affiduity; they may properly enough be faid to be cloathed with wisdom from head to foot; they have their philofophical caps

and

and philofophical whifkers, their philofophical flippers and philofophical fans; there is even a philofophical ftandard for measuring the nails; and yet with all this feeming wifdom, they are often found to be mere empty pretenders.

A philofophical beau is not fo frequent in Europe; yet I am told that fuch characters are found here. I mean fuch as punctually fupport all the decorums of learning, without being really very profound, or naturally poffeffed of a fine understanding; who labour hard to obtain the titular honours attending literary merit, who flatter others, in order to be flattered in turn; and only study to be thought students.

A character of this kind generally receives company in his study, in all the penfive formality of flippers, night-gown, and eafy chair. The table is covered with a large book, which is always kept open, and never read; his folitary hours being dedicated to dozing, mending pens, feeling his pulfe, peeping through the microfeope, and fometimes reading amufing books, which he condemns in company. His library is preferved with the most religious neatnefs; and is generally a repofitory of fcarce books, which bear an high price, because too dull or useless to become common by the ordinary methods of publication.

Such men are generally candidates for admittance into literary clubs, academies, and inftitutions, where they regularly meet to give and receive a little inftruction and a great deal of praise. In converfation they never betray ignorance, because they never feem to receive information. Offer a new obfervation, they have heard it before; pinch them in an argument, and they reply with a fneer.

Yet how trifling foever thefe little arts may appear, they answer one valuable purpose, of gaining the practifers the efteem they wish for. The bounds