country to which he was fent embraced Christianity, and the numbers he converted; what methods he took to keep Lent in a region where there was no fifh, or the fhifts he made to celebrate the rites of his religion, in places where there was neither bread nor wine! fuch accounts, with the usual appendage of marriage and funerals, infcriptions, rivers, and mountains, make up the whole of an European traveller's diary; but as to all the fecrets of which the inhabitants are poffeffed, thofe are univerfally attributed to magic; and when the traveller can give no other account of the wonders he fees performed, very contentedly afcribes them to the power of the devil.

It was an ufual obfervation of Boyle, the English chymift, that if every artist would but difcover what new obfervations occurred to him in the exercise of his trade, philofophy would thence gain innumerable improvements. It may be obferved with ftill greater juftice, that if the useful knowledge of every country, howfoever barbarous, was gleaned by a judicious obferver, the advantages would be ineftimable. Are there not even in Europe many useful inventions known or practifed but in one place? The inftrument, as an example, for cutting down corn in Germany is much more handy and expeditious, in my opinion, than the fickle ufed in England. The cheap and expeditious manner of making vinegar without previous fermentation is known only in a part of France. If fuch difcoveries therefore, remain ftill to be known at home; what funds of knowledge might not be collected in countries yet unexplored, or only paffed through by ignorant travellers in hafty caravans!

The caution with which foreigners are received in Afia may be alleged as an objection to fuch a defign. But how ready have feveral European merchants

merchants found admiffion into regions the most fufpecting, under the character of Sanjapins, or northern pilgrims; to fuch not even China itself denies accefs.

To fend out a traveller, properly qualified for thefe purposes, might be an object of national concern; it would in fome measure repair the breaches made by ambition; and might fhew that there were ftill fome who boafted a greater name than that of patriots, who profeffed themselves lovers of men. The only difficulty would remain in choofing a proper perfon, for fo arduous an enterprize. He thould be a man of a philofophical: turn, one apt to deduce confequences of general utility from particular occurrences, neither fwollen with pride, nor hardened by prejudice, neither wedded to one particular fyftem, nor inftructed only in one particular fcience; neither wholly a botanift, nor quite an antiquarian; his mind fhould be tinctured with miscellaneous knowledge, and his manners humanized by an intercourfe with He fhould be in fome measure an enthufiaft in the defign; fond of travelling from a rapid imagination and an innate love of change; furnished with a body capable of fuftaining every fatigue, and an heart not eafily terrified at danger.

men.

Adieu.

VOL. III.

E E

LETTER

ONE of the principal tasks I had proposed to myfelf on my arrival here, was to become acquainted with the names and characters of thofe now living, who as fcholars or wits, had acquired the greatest fhare of reputation. In order to fucceed in this defign, I fancied the fureft method would be to begin my enquiry among the ignorant, judging that his fame would be greateft, which was loud enough to be heard by the vulgar. Thus predifpofed I began the fearch, but only went in queft of difappointment and perplexity. I found every diftrict had a peculiar famous man of its own. Here the ftory-telling fhoemaker, had engroffed the admiration on one fide of the street, while the bellman, who excelleth at a catch, was in quiet poffeffion of the other. At one end of a lane the fexton was regarded as the greatest man alive, but I had not travelled half its length, till I found an enthufiaft teacher had divided his reputation. My landlady perceiving my defign, was kind enough ro offer me her advice in this affair. It was true, fhe obferved, that she was no judge, but he knew what pleafed herself, and if I would reft upon her judgment, I fhould fet down Tom Collins as the moft ingenious man in the world, for Tom was able to take off all mankind, and imitate befides a fow and pigs to perfection.

I now perceived, that taking my ftandard of reputation among the vulgar, would fwell my catalogue of great names above the fize of a Court Ca

lendar,

lendar; I therefore difcontinued this method of purfuit, and refolved to profecute my enquiry in that ufual refidence of fame, a bookfeller's fhop. In confequence of this I entreated the bookfeller to let me know who were they who now made the greateft figure either in morals, wit, or learning. Without giving me a direct answer, he pulled a pamphlet from the fhelf, The Young Attorney's Guide ; there, Sir, cries he, there is a touch for you, fifteen hundred of thefe moved off in a day: I take the author of this pamphlet either for title, preface, plan, body, or index to be the completeft hand in England. I found it was vain to profecute my enquiry, where my informer appeared fo incompetent a judge of merit, fo paying for the Young Attorney's Guide, which good manners obliged me to buy, I

walked off.

My pursuit after famous men now brought me into a print fhop. Here, thought I, the painter only reflects the public voice. As every man who deferved it had formerly his ftatue placed up in the Roman forum, fo here probably the pictures of none but fuch as merit a place in our affections are held up for public fale. But guefs my furprize when I came to examine this depofitary of noted faces; all diftinctions were levelled here, as in the grave, and I could not but regard it as the catacomb of real merit. The brick-duft-man took up as much room as the truncheoned hero, and the judge was elbowed by the thief-taker; quacks, pimps, and buffoons increafed the group, and noted ftallions only made room for more noted whores. I had read the works of fome of the moderns previously to my coming to England with delight and approbation, but I found their faces had no place here, the walls were covered with the names of authors I had never known, or had endeavoured to

forget; with the little felf-advertifing things of a day who had forced themselves into fashion, but not into fame; I could read at the bottom of fome pictures the names of **, and ***, and *** all equally canditates for the vulgar fhout, and foremoft to propagate their unblushing faces upon brass. My uneafinefs therefore at not finding my few favourite names among the number was now changed into congratulation; I could not avoid reflecting on the fine obfervation of Tacitus on a fimilar occafion. In this cavalcade of flattery, cries the hiftorian, neither the pictures of Brutus, Caffius, nor Cato were to be feen, eo clariores quia imagines eorum non deferebantur, their abfence being the strongest proof of their merit.

It is in vain, cried I, to feek for true greatness among these monuments of the unburied dead; let me go among the tombs of those who are confeffedly famous, and fee if any have been lately depofited there, who deferve the attention of pofterity, and whofe names may be tranfmitted to my diftant friend, as an honour to the prefent age. Determined in my purfuit, I paid a fecond vifit to Weftminster Abbey. There I found feveral new monuments erected to the memory of feveral great men; the names of the great men I abfolutely forget, but I well remember that Roubillac was the ftatuary who carved them. I could not help fmiling at two modern epitaphs in particular; one of which praised the deceafed for being ortus ex antiquá ftirpe; the other commended the dead, becaufe hanc ædem fuis fumptibus reedificavit : the greatest merit of one confifted in his being defcended from an illuftrious houfe; the chief diftinction of the other that he had propped up an old houfe that was falling. Alas! alas! cried I, fuch monuments as thefe con

fer