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But the effects of love are too violent to be the refult of an artificial paffion. Nor is it in the power of fashion to force the conftitution into those changes which we every day obferve. Several have died of it. Few lovers are unacquainted with the fate of the two Italian lovers, Da Corfin and Julia Bellamano, who after a long feparation expired with pleasure in each other's arms. Such inftances are too ftrong confirmations of the reality of the paffion, and ferve to fhew, that fuppreffing it is but oppofing the natu ral dictates of the heart. Adieu.

LETTER CXVI.

TO THE SAME.

THE clock juft ftruck two, the expiring taper rifes and finks in the focket, the watchman forgets the hour in flumber, the laborious and the happy are at reft, and nothing wakes but meditation, guilt, revelry and despair. The drunkard once more fills the deftroying bowl, the robber walks his midnight round, and the fuicide lifts his guilty arm against his own facred perfon.

Let me no longer waste the night over the page of antiquity, or the fallies of contemporary genius, but pursue the folitary walk where Vanity, ever changing, but a few hours paft walked before me, where fhe kept up the pageant, and now, like a froward child, feems hufhed with her own importunities.

What a gloom hangs all around! the dying lamp feebly emits a yellow gleam, no found is heard but of the chiming clock, or the diftant watch-dog. All the

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the bustle of human pride is forgotten, an hour like this may well difplay the emptinefs of human vanity. There will come a time when this temporary folitude may be made continual, and the city itself, like its inhabitants, fade away, and leave a defart in its

room.

What cities as great as this, have once triumphed in existence, had their victories as great, joy as juft and as unbounded, and with fhort-fighted prefumption, promised themselves immortality. Pofterity can hardly trace the fituation of fome. The forrowful traveller wanders over the awful ruins of others; and as he beholds, he learns wisdom, and feels the tranfience of every fublunary poffeffion.

Here, he cries, ftood their citadel, now grown over with weeds; there their fenate-house, but now the haunt of every noxious reptile; temples and theatres ftood here, now only an undiftinguished heap of ruin. They are fallen, for luxury and avarice firft made them feeble. The rewards of the state were conferred on amufing, and not on useful, members of fociety. Their riches and opulence invited the invaders, who, though at first repulfed, returned again, conquered by perfeverance, and at last swept the defendants into undiftinguished destruction.

How few appear in thofe ftreets, which but fome few hours ago were crowded; and those who appear, now no longer wear their daily mask, nor attempt to hide their lewdness or their mifery.

But who are those who make the ftreets their couch, and find a fhort repofe from wretchedness at the doors of the opulent? Thefe are ftrangers, wanderers, and orphans, whofe circumftances are too humble to expect redrefs, and whofe diftreffes are too great even for pity. Their wretchednefs excites rather horror than pity. Some are without the covering even of rags, and others emaciated with disease;

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the world has difclaimed them; fociety turns its back upon their distress, and has given them up to nakednefs and hunger. These poor fhivering females have once feen happier days, and been flattered into beauty. They have been prostituted to the gay luxurious villain, and are now turned out to meet the severity of winter. Perhaps, now lying at the doors of their betrayers, they fue to wretches whofe hearts are infenfible, or debauchees who may curse, but will not relieve them.

Why, why was I born a man, and yet fee the fufferings of wretches I cannot relieve! Poor houseless creatures! the world will give you reproaches, but will not give you relief. The flightest misfortunes of the great, the most imaginary uneafineffes of the rich, are aggravated with all the power of eloquence, and held up to engage our attention and fympathetic forrow. The poor weep unheeded, perfecuted by every fubordinate species of tyranny; and every law, which gives others fecurity, becomes an enemy to them.

Why was this heart of mine formed with so much femfibility! or why was not my fortune adapted to its impulfe! Tenderness, without a capacity of relieving, only makes the man who feels it more wretched than the object which fues for affiftance, Adieu.

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LETTER CXVII.

Fum Hoam to Lien Chi Altangi, the difcontented
wanderer, by the way of Moscow.

I HAVE been just fent upon an embaffy to Japan; my commiffion is to be difpatched in four days, and you can hardly conceive the pleasure I shall find upon revifiting my native country. I fhall leave with joy this proud, barbarous, inhofpitable region, where every object confpires to diminifh my fatisfaction, and increase my patriotism.

But though I find the inhabitants favage, yet the Dutch merchants who are permitted to trade hither, feem ftill more deteftable. They have raised my diflike to Europe in general; by them I learn how low avarice can degrade human nature; how many indignities an European will fuffer for gain,

I was prefent at an audience given by the emperor to the Dutch envoy, who had fent feveral prefents to all the courtiers fome days previous to his admiffion; but he was obliged to attend those defigned for the emperor himself. From the accounts I had heard of this ceremony, my curiofity prompted me to be a fpectator of the whole.

First went the prefents, fet out on beautiful enamelled tables, adorned with flowers, borne on men's fhoulders, and followed by Japanese mufic and dancers. From fo great refpect paid to the gifts themselves, I had fancied the donors must have received almost divine honours. But about a quarter of an hour after the presents had been carried in triumph, the envoy and his train were brought forward, They were covered from head to foot with long black

veils, which prevented their feeing, each led by a conductor, chofen from the meaneft of the people. In this difhonourable manner having traversed the city of Jedo, they at length arrived at the palacegate, and after waiting half an hour, were admitted into the guard-room. Here their eyes were uncovered, and in about an hour the gentleman-usher introduced them into the hall of audience. The emperor was at length fhewn fitting in a kind of alcove at the upper end of the room, and the Dutch envoy was conducted towards the throne.

As foon as he had approached within a certain diftance, the gentleman-ufher cried out with a loud voice, Holanda Capitan; upon these words the envoy fell flat upon the ground, and crept upon his hands and feet towards the throne. Still approaching, he reared himself upon his knees, and then bowed his forehead to the ground. These ceremonies being over, he was directed to withdraw, ftill groveling on his belly, and going backward like a lobster.

Men must be exceffively fond of riches, when they are earned with fuch circumstances of abject fubmiffion. Do the Europeans worship Heaven itfelf with marks of more profound refpect. Do they confer those honours on the Supreme of beings, which they pay to a barbarous king, who gives them a permiffion to purchase trinkets and porcelaine! What a glorious exchange, to forfeit their national honour, and even their title to humanity, for a fcreen or a fnuff-box!

If thefe ceremonies eflayed in the firft audience appeared mortifying, thofe which are practifed in the fecond are infinitely more fo. In the fecond audience, the emperor and the ladies of court were placed behind lattices in fuch a manner as to fee without being feen. Here all the Europeans were directed

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