ward of five hundred pounds. Mr. Roubilac returned the notes, but generously refused the five hundred pounds. The gentleman, charmed with his behaviour, made him a present of a fine set of plate, and left him a thousand pounds in his will, in case he survived him; but Roubilac dying first, rendered the gentleman's intentions of no effect.

THE TRUE PHILOSOPHER.

A professor of alchymy, hearing of the uncommon merit of a neighbouring philosopher, took the first opportunity of paying him a visit, and seemed not a little surprised. at the plain manner in which the latter lived. "Heavens!" said he, "that a. man of your unexampled virtue should live under this humble roof; but, be of good cheer, I am come to repair the outrage fortune has done you. I possess a secret, which, upon certain considerations I will communicate to you, and by the transmutation of metals, I doubt not, but we shall divide more gold than is to be found in the

sands of the Tagus, or the mines of Africa: "Thank you," replied the sage," but I must decline your offer, for to live contented without gold, to have an, undisturbed mind, in a sound body, is, in my opinion, the only real treasure this world can afford, and is, in fact, the true Philosopher's Stone."

ANECDOTE..

An arabian, being once asked of whom he had learned virtue? replied, " of the bad, for their wickedness inspired me with a distaste to vice."

ANECDOTE..

When Philip III. King of Spain, sent his ambassador to treat with the States of Holland about their Independancy, he was shewn into an anti-chamber, where he waited to see the members of the state pass. by. He stood for some time, and seeing none but a parcel of plain dressed men with bundles in their hands, (which, as many of them came from distant provinces, con

He

tained their linen and provisions.) asked his interpreter, "When the states would come?" The man, replied, "that those were the members he saw go by." Upon which he immediately wrote to the commander-in-chief of the Spanish army, desiring him to advise the King (his master,) to make peace as soon as possible. In his letter, he has this remarkable passage "I expected to have scen in the states a splendid appearance; but instead of that, I saw only a parcel of plain-dressed men with sensible faces, who came in council with provisions in their hands..

Their parsimony will ruin the King, (my master) in the course of the war, if it is. continued, for there is no contending with people whose nobles can live upon a shil ling a day, and will do every thing for the service of their country." The King struck with the account, agreed to treat with them as an independant state, and put an end to the war.

"Where note, alas, is their boasted In dependence?"

EINES EXTEMPORE ON THE ISLE OF

WIGHT.

Isle of Wight, thy weather's like a modish wife,
Thy winds and rains for ever are at strife;
So termagant, a while her thunder tries,
And when she can no longer scold—she cries.

ANECDOTE OF DRYDEN.

Mr. Dryden happening to pass an evening with the Duke of Buckingham, the Earl of Rochester, Lord Dorset, and some others of the first distinction and reputation for genius; the conversation turned upon literary subjects, such as the fineness of composition, the harmony of numbers, the beauties of invention, the smoothness and elegance of style, &c. &c. After some debate, it was finally agreed, that each person present should write something upon whatever subject chanced to strike the imagination, and place it under the candlestick; Mr. Dryden was excepted against in every respect, but as a judge of the whole, of course, that office was assigned him.

Some of the company were at more than ordinary pains to out-rival each other; the person most tranquil and unconcerned, was Lord Dorset, who, with much ease and composure, very cooly wrote two or three lines, and carelesly threw them into the place agreed upon; and when the rest had done so by theirs, the arbiter opened the leaves of their destiny. In going through the whole, he discovered the most violent raptures.

"I must acknowledge," says Dryden, "that there are abundance of fine things in my hands, and such as do honour to the personages who wrote them; but I am under the indispensible necessity of giving the preference to Lord Dorset. I must request you will hear it yourselves, gentlemen, and I believe each, and all of you, will approve my judgment." "I promise to pay to John Dryden, Esq. or order on demand, the sum of five hundred pounds.

DORSET."