resolved that he would be a soldier; but, as But ler writes: "Ah me! what perils do environ The man that meddles with cold iron! She'll after shew him, in the nick Of all his glories, a dog-trick.” He marched with some troops to join the leaders of the Gormands and Eagles, who were still carrying on hostilities against the common enemy. The allies, whilst they acted in a body, were successful; but Freeland Frederic unfortunately separated from the other leaders to attack a strong post, whence the enemy threatened Freeland in particular. This dereliction of the common cause for particular interest created a jealousy in the other allies, and exposed all of them to the most imminent danger. As they were fighting at a distance from their houses, and in the midst of an enemy whose force was concentrated, and could be daily reinforced, the allies were no sooner separated than they were overpowered by numbers, and Freeland Frederic was happy to rejoin his friends once more. The winter, at length put an end to hostilities, and when the spring, which ought to be the source of joy to mortals, as the revivification of nature from the death of winter had again brought round the season, wherein mortals cut each other's throats for glory, it was presently discovered, that the demon of discord had thrown the golden apple among the allies. Ambition, jealousy, disunion, and avarice threatened a fatal issue to their campaign be fore it was commenced. Eagle Frederic withdrew his troops, under pretext that he had already done more than prudence would justify him in doing for the common cause, and that he could not impoverish his tenants any more. This was only a scheme to get money from Freeland, whose resources, notwithstanding her vast incumbrances, were wonderfully great. Vortex, rather than lose so valuable an ally as he considered Eagle Frederic, persuaded the Freelanders to send him an immense sum of money, for which he was to bring a certain number of warriors into the field; but the crafty Eagle had no sooner pocketed the cash, than he raised about half the number of troops which had been contracted for, and even these he kept on his own frontiers to protect his own estate, so that they were not of the least service to the common cause. The Freelanders and the Gormands, as before, met with some success whilst they combated together; but not profiting by experience, although dearly bought, they again separated, and were again overpowered. Being driven from the manor of the Gulls, which they had entered, Freeland Frederic thought of taking shelter among the Bighose; but those whom he came to defend, treated him worse than those whom he came to defend them against. The Bighose were a stubborn, avaricious, and ungrateful people. They owed their very existence to the Freelanders, who had formerly protected them from a haughty and tyrannical oppressor; and the first use they made of it was to endeavour to undermine the trade of their protectors. Being unable to effect this in a fair way, they had been continually engaged in every scheme of secret fraud, or open force to ruin her. It savoured therefore rather of Quixotism in the Freelanders, to attempt to preserve such a people, and to nourish a viper, that was ever ready to sting her bosom: but Christianity teaches us to return good for evil.-Freeland Frederic and their Stateholder, used every ef fort of persuasion and remonstrance to rouse them in their defence against the common enemy; but we have before seen that they hated their Stateholder no less than the Freelanders, and they looked forward with pleasure to the expulsion of the former, and the ruin of the latter, on which they hoped to found the superstructure of their own prosperity. They therefore prepared to receive the Gulls as their friends and deliverers, and Freeland Frederic, finding that the game was up, at least for the present, returned home with the consolation, that it was well it was no worse. The Gulls were, however, in some measure repaid in their own coin. The manor of Freeland was surrounded with a broad deep ditch, on which the tenants, as well as those of the other manors bordering on it, kept floating batteries to annoy their enemies in time of war, and to protect the boats which conveyed their merchandize from one to the other. The flotilla of Freeland met that of the Gulls, and after a most desperate encounter, several of the latter were taken, one sunk, and the rest obliged to return, with only that consolation with which they had sent home Master Frederic. The Freelanders taught them that they knew How to conquer, as well as to bear defeat with fortitude and magnanimity. It has been observed that human nature, in every rank and station in life, is passionately fond of every thing that is unnatural. This strange passion absorbs every other consideration; business, the cares of life, all give way to it. Misfortunes vanish before monsters of every kind, Cock-lane and other ghosts, learned pigs, bottle-conjurers, stone-eaters, phantasmagoria, and invisible girls. Happy people who can thus trifle life away! be the cause of this strange passion, the effect is certain, and sage politicians, who omit no means of keeping the people from prying too closely into their mismanagement, have never failed to improve it to their purpose. Thus after Whatever may |