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her father, her mother, and a long tribe of coufins, aunts, and relations, and then ftand the butt of a whole country church; I would as foon turn tail and make love to her grandmother.

I can conceive no other reafon for thus Loading matrimony with fo many prohi bitions, unless it be that the country was thought already too populous, and this was found to be the most effe&tual means of thinning it. If this was the motive, I cannot but congratulate the wife projectors on the fuccefs of their fcheme. Hall, O ye dim-fighted politicians, ye weeders of men! 'Tis yours to clip the wing of industry,

and convert Hymen to a broker. "Tis yours to behold small obje&s with a microfcopic eye, but to be blind to thofe which require an extent of vifion, 'Tis yours, O ye difcerners of mankind, to lay the line between society, and weaken that force by dividing, which should bind with united vigour. "Tis yours, to introduce national real diftrefs, in order to avoid the imaginary distresses of a few. Your actions can be justified by a hundred reasons like truth; they can be oppofed but by a few reafons, and thofe reasons are true. Farewel,

LETTER LXXIII.

FROM LIEN CHI ALTANG!, TO HINGPO, BY THE WAY OF Moscow,

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A life, encreafes our defire of living. Thofe dangers which, in the vigour of youth, we had learned to defpife, affume new terrors as we grow old. Our caution encreafing as our years encrease, fear becomes at laft the prevailing paffion of the mind; and the fmall remain. der of life is taken up in ufelefs efforts to keep off our end, or provide for a continued existence.

Strange contradiction in our nature, and to which even the wife are liable! If I should judge of that part of life which lies before me, by that which I have already feen, the profpect is hideous. Experience tells me, that my paft enjoyments have brought me no real felicity; and fenfation affures me, that thofe I have felt are fronger than thofe which are yet to come. Yet experience and fenfation in vain perfuade; hope, more powerful than either, dreffes out the distant profpect in fancied beauty; fome happiness in long perfpe&tive till beckons me to purfue; and, like a lofing gamefter, every new difappointment encreafes my ardour to continue the game. Whence, my friend, this encreafed love of life, which grows upon us with our years; whence comes it, that we thus make greater efforts to preferve our existence, at a period when it becomes fcarce worth the keeping? Is it that Nature, attentive to the prefervation of mukind, encreafes our wishes to live, while he leffens our enjoyments; and,

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of equips imagination in the fpoil? Life would be infupportable to an old man, who, loaded with infirmities, feared death no more than when in the vigour of manhood; the nun.berlefs calamities of decaying nature, and the conscioufnefs of furviving every pleafure, would at once induce him with his own hand to terminate the fcene of mifery; but happily the contempt of death forfakes him at a time when it could only be prejudicial; and life acquires an imaginary value, in proportion as it's real value is no more.

Our attachment to every object around us encreases, in general, from the length of our acquaintance with it. I would

not chufe,' fays a French philofopher, to fee an old poft pulled up, with which I had been long acquainted. A mind long habituated to a certain fet of objects, infenfibly becomes fond of feeing them; vifits them from habit, and parts from them with reluctance: from hence proceed the avarice of the old in every kind of poffeffion. They love the world, and all that it produces; they love life, and all it's advantages; not because it gives them pleasure, but be caufe they have known it long.

Chinvang the Chafte afcending the throne of China, commanded that all who were unjustly detained in prison, during the preceding reigns, thould be fet free. Among the number who came to thank their deliverer on this occafi

there

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there appeared a majestic old man, who, falling at the emperor's feet, addreffed him as follows. Great father of China, behold a wretch, now eighty-five years old, who was thut up in a dungeon at the age of twenty-two. I < was imprisoned, though a stranger to crime, or without being even confronted by my accufers. I have now lived in folitude and darkness for more than fifty years, and am grown familiar with diftrefs. As yet dazzled ⚫ with the splendour of that fun to which you have reftored me, I have been wandering the streets to find fome friend that would affift, or relieve, or remember me; but my friends, my family, and relations, are all dead, and I am forgotten. Permit · me then, O Chinvang, to wear out the wretched remains of life in my ⚫ former prifon; the walls of my dun⚫geon are to me more pleafing than the moft fplendid palace; I have not long to live, and fhall be unhappy, except I spend the reft of my days where my ⚫ youth was paffed; in that prifon from whence you were pleased to releafe

me.'

The old man's paffion for confinement is fimilar to that we all have for life. We are habituated to the prifon; we look round with difcontent, are difpleafed with the abode, and yet the length of our captivity only encreases our fondness for the cell. The trees we have planted, the houfes we have built, or the pofterity we have begotten, all ferve to bind us clofer to earth, and embitter our parting. Life fues the young like a new acquaintance; the companion, as yet unexhaufted, is at

once inftructive and amufing; it is com pany pleases; yet for all this it is but little regarded. To us, who are declined in years, life appears like an old friend; it's jefts have been anticipated in former converfation; it has no new ftory to make us fimile, no new improvement with which to furprize, yet ftill we love it; deftitute of every agreement, ftill we love it; hufband the wafting treasure with encreafed frugality, and feel all the poignancy of anguish in the fatal feparation.

Sir Philip Mordaunt was young, beautiful, fincere, brave, an Englishman. He had a compleat fortune of his own, and the love of the king his mafter, which was equivalent to riches. Life opened all her treasure before him, and promised a long fucceffion of future happiness. He came, tafted of the entertainment, but was difgufted even in the beginning. He profeffed an averfion to living; was tired of walking round the fame circle; had tried every enjoyment, and found them all grow weaker at every repetition. If life be

in youth fo difpleafing, cried he to himfelf, what will it appear when age comes on! if it be at prefent indifferent, fure it will then be execrable.' This thought embittered every reflection; till, at laft, with all the ferenity of perverted reafon, he ended the debate with a piftol! Had this felf-deluded man been apprized, that existence grows more defirable to us the longer we exift, he would have then faced old age without fhrinking, he would have boldly dared to live, and ferved that fociety, by his future affiduity, which he bafely injured by his defertion. Adieu.

LETTER LXXIV.

FROM LIEN CHI ALTANGI, TO FUM HOAM, FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE CEREMONIAL ACADEMY AT PEKIN, IN CHINA.

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comnion place-book into a folio? he quickly becomes great. Does a poet ftring up trite fentiments in rhyme? he alfo becomes the great man of the hour. How diminutive foever the object of admiration, each is followed by a crowd of ftill more diminutive admirers. The fhout begins in his train, onward he marches toward immortality, looks back at the purfuing crowd with felf-fatisfaction; catching all the oddities, the whimfies, the abfurdities, and the littleneffes of conscious greatnefs, by the way.

I was yesterday invited by a gentleman to dinner, who promifed that our entertainment should confift of an haunch of venifon, a turtle, and a great man, I came, according to appointment. The venifon was fine, the turtle good, but the great man infupportable. The moment I ventured to speak, I was at once contradicted with a fnap. I attempted, by a fecond and third affault, to retrieve my loft reputation, but was ftill beat back with confufion. I was refolved to attack him once more from entrenchment, and turned the converfation upon the government of China: but even here he afferted, fnapped, and contradicted, as before. Heavens,' thought I, this man pretends to know China even better than myself!' I looked round to fee who was on my fide, but every eye was fixed in admiration on the great man; I therefore at last thought proper to fit filent, and at the pretty gentleman during the enfuing converfa

tion.

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When a man has once fecured a circle of admirers, he may be as ridiculous here as he thinks proper; and it all paffes for elevation of fentiment, or learned abfence. If he tranfgreffes the common forms of breeding, mistakes even a teapot for a tobacco-box, it is faid that his thoughts are fixed on more important objects: to speak and act like the rest of mankind is to be no greater than they. There is fomething of oddity in the very idea of greatnels; for we are feldom aftonished at a thing very much refembling ourfelves.

When the Tartars make a Lama, their firtt care is to place him in a dark corner of the temple; here he is to fit, half concealed from view, to regulate the mo tion of his hands, lips, and eyes; but, above all, he is enjoined gravity and filence. This, however, is but the prelude to his apotheofis: a fet of emiflaries

are dispatched among the people to cry up his piety, gravity, and love of raw flesh; the people take them at their word, approach the Lama, now become an idol, with the most humble proftration; he receives their addreffes without motion, commences a god, and is ever after fed by his priests with the spoon of immortality. The fame receipt in this country ferves to make a great man. The idol only keeps clofe, fends out his little emiffaries to be hearty in his praife; and ftraight, whether ftatesman or author, he is fet down in the lift of fame, continuing to be praised while it is fashionable to praife, or while he prudently keeps his minuteness concealed from the public.

I have visited many countries, and have been in cities without number, yet never did I enter a town which could not produce ten or twelve of thofe little great men; all fancying themselves known to the reft of the world, and complimenting each other upon their extenfive reputation. It is amufing enough when two of those domeftic prodigies of learning mount the ftage of ceremony, and give and take praife from each other. I have been prefent when a German doctor, for having pronounced a panegyric upon a certain monk, was thought the most ingenious man in the world; till the monk foon after divided this reputation by returning the compliment; by which means they both marched off with univerfal applaufe.

The fame degree of undeferved adulation that attends our great man while living, often alfo follows him to the tomb. It frequently happens that one of his little admirers fits down big with the important fubject, and is delivered of the hiftory of his life and writings. This may properly be called the revolu tions of a life between the fire-fide and the eafy-chair. In this we learn the year in which he was born, at what an early age he gave fymptoms of uncommon genius and application, together with fome of his imart.fayings, collected by his aunt and mother, while vet but a boy. The next book intro duces him to the university, where we are informed of his amazing progress in learning, his excellent fkill in darning ftockings, and his new invention for papering books to fave the covers. He next makes his appearance in the re

public of letters, and publifhes his folio. Now the coloffus is reared, his works are eagerly bought up by all the purchafers of fcarce books. The learned focieties invite him to become a member; he difputes against fome foreigner with a long Latin name, conquers in the controverty, is complimented by feveral authors of gravity and importance, is exceffively fond of egg-fauce with his pig, becomes prefident of a literary club, and dies in the meridian of his glory. Happy they, who thus

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have fome little faithful attendant, who never forfakes them, but prepares to wrangle and to praife against every oppofer; at once ready to encrease their pride while living, and their character when dead. For you and I, my friend, who have no humble admirer thus to attend us, we, who neither are, nor never will be, great men, and who do not much care whether we are great men or no, at leaft let us strive to be honeft men, and to have common fenfe.

LETTER LXXV.

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FROM THE SAME.

HERE are numbers in this city who live by writing new books; and yet there are thousands of volumes in every large library unread and forgotten. This, upon my arrival, was one of thofe contradictions which I was unable to account for. Is it poffible,' faid I, that there fhould be any demand for new books, before thofe already published are read? Can there be fo many employed in producing a commodity with which the market is already overftocked; and with goods alfo better than any of modern manufacture!'

What at first view appeared an inconfiftence, is a proof at once of this people's wifdom and refinement. Even allowing the works of their ancestors better written than theirs, yet thofe of the moderns acquire a teal value, by being marked with the impreffion of the times. Antiquity has been in the poffeffion of others, the prefent is our. own; let us first, therefore, learn to know what belongs to ourlelves; and then, if we have leifure, caft our reflections back to the reign of Shonou, who governed twenty thousand years before the creation of the moon.

The volumes of antiquity, like medals, may very well ferve to amufe the curious, but the works of the moderns, like the current coin of a kingdom, are much better for immediate ufe; the former are often prized above their intrinfic value, and kept with care; the latter feldom pafs for more than they are worth, and are often fubject to the merciless hands of fweating critics, and

clipping compilers: the works of antiquity were ever praifed, those of the moderns read; the treafures of our anceftors have our esteem, and we boast the paffion; thofe of cotemporary genius engage our heart, although we blush to own it. The vifits we pay the former refemble thofe we pay the great; the ceremony is troublefome, and yet fuch as we would not chufe to forego; our acquaintance with modern books is like fitting with a friend; our pride is not flattered in the interview, but it gives more internal fatisfaction.

In proportion as fociety refines, new books must ever become more neceffary. Savage rufticity is reclaimed by oral admonition alone; but the elegant excelles of refinement are best corrected by the ftill voice of ftudious enquity. In a polite age, almoft every person becomes a reader, and receives more inftruction from the prefs than the pulpit. The preaching Bonze may inftruct the illiterate peafant; but nothing less than the infinuating addrefs of a fine writer can win it's way to an heart already relaxed in all the effeminacy of refinement. Books are neceffary to correct the vices of the polite; but thofe vices are ever changing, and the antidote fhould be changed accordingly, should ftill be new.

Instead therefore of thinking the number of new publications here too great, I could with it ftill greater, as they are the most useful instruments of reformation. Every country muft be inftructed either by writers or preachers; but as the number of readers encreafes, the

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number of hearers is proportionably diminifhed, the writer becomes more uleful, and the preaching Bonze lefs neceffary.

Inftead, therefore, of complaining that writers are overpaid, when their works procure them a bare subfiftence, I fhould imagine it the duty of a ftate not only to encourage their numbers, but their industry. A Bonze is rewarded with immenfe riches for inftructing only a few, even of the moft ignorant, of the people; and fure the poor fcholar fhould not beg his bread, who is capable of inftructing a million.

Of all rewards, I grant, the moft pleafing to a man of real merit, is fame; but a polite age, of all times, is that in which fcarce any fhare of merit can acquire it. What numbers of fine writers in the latter empire of Rome, when refinement was carried to the highest pitch, have miffed that fame and immortality which they had fondly arrogated to themselves? How many Greek authors, who wrote at that period when Conftantinople was the refined mistress of the empire, now ret either not printed, or not read, in the libraries of Europe! Thofe who came firft, while either fate as yet was barbarous, carried all the reputation away. Authors, as the age refined, became more numerous, and their numbers deftroyed their fame. It is but natural, therefore, for the writer, when confcious that his works will not procure him fame hereafter, to endeavour to make them turn out to his temporal interest here.

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Whatever be the motives which induce men to write, whether avarice or fame, the country becomes mott wife and happy, in which they moft ferve for inftructors. The countries where facerdotal inftruction alone is permitted, remain in ignorance, fuperitition, and hopeless flavery. In England, where there are as many new books published as in all the reft of Europe together, a fpirit of freedom and reafon reigns

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among the people; they have been often known to act like fools, they are generally found to think like men.

The only danger that attends a multiplicity of publications, is that some of them may be calculated to injure, rather than benefit, fociety. But where writers are numerous, they also serve as a check upon each other; and, perhaps, a literary inquifition is the most terrible punishment that can be conceived to a literary tranfgreffor.

But to do the Englith justice, there are but few offenders of this kind; their publications, in general, aim at mending either the heart, or improving the common weal. The dulleft writer talks of virtue, and liberty, and benevolence, with efteem; tells his true ftory, filled with good and wholefome advice; warns against flavery, bribery, or the bite of a mad dog; and drefles up his little ufeful magazine of knowledge and entertainment, at least with a good intention. The dunces of France, on the other hand, who have lefs encouragement, are more vicious. Tender hearts, languishing eves, Leonora in love at thirteen, extatic tranfports, ftelen bliffes, are the frivolous fubjects of their frivolous memoirs. In England, if a bawdy blockhead thus breaks in on the community, he fets his whole fraternity in a roar; nor can he efcape, even though he fhould fly to nobility for shelter.

Thus even dunces, my friend, may make themselves ufeful. But there are ethers whom Nature has bleft with talents above the rest of mankind; men capable of thinking with precifion, and impreffing their thoughts with rapidity. Beings who diffufe thofe regards upon mankind, which others contract and fettle upon themselves. Thefe deferve every honour from that community of which they are more peculiarly the children; to fuch I would give my heart, fince to them I am indebted for it's hu manity! Adieu.

LETTER LXXVI.

FROM HINGPO, TO LIEN CHI ALTANGI, BY THE WAY OF MOSCOW.

Still remain at Terki, where I have received that money which was remitted here in order to release me from captivity. My fair companion ftill im

proves in my efteem; the more I know her mind, her beauty becomes more poignant; fhe appears charming, even among the daughters of Circaffia.

Yet

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