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those who had entertained her in their houses; her generous countryman, therefore, parted with what he could fpare to buy her cloaths, furnished her with horfe, and gave her letters of recommendation to Mr. Gluck, a faithful friend of his father's, and fuperintendant of Marienburgh.

Our beautiful ftranger had only to appear to be well received; fhe was imdiately admitted into the fuperintendant's family, as governefs to his two daughters; and, though yet but feventeen, thewed her felf capable of inftruct ing her fex, not only in virtue, but politeness. Such was her good fenfe and Beauty, that her mafter himself, in a fhort time, offered her his hand; which, to his great furprize, the thought proper to refule. Actuated by a principle of gra. titude, fhe was refolved to many her deliverer only, even though he had loft an arm, and was otherwife disfigured by wounds in the fervice.

In order therefore to prevent further folicitations from others, as foon as the officer came to town upon duty, the offered him her perfon, which he accept ed with tranfport, and their nuptials were folemnized as ufual. But all the lines of her fortune were to be striking: the very day on which they were married, the Ruffians laid fiege to Marien-, burgh; the unhappy foldier had now no time to enjoy the well-carned pleafures of matrimony; he was called off before confummation to an attack, from which he was never after feen to return.

In the mean time the fiege went on with fury, aggravated on one fide by obtinary, on the other by revenge. This war between the two Northern powers at that time was truly barbarous the innocent peafant, and the harmless virgin, often shared the fate of the foldier, in arms. Marienburgh was taken by affault; and fuch was the fury of the affaijants, that not only the garrifon, but almost all the inhabitants, men, women, and children, were put to the fword; at length, when the carnage was pretty well over, Catherina was found hid in an oven.

She had been hitherto poor, but ftill was free; fhe was now to conform to her hard fate, and learn what it was to be a flave: in this fituation, however, fhe behaved with piety and humility; and though misfortunes had abated her

vivacity, yet fhe was chearful. The fame of her merit and refignation reach ed even Prince Menzikoff, the Ruffian general; he defired to see her; was struck with her beauty; bought her from the foldier, her matter, and placed her un der the direction of his own filter. Here fhe was treated with all the respect which her merit deferved, while her beauty every day improved with her good for tune.

She had not been long in this fitua tion, when Peter the Great, paving the prince a vifit, Catherina happened to come in with fome dry fruits, which the ferved round with peculiar modefty. The mighty monarch faw and was ftruck with her beauty. He returned the next day, called for the beautiful flave, afked her feveral questions, and found her understanding even more perfect than her perfon.

He had been forced, when young, to marry from motives of intereft; he was now refolved to marry pursuant to his own inclinations. He immediately enquired the history of the fair Livonian, who was not yet eighteen. He traced her through the vale of obfcurity, through all the viciffitudes of her fortune, and found her truly great in them all. The meanness of her birth was no obftruction to his defign; their nuptials were folemnized in private; the prince affuring his courtiers, that virtue alone was the propereit ladder to a throne.

We now fee Catherina, from the low mud-walled cottage, emprefs of the greatest kingdom'upon earth. The poor folitary wanderer is now furrounded by thousands, who find happiness in her fimile. She, who formerly wanted a meal, is now capable of diffufing plenty upon whole nations. To her fortune fhe owed a part of this pre-eminence, but

to her virtues more.

She ever after retained thofe great qualities which first placed her on a throne; and while the extraordinary prince, her husband, laboured for the reformation of his male fubjects, the ftudied, in her turn, the improvement of her own fex. She altered their dreffes, introduced mixed affemblies, inftituted an order of female knighthood; and at length, when he had greatly filled all the ftations of emprets, friend, wife, and mother, bravely died without regret; regretted by all. Adieu.

LETTER

LETTER LXIII.

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

IN

N every letter I expect accounts of fome new revolutions in China, fome ftrange occurrence in the state, or difafter among my private acquaintance. I open every pacquet with tremulous expectation, and am agreeably difappointed when I find my friends and my country continuing in felicity. I wander, but they are at reft; they fuffer few changes but what país in my own reftlels imagination; it is only the rapidity of my own motion, gives an imaginary fwiftness to objects which are in fome meafure immoveable.

Yer believe me, my friend, that even China itself is imperceptibly degenerat ing from her ancient greatness; her laws are now more venal, and her merchants are more deceitful, than formerly; the very arts and fciences have run to decay. Obferve the carvings on our ancient bridges; figures that add grace even to nature. There is not an artift now in all the empire that can imitate their beauty. Our manufactures in porcelaine too are inferior to what we once were famous for; and even Europe now begins to excel us. There was a time when China was the receptacle of ftrangers; when all were welcome, who either came to improve the state, or admire it's greatnefs; now the empire is fhut up from every foreign improve ment; and the very inhabitants difcourage each other from profecuting their own internal advantages.

Whence this degeneracy in a state so little fubject to external revolutions? How happens it that China, which is now more powerful than ever, which is lefs fubject to foreign invafions, and even affifted in fome difcoveries by her connections with Europe; whence comes it, I fay, that the empire is thus declining fo faft into barbarity?

This decay is furely from nature, and not the refult of voluntary degeneracy. In a period of two or three thoufand years, the feems at proper intervals to produce great minds, with an effort re

fembling that which introduces the viciffitudes of feafons. They rife up at once, continue for an age, enlighten the world, fall like ripened corn, and mankind again gradually relapse into priftine barbarity. We little ones look around, are amazed at the decline, feek after the caufes of this invifible decay, attribute to want of encouragement what really proceeds from want of power; are aftonifhed to find every art and every science in the decline, not confidering that sutumn is over, and fatigued nature again begins to repofe for fome fucceeding effort.

Some periods have been remarakable for the production of men of extraordinary ftature; others for producing fome particular animals in great abundance; fome for exceffive plenty; and others again feemingly caufelefs famine. Nature, which fhews herfelf fo very dif ferent in her vifible productions, muft furely differ alfo from herself in the production of minds; and while fhe aftonishes one age with the ftrength and ftature of a Milo or a Maximin, may blefs another with the wifdom of a Plato, or the goodness of an Antonine.

Let us not then attribute to accident the falling off of every nation; but to the natural revolution of things. Often, in the darkest ages, there has appeared fome one man of fuprizing abilities, who, with all his understanding, failed to bring his barbarous age into refine ment: all mankind feemed to fleep, till Nature gave the general call, and then the whole world feemed at once rouzed at the voice; fcience triumphed in every country, and the brightnefs of a single genius feemed loft in a galaxy of contiguous glory.

Thus the enlightened periods in every age have been univerfal. At the time when China firft began to emerge from barbarity, the Western world was equally rifing into refinement; when we had our Yau, they had their Sefoftris. In fucceeding ages, Confucius and Pythagoras

feem

feem born nearly together, and a train of philofophers then fprung up as well in Greece as in China. The period of renewed barbarity began to have an univerfal fpread much about the fame time, hd continued for feveral centuries, till in the year of the Chriftian æra 1400, the Emperor Yonglo arofe, to revive the Learning of the Eaft; while, about the fame time, the Medicean family laboured in Italy to raise infant genius from the cradle: thus we fee politenefs fpreading ever every part of the world in one age, and barbarity fucceeding in another; at one period a blaze of light diffufing itfelf over the whole world, and at another all mankind wrapped up in the profoundest ignorance.

Such has been the fituation of things in tines paft; and fuch probably it will ever be. China, I have obferved, has evidently begun to degenerate from it's former politenefs; and were the learning of the Europeans at prefeat candidly

confidered, the decline would perhaps appear to have already taken place. We fhould find among the natives of the Weft, the ftudy of morality difplaced for ma thematical difquifition, or metaphyfical fubtleties; we fhould find learning begin to feparate from the ufeful duties and concerns of life, while none ventured to afpire after that character, but they whe know much more than is truly amusing or useful. We should find every great attempt fuppreffed by prudence, and the rapturous fublimity in writing cooled by a cautious fear of offence. We fhould find few of thofe daring fpirits, who bravely venture to be wrong, and who are willing to hazard much for the fake of great acquifitions. Providence has indulged the world with a period of ale mott four hundred years refinement; does it not now by degrees fink us into our former ignorance, leaving us only the love of wisdom, while it deprives us of it's advantages? Adieu,

LETTER LXIV.

FROM THE SAME.

TH THE princes of Europe have found out a manner of rewarding their fubjects who have behaved well, by prefenting them with about two yards of blue ribband, which is worn about the thoulder. They who are honoured with this mark of diftinction are called Knights, and the king himfelf is always the head of the order. This is a very frugal method of recompenfing the molt important fervices; and it is very fortenate for kings that their fubjects are fatisfied with fuch trifling rewards. Should a nobleman happen to lose his leg in battle, the king prefents him with two yards of ribband, and he is paid for the lots of his limb. Should an embaffador spend all his paternal fortune in fupporting the honour of his country abroad, the king prefents him with two yards of ribband, which is to be confidered as an equivalent to his eftate. In fhort, while an European king has a yard of blue or green ribband left, he need be under no apprehenfions of wanting Aatefmen, generals, and foldiers.

I cannot fufficiently admire thofe kingdons in which men, with large patri

monial eftates, are willing thus to undergo real hardfhips for empty favours. A perfon, already poffeffed of a competent fortune, who undertakes to enter the career of ambition, feels many real inconveniencies from his station, while it procures him no real happiness that he was not poffeffed of before. He could eat, drink, and sleep, before he became a courtier, as well, perhaps better, than when invefted with his authority. He could command flatterers in a private ftation, as well as in his public capacity; and indulge at home every favourite inclination, uncenfured and unfeen by the people.

What real good then does an addition to a fortune already fufficient procure? Not any. Could the great man, by having his fortune encreased, encrease alfo his appetites, then precedence might be attended with real amusement.

Was he, by having his one thousand made two, thus enabled to enjoy two wives, or eat two dinners; then, indeed, he might be excused for undergoing fome pain, in order to extend the phere of his enjoyments. But, on the con

trary,

wary, he finds his defire for pleasure often leffen, as he takes pains to be able to improve it; and his capacity of enjoy ment diminishes as his fortune happens to encrease.

Inftead therefore of regarding the great with envy, I generally confider them with fome fhare of conipaffion. I look upon them as a fet of good-natured mifguided people, who are indebted to us, and not to themfelves, for all the happinefs they enjoy. For our pleature, and not their own, they sweat under a cumberous heap of finery; for our pleasure, the lacquied train, the flow parading pageant, with all the gravity of grandeur, moves in review; a fingle coat, or a fingle footman, answers all the purpofes of the most indolent refinement as well; and those who have twenty, may be faid to keep one for their own plea fure, and the other nineteen merely for ours. So true is the obfervation of Confucius, that we take greater pains to perfuade others that we are happy, than endeavouring to think fo our⚫ felves.'

But though this defire of being feen, of being made the fubject of difcourfe, and of fupporting the dignities of an exalted station, be troublefome enough to the ambitious; yet it is well for fo

ciety that there are men thus willing to exchange eafe and fafety for danger and a ribband. We lofe nothing by their vanity; and it would be unkind to endeavour to deprive a child of it's rattle. If a duke or a dutchefs are willing to carry a long train for our entertainment, fo much the worfe for themselves; if they chufe to exhibit in public with a hundred lacquies and Mameluks in their equipage for our entertainment, still fo much the worfe for themselves; it is the fpectators alone who give and receive the pleasure; they only the fweating figures that fwell the pageant.

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A Mandarine, who took much pride in appearing with a number of jewels on every part of his robe, was once accofted by an old fly Bonze, who following him through feveral streets, and bowing often to the ground, thanked him for his jewels. What does the man mean?' cried the Mandarine. Friend, I never gave thee any of my jewels.'-'No,' replied the other; but you have let me look at them, and that is all the ufe you can make of them yourfelf; fo there is no difference between us, except that you have the trouble of watching them, and that is an employment I don't much defire, Adieu

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LETTER LXV.

FROM THE SAME.

HOUGH not very fond of fee

tore it in fuch a that I was

Ting a pageant myself, yet I am terly unqualified to march forward with

generally pleafed with being in the erowd which fees it; it is amufing to bferve the effect which fuch a fpectacle has upon the variety of faces, the plea. fure it excites in fome, the envy in others, and the wishes it raifes in all. With this defign, I lately went to see the entry of a foreign ambaffador; refolved to nake one in the mob, to fhout as they houted, to fix with earneïtnefs upon the fame frivolous objects, and participate, for a while, the pleafures and the wishes of the vulgar.

Struggling here for fome time, in order to be first to see the cavalcade as it paffed, fome one of the crowd unluckity happened to tread upon my lioe, and

the main body, and obliged to fall back in the rear. Thus rendered incapable of being a spectator of the show myself, I was at least willing to obferve the spectators, and limped behind like one of the invalids which follow the march of an army.

In this plight, I was confidering the eagerness that appeared on every face, how fome buftled to get foremost, and others contented themfelves with taking a tranfient peep when they could; how fome praised the four black fervants, that were fuck behind one of the equi pages, and some the ribbands that decorated the horfes necks in another; my attention was called off to an object

more

• have lived,' faid he, a wandering life, now five and fifty years, here today, and gone to-morrow; for it was my misfortune, when I was young, to be fond of changing."— You have 'been a traveller, then, I prefume?

more extraordinary than any that I had yet feen. A poor cobler fat in his ftall "by the way fide, and continued to work ⚫ while the crowd paffed by, without teftifying the fmalleft fhare of curiofity. I own, his want of attention excited mine; and as I ftood in need of his af-interrupted I. I cannot boaft much fiftance, I thought it best to employ a philofophic cobler on this occafion: perceiving my bufinefs, therefore, he defired me to enter and fit down, took my hoe in his lap, and began to mend it with his ufual indifference and taciturnity.

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How, my friend,' faid I to him, can you continue to work, while all thofe fine things are paffing by your door?'- Very fine they are, master,' returned the cobler, for thofe that like them, to be fure; but what are all those fine things to me? You do not know what it is to be a cobler, and fo much the better for yourfelf. Your bread is baked, you may go and fee fights the whole day, and eat a warin fupper when you come home at night; but for me, if I fhould run hunting after all these fine folk, what should I get by my journey but an appetite? and, God help me, I have too much of that at home already, without ftirring out for it. Your people, who may

ent four meals a day, and a fupper at night, are but a bad example to fuch a one as I. No, master, as God has called me into this world, in order to mend old fhoes, I have no bufinefs with fine folk, and they no bufinefs with me.' I here interrupted him with a smile. See this last,

mafter, continues he, and this hammer; this laft and hammer are the two belt friends I have in this world; nobody elfe will be my friend, because I want a friend. The great folks • you faw pafs by juft now, have five hundred friends, because they have no occafion for them; now, while I ftick to my good friends here, I am very contented; but when I ever fo little run after fights and fine things, • I begin to hate my work, I grow fad, and have no heart to mend shoes any longer.'

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' of travelling,' continued he, for I have never left the parish in which I was born, but three times in my life, that I can remember; but then there is not a street in the whole neighbourhood that I have not lived in, at fome time or another. When I began to fettle, and to take to my business in one street, fome unforeseen misfortune, or a defire of trying my luck elfewhere, has removed me, perhaps a whole mile away from my former customers, while fome more lucky cobler would come into my place, and make a handfome fortune among friends of my making: there was one, who actually died in a ftall that I had left, worth feven pounds feven hillings, all in hard gold, which he had quilted into the waistband of his breeches."

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weary life I had of it, Heaven knows. My wife took it into her 'head, that the only way to thrive in this world, was to fave money; fo, though our comings-in was but about three fhillings a week, all that ever. The could lay her hands upon the used to hide away from me, though we were obliged to starve the whole week • after for it.

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The first three years, we ufed to quarrel about this every day, and I al ways got the better; but he had a hard fpirit, and ftill continued to hide as ufual, fo that I was at last tired of quarrelling and getting the better, and the fcrapped and scrapped at pleafure, till I was almost starved to death. Her conduct drove me at laft, in defpair, to the ale-houfe: here I used to fit with people who hated home like myfelf, drank while I had money left, and run in fcore when any body would truft me; till at last, the landlady coming one day with a long bill when' II was from home, and putting it into by

This difcourfe only ferved to raife my curiofity to know more of a man, whom Nature had tims formed into a philofopher. I therefore infentibly led him into an history of his adventurers.

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