SECT. XCV. HUNTING WAR, AND GAMING, CARDS were at firft for benefits defign'd; WHIST, A POEM. If we contemplate a favage nation in any part of the globe, fupine indolence, and fometimes violent exertions, will be found to constitute their general character. In a civilized state, every faculty of man is expanded and exercised; and the great chain of mutual dependance connects and embraces the feveral members of fociety. The most numerous portion of it is em ployed in conftant and useful labour. The felect few placed by fortune above that neceffity, can, however, fill up their time by the pursuit of ambition, by the improvement of their eftate, by the duties, the pleasures, 5 S 2 and and even the innocent follies of focial life. Thefe, by reading and reflection, multiply their own experience, and live in diftant ages and remote countries; whilst the former, rooted to a single spot, and confined to a few years of existence, furpaffes but very little his fellowlabourer the ox, in the exercise of his mental faculties. Their level life is but a mould'ring fire, -or if raptures cheer on fome high feftival of once a year, The lazy favage, deftitute of every art that can last out the day, if his hunting has procured enough, paffes his time in the animal gratifications of eating and fleep. And yet," by a wonderful diversity of nature," which could not fail to escape the obfervation of TACITUS, who has applied the fcience of philofophy to the study of facts, "The fame barbarians are by turns the most "indolent and the most restless of mankind. They de light in floth, they deteft tranquillity. The languid "foul, oppreffed with its own weight, anxiously required fome new and powerful fenfation; and war " and * The paffion for war, in the favage breaft, is ftrongly exemplified in the following history. When Conftantinople was taken by the Turks, IRENE, a young "and gaming were the only gratifications moft fuited to "this temper of mind." "The found that fummoned the GERMAN to arms "was grateful to his ear. It roufed him from his un"comfortable lethargy, gave him an active purfuit, "and, by ftrong exercise of the body, and violent emo❝tions of the mind, reftored him to a more lively fenfe "of his exiftence. young Greek of an illuftrious family, fell into the hands of MAHOMET II. who was at that time in the prime of youth and glory. His favage heart being fubdued by her charmis, he fhut himself up with her, denying access even to his minifters. Love obtained fuch an afcendancy as to make him frequently leave the army to ftop with his IRENE. War relaxed, for victory was no longer the monarch's favourite paffion. The foldiers, accustomed to booty, began to murmur, and the infection fpread even among the commanders. The Basha MUSTAPHA, confulting the fidelity he owed his master, was the first who durft acquaint him of the difcourfes held publicly to the prejudice of his glory. The fultan, after a gloomy filence, formed his refolution. He ordered MUSTAPHA to affemble the troops next morning; and then with precipita tion retired to IRENE's apartment. Never before did that princess appear fo charming; never before did the prince bestow so many careffes. To give a new luftre to her beauty, he exhorted her women next morning to bestow their utmost art and care on her drefs. He that morning took her by the hand, and led her into the midst of the army, and pulling off her vail, demanded of the bafhas, with a fierce look, whether they had ever beheld fuch a beauty? After an awful paufe, MAHOMET, with one hand laying hold of the young Greek by her beautiful locks, and with the other pulling out his fcimitar, fevered her head from the body at one ftroke. Then turning to his grandees, with eyes furious and wild, "This fword," fays he, "when it is my will, "knows how even to cut the bands of love." 3 "In "In the dull intervals of peace, the GERMANS were "immoderately addicted to deep gaming, and exceffive 66 drinking; both of which by different means, the one "by inflaming the paffions, the other by extinguishing "his reason, alike relieved him from the pain of the "want of employment. They gloried in paffing whole ❝days and nights in this tumult of the paffions, and the blood of friends and relations often ftained their nu"merous affemblies. The defperate gamester, who had "staked his perfon and liberty on the throw of the die, “such was the point of honour among these barbarians, "or rather depraved obftinacy, as TACITUS more juft ly ftyles it (ca eft in re prava pervicacia, ipfi fidem "vocant), that they patiently submitted to the decifion "of fortune, and fuffered themselves to be bound hand ❝ and feet, and fold into remote and cruel flavery by his "weaker and more lucky antagonist.” SECT. COLONEL GARDINER, a gentleman of fortune, who, to all the advantages of a liberal and religious education added every accomplishment that could render him moft agreeable, early entered into the army, and was foon called into actual fervice, at which time he behaved with a gallantry and courage, which will always give a splendour to his name among the British soldiery, and render him, in this refpect, an example worthy of their imitation. But, alas! amidst all the intrepidity of the martial hero, you see him vanquished by the blandishments of pleasure, and plunging into the most criminal exceffes. Before he had attained the age of twentytwo he fought three duels. In the battle of Ramillies, he was shot through the neck, and by a fingular intervention, as it were, of Providence, when the strippers of the dead came to him, and had taken up an inftrument wholly to abolish life, being faint and speechlefs from lofs of blood, a friar interfered, and some spirits being given him, he was revived, and made prisoner. He |