give occafion, by this means, to the perfon invited, to be lefs free in his behaviour, and make him blufh at the thought of being the fubject of observation.

For any one to take upon him to help another to any thing that is fet upon the table, I do not think very polite; unlefs, perhaps, the perfon who does this is of much fuperior dignity, fo that he who receives it is honoured by the offer: for if this be done amongst equals, he that offers any thing to another, appears, in fome meafure, to affect a fuperiority over him: fometimes too, what is offered may not be agreeable to the palate of another. Besides, a man, by this means, feems to intimate, that the entertainment is not very liberally furnished out; or, at leaft, that the dishes are placed in a prepofterous order, when one abounds and another wants. And it is poffible that the perfon who gives the entertainment may not be very well pleased with fuch a freedom. Nevertheless, in this refpect, we ought rather to do what is ufually done, than what we may think would be, better done: for, it is more advifeable, in cafes of this nature, to err with the multitude, than to be fingular even in acting rightly. But whatever may be proper or improper in this refpect, you should never refufe any thing that is offered you; for you will be thought either to defpife or to reprove him that offers it.'

This ingenious treatise contains a minute detail of the rules of good breeding, occafionally illuftrated with entertaining anecdotes; and the author has happily qualified the dryness of the didactic ftyle of writing, by the lively and facetious hu mour, with which the whole is interfperfed.

IX. Maral Tales. Tranflated from the French of Madame Le Prince de Beaumont. Two Vols. 12mo. 5. Nourfe.

HISTORY and fables, when the latter are conducted with

a due regard to probability, are equally fubfervient to the purpose of inftructing in the government of life. Each being a representation of human nature, they tend to enlarge our knowledge of mankind, by furnishing us with a variety of fituations, incidents, and characters, which never perhaps occurred within the sphere of our own obfervation. Hence, to the experience which ourselves have derived from our personal intercourse with the world, we are enabled to add that of others who have lived in former ages, and even the well regulated imagination of writers is rendered acceffary to our im provement. Compofitions of the hiftorical kind, with which we again join those that are fictitious, have this further advantage, of inculcating morality by example; a method of inftru&ion

Atruction which is univerfally admitted to be more forcible than dry philofophical precepts.

The Tales now before us are the production of an ingenious lady, already well known for her excellence in this fpecies of writing. The firft Tale is entitled, The Judge of her own Failing, and is faid to be founded on real facts. Olimpia, a girl of a most amiable disposition, at the age of fixteen married an old gentleman that had been her guardian, who contrived the match to afford him a pretence for leaving her his whole eftate, which was very confiderable. He furvived this event but two years, after which time Olimpia lived in a state of widowhood, equally beloved and refpected by all who had the pleasure of her acquaintance. She had two nieces, Zirphila and Julia, the latter of whom was placed in a convent; and Zirphila, who was the eldeft, lived constantly with her aunt. Being extremely cunning and felf-interested, the laboured perpetually to inftil into Olimpia an opinion that her youngest fifter was fit only for a reclufe life, thinking thereby to fecure to herself the fucceffion to her aunt's fortune, whose temper the artfully managed for her own purposes. In the neighbourhood of a country-house which Olimpia had hired for her refidence, there lived a gentleman, named Dorantes, a person of a contemplative turn of mind, and ftrict notions of honour, but whofe fortune was very finall. He was about the age of thirty, and Olimpia at this time feveral years older. The efteem which the conceived for him at his first vifit, foon improved into real affection, and she made him an overture of marriage. Dorantes received the propofal with the most profound respect, though Olimpia was fufpicious that he accepted it rather from gratitude than love.

Mean while Julia; who is brought from the convent in confequence of the reprefentations made in her favour, by Marthon, one of Olimpia's maids, who was fenfible of the artifices which Zirphila practised with her aunt to the prejudice of her fifter, arrives at Olimpia's houfe. A mutual paffion unfortu nately foon takes place between Dorantes and Julia; but fuch is the honour by which they are actuated, that rather than fruftrate the inclinations of Olimpia, it is determined by them, that Dorantes fhall marry the aunt, and Julia return to the convent, facrificing thereby their paffion to the dictates of honour and gratitude. Zirphila, who was fecretly defirous of preventing her aunt's marriage with Dorantes, which fhe forefaw would tend to the prejudice of her own fortune, artfully discovers the love that fubfifted between Dorantes and her fifter; and, upon this intelligence, enters into a deep plot for inducing them to marry, in order that by rendering them both

ob

obnoxious to the refentment of Olimpia, the might herself remain unrivalled in her aunt's affection. Happily, however, the infernal ftratagem is discovered, and Zirphila meets with fuch a retribution as her treacherous conduct deserved. Olimpia, on finding the violence which Dorantes and Julia had of fered to their mutual paffion, from a regard to her happiness, is ftruck with admiration of their virtue, and in return for fuch an heroic inftance of their attachment, not only infists that they shall be married, but generously fecures them in the poffeffion of her own fortune.

Such are the outlines of this hiftory, which is related in a lively and interefting manner. We fhall lay before our readers a part of the conclufion of the narrative, though they will be able to form only a faint idea of the work, from this im perfect specimen.

• I will not deprive myself of the pleasure of doing an act of juftice in expofing the impoftors to fhame, faid Olimpia: the very thought of it reftores the tranquility of my heart. I fhall immediately cause Dorantes and Julia to come up ftairs you fhail fee what you do not think of, niece; that I can diffemble as well as another, when I think proper. Then, without giving Zirphila time to reply, the rung the bell, and defired Marthon to call Dorantes and Julia, ordering alfo that the notary fhould come up as foon as they arrived. Whilft the fervant was gone to call them, Olimpia added: the fcene will last longer than they expect, and will end in fuch a way that they will not be very defirous of making their efcape. I am going to my clofet, to sketch upon paper the deed to which you have advised me: you will entertain them a few moments till I return. The notary is very intelligent, and two words will be fufficient to make him comprehend my intention.

Zirphila, now left alone, congratulated herself on a degree of fuccefs that fucceeded her moft fanguine expectation; for the had not flattered herfelf with the hope of being able, at one ftroke, to bring her aunt to the refolution of difpofing her whole fortune in her favour, by a deed from which the could not recede. Dorantes, Julia, and the notary arrived almost at the fame time; Zirphila could not refrain from faying to Dorantes: every thing proceeds in the most defirable manner; don't be afraid of figning your name; I have a fure way of turning to your advantage the deed which is about to be paffed. Dorantes anfwered her only by a bow, and feated himself at one end of the room: Julia placed herself at the other end; and Zirphila, who knew that her aunt could hear her from her closet, walked up and down at a great pace, without daring to open her mouth. What means this profound filence! faid Olimpia, coming out of her closet, where the left the notary? This is the happiest day of my life, and yet every face around me wears the appearance

of

of forrow: come, partake of my joy, and let us all congratulate Doranthes call up Marthon; I would not upon any account that the fhould not be prefent at a fpectacle which has for a long time been the object of their most ardent defire.

• Dorantes, making an effort which did not escape the notice of the three perfons who beheld him, threw himself at the feet of Olimpia, and in fuch incoherent terms as refembled the fpeech of a lover tranfported with his pation, thanked her for what he had done for him. A malignant fmile, which Zirphila could not reftrain, gave her aunt the most convincing teftimony of the badness of her heart; and the thought of the confufion which she was on the point of experiencing, put Olim pia into fuch a good humour, as diffipated the clouds which appeared on the face of Dorantes and Julia."

• The notary having entered with the paper which he had been writing, propofed that it should be read. Oh, that is unneceffary, faid Olimpia; Dorantes and my nieces, I hope, will rely upon me with refpect to what it contains. The reading it would be to no purpose at prefent, becaufe it ought to be done before the two witneffes whom I have juft now fent for; but my impatience to fign it will not permit me to wait for them. On fpeaking these words fhe took the pen from the hand of the notary, and, after figning, prefented it to Dorantes, faying, let this at least be done willingly. He answered her only by kiffing her hand; and Zirphila did not wait to be afked twice to fign her name after his.

Olimpia afterwards turning to Julia, faid to her and you, my little girl, will not you likewife fign it? With all my heart, aunt, faid he may heaven grant you as much happiness by this engagement as you deserve, and your felicity will be unequalled. Scarcely had the figned, when throwing herfelf at the feet of her aunt, fhe faid to her your wishes, and thofe of Dorantes, are now completed, madam; fhall I remain the only perfon whose defires must not be gratified? You know my taste for retirement, permit me to indulge it. The entertainments attending your marriage will but ill fuit the inclination of one who is devoted to folitude.

Zirphila being now difconcerted, bluffed prodigiously; and Olimpia, after looking at her with fuch an air as if the afked the meaning of that requeft, turned towards Julia, and faid what you require of me, my dear niece, is no longer either in your own power or mine. By figning this contract, each of us has loft a right; I that of difpofing of my fortune, and you of your perfon. It is to Dorantes that we both have made the renunciation fee whether he will be in the humour to acquiefce in the propofal, that the fhall retire into a convent who has just now accepted him for her husband.

As for you, Zirphila, continued Olimpia, beholding her with a look in which indignation was mixed with contempt, E Command you to quit my houfe, and leave you to confole your

felf

felf with the worthy friend to whom you wrote this letter which has fully displayed to me your character. Judge in your own. caufe; you have yourself pronounced your fentence: I can pardon in those whom you have feduced, a fault, which the violence of paffion urged them to commit, and which they detefted almost in the fame inftant; but a malignity of heart is a disease which nothing can eradicate; and your aunt, however weak you imagine her to be, is not fo filly as to expofe herself twice to your treachery. Your dependence fhall be upon this fifter, whom you have done all in your power to ruin: and the goodness of her heart will secure you in a subsistence which I could scarcely have been induced to allow you.'

The next is a fhort tale, entitled the Hiftory of Celestia founded likewife upon facts, and equally interefting with the preceding.

The title of the third moral history is, The True Point of Honour. It is written in a series of letters, which are not lefs entertaining by the incidents, than inftructive by the fentiments and obfervations with which they abound: in particular, they exhibit a striking contraft between the characters of a young lady educated in religious principles, and one who has been brought up in a contempt of every precept that tends to reftrain fashionable indulgence.

These hiftories may be read both with profit and pleasure. While deftitute of the extravagance, they are interfperfed with the agreeable incidents of romance; the perfons introduced are. marked with natural and difcriminating features, and every narrative is conducted in fuch a manner as to promote the intereft of morality and virtue.

X. Letters from Yorick to Eliza. 8vo. 25. Kearfly and Evans, Strand.

THE

HE authenticity of thefe Letters is fo well fupported, that we cannot entertain the leaft doubt of their being the production of the author of Triftram Shandy. The lady to whom they are addreffed, is Mrs. Elizabeth Draper, wife of Daniel Draper, efq. counsellor at Bombay, and at prefent chief of the English factory at Surat. She is by birth an Eaft Indian, but coming to England for the recovery of her health, by accident became acquainted with Mr. Sterne. He immediately, fays the editor, difcovered in her a mind fo congenial with his own, fo enlightened, fo refined, and fo tender, that their mutual attraction presently joined them in the clofeft union that purity could poffibly admit of; he loved her as his friend, and prided in her as his pupil; all her concerns became presently his; her health, her circumftances, her reputation, her chilVOL. XXXIX. Feb. 1775.

K

dren,