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and commanded his fervants to burn down the barrier.

The bafket-maker, on his blunt complaint, receiving the additional injuftice of blows and reproaches, went and threw himself at the feet of the king, and procured a citation for his oppreffor's appearance; who, confeffing the charge, proceeded to justify his behaviour, by the poor man's unmindfulnefs of the fubmiflion, due from the vulgar, to GENTLEMEN of rank and distinction.

"But, pray," replied the king, "What diftinction of rank had the grandfather of your father, when, being a cleaver of wood, in the palace of my ancestors he was raifed from amongst thofe vulgar you fpeak of with fo much contempt, as a reward for an inftance he gave of his courage and loyalty in defence of his mafter Yet HIS diftinction was nobler than YOUR's. I am forry I have a GENTLEMAN in my kingdom bafe enough to be ignorant, that cafe and diftinction of fortune were beftowed on him, but to this end,---that, being at rett from all cares of providing for himself, he might apply his heart, head and hand for the advantage of others."

The haughty offender muttering out his diflike of the encouragement which this way of thinking muft give to the commonalty, the king ordered the captain of his gallies to ftrip the injured, and the injurer, and conveying them to one of the most barbarous iflands, leave them both to their fortunes.

The place at which they were landed was a marfh, under covert of whofe flags the GENTLEMAN was in hopes to conceal himfelf, and give the flip to a companion, with whom he thought it a difgrace to be found.---But the lights in the galley having given an alarm to the favages, a confiderable body of them came down, and difcovered in the morning the two ftrangers.

Setting up a difmal yell, they furround ed them, and advancing, feemed determined to dispatch them with their clubs. Here the GENTLEMAN began to difcover that the fuperiority of his blood was imaginary for between a confcioufnefs of fhame and cold---a fear of the event, from the fiercenefs of the favages approach and the want of an idea,

whereby to foften their afperity, he felt behind the fharer of his calamity; and with an unmanly fneakingnefs of mien, gave up the poft of honour; and made a leader of the very man, whom he thought it a difgrace, to confider as a companion. The bafket-maker, on the contrary, to whom poverty had almoft made nakednefs habitual---to whom a life of pain reprefented death, as not dreadful; and, whofe fkill, in his bufinefs, of which thefe favages were intirely ignorant, gave him hopes of his own fafety; having plucked a handful of the flags, fat down without difcovering any emotions of fear; and making figns that he would fhew them fomething worthy their attention, fell to his trade, while the favages drew near, gazing in expectation of the confequence.

It was not long before he had wreathed a pretty coronet; and rifing with refpect, approached the chief, and placed it gently on his head; whose figure under this new ornament, fo charmed his followers, that they inftantly threw down their clubs, and formed a dance of welcome and congratulation round the author of fo prized a favour,---each fhewing an impatience to be made as fine as his captain. The mechanic had foon his hands full of employment: but the favages obferving one quite idle, while the other was fo bufy in their fervice, took up their clubs, and were beginning to lay on arguments in favour of their purpofo.

The basket-maker's pity, had now effaced the remembrance of his futterings. He rofe, and refcued his oppreffor making figns, that he was ignorant of the art, but might, if they thought fit, be ufefully employed in fetching flags for his work as often as he fhould want them.

This propofition, luckily fell in with a defire the favages expreffed to keep themfelves at leifure, that they might croud about him, and mark the progrefs of an art that gave them fuch unfpeakable fatisfaction.---They left the GENTLEMAN, therefore, to his duty. in the bafket-maker's fervice; and from that time confidered him as one who was, and ought to be treated as inferior to their benefactor.

Men,

Thoughts on

Men, women and children from all quarters of the island flocked to him for coronets; while the GENTLEMAN was employed in gathering boughs, and cutting poles to erect a manfion for this basket-maker. The inhabitants brought them every day out of the country fuch provifions as they lived upon themfelves; taking care to offer the imagined fervant nothing, till his master had done eating.

Three months reflection, in this mortified condition, gave the GENTLEMAN a new turn of thinking, and reduced him to reafon; one day, being in difcourfe with the man he had injured, he thus expreffed himself: "I own, I have been to blame---I wanted judgment to diftin guish between accident and excellence The preference, which fortune gives is

empty and imaginary; and I perceive too late, that only things of real ufe, are naturally honourable---I am afhamed of my malice, and confounded when I think of your humanity: but fhould the gods be pleafed to call me to the repoffeffion of my rank, I would divide all with you, as an atonement for the arrogancy of my paft behaviour."

Soon after this, the king fent the captain who had landed them, with orders to bring them both back; and the Ger tleman performed his promife---It contitinues a cuftom in that ifland to degrade all Gentlemen who cannot give a better reafon for their pride, than that they were born, to do nothing;---And the phrafe for this punishment, is,

Send him to the basket-maker's.

HE power of Beauty is fo ancient

reafon for its preheminence over all the other female qualifications, might feem needlefs, did not fome pretenders to wit fet up in oppofition to the champions of the fair fex. If you view the beau monde, and examine into their converfation what is it that strikes the young and the old but Beauty?---No other perfection will do without Beauty; but Beauty will do without any other perfection. If it fhould be objected, that wit has fometimes made its conqueft without any auxiliary power, I own it; but what has mankind to do with the whims of a few individuals which are no rule in a general argument. It might have been lady Repartee's wit that furprized my Ford into marriage, but her wit could not long preferve his paffion, where there was no Beauty to raife it. While our fenfes have fo great a fhare in biaffing our affections, Beauty must maintain its triumphs; for no fooner is it viewed than it charms our fight, and bribes our judgment to decide every thing in its favour. When a fine woman peaks it has more prevailing force than all the eloquence of your orators and poets could VOL. VIII.

ever boaft: wherever Beauty appears, a it

dience; let it fhine in the opera, the mall, the theatre, or the church, it commands immediate adoration and esteem : wit may entertain fome, Beauty muft charm all; the one may raise our smiles, but the other all the tinet paffions of the foul. Where can wit have any force to move, where Beauty will not immediately prevail? Was ever fuing or commanding beauty denied, or difobeyed? Was it the wit or beauty of Efther that made a captive of the king? Did doubting Alexander fet Perfepolis on fire, moved to it by the wit or beauty of his lovely Thais Him perhaps you may call a mad-man, but it was too much beauty that overpowered his reafon. If more grave inftances of antiquity are required, did not the wife Ancients, by their fable of Paris and the three goddefles, prefer beauty to power and wil dom Did not the Grecian judges, a people the moit learned and polite, confefs by their memorable decree, the power of beauty? The cafe was this: An Athenian courtezan was accused of fome crime, and notwithfianding the cloquence of her advocates, was just going D d

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be condemned, when one of her pleaders, knowing the power of her charms, lifted up her veil, (which 'till then had concealed a most beautiful face,) and faid---" Condemn her if you can." The

judges, old as they were, charmed with the fight, acquitted her; but made a law, that no woman's face, who was accufed, thould ever after be feen in a court of judicature.

T

HE Mifer is chiefly his own enemy, but the ambitious man is the enemy of the human race.---He ftrides forward to vice with impunity, and even his virtues degenerate into faults.---The mifer and the ambitious are both equally felf-interested; but, while one deftroys only a cottage, the other, perhaps, overturns an empire.

Avarice and Glory once made a journey together to this world, in order to try how mankind were difpofed to receive them.---Heroes, citizens, priefts, and lords, immediately lifted beneath their banners, and received their favours with gratitude and rapture.---Travelling, however, into a moft remote part of the country, they, by accident, fet up at the cottage of a fimple thepherd, + whofe whole poffeffions were his flock, and all his folicitude his next day's fubfiftance. His birth was but humble, yet his natural endowments were great.---His fenfe was refined, his heart fenfible of love and piety; and, poor as he was, he still preferved an honest ardour, for liberty and repofe.---Here, with his favourite Sylvana, his flock, his crook and his cottage, he lived unknown and unknowing a world, that could only inftruct

him in deceit and falfhood.

Our two travellers no fooner beheld

him, than they were ftruck with his felicity." How infupportable is it," cried Glory," thus to be a fpectator of pleafures which we have no fhare in producing ---Shall we, who are adored here

+ By SHEPHERD his Majefty means himself.

below, tamely continue fpectators of a man, who thus flights our favours, becaufe as yet unexperienced in their delights? No, rather let us attempt to feduce him from his wife purfuit of tranquility, and teach him to reverence our power."---Thus faying, they both, the better to difguife themselves, affumed the drefs of thepherds, and accofted the ruftic in terms the most inviting: "Dear fhepherd, how do I pity," cries Glory, your poor fimplicity To fee fuch talents buried in unambitious retirement, might certainly create, even the compaffion of the Gods. Leave, pr'thee, leave a folitude deftined only for ignorance and ftupidity: It is doubly to die, to die without applause.----You have virtues, and those ought to appear, and not thus lie concealed by ungrateful Obftinacy.--Fortune calls, and Glory invites thee.--I promife you a certainty of fuccefs: You have only to chufe, whether to become an author, a minifter of state, or a general; in either capacity be affured of finding refpect, riches, and immortality."

At fo unaccustomed an invitation the

thepherd feemed incapable of determining.---He hefitated for fome time between Ambition and Content, 'till at length the former prevailed, and he became, in fome meafure, a convert.--Avarice now came in to fix him intirely, and willing to make him completely the flave of both, thus continued the converfation : "Yes, fimple swain, be convinced of your ignorance; learn from me in what true happine's confifts.--You are in indigence, and you mifcal your poverty temperance. What, thall

a man