men took it from her and killed it on the fpot. This laft piece of barbarity gave her fuch a difguit to those Indians, that notwithstanding the man who took care of her treated her in every respect as his wife, and was, the faid, remarkable kind to and even fond of her, fo far was the from being able to reconcile herfelf to any of the tribe, that the rather chofe to expofe herfelf to mifery and want, than live in cafe and affluence among perfons who had fo cruelly murdered her infant. The poor woman's relation of this hocking ftory, which he delivered in a very affecting manner, only excited laughter among the favages of my party."

IT

GOSSIPIANA.

[No. XVIII.]

LORD ORFORD'S DETACHED THOUGHTS.

T is faid that Congreve had too much wit in his comedies. It is pity that no comic author has had the fame fault.

A GOTHIC cathedral ftrikes one like the enthufiafin of poetry; St. Paul's cathedral like the good fenfe of profe.

I WOULD never difpute about any thing but at law, for there one has as much chance as another of getting the better without reafon.

A DEAD language is the only one that lives long, and it is unlike the dead, for by being dead it avoids corruption.

Of all the virtues, gratitude has the fhorteft memory. THERE are play-things for all ages, the play-thing of old people is to talk of the play-things of youth.

MAN is an aurivorous animal.

THIS world is a comedy to those who think; a tra, gedy to thofe who feel.

OUR paffions and our understandings agree fo ill, that they refemble a French man of quality, and his wife, who, though they live in the fame houfe together, have feparate apartments, feparate beds, and go different ways, are feldom together, but are very civil to each other before company; and then the paffions, like the lady, affect to have great deference for their hufband's understanding.

IT is idle to attempt to talk a young woman in love out of her paffion : love does not lie in the ear.

PERSONS extremely reserved, are like old enamelled watches which had painted covers, that hindered your feeing what o'clock it was.

MANY new pieces please on first reading, if they have more novelty than merit. The fecond time they do not please, for furprise has no second part.

IN former ages men were afraid of nothing but cowardice. Even riches, which now make men fo fond of life, and confequently fo timid, then made men brave; for every body was forced to defend his own property, or the stronger would have invaded it.

JOHN HENDERSON, A. B.

THIS wonderful genius was born near Limerick, in Ireland, 1757, and died in 1783, at Oxford. He was buried in St. George's church, Kingswood, near Briftol. It is faid of him, that "His very infancy denoted fomething extraordinary and great. He was born, as it were, a thinking being, and was never known to cry or to exprefs any infantine peevishnefs.— Thofe years which are fpent in weak nefs, ignorance, and the misconceptions of the groffeft fenfes, were marked by him with strong intelligence. The questions he asked,

as

as foon as he was able to speak, aftonished all who heard him, and fhewed that he came into the world rather to teach others than to be taught by them."

Self-knowledge enabled him wonderfully to penetrate into the characters and motives of others. The facethe voice, and the air, difclofed the moving principle within. And it is much to be queftioned whether he was ever deceived in the judgment he formed of others.

Phyfiognomy (faid Mr. Henderson) may increase man's knowledge, but not his happiness. The phyfiognomy first difcovers the evil in another and afterwards the good. But the man unfkilled in the fcience, firft discovers the good which pleases him, afterwards the evil which difgufts him.

With almost every fcience he was acquainted, yet was only thirty years of age when he died. The pious and the wife obferved with delight his continued fenfe of the divine prefence; his implicit confidence in an over- ruling Providence, and his belief in an invifible world. Whenever he mentioned the name of the Majefty of Heaven, like the pious Boyle, and the reafoning Clarke, he obferved a folemn pause, as confcious in whofe prefence he ftood. His dress appeared very whimfical. To fashion he paid not the smallest deference. His outward garments were prepofterously large. His fhirt collar had only one button, and he never wore a stock or cravat, but fometimes tied round his neck a black ribbon like a fchool-boy. His fhoe-buckles were as fmall as those worn at the knees. To hair-dreffing he was a great enemy, and could never endure the application of curling irons, or the ufe of powder, which he called white duft. He was feldom known to be in a paffion. When at Oxford, he was one day debating with a fellow student, who not keeping his temper, threw a glass of wine in his face. Mr. Henderson took out his handkerchief, wiped himself, and coolly faid, "That, Sir, was a digreffion, now for the argument." VOL. IV.

M

His

His Biographer remarks, that the early genius of John Henderfon rivalled the exertions of mankind, that his failings were few, his virtues fplendid, that his talents were extraordinary, and his attainments incredible, and that though he endeavoured to fecrete himself from the world, yet he attained a celebrity in his life, and honour at his death.

HONESTY AND GENEROSITY.

A POOR man, who was door-keeper to a houfe in Milan, found a purfe which contained two hundred crowns. The man who had loft it, informed by a public advertisement, came to the houfe, and giving fuffi cient proof that the purfe belonged to him, the doorkeeper reftored it. Full of joy and gratitude, the owner offered his benefactor twenty crowns, which he abfolutely refufed. Ten were then propofed, and afterwards five; but the door-keeper ftill continuing inexorable, the man threw his purfe upon the ground, and in an angry tone, cried, "I have loft nothing, nothing at all, if you thus refufe to accept of a gratuity." The door-keeper then confented to receive five crowns, which he immediately diftributed amongst the poor.

PASSION.

Two Gentlemen were riding together, one of whom, who was very choleric, happened to be mounted on a high-inettled horfe. The horfe grew a little troublefome, at which the rider became very angry, and whip. ped and fpurred him with great fury. The horfe, almoft as wrong-headed as his mafter, returned his treatment by kicking and plunging. The companion, concerned for the danger, and afhamed of the folly of his friend, faid to him coolly, "Be quiet, be quiet, and Shew yourself the wifer of the two.”

DR. JOHNSON'S MARRIAGE.

THE following curious account of his journey with his wife to church, on the nuptial morn, was given to

Mr.

Mr B, by the Doctor himself:-" Sir, fhe had read the old romances, and had got into her head the fantastic notion that a woman of fpirit fhould ufe her lover like a dog. So, Sir, at firft he told me that I rode too fast, and fhe could not keep up with me; and when I rode a little flower, the paffed me, and complained I lagged behind. I was not to be made the slave of caprice, and I refolved to begin as I meant to end. I therefore pushed on briskly till I was fairly out of fight. The. road lay between two hedges, as I was fure fhe could not miss me, and I contrived fo that the fhould foon come up with me. When the did I obferved her to be

in tears."

MEDITATIONS ON A PUDDING, BY DR. JOHNSON, IN PLAYFUL FANCY.

Let us feriously reflect of what a pudding is compofed. It is compofed of flour, that once waved in the golden grain, and drank of the dews of the morning; of milk, preffed from the fwelling udder by the gentle hand of the beauteous milk-maid, whofe beauty and innocence might have recommended a worfe draught, who, while the ftroked the udder, indulged no ambitious thoughts of wandering in palaces, and formed no plans for the deftruction of her fellow creatures. Milk, which is drawn from the cow, that useful animal, that eats the grafs of the field, and fupplies us with that which made the greateft part of the food of mankind in the age which the poets have agreed to call golden. It is made with an egg, that miracle of nature, which the theoretical Burnet has compared to creation; an egg contains matter within its beautiful smooth furface, and an unformed mafs, which by the incubation of the parent, becomes a regular animal, furnifhed with bones and finews, and covered with feathers. Let us confider, can there be more wanting to complete this medi. tation on a pudding! if more is wanting, more may be found. It contains falt, which keeps the fea from petrefaction;

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