call them," who drank the milk of camels, and fed on lizards, fhould entertain a thought of subduing the kingdom of Feridun," was considered by the general of Tedergerds' army as the strongest instance of Fortune's levity and mutability; but Ferdausi, a complete master of Asiatic manners, and singularly impartial, represents the Arabs, even in the age of Feridun, as "disclaiming any kind of dependence on that monarch; exulting in their liberty, delighting in eloquence, acts of liberality, and martial atcheivements; and thus making the whole earth, says the poet, red as wine with the blood of their foes; and the air like a forest of canes with their spears." With such a charac

ter, they were likely to conquer any country that they could invade; and if Alexander had invaded their dominions, they would, unquestionably, have made an obstinate, and probably a successful resistance.

AN ORIGINAL LETTER.

The following letter is transcribed from the Ms. collection mentioned vol. xii. p. 215. and contains an excellent satire on travellers of a certain cast. The reader will easily perceive it does not allude to France in the present day.

Paris in France this sixteenth day of June, &c.

EVER HONOURED SIR, MONPERE,

AFTER my humble duty remembered to you, hoping you are in good health, as I am at this present writing, this is for to let you know, that we left Dover last Tuesday was three weeks, to sail upon the main ocean sea; and having a bloody strong gale of wind, we got to Callis in four hours. But I did not half like it, for I was most consumed sea sick; and our Dick was so abominatious bad, that I thought he would have been vivat rex, and dy'd upon the spot. He muted and cast up to that de

69 gree, as if he would have brought up his very pluck and harslet. We had no sooner landed but we hurried to the governor, and then took to the customhouse, where we had a mortal deal of trouble with my portmantle; and Dick had like to lost the bag where was all my clean li nen and old fhoes; and as neither Dick nor I then understood one word of French, we had like to have been bam. boozled; but by the help of a well spoken English gentleman, a very handsome bodied person in the face, (whom I found was a drawer at the Silver Lion tavern, there,) we got out of that scrape, and he very civilly carried us to the house where he had the honour to serve. There we lived in clover, and there I met with two English travellers going to Paris; the one a huffing young spendthrift, with a blue purple scarlet coat on, all bedizened with lace; a silly puppy, that could neither play at putt nor all-fowers, but wanted me forsooth to play at quadrill, which I knew no more of than the pope of Rome; so I smelt the boy, and fhunned him. The other was an Oxford scholler, just come from Cambridge,—a mere ninny! His first question was, if I was acquainted with the clafsicks; and I in return asked him if he was acquainted in Essex; and let him know you was of the Quorum, and that I was your son and heir; but as for the family of the Clafsicks, I was sure there was no such in our country, or none of any note. Upon this he grinned, and turned away upon his heele; and so I found the fellow was a foole, and I was glad I got sheere of him, and resolved to keep no English gentlemen company; because first and foremost, they spend their money at no rate, and I do not desire to keep such conversation, because I know it argufies nothing; and their pretences of friendship are nothing but blandation; and I, resolving to live within compass, (do you see) designed to go to Paris in a waggon; and Dick

was of the same opinion. But when I called for a reckoning, (blood and thunder!) I may say that there was the devil to pay; but as the saying is, necefsitas non habet leggs; so I paid it with as good a will as if I had swallowed a hedge-hog.

We set out early one morning, in company only with three Frenchmen, (very clever gentlemen indeed.) One of them spoke pretty good bad English, and had been a footman to a half-pay officer; the second was a rope dancer; and the third taught dogs to set, and the like; but surely they were the most complaisant gentlemen that ever were born or christened. Whatever I said, they said so too; if I sneezed, they bowed; if I laughed, they did the same; if I yawned, they stretched their jaws, and so forth. We were ten days in getting to Paris. Sometimes I rode, and sometimes I walked, and pafsed through many towns and cities; but I knew better than to puzzle my brains to remember their names, which would argufie nothing at all, if so be I came for improvement, and the like of that. My fellow travellers were so mortal civil to me, that I could do no less than bear their expences, though I was forced to use some violence (as it were) to engage them to accept of it. However, I lost nothing by it; for, in return, they taught me French as fast as hops, so that by the time we got to Paris, I could say, we Monseer and non Monseer, as well as the best of them, and so could our Dick too. But they all said that they never knew any body ever learnt so much in so little time; and I am of the same mind too, though I say it, that fhould not say it, and that's a proud word; but inum for that- Tace is Latine for a candle.

At Paris, by advice of my friend the footman, I took lodging at a friends of his, at a six souse ordinary, up two pair of stairs in a back lane, because of cheap living. For,

thinks I to myself, as I came here only to see fashions, I may as well do that out of a window up two pair of stairs, as out of a parlour; and to save charges Dick lies with me, but is dismally afraid of spirits, and of things walking, because he can't speak a bit of Latine.-And for my own part, I resolve (as the saying is) to keep only the best of company. So I found a sufficient number of very polite gentlemen, that lodg'd in the same house; that is to say, two journeymen taylors (natives of Ireland,) two Italian fidlers, and the chief toad eater to a very noted mountebank; but sure and sure, had you but seen how they all honoured, bow'd to, and complimented me, you would have taken your corporal oath, that they were men of quality, and knew that I was somebody! I seldom go abroad, because I can see the world fast enough out of my chamber window; but when I do got out, one or more, and sometimes all these civil gentlemen wait on me; and poor Dick is so afraid of being lost, that he either takes hold on my sword, or the lappet of my coate, whenever I go into the city; and as I never weare my best cloaths for fear of daubing them, so he never wears his new livery, lest people should take me for some lord, and murder me for my money, or cut his throat for the sake of his cloathes. I don't go to a play, because they say sad naughty women are there; and I have been at court but once; and I will insure you, that I will never go twice; for I think in my heart, that it is as fine a sight to see our quarter sessions. But it seems my merit could not be hid there; for I am told by one, that heard it from the king's corn cutter, that he was informed by one of the pages in waiting, that he thinks he heard the cardinal say, as how as he almost thought that I was somebody of distinction, if the truth was known, and the like of that.

I must not forget to tell you, that they are all here either papishes or Roman catholicks; and I take them

Jan. 9. at no price; so that when I have seen fashions one week more, I design to return from beyond sea, in order, Sir, to make you a grandfather, if I live and do well, as the saying is. The whole city have there eyes upon me, espacially the ladies, who I am told are all in love with me ; and every one saies I am vastly improved by travelling, and that I am so witty and so wise, that they never saw the peer of me in all their borne days. And as I have now seen the world, I hope the gentlemen of the country will be so wise as to put me up for one at the next election.

Pray give my love and service to Mrs Peggy; and bid her prepare to be happy; fhe knows well enough what I meane. Dick remembers his love to all the fox hounds, particularly to Duches, and desires of all Love, that, if the lies in, he may be put down for a puppy. So no more at present, but my love to Tom Jackson, and goodman Hickumbottom, and to the parson and his aunt, which is all from, dear papa, your ever loving son, till death,

W. BOOBYKIN.

P. S. Here is a vast cunning man lives at the very next door; he proffers, for a luidore, (as they call it,) to learn me to make spells and charms, and love powders; and will teach me to rais the devil into the bargaine; which I think may be of great use to me at elections, and in fox hunting, and so forth. And as I have a capacity for any witty thing, I have a huge mind to learne; and he says, if I will turn papish, he will give me the true receipt to make the philosopher's stone, and that will turn every thing I touch into gold; and silver, and money, and the like; but I fhould beg his diversion for that, for I han't a mind to be damn'd at present; and I hope I never fhall, if I live and do well, and so forth, as the saying is. W. B.