the fire, was first poured from the bottle into the flowing goblet, whose brownish froth rose full an inch above the brim; and while it stood to subside a little, such volumes of ethereal vapours ascended from the calumet or incense tube, as quickly filled the room; then by alternately quaffing large draughts of the nectareous liquor, and making fresh offerings of incense, by degrees the perturbed spirits were soothed, and all the senses lulled to repose.

When I awoke from my trance, I found myself in the council chamber of the emperor of Germany, who was sitting at the council board himself, with about a dozen of his most confidential counsellors around him. I soon learnt from the purport of the speech of an elderly little gentleman who was at that time delivering his opinion, that the affairs of the Netherlands occupied their most serious deliberation. This gentleman spoke with great warmth and acrimony. His countenance was lively, his eye fharp and penetrating, but his brow was clouded with a dark gloom; and an air of keen severity pervaded all his features.-"Nothing, (said he,) but the strictest discipline, and the most exemplary acts of justice, will ever bring back these people to their duty; and it is only losing time to no purpose to think of lenient measures. If your imperial majesty hopes ever to derive any benefit from these provinces, that turbulent spirit which has so long pervaded all ranks of people there, must be entirely subdued. You have seen what bad effects have resulted from

the lenient measures pursued by your illustrious

father and uncle. The power of doing exemplary justice is now in your hand.-Make such a use of that power, as to imprefs every living soul there with a deep sense of the danger of overstepping in the smallest degree the bounds of their allegiance. Thus will they be taught, from dread, to pay that homage, which no beneficent measures will ever be capable to insure."

The emperor was attentive to this discourse; but I could see on his countenance, towards the close of it, an emotion something like that of horror which he could not fully conceal. The little man seemed to pofsefs great authority at the board; for all sat silent for some time, and it was long before any one would venture to oppose a doctrine, which I could easily perceive none of them could fully approve. Another elderly gentleman, of a corpulent habit of body, and more placid countenance, at length ventured to offer some hints of the danger that might pofsibly result from acts of great severity, which in some cases, it was well known, drove men to seek for resources in despair; and therefore he wished that such a conduct could be adopted as might avoid the danger of this great evil, while it should at the same time repress that spirit of turbulence, which he owned had too much pervaded all ranks of persons in the Netherlands.

These observations encouraged a young man of a modest and ingenuous appearance to make a motion as if he wished to speak. He half rose from his seat, as if impelled by a keen sensation before he was aware; but suddenly, as if recollecting himself,

he blushed, and with an air of infinite modesty and diffidence sunk back again into his chair, the half formed word seeming to die away upon his tongue. His appearance attracted the notice of the emperor, who with great sweetnefs encouraged him to proceed; and the complacent looks of all the company seemed to invite him to go on. He slowly rose, and with a modest and diffident air, not venturing to raise his eyes, uttered in some faint and broken accents a feeble apology for his presuming to attempt to speak in presence of men of such superior abilities, and so much greater reach of experience than himself. "Nothing, (continued he,) but the deepest conviction of the great importance of the present question to the peace and tranquillity of the state, and the happiness of his imperial majesty, could have induced me to obtrude my opinion on this august afsembly. I do it with the diffidence natural to one of so little experience as myself; and crave the indulgence of your imperial majesty, and the respectable council, while I attempt, as well as I can, briefly to state some circumstances, which have made so deep an imprefsion on my own mind, as to have emboldened me to get over those natural restraints which a short while ago I considered to be insurmountable.". Here he paused for a fhort time, and having in some measure recovered himself he thus proceeded:

"I feel in my own bosom such an irresistible repugnance to submit to harsh severity, as convinces me that no permanent security can be obtained from fear, nor any national tranquillity be insured which rests upon the basis of cruel compulsion. It is those

alone who contemplate the Supreme Being as an object of veneration and of love, who feel the influence of that pure devotion which constitutes the solace of the human mind in times of deep distrefs, and humiliating afflictions. In like manner it is those only who love and venerate the king for his kindness and beneficence, who are to be relied upon in times of trial and distrefs; at which times only he can have occasion for their aid. What avails it him that during the sunshine of prosperity he receives the daily oblations of a thousand applauding tongues, if in the day of adversity he fhall have no friends in whom he can confide. If fear only shall induce his vafsals to obey, who can tell but that very dread may induce them to plot in secret to destroy in one moment this object of their hate? Will not this idea present itself to the mind of the sovereign at times, and deprive him of the power of enjoying those very pleasures he aimed at securing by those harfh means. I would not, O king! have the perpetual anxiety of dreading that my life was in danger from every one who approached me, for all the wealth and all the power the world could confer upon me. We must all meet death some time. It can come but once; and when it does come, let us meet it without the dread which conscious guilt inevitably occasions. I have too sincere a love for your imperial majesty, to be able to see you embrace a conduct, that must, I know, overwhelm your generous soul in perpetual distrefs, without entering my warmest difsent to such a proposal. You have

now in your power, an opportunity of gaining the affections of your Belgian subjects, which if suffer ed to escape may never more return. Neither your illustrious father nor your uncle could boast of such good fortune;suffer it not then, O prince! to pass away in vain. For more than a century past secret difsatisfactions have prevailed among the subjects of Belgia. They were jealous lest the Austrian princes wifhed to curtail their ancient privileges, those privileges, which, when fully enjoyed, rendered their native princes the greatest in Europe. While these jealousies subsisted, no concefsions that were consistent with good government could have satisfied them. Happily for you, the French havving made an irruption into these territories has convinced them that the influence of good laws, strictly enforced, is the greatest of all earthly blefsings. They sigh for the return of these blefsings, though they tremble from the dread of that power which they feel they cannot resist, and which they know they have provoked. It is the mark of a little mind to punish the weaknesses of others with unrelenting severity. Great minds alone dare to overlook offences. All mankind reverence and adore the man who can nobly forgive those who have given him just occasion of offence. Act then this noble part; and by one generous deed command the love and esteem of all your subjects, and the veneration of the whole world. A few months ago you ifsued a proclamation offering in the freest terms to grant to your Belgian subjects all the privileges they have so long been anxious to secure. VOL. XIV.

At that mo

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