double twisted fo faft with wire, there was no getting it open without pulling the cage to pieces -I took both hands to it. The bird flew to the place where I was at. tempting his deliverance, and thrusting his head through the trellis, preffed his breast against it, as if impatient-I fear, poor creature! faid I I cannot fet thee at liberty-" No, faid the ftarling" I can't get out-I can't get out," faid the ftarling. I vow I never had my affections more tenderly awakened; nor do I remember au incident in my life, where the diffipated fpirits, to which my reafon had been a bubble, were fo fuddenly called home. Mechanical as the notes were, yet so true in tune to nature were they chanted, that in one moment they overthrew all my fyftematic reafonings upon the Bastile; and I heavily walked up ftairs, unfaying every word I had faid in going down them. Disguise thyself as thou wilt, ftill, flavery! faid I still thou art a bitter draught! and though thoufands in all ages have been made to drink of thee, thou art no less bitter on that ac count. Tis thou thrice fweet and gracious goddefs, addreffing myself to LIBERTY, whom all in public or in private worship, whose taste grateful, and ever will be fo, till NATURE herfelf fhall change-no tint of words can spot thy fnowy mantle, or chymic power turn thy fceptre into iron-with thee to smile upon him as he eats his cruft, the fwain is happier than his monarch, from whofe court thou art exiled-Gracious heaven! cried I, kneeling down upon the laft ftep but one in my afcent -Grant me but health, thou great Bestower of it, and give me but this fair goddess as my companion-and fhower down thy mitres, if it feems good unto thy divine providence, upon thofe heads which are aching for them. SENT. JOURNEY, P. 134. THE THE CAPTIVE. HE bird in his cage purfued me into my room; I fat down close by my table, and leaning my head upon my hand, I began to figure to myself the miferies of confinement. was in a right frame for it, and fo I gave full fcope to my imagination. 0 2 I I was I was going to begin with the millions of my fellow-creatures, born to no inheritance but flavery: but finding, however affecting the picture was, that I could not bring it near me, and that the multitude of fad groups in it did but diftract me. --I took a fingle captive, and having first fhut him up in his dungeon, I then looked through the twilight of his grated door to take his picture. I beheld his body half wafted away with long expectation and confinement, and felt what kind of fickness of the heart it was which arifes from hope deferr'd. Upon looking nearer I saw him pale and feverish: in thirty years the western breeze had not once fann'd his blood he had feen no fun, no moon, in all that time-nor had the voice of friend or kinfman breathed through his lattice-his children --But here my heart began to bleed and I was forced to go on with another part of the portrait. He was fitting upon the ground upon a little ftraw, in the furtheft corner of his dungeon, which which was alternately his chair and bed a little calendar of finall fticks were laid at the head, notch'd all over with the dismal days and nights he had paffed there he had one of thefe little fticks in his hand, and with a rusty nail he was etching another day of mifery to add to the heap. As I darkened the little light he had, he lifted up a hopeless eye towards the door, then caft it down-fhook his head, and went on with his work of affliction. I heard his chains upon his legs, as he turned his body to lay his little stick upon the bundle-He gave a deep figh—I saw the iron enter into his foul-I burst into tearsI could not fuftain the picture of confinement which my fancy had drawn. I WAS walking down that which leads from the Caroufal to the Palais Royal, and obferving a little boy in fome diftress at the fide of the gutter, which ran down the middle of it, I took hold of his hand, and help'd him over. Upon turning up his face to look at him after, I perceived he was about forty+Never mind, faid I; fome good body will do as much for me, when I am ninety. I feel fome little principles within me, which incline me to be merciful towards this poor blighted part of my fpecies, who have neither fize or strength to get on in the world——I cannot bear to fee one of them trod upon; and had scarce got feated befide an old French offi-, cer at the Opera Comique, ere the difguft was exercifed, by feeing the very thing happen under the box we fat in. At the end of the orchestra, and betwixt that and the firft fide-box, there is a fmall efplenade left, where, when the houfe is full, numbers of all ranks take fanctuary. Though you ftand, as in the parterre, you pay the fame price as in the orchestra. A poor defenceless being of this order had got thruft fomehow or other into this lucklefs placethe night was hot, and he was furrounded by beings two feet and a half higher than himself. The dwarf fuffered inexpreffibly on all fides; but the thing which incommoded him most was a tall corpulent German, near feven feet high, who flood directly betwixt him and |