Yorick scarce ever heard the fad vaticination of his destiny read over to him, but with a tear stealing from his eye, and a promiffory look attending it, that he was refolved, for the time to come, to ride his tit with more fobriety. But, alas, too late!—a grand confederacy, with ***** and ***** at the head of it, was formed before the first prediction of it.-Thé whole plan of the attack, juft as Eugenius had foreboded, was put in execution all at once, with fo little mercy on the fide of the allies, and fo little fufpicion in Yorick of what was carrying on against him,that when he thought, good eafy man! full furely preferment was o' ripening, they had fmote his root, and then he fell, as many a worthy man had fallen before him. Yerick, however, fought it out with all imaginable gallantry for fome time; till, overpowered by numbers, and worn out at length by the calamities of the war, but more fo, by the ungenerous manner in which it was carried on, he threw down the fword; and though he kept up his fpirits in appearance to the laft, he died, neverthelefs, as was generally thought, quite broken-hearted. What inclined Eugenius to the fame opinion, was as follows: A few hours before Yorick breathed his last, Eugenius ftept in with an intent to take his laft fight and farewel of him. Upon his drawing Yorick's curtain, and asking how he felt himself, Yorick looked up in his face, took hold of his hand, and after thanking him for the many tokens of his friendship to him, for `which, he faid, if it was their fate to meet hereafter, -he would thank him again and again, he told him, he was within a few hours of giving his enemies the flip for ever. I hope not, answered Eugenius, with tears tricking down his cheek, and with the tendereft tone that ever man spoke,-I hope not Yorick, faid he.-Yorick replied with a look up, and a gentle fqueeze of Eugenius's hand, and that was all,-but it cut Eugenius to the heart.-Come,-come, Yorick, quoth Eugenius, wiping his eyes, and summoning up the man within him, my dear lad, be comforted,— let not all thy fpirits and fortitude forfake thee at this crifis when thou most wants them; who knows what refources are in ftore, and what the power of God may yet do for thee ?-Yorick laid his hand upon his heart, and gently fhook his head;-For my part, cried Eugenius, crying bitterly as he uttered the words, I declare I know not, Yorick, how to part with thee, and would gladly flatter my hopes, added Eugenius, cheering up his voice, that there is ftill enough left of thee to make a biflop, and that I may live to fee it.I befeech thee, Eugenius, quotlr Yorick, taking off his night-cap as well as he could with his left band, his right hand being ftill grafped clofe in that of Eugenius, befeech thee to take a -I view of my head.-I fee nothing that ails it, replied Eugenius. Then, alas! my friend, faid Yorick, let me tell you, that 'tis fo bruifed and mif-fhapened with the blows which***** and *****, and fome others have so unhandsomely given me in the dark, that I might fay with Sanco Panca, that should I recover, and Mitres thereupon be fuffered to rain down " from heaven as thick as hail, not one of them "would fit it."-Yorick's laft breath was hanging upon his trembling lips ready to depart as he uttered this; yet still it was uttered with fomething of a Cervantic tone;and as he spoke it, Eugenius could perceive a stream of lambent fire lighted up for a moment in his eyes ;-faint picture of those flashes of his spirit, which (as Shakspeare said of his ancestor) were wont to fet the table in a roar ! Eugenius was convinced from this, that the heart of his friend was broke: he fqueezed his hand, and then walked foftly out of the room, weeping as he walked. Yorick followed Eugenius with his eyes to the door,he then closed them,-and. never opened them more. He lies buried in the corner of his church-yard, in the parish of, under a plain marble slab, which his friend Eugenius, by leave of his executors, laid upon grave, with no more than these words of infcription, ferving both for his epitaph and elegy. his Alas, poor YORICK! Ten times a day has Yorick's ghoft the confolation to hear the monumental infcription read over with fuch a variety of plaintive tones, as denote a general pity and esteem for him;a footway croffing the church-yard close by the fide of his grave,not a paffenger goes by without stopping to cast a look upon it, and fighing as he walks on, Alas, poor YORICK! T. SHANDY, VOL. 1. C. 12. POWER OF SLIGHT INCIDENTS. Tis curious to obferve the triumph of flight weight they have in forming and governing our opi nions, both of men and things-that trifles light as air, fhall waft a belief into the foul, and plant it fo immoveable within it, that Euclid's demonftrations, could they be brought to batter it in breach, fhould not all have power to overthrow it. T. SHANDY, VOL. II. CHAP. 62. CROSSES IN LIFE. MANY, many are the ups and downs of life, fortune must be uncommonly gracious to that mortal who does not experience a great variety of them;-though perhaps to thefe may be owing as much of our pleasures as our pains; there are scenes of delight in the vale as well as in the mountain; and the inequalities of nature may not be lefs neceffary to please the eye-than the varieties of life to improve the heart. At beft, we are but a fhort-fighted race of beings, with just light enough to discern our way.To do that is our duty, and should be our |