VI. Pent in the city den, where man Where words and actions, squared by plan, Alone with sordid schemes and lies; Yet feel that Resolution's knife VII. Down to our paltry fates we bow, Headlong in Error's wild career: We mock the doubts, and scorn the fear VIII. Till on some eve, methinks like this, Earth, wrapt in holy quiet, lies, We start to find that otherwise Swell'd the young heart in such a scene, When open'd first on Wonder's eyes A world so soft, and so serene! IX. Then do we feel the worthlessness Fond Memory sickens at the view Of what hath been, no more to be,- Visions that pass'd like vernal dew, Or leaves from shorn November's tree! X. Yes! he who knows the world must feel To find that those, who owed us good, XI. How sweet the evening gleams and glows- The ocean breathes a calm repose, XII. Oh Nature, when our eyes survey The priceless charms thou hast in store, Art's tinsel trappings fade away, We learn to love thee more and more; There is a pleasure on the shore, And beauty in the leafy wood, Which bid the baffled heart deplore, That e'er for guilt was barter'd good! XIII. Alas! too late we feel and know, That pleasure in our souls must dwell; That pomp is only gilded woe; And Flattery's voice a tinkling bell; In vain would Passion's bosom swell Against the fate we sought and found; The soul, that sleeps in Error's cell, Awakes in Misery's fetters bound! SIR, CUTTINGS. I render you a thousand graces, because you put my letter about the Boxes, in your Magazine, which I pray you to accept as the witness of my respects. Indeed I can't not tell you, Mr North, (I wish I can pronounce your Shibboleth so well as I wrote him)-no, Sire, I not explicate how much that give me pleasure, to see I was capable to write at a periodic so renowned. It prove too so well that you have not the prejudg ments of too many mankinds, contrary to the foreigners of your own nation; so, I am pleased with you myself, which is extrement comfortable and pleasant. But, never mind, I shall tell you how it is. I am sitting to entertain myself with my friend, Mr Box, when the Magazin come. Very well, I open him indiscriminate, and see my letter for you, all right: so, I say, Monsieur Box! look at him," and give him the book, when he was surprise, and tell to me he not think I write so well. So I get up, and walk backward in the room, and forward some times, and confess I feel some little proud, because you should attend at my representation. Then I unlock my little portmanteau, and take the English grammar (who always travel with me before whenever I go) and throw him at the fire's back, till he consumed into nothing. Then I feel very refreshing, because he give me many bad heads, when I study some part what is not facile: but now I find myself above school-boy, when my letter is in so great literary product; and I tell myself, "No, no more grammar; I tied myself only in conversations afterwards, to make my remarks what I hear, and write at Edinburgh, for Monsieur North, to keep the pratiks." Very well, I found myself now sit down in correspondence with you, very respectful, but, same time, friendlike; because, though I not yet had the honour of breaking bread, yet we have broken some ice together. ha! You shall understand my joke, and perceive I studied your colloquials. Ha, But, never mind, I shall not plunge myself in your Magazin, nor hurt myself if you not print all what I write, but give some to your friend, Monsieur Baalam, for his "box!" Poor gentilman! I never see nothing of his writing in your books. Well, as I tell you last time I write, I come at Leicestershire, for the chaces; but I am never very great cavalier; yet I go out one day neverless, and find all the things different from the walking on horseback, according the customs of my country: for there is two many chasseurs (they telled me five hundred) all mounted on huntster horses, what jump about all over the fosses and "double fence," when I had rather not to break my neck, like so many devils, calling strange words, what is not in the Dictionary when I goed to find them. So, I tell Mr Box, "Sir, if you please, you shall excuse me, I go home." But, never mind, I not use much of the hunting fox, because the frost come, and they cannot go at the chace, for fear to spoil the dogs' hoofs, and break the knee horses, what don't like great shakes on so hard freezed ground: but I entertain very much with Mr Box at shooting, where I am capable. We go out yesterday, in the propriety of a gentleman, friend of his, what is gone at London for Parliament, beautiful place, well attended, with gardechasse and other officers subaltern, to keep out them people what want to come in contraiery with law. Very well-we shoot all day till he was duskish; and then mount on Mr Box's little carriage, what he call "Bucky," and came at the hotel where I am now, and get very good dinner, what I like extremement; particular some wooden cocks what we shooted in the morning, though not so good as the salmi de becasse what I eat at home in France; but every man love his own cook-however they should have been keeped longer in the cause of tenderness. Very well. It is rain to-day and fogs, or we shall go to see the chateau of Beauvoir, what belong to the Duke of Rutland, great good man, gone at London, with very long petition, contraiery for the Catholics; but, never mind, I am stranger, and have not no business to write politically. But, entre nous, Monsieur North, if I was on board one good ship with timber, and all comme il faut, I shall not make little hole in the side, in case some coquin fool fellow tell me, “Oh, it was nothing, because very little bit of water shall come in." "Non vi, sed sæpe cadendo," somebody shall work very hard with the pump by and by to get it out if I am so great fool; for it must keep always coming at the little hole, so long as the water keep pressing outside. Well, as I say before, it rain to-day; and, by consequence, I take an opportunity of leisure to tell you some more difficulty what I find in your language beside the boxes, disagreeable to stranger, willing, so as me, to speak without fear at every body. That is much best than bore you with long descrip tions of your own country, what shall be supererogative, as you well must know all the parties. Very well"allons!" as we say in France, or, as you say in England, "Goes here!" I shall begin to pluck some courage up, and make a stricture upon your tongue immediately; although, maybe, I will not cut so good figure as if I was born myself in your country. But, never mind, it is of cutting and cut what I shall write. I go out, long time past, with Mr Box, for horseback little voyage and observations, and come at canal superb, and march on what he call "toeing path." "Oh! So I say, "What you call?" and he respond, "It is the new cut."- So he laugh, funny fellow he is, and "She is a cutter," he say. So it go by, and we see the ladies all very nice and agreeable. Then I tell my friend, "Ah! you drole! You was trigging me with some nonsense about cutter: but, seriousment, you must not, as you shall deceive me into bad language, when my studies for English will be of no use. But he respond, "Oh, no, my dear sir, they call such little ship cutter: but, come the long, as we can be too late, and it is cold in standing still, and the wind cut my face." Well, we go at grand gallop a traverse the campaign, and when we stop to trot, my horse maked strange noise at his hind legs, and go lamed some time very disagreeable; so I pulled him up to the blacksmith, and tell him to accommodate the shoe-irons, which is loosed, I suppose; but he take hind leg upon his petticoat, and say, "Ah, Sir, your horse is pity for nice beast as he cuts." Very well, now I shall not prolong this letter to give you explications of that and some more cuts what I must tell of by the by, by cause you shall understand very well; but you shall perceive it must be uneasy for a foreigner to comprend, when so many differences are expressed in one word. Other time I dine at one gentleman's house, all as it ought, very proper, and he say, "Shall you take champaigne ?" "Much oblige," I respond, and we drink the glass with nods, according with your customs. Then he make strange face, and call out," By powers! it is very much up! My throat is cut!" Very well, I jump up very frightful, and go at his throat, because I hear, long time since, that your compatriots kill themselves very often, in places very strange, and not apropos: but his neck was no matter at all, as you shall suppose. Then, after dinner, we "pushed the bottle" long time about, and fine fellow, captain of vessel, tell of brave man, lieutenant of his, what cut out a Spanish vessel with some boats, in the Mediterranean; but I smelled the rat, as he had been ship of my own country, what he would not tell, by cause of politeness-all very proper. Afterward they speak of some book, what I cannot precisement comprend, (it is something about hunting Lord Byron great poet,) but all say it is cut up in all rags by your Magazin; so you shall find out. Then they name young gentleman what I knowed by sight, what is just arrived at age, and go too frequent at the rouge et noir, with some black legs. It is expected he shall cut a dash; but no, they say, not now he must not be possible; because some relations have cut off his tail, or in his tail, or something like this, but I not comprend exact, by cause it is done with some instrument of law, what I take care not to meddle myself with. Then comed on the tapis a very long argument disputative of politicals, what it is impossible for me to design, and not matter neither, for I often make remark, as nobody is never better convinced he was wrong that way. It is all fighting in the air. So I take myself in the drawingroom, at the ladies with some coffee, very pleasant; and the rest follow little time after, and tell to me that one of the politicians is completely cut up. Then we talk with the ladies, what I love very much, better than politics with the bottle pushes, and I am very merry, and laugh till they come at cards, and cut for the partnerships, when I get very beautiful young lady what play the whist in short with me for partner, till we are fatigued. Then we get up, and she take me at another table, and give me some sweet smiles as I write some calembourgs of my country, and one little French copy verses in her album; and afterward, she go and bring a portfolio, and show me some lithograph and wooden cuts. But Mr Box come too soon, and take me away. So I take leave very respectful at my beautiful partner, and go at the hotel, where I had my lodgments, with him; and, before we go to bed, he say, "We shall have the tumbler the punch first for night-caps."— "Very well," I tell him, " so as you like," for I am very merry, and much please with my day so pleasant and hospitable, and particular with the young lady what I mention before. Then he begin to talk, and give me long lesson lecture, about the custom of country, and difference of manner, so as I am very much fatigued; only I know he is friend and good man. So, after some time he tell me I shall not pay so great attentions at that young lady, because other gentilman is attached what dine with us, and seem frightful as I shall cut him out. "Peste!" I say, "cut again! what for? Fool he must be! I don't want to cut nobody. Stupid man!" and I begin to be angry, and talk very fast, and want some other tumbler the punch; but Mr Box say, "Not no more for me, if you please." So I go in bed and sleep all night, with dreams excitement singular and feverish. Very well. Next morning Mr Box give me the call when I am at breakfast, and say, "How find yourself, Monsieur?" and I respond, " I am very unpleasant." Then he tell to me he was very sorry. "But," he continue, "it cannot be helped now; you shall be better to take some soda water, by cause I know what is the matter, I perceive you were cut last night." Well, he explain himself, and I feel enraged with thirst, all different from myself at other time; and we goed for a walk, where we |