in either of those capitals any reason to complain of the neglect of their fellow citizens. But although the people of most countries are, with refpect to the researches of gain, burghers of Bafil, during the hours of the morning, the evening at least is devoted to amusement, to focial pleasure, to friendship, to fome object that cheers, or fooths the heart, and the projects of interest are laid afide till the morrow. At Bafil alone, the toils of trade find no relaxation; they begin with the day, but do not finish at its clofe; fince even the hours of recreation are made fubfervient to the views of intereft; and the only fpecies of amusement in which the burghers of that city indulge themselves, is one at which they can arrange their commercial dealings, ftrike bargains, and vigorously purfue that main chance which appears to be, their "being's end, and aim.'

With thofe views, the men have formed themselves into different focieties, called tabagies, or fmoking-clubs, because all the members smoke moft furiously. Each club is compofed of nearly the fame age, a custom to which the love of equality perhaps gave rife, but which is obferved to be extremely prejudicial to the manners of the young men of Bafil, by excluding all forms of deference and politenefs, as well as all means of improvement. With refpect to these things, there is indeed nothing peculiar to the clubs of Bafil; fince from Brookes's, composed of the honourable members of the British parliament, to these tabagies, filled with the fenators of the laudable Helvetic Body, a man who has long frequented fuch meetings becomes entirely unfit for all other fociety; he foon thinks it an hardship to pass an evening elsewhere, and terms all other company conftraint, because it wants the ease of a tavern, where tumult is mistaken

for

for gaiety, and familiarity for friendship. But while in other places the taste for clubs is confined to a few perfons, Bafil is a town of clubbists, containing no less than twelve fmoking focieties, each composed of about fixty members, who meet every afternoon at an early hour, drink tea amidst the exhilarating fumes of tobacco, discuss the political fituation, but far more indefatigably the commercial affairs of the town, calculate the gains and loffes of the day, form new schemes of acquiring wealth, and feparate at the hour of fupper, before they have faid one word on any fubject of tafte, or literature.

The ladies of Bafil, abandoned by the men, have recourfe, to clubs alfo, and fometimes twenty ladies assemble together without one man being of the party, although to fuch as prefent themselves, admittance, far from being refused, is even gratefully ac

corded;

corded; and fometimes a stranger, taking advantage of the pofture of affairs at Bafil,

which leads a coterie of

young handfome women to confider his company as a favour, pays his homage to the ladies, while clouds of other incenfe are rifing in every quarter of the town from the tabagies where their absent husbands are convened.

The female focieties of Bafil are formed from infancy of children of the fame age, and of the fame clafs; and during their childhood, the equality of years is fo strictly obferved in these societies, that sisters, whose ages differ three or four years, have their feparate coteries in the fame houfe. There is fomething foothing in the idea of these infant affociations; it feems forming another barrier for our helpless fex, against the future tempefts of the world; and no doubt many a fair member of thefe

young focieties, when affailed by thofe ftorms of mif

fortune,

fortune, which often beat with the most pitiless fury against hearts that can least resist their violence, recalls with tender regret the focial circle of her childhood; and perhaps finds in the fympathy of fome female companion, to whom she is endeared by the charm of those early recollections, a fource of confolation and relief. The young unmarried women, and the dowagers, have all their diftinct circles, fometimes increased by the admiffion of fifters-in-law, who become part of the family, and fometimes by the introduction of accidental acquaintances.

They affemble by invitation fucceffively at each other's houfes, ufually at three in the afternoon; an hour which, though morning with respect to dinner, and all the bufy occupations of life at London and Paris, finds the day far advanced at Bafil; where dinner is ferved, when it is noon by the clocks of that city, which, for several cen