answer to this objection from the very nature of religion for the reason why a prince would give his directions in this plain manner, is, that he absolutely wishes such an external action or duty to be performed, without concerning himself with the principle on which it is done; whereas the whole of morality and religion consisting merely in the principle of the action, there is no sort of parallel in the cases. But if a prince wished to try the loyalty of a servant, he would not give his orders in so plain and peremptory a manner.

N° 83. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14.

Totam hodie Romam Circus capit: et fragor aurem
Percutit; eventum viridis quo colligo panni.
Nam si dificeret, mostam attonitamque videres
Hanc urbem, veluti Cannarum in pulvere victis
Consulibus.

JUVENAL.

This day all Rome will in the Circus sweat;
Echoes already do their shouts repeat:
Methinks I hear the cry---Away! away!
The Green have won the honour of the day.
Oh! should these sports be but one year forborne,
Rome would in tears her lov'd diversions mourn;
For that would now a cause of sorrow yield,
Great as the loss of Cannæ's fatal field.

CONGREVE,

Translation of part of a Letter, written by the late PRINCE LEE Boo, and intended to have been sent to his Father the King of the Pelew Islands; in which the sense is, as far as it could be collected, exhibited, without regard to his mode of expression, which was incapable of being represented in another language.

"WHAT I have said to you, beloved sire, on the politics of this people, has been short and superficial, because you have taught me to speak with diffidence and reserve on matters of this high nature; and because the laws by which this country is governed are too numerous and profound to be hastily learned.

Their customs and manners also require a longer residence than I have yet made among them, to be clearly comprehended and fairly judged. Our prejudices do not suffer us to reflect that these ought always to be considered with a reference to the climate, wants, and civil condition of the country. As experience ripens my judgement, expect from me better remarks on all these particulars: at present, accept, with your usual indulgence, such observations as have occurred to me; they will at least serve to mark the stages of my improvement, as you compare those of different dates together.

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I shall first of all present you with a sketch of their amusements, in which you told me, in our last conversation, before I mounted into the great floating castle, I should see a vast deal of the temper and natural character of the people I was about to visit. You will scarcely credit it, but I assure you I make continual mistakes between their amusements and their business, and sometimes imagine they are pursuing some sport, when in reality they are occupied about objects of a serious and solemn nature; for, notwithstanding this people are capable of such stupendous efforts of art and science, they have a way of mixing a littleness of character with their grandeur of spirit, qualities that are held incompatible with us; and thus is produced a sort of farcical and ridiculous disproportion. This equivocal appearance of many of their proceedings will doubtless fill my letters with numerous errors; but I shall take care to rectify them as I advance in my acquaintance with the subject, so as in the end to communicate some advantage to yourself, and consequently to my dear country, from these opportunities which I owe to your indulgence.

"To begin, then, you must know that the other day I was carried to a very large room, in which they told me was assembled the great Council of the nation: but I presently saw through it, and perceived clearly that it was a kind of game in imitation of a Senate; and, indeed, it was performed so well, that had it not been for a great deal of laughing, coughing, scraping, and hallooing, it might have been imposed upon me for a real assembly of the great men of the nation, met to debate on its most important interests; for here and there, there was a vast deal of animation assumed, and eloquence displayed, and even moments of gravity, such as characterise all our meetings for the good of our country. My ignorance of the language disqualified me for participating in the joke; but from the eagerness and perseverance with which it was pursued, I could plainly perceive that it was very entertaining to those engaged.

"The following night I was taken to an exhibition, called a Masquerade, which I only mention here as a contrast to the humerous scene I was present at the day before, since it seems to be more properly a ceremony than an amusement: I mention it, too, as one instance, among a very few, in which this generous people have used a reserve towards me in respect to the explanation of their manners and customs; for they would fain have persuaded me that this masquerade, as it is called, was a mere diversion among the young men and women of quality, while nothing could be more clear than that it was a religious celebration. I can however conceive it so natural to laugh at the practices of other countries, especially those which appertain to their religion, that I must own I think them entirely excusable for veiling those rites and mysteries, for the present,

from my eyes, until I shall have worn off my first prejudices. There was something splendidly solemn in this whole ceremony; and if there was any interruption to the gravity of the scene, it was occasioned by some strange cries and whimsical contortions, which, however ridiculous they appear to the inhabitants of other countries, I have no doubt make a very serious impression on the bosoms of the natives, as being in honour of the different deities they adore. There was a vast variety of dresses, which I conceived to be representative of particular orders and descriptions, who thus, through the medium of one of their fraternity, offered their respective adoration; while the priests wore all the same clothing, called by the natives a domino. I say I conceived all this, because a certain awe and timidity, with which I felt myself inspired, made me forbear any questions that might seem to result from impertinent curiosity.

"There is one circumstance respecting this country, which, to my ideas, is altogether unaccountable; and that is, the great leisure they have for idleness, in the midst of such proofs of their labour and ingenuity as overpower the imagination. It surprisesme the more, my beloved father, because you know I have been accustomed to see every individual usefully employed in my own country, it being one of your favourite maxims, that the happiness of your people requires it. Thou, who art a mighty prince, art likewise the best workman in thy dominions; for who can make hatchets to equal thine? But here the great men can bear to sit whole days unemployed, and will eat their food with instruments which other hands have formed, and live in houses with the very principle of whose construction they are little acquainted. From all this must result a vast deal of