which incommoded him moft, was a tall corpulent German, near seven feet high, who flood directly betwixt him and all poffibility of his feeing either the flage or the actors. The poor dwarf did all he could to get a peep at what was going forwards, by feeking for fome little opening betwixt the German's arm and his body, trying first one fide, then the other; but the German flood fquare in the most unaccoinmodating posture that can be imaginedthe dwarf might as well have been placed at the bottom of the deepest draw-well in Paris; fo he civilly reach'd

up his hand to the German's fleeve, and told him his diftrefs-The German turn'd his head back, look'd down upon him as Goliah did upon David-and unfeelingly refumed his posture.

I was just then taking a pinch of fnuff out of my monk's little horn box-And how would thy meek and courteous fpirit, my dear monk! fo temper'd to bear and forbear!-how fweetly would it have lent an ear to this poor foul's complaint!

up

The old French officer feeing me lift my eyes with an emotion, as I made the apoftrophe, took the liberty to ask me what was the matter-I told him the ftory in three words; and added, how inhuman it was.

By this time the dwarf was driven to extremes and in his firft tranfports, which are generally unreafonable, had told the German he would cut off his long queue with his knife-The German look'd back coolly, and told him he was welcome if he could reach it.

An injury fharpened by an infult, be it to who it will, makes every man of sentiment a party: I could have leaped out of the box

to

1

to have redreffed it. The old French officer did it with much lefs confufion; for leaning a little over, and nodding to a centinel, and pointing at the fame time with his finger at the diftrefs-the centinel made his way up to it.-There was no occafion to tell the grievance-the thing told itself; fo thrufling back the German inftantly with his mufket-he took the poor dwarf by the hand, and placed him before him.—This is noble! faid I, clapping my hands together-And yet you would not permit this, faid the old officer, in England.

-In England, dear Sir, faid I, we fit all at our cafe.

The old French officer would have fet me at unity with myfelf, in cafe I had been at variance,—by faying it was a bon mot-and as a bon mot is always worth fomething at Paris, he offered me a pinch of fnuff.

IT

T was now my turn to afk the old French officer "What was the matter?" for a cry of, Hauffés les mains, Monfieur l'Abbé! reechoed from a dozen different parts of the parterre, was as unintelligible as my apoftrophe to the monk

to me,

had been to him.

He told me it was fome poor Abbé in one of the upper loges, who he

fuppofed had got planted perdu behind a

couple of Griffets in order to fee the and that the parterre espying

opera,

him,

were infifting upon his holding up both his hands during the reprefentation. And can it be fuppofed, faid I, that an ecclefiaftick would pick the Griffet's pockets? The old French officer fmiled, and whispering in my ear, open'd a door of knowledge which I had no idea of

Good God! faid I, turning pale with aftonishment-is it poffible, that a people fo fmit with fentiment fhould at the fame time be fo unclean, and fo unlike themselves-Quelle groffiereté! added I.

The