Is always in Love.

portmanteau with an inventory of my half a dozen shirts and silk pair of breeches; and bid him fasten all upon the chaise-get the horses put-to -and desire the landlord to come in with his bill.

---C'est un garçon de bonne fortune, said the landlord, pointing through the window to a half a dozen wenches who had got round about La Fleur, and were most kindly taking their leave of him, as the postillion was leading out the horses. La Fleur kissed all their hands round and round again, and thrice he wiped his eyes, and thrice he promised he would bring them all pardons from Rome.

The young fellow, said the landlord, is beloved by all the town, and there is scarce a corner in Montriul where the want of him will not be felt: he has but one misfortune in the world, continued he," he is always in love."-I am heartily glad of it, said I-'twill save me the trouble every night of putting my breeches under my head. In saying this, I was making not so much La Fleur's eloge, as my own, having been in love with one princess or another almost all my life, and I hope I shall go on so till I die, being firmly persuaded, that if ever I do a mean action, it must be in some interval betwixt one passion and

The Profligacy of Abdera.

another whilst this interregnum lasts, I always perceive my heart locked up-I can scarce find in it to give Misery a sixpence; and therefore I always get out of it as fast as I can, and the moment I am rekindled, I am all generosity, and good-will again; and would do any thing in the world, either for or with any one, if they will but satisfy me there is no sin in it.

-But in saying this surely I am commending the passion---not myself.

A FRAGMENT.

-THE town of Abdera, notwithstanding Democritus lived there, trying all the powers of irony and laughter to reclaim it, was the vilest and most profligate town in all Thrace. What for poisons, conspiracies, and assassinations— libels, pasquinades, and tumults, there was no going there by day-'twas worse by night.

Now, when things were at the worst, it came to pass, that the Andromeda of Euripides being represented at Abdera, the whole orchestra was delighted with it; but of all the passages which delighted them, nothing operated more upon their imaginations, than the tender strokes of nature which the poet had wrought up in that

Effect of Poetry.

pathetic speech of Perseus, O Cupid, prince of God and men, &c.* Every man almost spoke pure iambics the next day, and talked of nothing but Perseus his pathetic address-" O Cupid, prince of God and men"-in every street of Abdera, in every house" O Cupid! Cupid!"-in every mouth, like the natural notes of some sweet melody which drops from it whether it will or no-nothing but " Cupid! Cupid! prince of God and men”—The fire caught—and the whole city, like the heart of one man, open'd itself to Love.

No pharmacopolist could sell one grain of hellebore-not a single armourer had a heart to forge one instrument of death-Friendship and Virtue met together, and kiss'd each other in the

*The authors, with whom there is no doubt but Sterne, was well acquainted, were those ludicrous ones of the 16th century; this fragment, however, which he is pleased to call so, is almost literally taken from BURTON's chapter of Artificial Allurements; and in all his works it is every where evident, that he had his eye constantly upon those writers, and often, without the smallest hesitation, copies literally from them. Still, however, it must be confessed, that Sterne has enough of his own genius and manner to be the unrivalled Sterne still!

+ The reader who wishes for full, accurate, and unprejudiced information on this subject, should consult Dr. FERRIAR's interesting volume, intitled Illustrations of Sterne.

Charity.

street-the golden age return'd and hung over the town of Abdera-every Abderite took his oaten pipe, and every Abderitish woman left her purple web, and chastely sat her down and listen'd to the song.

'Twas only in the power, says the Fragment, of the God whose empire extendeth from heaven to earth, and even to the depths of the sea, to have done this.

MONTRIUL.

WHEN all is ready, and every article is disputed and paid for in the inn, unless you are a little sour'd by the adventure, there is always a matter to compound at the door, before you can get into your chaise; and that is with the sons and daughters of Poverty, who surround you. Let no man say, "Let them go to the devil"'tis a cruel journey to send a few miserables, and they have had sufferings enow without it: I always think it better to take a few sous out in my hand; and I would counsel every gentle traveller to do so likewise; he need not be so exact in setting down his motives for giving them--they will be register'd elsewhere.

For my own part, there is no man gives so little as I do; for few that I know have so little

The Pinch of Snuff.

to give but as this was the first public act of my charity in France, I took the more notice of it.

A well-a-day! said I. I have but eight sous in the world, shewing them in my hand, and there are eight poor men and eight poor women for 'em.

A poor tatter'd soul, without a shirt on, instantly withdrew his claim, by retiring two steps out of the circle, and making a disqualifying bow on his part. Had the whole parterre cried out, Place aux dames, with one voice, it would not have conveyed the sentiment of a deference for the sex with half the effect.

Just heaven! for what wise reasons hast thou order'd it that beggary and urbanity, which are at such variance in other countries, should find a way to be at unity in this?

-I insisted upon presenting him with a single sous, merely for his politesse.

A poor little dwarfish brisk fellow, who stood over-against me in the circle, putting something first under his arm, which had once been a hat, took his snuff-box out of his pocket, and generously offer'd a pinch on both sides of him: it was a gift of consequence, and modestly declinedThe poor little fellow press'd it upon them with