ing, this morning, a history of this country, I found the following anecdote. In 1487, a dreadful war was carried on in Ulfter, between the Chieftain O'Neal, and the neighbouring Chieftain of Tirconnel. This war had nothing more confiderable for its immediate cause, than the pride of O'Neal, who demanded that his enemy fhould recognize his authority by paying tribute. The laconic ftyle, in which the demand was made and rejected, would not have difgrac'd a nobler conteft. "Send me tribute-or elfe!"

was the meffage of O'Neal. To which was re turned, with the fame princely brevity,—“ I

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owe you none and if!"-But I talk nonfense. This does not prove your threat to have been borrowed; for I dare fay, you never heard of O'Neal till this moment. It only proves that two people may exprefs themselves alike.

Should any man who loved like me (if any man ever did love like me) have spoken of his love in terms like those I use to speak of mine, follows it therefore that I have borrowed either his paffion or his language? Were it poffible for you to think fo, I never would forgive you.Pray copy the mufic you mention in your next.

LET

LETTER XXXVI.

To the Same.

Ireland, 18 Sept. 76.

How happens it that I have not fooner noticed what you fay, in a letter the beginning of laft month, about the new punishment of working upon the Thames? Politicians may write more learned upon the matter, but I will defy Beccaria to write more feelingly or humanely. There certainly is much truth in what you fay. Experience however will be the beft teft. Perhaps my true reason for noticing your fenfible letter thus late, was to introduce a scene which paffed in the quickfilver mines of Idra, a still more unpleasant abode than Mr. Campbell's academy. This used to be Colonel G.'s method, you remember, of introducing his home-made jokes. Not that my flory is home-made-I take it from fome Italian letters a brother officer lent me, written by Mr. Everard, and I give it you almoft in his own words-except in one or two paffages, where I think he has loft an op portunity of furprizing the reader.

The

The pleasure I always take in writing to you, wherever I am, and whatever doing, in fome measure difpels my prefent uneafinefs; an uneafinefs caufed at once by the difagreeable afpect of every thing around me, and the more difagreeable scene to which I have been witness.

Something too I have to tell you of Count Alberti. You remember him one of the gayeft, most agreeable perfons at the Court of Vienna; at once the example of the men, and the favourite of the fair fex. I often heard you repeat his name with esteem, as one of the few that did honour to the prefent age; as poffeffed of generofity and pity in the highest degree; as one who made no other use of fortune, but fo alleviate the diftreffes of mankind. But first of all, the fcene I mentioned.

After paffing several parts of the Alps, and having vifited Germany, I thought I could not well return home, without vifiting the quickfilver mines at Idra, and feeing thofe dreadful fubterranean caverns, where thousands are condemned to refide, fhut out from all hopes of ever again beholding the chearful light of the fun, and obliged to toil out a miferable life under the whips of imperious task-masters. Imagine to yourself an hole in the fide of a mountain, of about five yards over.. Down this you are let, in a kind of bucket more than an hundred fathom; the prospect growing still more gloomy, yet still widening, as you descend. At length, after swinging in terrible fufpenfe for fome time in this precarious fituation, you at length reach the bottom, and tread on the ground; which by its hollow found under your feet, and the reverberations of the echo, feems thundering at every step you take. In this gloomy and frightful folitude, you are enlightened by the feeble gleam of lamps, here and there difpofed, fo that the wretched inhabitants

habitants of these mansions can go from one part to another without a guide. And yet, let me affure you, that though they, by custom, could see objects very distinctly by these Hights, I could fearce discern, for fome time, any thing; not even the person who came with me to fhew me these scenes of horror.

From this description, I fuppofe, you have but a disagreeable idea of the place; yet let me affure you that it is a palace, if we compare the habitation with the inhabitants. Such wretches mine eyes never yet beheld. The blackness of their vifages only ferves to cover an horrid paleness, caused by the noxious qualities of the mineral they are employed to procure. As they in general confift of malefactors condemned for life to this tafk, they are fed at the public expence; but they feldom confume much provifion.They lofe their appetites in a fhort time; and commonly in about two years expire, from a total contraction of the joints of the body.

In this horrid manfion I walked after my guide for some time, pondering on the strange tyranny and avarice of mankind, when I was accofted by a voice behind me, calling me by name, and enquiring after my health with the most cordial affection. I turned and faw a creature all black and hideous, who approached me, with a most piteous accent, demanding, "Ah! Mr. Everard, don't you know me?" Good God! what was my furprize, when, through the veil of his wretchednefs, I discovered the features of my old and dear friend Count Alberti! I flew to him with affection; and, after a tear of condolence, afked how he came there? To this he replied, that having fought a duel with a general of the Austrian infantry againft the emperor's command, and having left him for dead, he was obliged to

fly into one of the forests of Istria, where he was first taken, and afterwards fheltered, by fome banditti, who had long infefted that quarter. With thefe he had lived for nine months, till, by a close inveftiture of the place in which they were concealed, and after a very obftinate resistance, in which the greatest part of them fell, he was fecured and carried to Vienna, in order to be broken alive on the wheel. When he arrived at the capital, he was quickly known, and, feveral of the affociates of his accufation and danger witneffing his innocence, his punishment of the rack was changed into that of perpetual confinement and labour in the mines of Idra. A fentence, in my opinion, a thousand times worse than death.

As Alberti was giving me this account, a young woman, came up to him, who, at once I faw, had been born for better fortune. The dreadful fituation of the place was not able to destroy her beauty, and even in this scene of wretchedness fhe feemed to have charms to grace the most brilliant affembly.

This lady was daughter to one of the first families in Germany, and, having tried every means to procure her lover's pardon without effect, was at laft refolved to share his miferies, as fhe could not relieve them. With him the accordingly defcended into these mansions, from which few ever return; and with him fhe is contented to live, forgetting the gaieties of life; with him to toil, defpifing the fplendours of opulence, and contented with the consciousness of her own conftancy.

I am, dear Sir,

Yours, &c.

Now