The monk, as I judged from the break in his tonfure, a few scatter'd white hairs upon his temples, being all that remained of it, might be about. feventy-but from his eyes, and that fort of fire which was in them, which feemed more temper'd by courtesy than years, could be no more than fixty Truth might lie between-He was certainly fixty-five; and the general air of his countenance, notwithstanding fomething feem'd to have been. planting wrinkles in it before their time, agreed to the account.

It was one of those heads which Guido has often painted-mild, pale-penetrating, free from all common-place ideas of fat contented ignorance looking downwards upon the earth-it look'd forwards; but look'd, as if it look'd at fomething beyond this world. How one of his order came by it, heaven above, who let it fall upon a monk's shoulders, best knows: but it would have fuited a Bramin, and had I met it upon the plains of Indoftan, I had reverenced it.

The reft of his outline may be given in a few ftrokes; one might put it into the hands of any one to defign, for 'twas neither elegant or otherwise, but as character and expreffion made it fo: it was a thin, fpare form, fomething above the common fize, if it loft not the diftinction by a bend forward in the figure-but it was the attitude of Intreaty ; and as it now ftands prefent to my imagination, it gain'd more than it loft by it.

When he had entered the room three paces, he ftood ftill; and laying his left hand upon his breast, (a flender white staff with which he journey'd being in his right) when I had got close up to him, he right)-when introduced himself with the little ftory of the wants of his convent, and the poverty of his order-and did it with fo fimple a grace-and fuch an air of deprecation was there in the whole caft of his look and figure I was bewitch'd not to have been ftruck with it

A better reafon was, I had predetermined not to give him a fingle fous.

THE MON K.

TIS

CALAI S.

very true, faid I, replying to a cast upwards with his eyes, with which he had concluded his addrefs-'tis very true and heaven be their. resource who have no other but the charity of the world, the stock of which, I fear, is no way fufficient for the many great claims which are hourly made upon it.

As I pronounced the words great claims, he gave a flight glance with his eye downwards upon the

fleeve of his tunick-I felt the full force of the appeal-I acknowledge it, faid I-a coarse habit, and that but once in three years, with meagre diet -are no great matters; and the true point of pity

い

is, as they can be earn'd in the world with fo little industry, that order fhould wish to procure your them by preffing upon a fund which is the property of the lame, the blind, the aged, and the infirm the captive who lies down counting over and over again the days of his afflictions, languifhes alfo for his share of it; and had you been of the order of mercy, instead of the order of St. Francis, poor as I am, continued I, pointing at my portmanteau, full chearfully fhould it have been open'd to you, for the ranfom of the unfortunate-The monk made me a bow-but of all others, refumed I, the unfortunate of our own country, furely, have the first rights; and I have left thousands in distress upon our own fhore-The monk gave a cordial wave with his head-as much as to fay, No doubt, there is mifery enough in every corner of the world, as well as within our convent --But we diftinguifh, faid I, laying my hand upon the fleeve of his tunick, in return for his appeal. we distinguish, my good father! betwixt those who wish only to eat the bread of their own labor and those who eat the bread of other people's, and have no other plan in life, but to get through it in floth and ignorance, for the love of God.

The poor Franciscan made no reply: a hectic of a moment pafs'd acrofs his cheek, but could not tarry-Nature feemed to have had done with her refentments in him; he fhewed none-but letting his ftaff fall within his arm, he prefs'd both his hands with refignation upon his breaft, and retired.

THE MON K.

CALAI S.

My heart fmote me the moment he fhut the

door-Pfha! faid I with an air of carelessness, three feveral times-but it would not do: every ungracious fyllable I had utter'd, crowded back into my imagination: I reflected, I had no right over the poor Francifcan, but to deny him; and that the punishment of that was enough to the disappointed without the addition of unkind language-I confider'd his grey hairs his courteous figure feem'd to reenter and gently ask me what injury he had done me?— and why I could use him thus?—I would have given twenty livres for an advocate I have behaved very ill, faid I within myself; but I have only just fet out upon my travels; and shall learn better manners as I get along.

THE DESOBLIGEANT.

CALAI S.

WHEN a man is discontented with himself, it has one advantage however, that it puts him into an excellent frame of mind for making a bargain. Now there being no travelling through France and Italy without a chaife and nature generally prompting us to the thing we are fitteft for, I walk'd out into the coach-yard to buy or hire fomething

of that kind to my purpose: an old * Defobligeant in the furtheft corner of the court, hit my fancy at first fight, so I inftantly got into it, and finding it in tolerable harmony with my feelings, I ordered the waiter to call Monfieur Deffein the master of the hôtel -but Monfieur Deffein being gone to vefpers, and not caring to face the Franciscan whom I faw on the oppofite fide of the court, in conference with a lady just arrived at the inn I drew the taffeta curtain betwixt us, and being determined to write my journey, I took out my pen and ink, and wrote the preface to it in the Defobligeant.

PREFACE

IN THE DESOBLIGEANT.

IT must have been obferved by many a peripatetic philofopher, That nature has fet up by her own unquestionable authority certain boundaries and fences to circumfcribe the difcontent of man: fhe has effected her purpose in the quietest and easiest manner by laying him under almoft infuperable obligations to work out his eafe, and to fuftain his fufferings at home. It is there only that she has provided him with the moft fuitable objects to partake of his happiness, and bear a part of that burthen which in all countries and ages, has ever been too heavy for one pair of fhoulders. 'Tis true, we are endued with an imperfect power of spreading our happiness fometimes

A Chaife, fo called in France, from its holding but one

perfon.