in a right frame for it, and fo I gave full scope to my imagination.

I was going to begin with the millions of my fellow creatures born to no inheritance but flavery; but finding, however affecting the picture was, that I could not bring it near me, and that the multitude of fad groups in it did but diftract me.

-I took a fingle captive, and having first shut him up in his dungeon, I then look'd through the twilight of his grated door to take his picture.

I beheld his body half wafted away with long expectation and confinement, and felt what kind of fickness of the heart it was which arifes from hope deferr'd. Upon looking nearer I faw him pale and feverish: in thirty years the western breeze had not once fann'd his blood he had feen no fun, no moon in all that time -nor had the voice of friend or kinfman breathed through his lattice-his children

But

-But here my heart began to bleed- and I was forced to go on with another part of the portrait.

He was fitting upon the ground upon a little ftraw, in the furtheft corner of his dungeon, which was alternately his chair and bed: a little calendar of finall fticks were laid at the head notch'd all over with the difinal days and nights he had pass'd there he had one of these little sticks in his hand, and with a rusty nail he was etching another day of mifery to add to the heap. As I darkened the little light he had, he lifted up a hopeless eye towards the door, then caft it down-fhook his head, and went on with his work of affliction. I heard his chains upon his legs, as he turn'd his body to lay his little flick upon the bundle-He gave a deep figh-I faw the iron enter into his foulI burst into tears-I could not fuftain the picture of confinement which my fancy had drawn-I started up from my chair, and calling La Fleur, I bid him bespeak me a remife,

remife, and have it ready at the door of the hôtel by nine in the morning.

I'll go directly, faid I, myself to Monfieur le Duc de Choiseul.

La Fleur would have put me to bed; but not willing he fhould fee any thing upon my cheek which would coft the honeft fellow a heart ache-I told him I would go to bed by myself and bid him go to the fame.

THE

STARLING.

I

ROAD TO VERSAILLES.

GOT into my remife the hour I proposed: La Fleur got up behind, and I bid the coachman make the beft of his way to Versailles.

As there was nothing in this road, or rather nothing which I look for in travelling, I cannot fill up the blank better than with a fhort hi

ftory

ftory of this felf-fame bird, which became the fubject of the laft chapter.

Whilft the honourable Mr. *** was waiting for a wind at Dover it had been caught upon the cliffs before it could well fly, by an English lad who was his groom; who not caring to destroy it, had taken it in his breast into the packet and by course of feeding it, and taking it once under his protection, in a day or two grew fond of it, and got it fafe along with him

to Paris.

At Paris the lad had laid out a livre in a little cage for the ftarling, and as he had little to do better the five months his mafter ftaid

there, he taught it in his mother's the tongue four fimple words-and no more-to which I own'd myself so much its debtor.

Upon his mafter's going on for Italy-the lad had given it to the mafter of the hôtelBut his little fong for liberty, being in an unknown language at Paris, the bird had little or

no

no ftore fet by him-fo La Fleur bought both him and his cage for me for a bottle of Burgundy.

In my return from Italy I brought him with me to the country in whofe language he had learn'd his notes-and telling the ftory of him to Lord A-Lord A begg'd the bird of me— in a week Lord A gave him to Lord B-Lord B made a prefent of him to Lord C-and Lord C's gentleman fold him to Lord D's for a fhilling Lord D gave him to Lord E-and fo on-half round the alphabet-From that rank he pass'd into the lower house, and pafs'd the hands of as many cominoners-But as all thefe wanted to get in-and my bird wanted to get out-he had almost as little flore fet by him in London as in Paris.

It is impoffible but many of my readers must have heard of him; and if any by mere chance have ever seen him-I beg leave to inform them, that that bird was my bird-or fome vile copy fet up to represent him.