The mourner was fitting upon a stone-bench at the door, with the ass's pannel and its bridle on one fide, which he took up from time to time then laid them down look'd at them and fhook his head. He then took his cruft of bread out of his wallet again, as if to eat it; held it fome time in his hand then laid it upon the bit of his afs's bridle looked wiftfully at the little arrangement he had made and then gave a figh.

• The fimplicity of his grief drew numbers about him, and La Fleur amongst the rest, whilst the horses were getting ready; as I continued fitting in the post-chaife, I could fee and hear over their heads.

He faid he had come last from Spain, where he had been from the furthest borders of Franconia; and had got fo far on his return home, when his ass died. Every one feem'd defirous to know what business could have taken so old and poor a man fo far a journey from his own home.

It had pleased heaven, he said, to bless him with three fons, the finest lads in all Germany; but having in one week loft two of the eldest of them by the small-pox, and the youngest falling ill of the fame distemper, he was afraid of being bereft of them all; and made a vow, if Heaven would not take him from him also, he would go in gratitude to St. Iago in Spain.

When the mourner got thus far on his story, he stopp'd to pay nature her tribute bitterly.

and wept

He said, Heaven had accepted the conditions, and that he had fet out from his cottage with this poor creature, who had been a patient partner of his journey - that it had eat the fame bread with him all the way, and was unto him as a friend.

Every body who stood about, heard the poor fellow with concern La Fleur offered him mo

The mourner faid, he did not want it

ney
it was not the value of the afs
him.

but the lofs of

The afs, he faid, he was affured loved him and upon this told them a long story of a mifchance upon their passage over the Pyrenean mountains which had feparated them from each other three days; during which time the ass had fought him as much as he had fought the ass, and that they had neither scarce eat or drank till they met.

but

I fear

Thou hast one comfort, friend, faid I, at least in the lofs of thy poor beast, I'm fure thou hast been a merciful master to him. - Alas! faid the mourner, I thought so, when he was alive now that he is dead I think otherwise. the weight of myself and my afflictions together have been to much for him - they have shortened the poor creature's days, and I fear I have them to answer for. Shame on the world! faid I to myself Did we love each other, as this

poor foul but loved his ass - 'twould be fomething.

GLO

NAMPONT.

adh dhewroTHE POSTILLIΟΝ.

THE concern which the poor fellow's story threw me into required some attention; the postillion paid not the least to it, but set off upon the pavé in a full gallop.

The thirstiest soul in the most sandy defert of Arabia could not have wished more for a cup of cold water, than mine did for grave and quiet movements; and I should have had an high opinion of the postillion, had he but stolen off with me in something like a pensive pace. - On the contrary, as the mourner finished his lamentation, the fellow gave an unfeeling lash to each of his beafts, and set off clattering like a thousand devils.

I called to him as loud as I could, for heaven's sake to go flower-and the louder I called, the more unmercifully he galloped. - The deuce take him and his galloping too-faid I-he'll go on tearing my nerves to pieces till he has worked me into a foolish paffion, and then he'll go flow, that I may enjoy the sweets of it.

The postillion managed the point to a miracle: by the time he had got to the foot of a steep hill

about half a league from Nampont, he had put me out of temper with him--and then with myself, for being fo.

My cafe then required a different treatment; and a good rattling gallop would have been of real service to me.

brid

Then, prithee, get on-get on, my good lad, faid I.

The postillion pointed to the hill - I then tried. to return back to the story of the poor German and his afs- but I had broke the clew and could no more get into it again, than the postillion could into a trot.

-The deuce go, said I, with it all! Here am I fitting as candidly disposed to make the best of the worst, as ever wight was, and all runs counter.

There is one sweet lenitive at least for evils, which Nature holds out to us: fo I took it kindly at her hands, and fell asleep; and the first word which roused me was Amiens.

-Bless me! faid I, rubbing my eyes-this is the very town where my poor lady is to come.

tua bint of AMIENS.

THE words were scarce out of my mouth, when the Count de L***'s post-chaise, with his sister in it, drove hastily by: she had just time to make me a bow of recognition - and of that particular kind of it, which told me she had not yet done with me. She was as good as her look; for, before I had quite finished my supper, her brother's servant came into the room with a billet, in which she said she had taken the liberty to charge me with a letter, which I was to present myself to Madame R*** the first morning I had nothing to do at Paris. There was only added, she was forry, but from what penchant she had not confidered, that she had been prevented telling me her story-that she still owed it me; and if my route should ever lay through Brussels, and I had not by then forgot the name of Madame de L*** that Madame de L*** would be glad to discharge her obligation.

Then I will meet thee, said I, fair spirit! at Bruffels-'tis only returning from Italy through Germany to Holland, by the route of Flanders, home -'twill scarce be ten posts out of my way; but were it ten thousand! with what a moral delight will it crown my journey, in sharing in the fickening incidents of a tale of misery told to me by fuch a sufferer? to fee her weep! and though I cannot dry up the fountain of her tears, what an exquifite sensation is there still left, in wiping them away