I I together: she instantly got to the other fide to get out: I was just as unfortunate as she had been; for I had fprung to that side, and opposed her passage again We both flew together to the other fide, and then back and fo on - it was ridiculous; we both blush'd intolerably; so I did at last the thing I should have done at first stood stock still, and the Marquifina had no more difficulty. I had no power to go into the room, till I had made her fo much reparation as to wait and follow her with my eye to the end of the paffage She look'd back twice and walk'd along it rather fide-ways, as if she would make room for any one coming up stairs to pass her; No, faid that's a vile tranflation: the Marquifina has a right to the best apology I can make her; and that opening is left for me to do it in fo I ran and begg'd pardon for the embarrafsment I had given her, saying it was my intention to have made her way. She answered, she was guided by the fame intention towards me fo we reciprocally thank'd each other. She was at the top of the stairs; and feeing no chichesbee near her, I begg'd to hand her to her coach fo we went down the stairs, stopping at every third step to talk of the concert and the adventure - Upon my word, Madame, faid I, when I had handed her in, I made fix different efforts to let you go out And I made fix efforts, replied she, to let you enter I wish to heaven you would make a seventh, faid I With all my heart, faid she, making room Life is too short to be long about the forms of
it so I instantly stepp'd in, and she carried me home with her And what became of the concert, St. Cecilia, who, I suppose, was at it, knows more than I. I will only add, that the connection which arose out of that tranflation, gave me more pleasure than any one I had the honor to make in Italy. THE DWARF. PARIS. I HAD never heard the remark made by any one in my life, except by one; and who that was will probably come out in this chapter: so that being pretty much unprepossessed, there must have been grounds for what struck me the moment I caft my eyes over the parterre - and that was, the unaccountable sport of nature in forming such numbers of dwarfs No doubt, she sports at certain times in almost every corner of the world; but in Paris, there is no end to her amusements The goddess seems almost as merry as she is wife. As I carried my idea out of the opera comique with me, I measured every body I saw walking in the streets by it - Melancholy application! especially where the size was extremely little the face extremely dark the eyes quick - the nose longthe teeth white the jaw prominent - to fee fo many miferables, by force of accidents driven, out some by rickety of their own proper class into the very verge of another, which it gives me pain to write down every third man a pigmy! heads and hump backs others by bandy legs a third set arrested by the hand of Nature in the fixth and seventh years of their growth - a fourth, in their perfect and natural state, like dwarf appletrees; from the first rudiments and stamina of their existence, never meant to grow higher. and A medical traveller might say, 'tis owing to undue bandages - a splenetic one, to want of air an inquifitive traveller, to fortify the system, may measure the height of their houses the narrowness of their streets, and in how few feet square in the fixth and seventh stories such numbers of the Bourgeoisie eat and fleep together; but I remember, Mr. Shandy the elder, who accounted for nothing like any body elfe, in speaking one evening of these matters, averred, that children, like other animals, might be increased almost to any fize., provided they came right into the world; but the misery was, the citizens of Paris were so coop'd up, that they had not actually room enough to get them I do not call it getting any thing, said he 'tis getting nothing - Nay, continued he, rising in his argument, 'tis getting worse than nothing, when all you have got, after twenty or five and twenty years of the tenderest care and most nutritious aliment be. stowed upon it, shall not at last be as high as my leg. Now, Mr. Shandy being very short, there could be nothing more faid upon it. As this is not a work of reasoning, I leave the solution as I found it, and content myself with the truth only of the remark, which is verified in every lane and by-lane of Paris. I was walking down that which leads from the Carousal to the Palais Royal, and observing a little boy in some distress at the fide of the gutter, which ran down the middle of it, I took hold of his hand, and help'd him Upon turning up his face to look at him after, I perceived he was about forty - Never mind, faid I; fome good body will do as much for me, when I am ninety. over. I feel fome little principles within me, which incline me to be merciful towards this poor blighted part of my species, who have neither fize or strength to get on in the world. I cannot bear to fee one of them trod upon; and had fcarce got feated beside my old French officer, ere the disgust was exercised, by seeing the very thing happen under the box we fat in. At the end of the orchestra, and betwixt that and the first side-box, there is a small esplanade left, where when the house is full, numbers of all ranks, take fanctuary. Though you stand, as in the parterre, you pay the fame price as in the orchestra. A poor defenceless being of this order had got thrust some how or other into this lucklefs place the night was hot, and he was furrounded by beings two feet and a half higher than himself. The dwarf fuffered inexpressibly on all fides; but the the thing which incommoded him most, was a tall corpulent German, near seven feet high, who stood directly betwixt him and all possibility of his feeing either the stage or the actors. The poor dwarf did all he could to get a peep at what was going forwards, by feeking for fome little opening betwixt the German's arm and his body, trying first one side, then the other; but the German stood square in the most unaccommodating posture that can be imagined the dwarf might as well have been placed at the bottom of the deepest draw-well in Paris; so he civilly reach'd up his hand to the German's fleeve, and told him his distress. German turn'd his head back, look'd down upon him as Goliah did upon David refumed his posture. The and unfeelingly I was just then taking a pinch of snuff out of my monk's little hornbox - And how would thy meek and courteous spirit, my dear monk! so temper'd to bear and forbear! - how sweetly would it have lent an ear to this poor foul's complaint ! The old French officer, seeing me lift up my eyes with an emotion, as I made the apostrophe, took the liberty to ask me what was the matter I told him the story in three words, and added, how inhuman it was. By this time the dwarf was driven to extremes, and in his first transports, which are generally unreasonable, had told the German he would cut F |