nature in his eyes he put it into his bosom, and took his leave.

I guard this box as I would the instrumental parts of my religion, to help my mind on to something better: in truth, I seldom go abroad without it; and oft and many a time have I called up by it the courteous spirit of its owner to regulate my own, in the justlings of the world; they had found full employment for his, as I learned from his story, till about the fortyfifth year of his age, when upon some military services ill requited, and meeting at the same time with a disappointment in the tenderest of passions, he abandoned the sword and the sex together, and took sanctuary not so much in his convent as in himself.

I feel a damp upon my spirits, as I am going to add, that in my last return through Calais, upon inquiring after Father Lorenzo, I heard that he had been dead near three months, and was buried, not in his convent, but, according to his desire, in a little cemetery belonging to it, about two leagues off. I had a strong desire to see where they had laid him—when, upon pulling out his little horn box, as I sat by his grave, and plucking up a nettle or two at

the head of it, which had no business to grow there, they all struck together so forcibly upon my affections, that I burst into a flood of tears: but I am as weak as a woman; and I beg the world not to smile, but pity me.

THE REMISE DOOR.

CALAIS.

I HAD never quitted the lady's hand all this time, and had held it so long, that it would have been indecent to have let it go without first pressing it to my lips: the blood and spirits, which had suffered a revulsion from her, crowded back to her as I did it.

Now the two travellers, who had spoke to me in the coach-yard, happening at that crisis to be passing by, and observing our communications, naturally took it into their heads that we must be man and wife at least; so, stopping as soon as they came up to the door of the remise, the one of them, who was the Inquisitive Traveller, asked us, set out for Paris the next morning?"

"If we

could only answer for myself," I said; and

the lady added, she was for Amiens. "We dined there yesterday," said the Simple Traveller. "You go directly through the town," added the other, “in your road to Paris.” I was going to return a thousand thanks for the intelligence that Amiens was in the road to Paris, but upon pulling out my poor monk's little horn box to take a pinch of snuff, I made them a quiet bow, and wishing them a good passage to Dover, they left us alone.

"Now where would be the harm," said I to myself, "if I were to beg of this distressed lady to accept of half my chaise? and what mighty mischief could ensue?"

Every dirty passion and bad propensity in my nature took the alarm, as I stated the proposition. "It will oblige you to have a third horse," said Avarice, "which will put twenty livres out of your pocket." what she is," said Caution; the affair may draw you Cowardice.

66 "You know not 66 or what scrapes into," whispered

"Depend upon it, Yorick," said Discretion, "'twill be said you went off with a mistress, and came by assignation to Calais for that purpose."

nor rise,' ""nor be

"You can never after," cried Hypocrisy aloud, "show 99 66 face in the world; your quoth Meanness, “in the church; anything in it," said Pride, "but a lousy prebendary."

"But 'tis a civil thing," said I; and as I generally act from the first impulse, and therefore seldom listen to these cabals, which serve no purpose, that I know of, but to encompass the heart with adamant, I turned instantly about to the lady.

But she had glided off unperceived, as the cause was pleading, and had made ten or a dozen paces down the street by the time I had made the determination; so I set off after her with a long stride, to make her the proposal with the best address I was master of; but, observing she walked with her cheek half resting upon the palm of her hand-with the slow, short-measured step of thoughtfulness, and with her eyes, as she went step by step, fixed upon the ground, it struck me she was trying the same cause herself. "God help her!" said I, "she has some mother-in-law, or tartufish aunt, or nonsensical old woman, to consult upon the occasion, as well as myself;" so not caring to

interrupt the process, and deeming it more gallant to take her at discretion than by surprise, I faced about, and took a short turn or two before the door of the remise, whilst she walked musing on one side.

IN THE STREET.

CALAIS.

HAVING, on the first sight of the lady, settled

the affair in my fancy

better order of beings

"that she was of the

and then laid it down

as a second axiom, as indisputable as the first, "that she was a widow, and wore a character of distress," I went no further: I got ground enough for the situation which pleased me; and had she remained close beside my elbow till midnight, I should have held true to my system, and considered her only under that general idea.

She had scarce got twenty paces distant from me ere something within me called out for a more particular inquiry; it brought on the idea of a further separation; I might possibly never see her more; the heart is for saving what it