weakness or goodness of our tempers which had involved us in this contest - But be it as it would he begg'd we might exchange boxes In saying this, he presented his to me with one hand, as he took mine from me in the other; and having kissed it with a stream of good-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 learnt from his story, till about the forty-fifth 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 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.

CheRemise Door-Calais

I

it

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

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, happened 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 Rémise, the one of them, who was the inquisitive Traveller, ask'd us, if we set out for Paris the next morning?—I 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 wished them a good passage to Dover- they left us alone

Now where would be the harm, said I to myself, if I was to beg of this distressed lady to accept of half of 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 - You know not what she is, said CAUTION or what scrapes the affair may draw you into, whisper'd COWARDICE

Depend upon it, Yorick! said DISCRETION, 't will be said you went off with a mistress, and came by assignation to Calais for that purpose. You can never after, cried HYPOCRISY aloud, shew your face in the world or rise,

quoth MEANNESS, in the church — or be any thing in it, said PRIDE, but a lousy prebendary.

But 't is 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 turn'd 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 walk'd with her cheek half resting upon the palm of her hand-with the slow, short-measur'd 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 processe, and deeming it more gallant to take her at discretion than surprise, I faced about, and took a short turn. or two before the door of the Rémise, whilst she walk'd musing on one side.

In the Street-Calais

H

AVING, on first sight of the lady, settled the affair in my fancy, "that she was of the better order of beings' -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 enquiry —it brought on the idea of a further separation - I might possibly never see her more- the heart is for saving what it can; and I wanted the traces through which my wishes might find their way to her, in case I should never rejoin her myself: in a word, I wish'd to know her name. her family's her condition; and as I knew the place to which she was going, I wanted to know from whence she came : but there was no coming at all this intelligence: a hundred little delicacies stood in the way. I form'd a