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A

SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY

THROUGH

FRANCE AND ITALY.

BY

MR. Y 0 R IC K.

VOL. II.

Me

115

A

SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY

THROUGH

FRANCE AND ITALY.

THE FILLE DE CHAMBRE.

PARIS.

WHAT the old French officer had delivered upon travelling, bringing Polo nius's advice to his fon upon the fame fubject into my head — and that bringing in Hamlet, and Hamlet the reft of Shakefpear's works, I ftopp'd at the Quai de Conti in my return home, to purchase the whole fet.

The bookfeller faid he had not a fet in the world- Comment! faid I; taking one up out of a set which lay upon the

counter betwixt us He said, they were

sent him only to be got bound, and were to be sent back to Versailles in the morning to the Count de B****.

1

And does the Count de B**** ***, said I, read Shakespear? C'eft un Esprit fort, replied the bookfeller.-He loves English books; and, what is more to his honour, Monfieur, he loves the English too. You Speak this fo civilly, faid I, that it is enough to oblige an Englishman to lay out a louis d'or or two at your shopThe bookfeller made a bow, and was going to fay fomething, when a young decent girl of about twenty, who by her air and dress seemed to be fille de chambre to fome devout woman of fashion, came into the shop and asked for les Egaremens du Coeur et de l'Esprit: the bookseller gave her the book directly; she pulled out a little green fattin purse, run round with a ribband of the fame colour, and putting her finger and thumb into it, she took out the money and paid for it. As I had nothing more to stay me in the shop, we both walk'd out of the door together.

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– And what have you to do, my dear,

faid I, with the Wanderings of the Heart, who scarce know yet you have one? nor, till love has firft told you it, or some faithless shepherd has made it ache, canft thou ever be fure it is fo.-Le Dieu m'en garde! laid the girl.— With reason, said I—for if it is a good one, 'tis pity it should be ftolen; it is a little treasure to thee, and gives a better air to your face, than if it was dressed out with pearls.

The young girl liftened with a submisfive attention, holding her fattin purse by its ribband in her hand all the time.

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It is a very fmall one, faid I, taking hold of the bottom of it - The held it towards me and there is very little in it, my dear, said I; but be but as good as thou art handfome, and Heaven will fill it I had a parcel of crowns in my hand to pay for Shakespear; and as she had let go the purse entirely, I put a fingle one in; and, tying up the ribband in a bow-knot, returned it to her.

The young girl made me more an humble courtesy than a low one- - it was one of those quiet, thankful sinkings, where the

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