"Taken in the fact! There 's Bec d'Ambès on the card."-" My dear love, it is not my fault if you have re-baptized my department. My dear Liberty, will you return me my card, that I may go to bed?" -"Prefently; when the major's round is paffed." The major's round paffes.-Yes; but I have not got my card. My charming Liberty, with her national habit, is herfelf gone to make the lieutenant's round, and leaves me at the watch-houfe, from whence I cannot ftir, because I have ftill ten watch-houses to pafs before I get home where Liberty will allow me to repofe.

In the interval day breaks; and as the day fends the mice back to their holes, it alfo returns the cards to the pocket-books. "As it is day, I believe I may return home."—"You must not pafs," fays the sentinel. "But, my fweet Liberty,' who was now a fentinel," you fee it is day." That may be; but did you not hear, fome hours ago, the Lieutenant fay, Sentinel, do not let him pafs?-he has not retracted 'the order.' Wait until he returns.”—“ Will he be back foon?"" Perhaps fo. It is three hours fince he departed to make his round. Let us wait ;" and I waited with fifteen fnoring Liberties on the camp bed. At fix the drummer arrives with the light." Drummer Liberty, where is Liberty Lieutenant ?"-" The Lieutenant! he met fome friends. He is gone to breakfast with them."-" When will he return?""Who knows? At nine or ten o'clock; at twelve, perhaps, to change guard." I faid not a word; bleffed Liberty, and waited-without ceafing to blefs her; eleven ftruck, and brought Liberty with her epaulettes and my card-My card! no! Liberty had loft it. At length the door was opened, and here I am at home, with a card lefs, a night of the watch-house the more, and a good fit of the agure as reparation. So fair and good a thing is Liberty in the night..

ON THE TEMPER OF THE PEOPLE OF

FRANCE.

[From the fame.]

I KNOW not whether it be an effect of the revolution, or a confequence of the fatigue it has left behind, or whether it be a feature in the national character, but there reign amongst us an indifference, a thoughtleffnefs, an apathy abfolutely inconceivable. Nothing is capable of exciting intereft, of raising astonishment, or of awakening attention. From the courfe which things have taken, the French may foon be compared to the wife man in the Scriptures, who is represented as prepared for every event.

The King of Bambou had a minifter of understanding, who lamented to his Majefty the thoughtleffnefs of his fubjects. The King of Bambou thought this no great defect in the state. "Doctor," faid he to him, "you ever delight to contemplate objects in the gloomieft colours. Believe me, Thoughtleffness is the fifter of Gaiety. We are ever ready to be merry in the absence of unpleasant feelings."-" You think fo," replied the minifter; "with all my heart." Converfing thus, they walked along the banks of the Ganges. A beggar, feated upon the fide of the river, afked them for charity. The minifter threw a piece of money into the beggar's hat; there was a hole in the hat, the piece of money fell through, rolled along, dropped into the river, and was loft. "It is gone," faid the beggar. "What was it?" A piece of copper."" Was that all the lofs then is no great matter." The King and minifter continued their walk, while the King obferved, "See there now the advantage of thoughtleffuefs." Some hours after, as they returned, they again met with the beggar, who had never moved from the fpot. "Beftow your charity on a poor man," said he. The minifter pulled a

ring

ring from his finger, and threw it into the hat. The hole was ftill in it, the ring fell through, rolled along, and was loft in the river. "Gone again," said the beggar. "What was it this time?"- "A trifle,"

anfwered the minifter. "A diamond worth two thoufand rupees. "Two thousand rupees!" faid the beggar. "O ill-ftarred wretch! O fatal thought

leffness! Had I but mended that curfed hole when the piece of copperHe fprung up, plunged headlong into the Ganges, and was drowned. " See there," said the minifter," the fatal confequence of thoughtleffnefs."

We bear a strong refemblance to the King of Bambou's beggar; but have a care of the ring worth two thousand rupees! In the courfe of this week the deftiny of peace or of war is to be difcuffed. Letourneur is to be our plenipotentiary; but it is all one to us. The tempeftuous fitting of the Council of Five Hundred on the 21ft affumed a new afpect, Bailleul spoke on one fide, Gilbert Defmoulieres on the other; but it is all one to us. The hand-bills of the terrorist fwarm abroad; but it is all one to us. Lies circulate in abundance: the Emperor is poifoned, the King of Pruffia is dead, the Pope is in the laft extremities, with twenty Jacobin extravagances of the fame defcription; but it is all one to us. Is the mutiny at Sheernefs appeased? Is the mutiny at Sheernefs renewed? Is Pitt difgraced? Is Pitt ftill in the meridian of his power? It is all one to us. Aik your acquaintance why Lifle has been chofen for the negotiation instead of Paris, he will tell you that ices. are now deteftable. Say to him, that you cannot guess where the general congrefs is to be held, he will tell you that there was nobody at the Opera. Do you ask if he has feen the two laft numbers of Richer-Serefey, he will tell you fome cock and bull ftory of a chariot,. a new coat, or a miftrefs! If you obferve that the law of divorce is about to be greatly modified, or re

1

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pealed;

pealed; that next Sunday a very humane and politic measure in favour of the priests is to be brought forward, he will scarce venture indeed to fay, It is all one to me; but his eyes, his nofe, his neck, his breast, his hands, his feet, his fnuff-box, and his opera-glafs will answer for him very plainly, It is all one to me. Such is public fpirit! Such is the temper with which we view public affairs!

Parifians, give me the lie if you dare. Do not fay you have effected a revolution; fay you have been prefent at the fpectacle of a revolution, and you will be right. This careleffnefs with which I reproach you has never quitted you, and unfortunately will cling to you for ever. What was the burning of the Houfe de Reveillon in your eyes? A fpectacle. The opening of the States General? A fpectacle. The taking of the Baftille? A fpectacle. Why did you unite with the Jacobins ? To enjoy a fpectacle. Why did you join the fections? In order to have a fpectacle. Why did you crowd the road to Verfailles on the 5th of October? To fee the fpectacle. What drew fo many people to Paris, when the King came to that city? The fpectacle. He fled, and then what a fpectacle in the Affembly! He was brought back, and then, O what a spectacle on the Boulevards! His palace was illuminated-a fpectacle! It was furrounded on the 20th of June-a fpectacle! He was dethroned on the oth of Auguft-a grand fpectacle! In one day royalty was abolished and the republic decreed; and then what prodigious joy! what a magnificent spectacle! Was this enough? Were you glutted with fpectacles? No, indeed! The 31ft of May arrived. Will you fay that you were the authors of the 31st of May because you were then in arms? No, furely; you took up your muskets as a lady takes her fan to go to the play. The 31st of May was a Spectacle twenty-two reprefentatives guillotined-a fpectacle;

}

fpectacle; feventy-five thrown into dungeons-a fpectacle; 40,000 young children marched to the frontier-a fpectacle; thirteen months the fcaffold formed a fpectacle; the 9th Thermidor a fpectacle; the morning of the 13th Vendemiaire a fuperb fpectacle! How many fpectacles muft I pafs unnoticed to fpare your blushes! Alas! fuch were you when Clothaire the Second amufed you with pantomimes to withdraw your attention from his folly, in allowing the overfeers of the parish to ufurp his authority; fuch were you when, under Charles the Sixth, you were alternately careffed by the Bourguignons, the d'Orleans, the d'Armagnac, who, in gratitude, cut your throats; fuch were you when Turenne and Condé fought at the gate of St. Anthony, and when among thefe great men you admired only the Cardinal de Retz, because he was an excellent comedian! Such were you under the Revolution, fuch are you at this day. Every night the curtain drops before you; you applaud, you forget, you fall afleep-in the morning. you begin anew.-O Parifians! O Frenchmen! few fhades of difference excepted, and you are all alike. O Frenchmen, if to you every thing is fpectacle, to me you are the most inconceivable spectacle in nature.. Other nations think you fickle only in love, in drefs,, in amusements; verily, verily, in every thing are you thoughtlefs, fickle, and inconftant.

a

SIR,

ON MODERN ROUTS.

[From the Morning Chronicle.]

TO THE EDITOR.

THERE are few articles in the public prints, which

afford me more amusement than those which relate to High Life. " 'Tis from high life high characters