mility, which a century or two ago would have paved his way to honours and preferments, is now an effectual barrier to them. Effrontery, self-sufficient effrontery, carries all before her, while

Patient merit, with a down-cast eye,

looks on, in wonder, and starves.

I desired to know the success of his former pieces. "Alas!" replied he, "I have experienced all the mortifications and vicissitudes in life, so common to an author. Some of my publications were very favourably received -I gave them unprotected to the world: others, indeed, required a particular patronage; and I was therefore under the necessity, although to me painful, of soliciting it."

And painful it must indeed have been, thought I, to a man of thy feelings.

"It may be sufficient to observe to you," continued he, "that my applications were without effect; and that my writings-but I cannot better explain my meaning than in an expression of Juvenal-laudatur et alget. Such, in short, was their fate."

Saying this (a tear or two at the same time standing in his eye) he modestly withdrew. A sigh involuntarily broke from me on his going away." And yet," cried I, "if I know any thing of the human heart, the day is not far distant when this man will avenge himself on his oppressors. True genius may be depressed but for a time, shaken by every storm, and subject to every insult, still the germ remains within, and will shoot out above a thousand obstacles: it knows its own rights, and will assert them."

The men who had treated him thus unworthily, were actually enemies to themselves; and I would recommend to the attention of all such, the following lines from La Bruyère:-" J'éviterai avec soin d'offenser personne, si je suis équitable; mais sur toutes choses un homme d'esprit, si j'aime le moins du monde mes intérêts."

THE MAÎTRE D'HÔTEL.

THE HAGUE.

THE literary supplicant had scarcely quitted my chamber, when the maître d'hôtel came in with a list of what I ought to want.

"And why," cried I, somewhat peevishly, "did you not bring me this before? It would have put me in mind of inviting the worthy creature to supper with me. But you know where he lives, I suppose-I can easily send to him." "Qui, Monsieur?" "Why, the gentleman who just now left me, Monsieur De C." "Je ne sais pas," replied the maître d'hôtel; "I really cannot tell." "I wonder at that," said I; "he is a man of letters, et encore il est de grande réputation." "Cela est bien possible," said he, with all imaginable sang froid "I know little about these people: many of them, indeed, are desirous of scraping acquaintance with me--the reason is pretty obvious. But they are a very troublesome set; I have entirely washed my hands of them."

I told him in a whisper, that the Frenchman, my companion, was an author.-" Not," continued he, " but that I have had the honour of entertaining as worthy gentlemen of that description as ever lived. There is M. Le Comte De Ah! voilà un homme extraordinaire: et ma foi il a autant d'argent que d'esprit." "Cela est bien possible," replied I, in exactly the same key in which he had given it immediately before.-So I heard no more of the Count.

"It is very unlucky," said I, "that I suffered Monsieur De C― to go away-But as I shall stay a month or more at the Hague-"

"Vous resterez ici encore un mois, Monsieur ? Voyons-peut-être je me rappellerais-Ah! je m'en souviens bien à présent où demeure ce Monsieur De C—." "And where is it?" "Toute proche de la

porte de Scheveling.”

"Then do me the favour to send to him," said I, "and request that he will honour me with his company to supper." He was gone in an in

stant.

A precious fellow, this maître d'hôtel, thought I.— But his house is a good one, and I must therefore patiently endure the rest.

THE COMPLIMENT.

HOTEL AT THE HAGUE.

He was

In a short time the maître d'hôtel returned, telling me, that M. De C was not at home. "diablement fâché." I saw he was. To keep up my spirits, however, he had brought a bottle of Burgundy in his hand, which he said he could venture to recommend, being, as he swore, exactly the same sort that the Prince of Orange always had at his table. There was no disputing the truth of this with him, however greatly I might be inclined to doubt it; and as the Burgundy was really good, I cared but little about the matter. So I drank the wine for such as the maître d'hôtel had given it; at the same time observing to him, that there was no occasion to confirm it with an oath. He made me a very low bow.

In about a quarter of an hour Monsieur De C came in. The maître d'hôtel was particularly attentive to him. He knew I should be pleased with it; and I was to stay a month or two at the Hague. This fellow, said I to myself, will one day have his château. What a contrast is here!

We now sat down to supper, and I found in the conversation of M. De C― every thing that I had figured to myself. He was lively and intelligent; and,

for a Dutchman, extremely communicative. We talked of indifferent things-plays, politics, and the state of literature on the Continent.

"Books," said he, "are very rapidly multiplied both at Paris and at the Hague; and it is on that account, although it may appear a parodox with many, that an author finds it so very difficult to live." I answered, "that I could very easily conceive it."

With respect to the politics of his country, I found him somewhat wary and reserved. I spoke of the seafight off the Dogger Bank, and of the bravery of Admiral Byland. He replied, "that it was peu de chose." I told him, "my countrymen were of a different opinion.”

He asked me how I found the Dutch. I answered, "that I had seen but little of them; but that if in my tour through Holland I met with twenty like himself, I should return to England in much better humour than I had left it." He gently inclined his head. It was sufficient. And yet, for such a compliment, a Frenchman would have made me as many bows as there were words in it.

My companion gave a shrug.

"But how do you like our women?" continued he. "'Faith," said I, "I think them particularly handsome -as handsome as those of England"

-The door of our room was at this time open, and we perceived a Dutchwoman in the adjoining chamber, who, on hearing our discourse, immediately adjusted her head-dress at the glass.

"Ah," exclaimed the Frenchman, "voilà une petite Mademoiselle qui entend bien ce que c'est qu'un éloge." "True," replied Monsieur De C- "and she seems determined to apply it to herself.”

-;

We now retired to rest. In passing to my chamber, I met the lady I have lately spoken of, and who proved to be the mistress of the house. She made me a much lower curtsey than a hostess usually makes to an ordinary guest.

THE PARADE.

HAGUE.

EARLY the next morning I was again visited by Monsieur De C- who came to offer his services in conducting me about the Hague. I thanked him, I said, for his attention; but that I was unwilling to divert him from his studies. He pressed the matter, however, so very earnestly, that I was under the necessity of accepting him for my guide; and shortly after we set out on our perambulation.

In how opposite a manner are our friendships and connexions frequently formed! We at one time enter into them with the greatest caution and reserve; by the slowest and most regular gradation: and at another time, perhaps, with the utmost precipitancy and haste. Monsieur De C and I were already friends.

Both

We proceeded immediately to the parade. horse and foot were at this time drawn out, and made a truly soldier-like appearance. I never saw a finer set of men. Frederick himself, I think, would be delighted with them. I wished for nothing more ardently than the possibility of instantly passing to the troops of the Emperor. Monsieur De C would have been equally

66

"If," said he, "“

they

pleased to have done the same. are superior to those of the States (superior in numbers they certainly are), there is little to be expected from the clemency of Joseph. But we have hitherto boldly maintained our rights; and if our soldiers are to be depended on, I should hope that their High Mightinesses would continue firm in their resolutions, and never give up a single point. The demands of the Emperor are unjust."

Monsieur De C― had scarcely done speaking, when my attention was called to the other side of the parade, by the appearance of the Prince of Orange. A murmur