asked me if this was not the man they called Beaucoup de l'Argent? I nodded assent. "He must be a shocking character," said she;" and no wonder that he, who has broken his compact with Heaven, should become the engine of every thing that is bad and wicked! My dear Mr. Molasses used to say, 'Tell me not who you are, but what you are.' A man may call himself a Gentleman, and the King may make Lords and Knights; but unless a man hath the amenity, the suavity, that is, the distinguishing characteristic, the morem gerere, as the dear man I think used to call it, he may be called honourable and right honourable; but, these wanting, and he is only the shadow of a gentleman; the essence is wanting: Mr. Molasses used to say, that a man behind the counter, that serves out a halfpenny-worth of snuff, or a far thing's-worth of pins-though indeed such offices are cruelly encroaching on the prerogative of our sex, who ought not to have every door of industry shut against them for getting an honest livelihood-may be more of a gentleman than the country 'squire, who rides over his own grounds, and horsewhips every man he finds on them as a trespasser. In saying a gentleman, you say every thing that is valuable in one word—ingenuous, virtuous, modest, and moral; the gentleman, will not give an affront, and therefore needs not to fear one-a gentleman will always be true to his word and a slave to truth; if he hath cause of offence offered him, he will expostulate with the offending party with that gentleness of manner and becoming language that corresponds with his dignity and character; or if he hath himself unfortunately given offence, he will come forward and candidly confess his fault; which, if the person he has offended is at all worthy to have his pardon asked (far from appearing a poorness of spirit), will assume all the grace imaginable; for what can endear a friend to us more

than by giving us to understand that we are of so much consequence to him, and he has so much respect for us, that he feels himself unhappy till he hath explained. away the appearance of an offence he never intended, and till he is restored to our good opinion?"

I told her I approved of every word she said. "Then," said she, if all this is necessary to form the character of the gentleman, how much more so that of a priest? who has superadded to the necessity of practising these amiable qualities himself, the care of teaching the same to others, who look to him for an illustration of his doctrine by the severity of his practice; and who, if they find his life and doctrine at variance, will lose all respect for the man; and, what is of infinitely worse consequence, perhaps have their principles weakened or overturned."-"Yes," said I, "Maxima debetur pueris reverentia."--"Pray, my dear," said the good old lady," tell me what that is in English."-"The meaning, Madam, is, as I apply it, that it is doubly incumbent upon those who have the teaching of others, that no blemish should be observable in their own conduct.""True," said she;" and therefore if we pity (I will not say spise) any man who professes to support a character in life, for telling an untruth, endeavouring to get money by improper means, or doing any thing derogatory to that line of life he wishes and ought to support, or to lessen him in the eyes of those he is accustomed to associate with, what shall we say to a priest and a bishop? or what language can paint our horror when a man so exalted, a man to whom we would wish to look up with veneration, debases himself by such unworthy acts? Indeed, indeed, I am afraid Mr. Beaucoup de l'Argent is a very bad man, and, although a priest and a bishop, a man of no better morals, and as little religion as his master Bonaparte.""Oh, grandmamma," cries out little Pe,

de

:

"did you never tell a story?""Never, to my knowledge, my dear child; at least, none of any consequence."" A-h, don't you remember, grandma, that you said you would give me a little horse to ride?" "So I will, my dear, if I live to see you a man.' The good old lady is in her eighty-fourth year. I thought it was now time to use my authority, and told Peter to hold his tongue, and not take such liberties with his grandmamma. The poor child was so affected with my reproof, that his little heart was full, and he was going to burst into tears, sobbing out that he did not mean any harm the good old lady was moved, and calling him to her, desired me to give him half a glass of wine, which I did accordingly; and the little rogue's countenance cleared up, and his eyes sparkled like the wine in the decanter. While I was doing this, my worthy relative launched out into the praise of port wine, saying, she made it a rule to drink three glasses every day, and she believed it had kept her alive many years. Just then my eldest son Timothy, a youth of seventeen, returned from Mr. Twist's, the tailor's, where I had sent him after dinner to be measured for a suit of clothes; he is just come home for the holidays from Eton, but in so ragged a condition, that I was ashamed to see him: he is a fine spirited lad, but rather too volatile and lively hearing a young lady wanted a person to take half a chaise to London, he waited on the father and offered himself for her protegé, which was accepted; but what does my spark do, but, the post-boy having occasion to quit his horses for a moment at Salt Hill, whips out of the window, seizes the reins, and drives away at a furious rate, never stopping till he got to Turnham Green, where he begged the lady a thousand pardons for the fright he had put her into, and hoped she would excuse it, as it was only a Christmas gambol. Mrs. Orthodox, our rector's lady, coming in, I

left

left Tim to entertain the ladies at tea, and went to join our club at Lloyd's:

And am, Gentlemen, yours assuredly,
TIMOTHY HOMESPUN.

Throgmorton Street,

Dec. 27, 1806.

AN EXCELLENT NEW SONG TO AN OLD TUNE, BEING LORD C- —'S AT DRESS TO THE COUNTY OF

DOWN ELECTORS.

AIR-The Night before Larry was stretch'd.
[From the Morning Chronicle.]

ATTEND, ye Electors, to me,

Who want either place or promotion ;
No matter what kind or degree-
The Army, the Church, or the Ocean,
The Customs, the Law, or Excise,
With any, or all, I'll supply you;
Come forward and whisper your price,
And, cost what it will, I can buy you!

Sing tol de rol, tol de rol lol.

But India's the place for ye all,

And I'm the great India Comptroller,

Can serve both the great and the small,

Who'll come forward and now be my poller;

In Writers and Cadets I deal,

By wholesale appointments I send 'em ;
And I'll either beg, borrow, or steal,
To help your conditions and mend 'em.

'Tis fit my intentions be known,

Li tol de rol, &c.

Then hear ye!-when I am elected,
Your int'rest I'll pin on my own,

And thus, it shall not be neglected;

But lest you should question my word,

Which, God knows, would heavily grieve me,

I swear by the faith of a Lord,

And now you may safely believe me.

Li tol de rol, &c.

Oh!

Oh! can you forget the parade,

When first on your shoulders you bore me,
How stoutly you roar'd and huzza'd,

And ran with my motto before me ;
Professions, whose potent effect

As a Candidate strongly did bind me,

But when I was member elect,

They were left on the hustings behind me.

Sing tol de rol, &c.

ANECDOTE OF DEAN SWIFT AND HIS BARBER.

THE Dean, while resident on his living in the

county of Meath, before his promotion to the Deanry of St. Patrick, was daily shaved by the village Barber, who at length became a great favourite with him.-Razor, while lathering him one morning, said he had a great favour to request of his Reverence; that his neighbours had advised him to take the little public-house at the corner of the churchyard, which he had done, in the hope that, blending the profession of a publican with his own, he might gain a better maintenance for his family. "Indeed," said the Dean, "and what can I do to promote this happy union?” "And please you," replied Razor, "some of my customers have heard much about your Reverence's poetry, so that if you would but condescend to give me a smart little touch in that way, to clap under my sign, it might be the making of me and mine for ever. "But what do you intend for your sign?" says the Dean. « The Jolly Barber, if it please your Reverence, with a razor in one hand, and a full pot in the other."--" Well," rejoined the Dean, that case there can be no great difficulty in supplying you with a suitable inscription." So, taking up the pen, he instantly scratched the following couplet, which was affixed to the sign, and remained so many years:

"Rove not from Pole to Pole, but step in here Where nought excels the Shaving but the Beer!"

D. Ó

in

"FLASHES