Now, as the charge of ill-nature may, perhaps, be brought against myself, on account of the acrimony with which I have sometimes spoken of the Dutch; and lest the reader should sit down with the idea that I am subject to similar failings, I must here beg leave to set him right in that particular.

I quitted England with an unfavourable opinion of the Hollander. He had been represented to me as crafty and subtle in the extreme; a stranger to friendship, and totally wanting in that refinement of manners and rectitude of heart which are so essential to the order and well-being of society.

To condemn a people in general terms is certainly unjust; for, though there are very many in Holland who undoubtedly come under the above description, there is a still larger number who do the greatest honour to their country; and I had no sooner reached the Hague than I became perfectly sensible of it.

66

'My mind," said I to myself, "is somewhat jaundiced, but it will wear off as I get along."

THE AUTHOR.

HOTEL AT THE HAGUE.

"YES, yes," repeated I, drawing close to my table, and resting my head upon my hand.

"Yes, yes, it will wear off as I get along. Away with all paltry prejudices! -But they have already left me. I feel my heart expand. From this moment I will consider myself as a citizen of the world, and the deserving man shall be as my brother."

This was precisely the time for a stranger to present himself before me--and effectually, on turning my head towards the door, I perceived a Dutchman, of tolerably

genteel appearance, who was on the point of entering the room.

He stopped a moment or two at the entrée, as though he thought his intrusion might offend. I requested him to come forward. He approached in silence-took a paper from his pocket, and presenting it to me with all imaginable politeness, but without a shadow of servility, retired a few paces towards the door while I read it.

His manner was infinitely pleasing to me. I opened the paper, and found it to be a list of subscribers to a literary work-the subscription two ducats. "No great sum," said I; "but thou shouldst have it (observing the name of the writer in the proposals, and which I knew to be a distinguished one)-thou shouldst have it, were it twenty times as much."

He was unable to speak in reply; but he made me a particularly grateful bow, and looked "unutterable things." It touched me to the very soul.

-"And pray," continued I, remarking that his subscribers were not above eleven or twelve in number,"pray," said I, "how long have you been in collecting these names?" "Upwards of twelve months," said he, "and I almost despair of getting another." Gracious Heaven! thought I, to what a situation is genius reduced! A man of first-rate abilities is now standing before me evidently in the greatest distress-neglected by his countrymen-and seeking a temporary and trifling relief in the benevolence of an utter stranger!-But thus have I found it in every country of Europe.-Alas! alas! I blush at the want of humanity in my species.

He had hitherto stood in the middle of the room; and my spirits had been so greatly agitated, that I forgot to desire him to take a chair. I now did it, however, and with the best grace I was master of, apologized for my want of thought.

He drew hesitatingly towards me.

This man, said I

to myself (observing his diffidence and fears), will never advance his fortunes-he is infinitely too modest. Hu

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 methe 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.

In a short time the maître d'hôtel returned, telling me, that M. De C was not at home. He was "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 Ccame 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,