I had every reason to be pleased with him. So having delivered the petite Bourgeoise into the hands of her husband at the same time hinting to him, that he was in possession of a very excellent wife-Monsieur De M and I, after a few necessary adjustments, bade a final adieu to the Hague.

THE TRAVELLING TUTOR.

LEYDEN.

I LEFT the Hague with regret. It is, without question, one of the most beautiful places on earth; and as the manners of the people are much more elegant and refined than in any other town of Holland, it is impossible not to be delighted with it.

We were to make some little stay at Leyden; and as Leyden is at no great distance from the Hague, we resolved on going thither in the treckschute. When about to enter, I saw the figure of a female mirrored in the water. I looked into her face, and heaved a sigh; it was not the petite Bourgeoise.

Never, I believe, was there a more motley assembly. 'The company consisted of about thirty persons: among the most distinguished of whom were, a burgomaster and his lady; a player and his mistress; an officer in the Dutch service; a fiddler; a female dancer; and a maudlin tutor, attending the "hopes of a family"* (who had been sent from Cambridge, in order to rub off his rust), and leading him about as a proper spectacle for Europe.

What a confusion of tongues! The burgomaster and the officer were deeply engaged in politics: the players

* See those excellent designs by Mr. Bunbury-" The Hopes of the Family""The Bear Leader," &c.

were declaiming with vehemence: the fiddler and dancer were talking of musical expression and the graces—while the young Cantab, in imitation of the Nephew in the Comedy of the Gamesters, was continually" throwing a little Greek at us," in order to show his parts.

I was astonished at the noise! In all my former journeyings, the silence observed in a treckschute had given me an idea of the court of Areopagus, among the Greeks; or the monastery of La Trappe, among the French. Now, however, I could think of nothing but the Tower of Babel.

In about three hours, we arrived at the city of Leyden, celebrated as the birth-place of several eminent men. All our fellow-travellers proceeded immediately to Amsterdam, the tutor and his pupil excepted: we therefore requested them to give us their company.

No man, I think, could surpass the governor in pomposity, or his disciple in dulness. We had scarcely sat down to table, when the former ostentatiously demanded of me, to what college I belonged? "To the college of wit-crackers," said I.-" You are pleasant, Sir," said he; "but I could wish to know in what university you have been bred ?" "In Nature's," replied I

She, Sir, has been my teacher; and a charming old woman she is."

"You have no very high opinion, then," said he, somewhat peevishly, "of an university education?"

"Why 'faith," said I, with respect to Alma Materbut my Lord Shaftesbury shall answer for me: I would not willingly offend.†

The whole college of wit-crackers, &c.-SHAKSPEARE. † See Dialogues on the Uses of Foreign Travel.

THE PRODIGY.

LEYDEN.

THE maître d'hôtel at Leyden was by far the most obliging of any of that class whom I had hitherto met with in my tour.

He begged leave to conduct us about the town; and, in our return towards the evening, observed that he had something particular to point out to us.

"It is," said he, "an absolute prodigy-a husband bewailing the loss of his wife after an interval of nearly twenty years."

He then took us to the top of Hengist's Castle, which is situate in the centre of the city; and played the part of Asmodeus* to admiration: he could not unroof the houses, indeed; but he amused us with numerous anecdotes of the people.

"Observe that man," said our conductor, "who is coming from his house to the garden: he is the person I spoke to you about. Yonder temple is erected to the memory of his lady, and thither does he retire at stated hours to weep and pray-and this has been his daily practice from the moment of her decease."

"Is it possible!" thought I; "and is there still such true, such genuine virtue upon earth?" The elegant Hume, indeed, informs us, "that Eugenius was the husband of Emira-that Emira died at an early age; and that, as in her lifetime, Eugenius had celebrated her birth-day with festivity and joy, so now he religiously keeps it with sorrowing and tears.

What a beautiful picture! But this man- -O! for the pen of a Sterne to describe the emotions of my heart; but it were needless to attempt it.-Like then

*The Diable Boiteur of Le Sage.

to the painter of antiquity, who, in his most celebrated performance, concealed the face of him whose sorrows he thought himself unable to portray, I draw a veil across my subject; and leave those feelings to be imagined, which I find it impossible to express.

THE FEMALE WIT.

LEYDEN.

"HEY-DAY!" exclaimed I, on walking along the principal streets of Leyden, and meeting scarcely a hundred people: "and is this a city? Alas! what terrible symptoms of decay! Little appearance of either trade or manufactures: magnificent houses, yet half of them untenanted; while the remaining impoverished inhabitants, looking up to the university for support, find their expectations defeated by the present paucity of its students. 'Tis pity!"

One thing, however, is greatly in favour of the place : the booksellers' shops are numerous. I had stepped into one of the principal of them, to inquire if there was any thing new, when a lady came in, and asked for the

Systême de la Nature of Mirabaud." I was not a little surprised, that a young and beautiful woman should come in search of an atheistical book; and when she had quitted the shop, I mentioned this to the master of it.

"That lady," replied the bookseller, "is a singular character: she has written several pieces of note; particularly one, intitled Pensées sur l'Ame des Femmes ;' in which she considers the notable inquiry, 'Whether woman be possessed of a soul?' with infinite pleasantry and good humour."

"This must be an extraordinary woman, indeed," said I; “I wish I were acquainted with her-but give me leave to look at her book?"

The bookseller answered, that he had not one in his shop; but that if I had any inclination for half an hour's conversation with the lady, he was acquainted with a literary gentleman, who, he was sure, would introduce me to her.

I assured him, that nothing could be more agreeable to me; but that, as my companion, Mons. de Mwas desirous of getting forward on his journey, I should take the opportunity of calling on him in my return; which having determined on doing, I thanked him for his attentions, and repaired to my hotel.

Early next morning, we pursued our journey to Amsterdam.