As Anticipator has pre-imagined my encomium upon his letter, I shall not venture to fay any thing upon it, left it fhould, in his opinion, fall fhort of his merit. confidence of an uninterrupted flow of words. This part of my machinations I actually perform before the glafs, and have more than once been furprised by my fervant in the oratorical posture of affairs. Then I am entreated to take a part in adminiftration with fome unwillingness AUCASSIN AND NICOLETTE. I agree to do fo. I guide the councils, advance the honour of the nation, fettle the balance of power, humble the infolent, and protect the oppreffed. I read my own praises in the newspapers, laugh at their eulogies, and all this is done by the time my coffee is finished; for I never prefume to meddle with politics, but over that fapient beverage. "The other night, tired with thefe fcenes of greatnefs, I was reduced to the neceffity of going upon the ftage. I appeared in tragedy. The ladies fainted: even the "beaux applied their handkerchiefs to their eyes. It was unanimoufly the opinion that Garrick was outdone.— O, the glorious hubbub! I proceeded to greater excellence; and, after having enjoyed the tortures of my audience till I was weary of the idea, I fat down to write this letter to you. I have already conceived how the public will diftinguish it from the rest of your papers, and your encomium at the beginning, and remain "Yours ever, "P. S. It is perfectly immaterial to me whether you receive this letter or not; for if you do not think it worth publishing, I fhall inftantly, in my imagination, introduce a new paper of my own to the public, which will not only eclipfe yours, but leave the Tatler, Guardian, Spectator, &c. &c. far behind it. Reviews fhall teem with its praifes: in a word, it shall arrive to the greateft degree of perfection, fuch as no fpeculative writer could' ever before attain." VOL. XXVII. The A TALE. C. [From the Taks of the Minfirels; tranflated from the French of M. Le Grand.] THE had, for the fpace of ten years, HE count Bongars, of Valence, waged a bloody war against Garins, count of Beaucaire. Conftantly at the very gates of his city, with an hundred knights, and a thousand men at arms, did Bongars ravage and lay wafte the country. Garins, old and infirm, could no longer put himself at the head of his vaffals. Aucaffin, his fon, might have occupied his place with glory: he was a young man of great comeliness and ftrength; but love that fubdues all, had overpowered him, and had fo entirely engaged his mind, that he would hear neither of tournaments or battles. Often did his parents fay to him, "Go, dearest fon, take a horfe and arms, and fuccour your people.— With you at their head, they will with more ardent courage defend their walls, their homes, and their lives." "Father, (Aucaffin would answer) I have already declared to you my fixed refolution. May God never grant my prayer, if I gird on a fword, mount a horfe, or take part either in a tournament, or a combat, till you have agreed to let me have Nicolette, my lovely mistress, the fole object of my care." "My good fon, (replied the father) you require what I cannot think of granting. That girl is not worthy of you. The viscount of Beaucaire, my vaffal, who bought 30 her her when an infant of the Saracens, and who, at her baptifmm, deigned to be her fponfor, will marry her fome future day to one of her own rank, to fome flave obliged to fubfift by his labour. For your part, if you want a confort, I can procure you one of princely birth. Caft your eyes round France, and make your option: there is not a fovereign lord who will not be happy to grant you his daughter, if we demand her." "Ah! my father, (rejoined Aucaffin) to what principality or kingdom on earth, would not my charm ing Nicolette be an ornament!" The father infifted ftill farther; and the countess enjoined her entreaties and her threats to thofe of the count, her husband; but all the anfwer they could get was, "My Nicolette is fo charming; her beauty and her kindness have fo wholly engaged my heart, that I can neither enjoy authority or life without her." When the count Garins faw that he could not wean his fon's affections from Nicolette, he went to find the viscount, his vaffal, and to defire that the might be banished from his dominions. The vifcount, who feared therefentment of Garins, engaged that she should be fent into a country fo remote, that he would never be heard of more. But he felt within himfelf a compunction that would not allow him to punish innocence, and to treat an unoffending virgin with fo much cruelty. He befides had an affection for her; and inftead of fending her into exile, as he had promifed, he thought it enough to an old dame, who was made refponfible for the maid, and charged not to lofe fight of her. Nicolette had beautiful fair locks, that waved in natural ringlets. Her eyes were blue and lively, her teeth fmall, white and regular, and her face was admirably well-proportioned. Her waift was but a span in circumference. Her complexion refembled the rofe in the morning; her lips the cherry in fummer; and the two little orbs that fwelled out under her robe, tarnished the colour of the fnow. In fhort, there never was feen a more exquisite production of nature. The poor orphan, when shut up in this prifon, found her only confolation in going to the window. She caft her eyes upon the garden, where the flowers were blowing out, and the birds finging; and exclaimed piteoufly: " Unhappy creature that I am! Here then am I enclosed for ever! Aucaffin! I know it is becaufe I love you! But it is in vain they torment me; never fhall they work a change in my heart!" As foon as Nicolette difappeared in Beaucaire, all were anxious to know the caufe. Some averred that fhe had fled; others, that count Garins had caufed her to be put to death. However it might affect others, Aucaffin was ready to expire with the excefs of his affliction.He went to the viscount, and inquired of him concerning his mifrefs. "I have loft what was deareft to me on earth (faid he); 'is it, by you that I am deprived of it? If I cannot furvive the lofs, you must At the extremity of his palace, be refponfible:, for you will have there was a lonely chamber, enlight-been the cause of my death, in raened only by a fmall window that vifhing from me that, for which looked into the garden. It was alone I wifhed to live!" there that he refolved to fhut up The viscount, with the defign to Nicolette. He was careful to pro-fhame him out of his paffion, at first vide her with every neceffary of life, fpoke contemptuously of the girl, as and all the indulgence her confine-an unknown flave, who would foor ment could afford: but at the fame give him caufe for repentance, if, time he allotted her for a guardian with his pretenfions to the daughters Conceal her under his own care. of of fovereign princes, he fhould take her to his bed. But when he faw Aucaffin's paffion rife into rage, he was obliged to fcreen hinfelf, by avowing the orders he had received from count Garins. Form your refolution (faid he); renounce Nicolette for ever; for you will never fee her more. And, above all, let your father be perfuaded that you have banished her from your mind; otherwife I know not to what extreme his anger may carry him. Perhaps you may even caufe her death and mine, by the condemnation of your father." "You drive me to defpair," anfwered Aucaffin; and, without faying another word, he withdrew, leaving the viscount in no lefs trouble than himself. On his return to the palace, he went to his chamber, to have leifure to give himself up to his grief: there he remained overwhelmed with a load of forrow, and refufing every kind of comfort or alleviation. But while he was in this diftraction, on account of his feparation from his mistress, the count of Bongars, who wanted to put an end at once to the war, had come with his troops, to affault the caftle of Beaucaire The knights and warriors of the town had taken the alarm, and ran to the gates and ramparts to defend themfelves; while the citizens from the battlements poured down a fhower of darts and pointed stakes. But a chief was wanted to animate and comníand the combatants. The count ran diftracted to his fon's chamber. "Poltroon as thou art, wilt thou quietly fit by, and fee thy father stripped of all his poffeffions? what will remain for thee, after this castle is taken? My fon, mount your horfe, go and join my vaffals in defence of your inheritance. If you should not have even the courage to fight with them, your prefence alone will augment their valour, and will enable them to conquer." "My father, (answered the youth) fpare yourfelf the trouble of making remonftrances that can be of no avail. I once more repeat my declaration; and I call upon the vengeance of God, if I go into battle either to give or receive a blow, till you grant me Nicolette." "Son, (replied the count) I would rather facrifice all." On faying which, he retired. Aucaffin ran after him to call him back. "Well, father, (faid he) accept a propofal. I will take up arms and go out to battle, on condi tion that you promife, if I return alive, to let me have another interview with Nicolette. I only require to speak a few words with her, and to exchange a kifs." "Let it be fo (anfwered the count); I give you my word for the performance." Aucaffin then ordered arms to be brought to him; and, mounting a horfe full of mettle, with a helmet on his head, and lance in hand, fie advanced to one of the gates and fallied out of it. The joyful expectation of seeing foon his charming Nicolette, and the idea above all of the promised kifs, had fo filled his mind with pleafure, that he was tranfported beyond himfelf. His thoughts being folely engaged on her, he moved forward without confulting either his ears or eyes, and fpurred his horfe with fuch animation, that he quickly carried him into the midft of 1 the enemy's fquadrons. It was not till he was furrounded on all fides, till they cried "that is the young count Aucaffin," and he found his fhield and his lance wrefted from him, that he recovered his fenfes. He then made a vigorous effort to difengage himself from his adverfaries. He unfheathed his fword, which he plied manfully on the right and left, cut off the heads and arms of his 302 opponents, J ASQUIR, in his "Hiftoire des Seigneurs de Seiffom," gives an account of two brothers who wonderfully refembled each other. They were both excellent players at tennis, but the youngeft was the beft. Sometimes when the eldest was playing, and appeared likely to lofe the game, he would feign fome caufe for quitting the party, go to his brother, change dreffes and fend him to finish the game, which he generally won by his 'fuperior play, without the difference being perceived by either the players or the perfons about them. I. ANSWER to the ENIGMATICAL LIST of BRITISH ADMIRALS, p. 372. ARKER. 2. Bridport. 3. Peyton. 4. Laforey. 5. Duncan. 6. Kingfmill. 7. Jervis. 8. Buckner. 9. Vandeput. Murray. 11. Wallace. Nicolas and Claude Rouffi, twin brothers, were born on the 7th of April 154; they refembled each other fo exactly, that their nurfes were obliged to put them on difphinftone. 13. Hervey. ferent-coloured bracelets, for a diftinguishing mark. In proportion as they grew up, their refemblance continued in the fame perfection; their countenances, fizes, and even the attitude of their bodies were of fuch ftrict conformity, that the most trifling difference was not difcernible. Their geftures, tone of voice, method of acting, dif. pofitions and inclination, tallied with each other in the most wonderful equality; infomuch that when they were dreffed alike, not even their father could difcern any difference between them. They were educated at college, and afterwards introduced at court: the eldest was page of the chamber to Anthony de Bourbon his fon, afterwards king of Navarre; and the youngest to Henry de Bourbon his fon, afterwards king of France. Charles IX. was particularly partial to them; he took great delight in looking at them when they were together among a number of perfons, to difcover fome mark of difference between them; but neither he or any of his courtiers could ever diftinguifh one from the other. 6 10. 12. El ENIGMATICAL LIST of FRUIT. WO-fifths of the reverse of gay, an animal,—and a I. T ferpentine letter. 2. Two-thirds of a fpoiled child, the initial of a Chriftian name,— and two-ninths of a British poet. 3. Two-fevenths of a term in heraldry,-two-fixths of a ghost,-and a term for lively, changing a letter. 4. Two-ninths of a beggar,-and part of a great city. 5. A vowel,-three-fifths of a Britifh poet,-a confonant,-and twofifths of an amphibious animal. 6. Two-fourths of a tyrant,—a confonant,-two fifths of a piece of furniture, and a grain, changing a letter. 7. Two-fevenths of what half the world are now doing,-and the initial of to murmur. 8. Three-ninths of a crowd,—and a pleafant liquor, changing a letter. 9. Three-eighths of an extraordinary perfon,-three-fifths of to fcorch, the initial of a bird,—and two-tenths of a term for peevith. EDITH. · POETI POETICAL ESSAY S. THE RESOLUTION. The trembling beast, not without caufe afraid, YOUNG Strephon fwore love ne'er Call'd loudly to his dam for speedy aid. The dam, who had no means but pray'r alone, fhould catch him, And that all women were untrue; Therefore, with none he ne'er would match him; Neither would he their love pursue. Many a nymph by him was flighted; Many ftill lov'd,-but 'twas in vain: They thought he in their pain delighted, And for his love ne'er fought again. Daphne, of all the fair moft charming, First made impreffion on his breast; For fince he'd seen her, 'twas alarming, He never more knew any rest. He found 'twas love his heart did trouble, In fecret he would often figh; He felt it on him did redouble: But, rather than confess, he'd die. His friend, Cordelia, oft would ask him, What 'twas that made him look unwell? [him, When, haply, he with love would tak Strephon would fay, "I cannot tell." He went, at lait, to Daphne, fighing; Confefs'd his love, with face of woe: She, that inftant, ftraight complying, Own'd the lov'd him long ago. But how to let the fwains all know itHe could not now, for fear of fhame; For not one of them all did trow it, Thinking that he was ftill the fame. At laft he, with much inward trouble, Declar'd by love he was beguil'd; And own'd, he thought 'twas all a bubble To think to ftand when beauty fiil'd. AHLL. HOW oft muft thofe impos'd on be, Who lend an ear to flattery! Too fond of cheefe, a Crow, one day, Stole a large piece, and flew away: Much to his joy and fatisfaction, A Fox obferv'd the whole tranfaction; "To eat that cheese (thought he)'s not thy lot; No, my good friend, 'twill fall to my lot. A little flattery does well, (King Richard fays)—and I excel; So may a child: 'tis quite a knackThe coarfeft fort will fuit friend Black!" Soon |