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not a little extraordinary that each of thefe authors believes he has written a chef d'œuvre. The moft infignificant pamphlet is fold at the moft extravagant price, provided it is fold privately, and that the purchafer is informed by a whisper, that it is fo extremely clever as to have been prohibited by govern. ment.

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from fuch a period, when the ladies will defire to be buried in the headdreffes of the nearest fashion. What do I fay ?-The fact is already come to pafs.

A princefs, who lately died at Paris, caufed it to be inserted in her will, that it was her wish to be buried in all the fashionable ornaThis is called Jelling underments of the most recent tafle. But a fashion, entirely new happening to make its appearance within two days, and it having been determined that fhe was not to be buried till the fourth, a law-fuit was the inevitable confequence. The executrix of the will, a a petite-maitreffe of the most refined order, infifted that the intentions of the deceafed could not be fulfilled unlefs fhe were enveloped in ornaments of the latcft dare; and that as a new mode had aifen fince her departure from this world, her exprefs defire ought to be complird with, in every particular. The heirs were unwilling to fubmit to fuch a fantastical honour, efpecially as the expence must have been dou ble. The priests were kept in wait

and

Some years ago, a dealer in pamphlets, more adroit than his brethren, took it in his head to exhibit, at places of public entertainment, a little work, entitled the Devil's Almanack, which he faid was abfolutely interdicted. The carnefilneftness of his manner, his fearful tone of voice, rendered the circumstance ftill more intereiling, and, upon no other recommendation than its frontispiece, his auditors were eager to purchafe his work at the price he demanded; that is to fay, a louis d'or for each copy. Scarce, however, were they returned, each to his own houfe before they difcovered the fraud; for this precious book poffefleding, the coffin was arrested, and nothing original but its title, the reft being compofed of idle ftories not worth the twentieth part of a doit. Such is industry!

every thing remained in fufpence, till at length it was decreed that, as the drefs had not been ordered for the moment of death, but for that of burial, the corpfe, previous to

the most modern embellishments. As a fimilar accident was fearedthe fashions changed here from hour to hour- the ceremony was haftenled, and the princefs interred in the vault which he had ordered to be

Nothing is met with in the streets of Paris, but hats and caps deco-its interment, fhould be decked in rated with ribbands; and this fpecies of commerce is wonderfully promoted by foreigners. French modes are eft-blished even on the banks of the Borithenes, the Ganges, the Amazons-in fhort, all over the known world. Peasants, favour-made. ires, flaves, all are cager to be arrayed in the fashions of the French metropolis. Even a fan, a isce that comes from this city, is regarded as a relic. I regret a thousand times in a day that thou art not placed by my fide, as a winefs of thefe extravagancies that are truly origipal. The time will certainly come, and I think we are not far removed

Alas! have we not reafon to con, clude that the paffion of vanity is the laft paffion of a fine lady?

Happy are they, according to the declaration of our divine prephit, who carry to the tomb no ornaments but their virtues.

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LETTER XXX:11.

The focieties of Paris are diverfified

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ters.

On the Manners of the French.

fed according to the different quarHere they are noisy and obftreporous, there languid and monotonous. Thofe that abound with gown-men are faid to be pedantic; thofe that are frequented by courttiers, faftidious. I have already been introduced to many of thefe communities, and am diffatisfied with almost all I have seen. They difcufs no fubject but what I am unacquainted with, they talk only of perfons whom I fhall never fee.Their converfation frequently turns upon the baptifm of a young marchionefs, or the marriage of an old countefs; and always upon petty -events, that one moment brings upon the carpet, and the next annihilates.

The great vifit each other out of mere ceremony, and order their carriages to be driven like the wind, at the risk of laming foot paffengers, and killing their horfes, merely that they may relate, as a moft important piece of news, that it has rained all day long, or that it is fair wea ther. The first week of my arrival I imagined that the perfonages who drove fo furiously through the streets were haftening to fet fome prifoner at liberty, or to fave the life of fome miferable mortal. I was taken for an ideor, entirely unacquainted with the polite world, and at length underfood that nobody travelled quicker in Paris than thofe who had nothing to do. Scarcely was I prefented at the house of a financier, where there was a large company, before every one began to examine me very strictly, and each, addressing his neighbour, afked whence I came, what was my name, and when I intended to depart. I overheard all this difcourfe, and was of opinion, that curiofiry might have remitted thefe queftions to a future day.But I was informed that French vivacity did not admit of fuch, delays, which were confiftent only with the genius of a Dutchman,

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who feldom gives his anfwer till feveral days after a question has been referred to him. Gaming is here more temperate than might be imagined. Except at tennis-courts tolerated at Paris there is no ruinous play.

It is incredible with what an eafy air a man of fashion adureffes himfelf to a woman of quality. He attends her toilet in the most flovenly drefs, for which he makes no apology but a bow or caper, declaring that he is a warm admirer of English customs. Were our countrymen to vifit Paris for a hundred years fucceffively, I fear they would never be able to introduce the fashions of India. We have nevertheless our petits maitres who are fond of appearing to be whimsical, and would rather die than part with their fingularities. It is with thefe as with a pretty woman with whom I lately entered into converfation, at a public affembly. "I love my husband, faid flie, merely becaufe I would be fingular. Were it the fashion for man and wife to live happily together, I fhould abfolutely hate him. I have no pleasure but in being original, and this leffon I learnt from my mother, who could not endure me because her neighbours loved their children. Her life was a deviation from common practice, and her will perfectly unique. I will be myflf, faid f:c, and not another."

The poft is going, I have therefore only time to tell thee that Paris is to me the most infupportable, when I think of the great diftance at which it places us from each other.

LETTER XXXV.

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genuine heir prefu nptive hd been dead for more than seven months.

Such mistakes are unhappily but too frequent. A fine lady would fall into a fwoon if her lap-dog were to be ftolen; but the lofs of a child would be lefs diftreffing to her than the lofs of a piece of muflin, or the

child, defired me, for a moment, to be his reprefentative. I performed my part with such success that the young. fcholar fprang forward, caught me round the neck, called me his papa, and difcovered a thoufand proofs of his affection. It is the blood within you that fpeaks, faid fomebody to him, and he strong-privation of a new play. ly believed the affertion Even when he was informed of the pleafantry, and when the real father declared himself, he reprobated him, and remaining fill attached to me,ters, and of being able to fquander paid no regard to the man from whom he had received his being.

Children follow the foot-steps of their parents.-Scarce are they arrived at their teens before they are defirous of becoming their own maf

their fortunes without controul.Nothing can be more agreeable, After fuch an adventure I will faid one of thefe young men, than not believe that children, fo carly to fee one's whole kindred annihiremoved from the paternal dwelling, lated, and to have the pleasure of can entertain a proper affection for faying, "My late father, my late their parents. They contract a brother, my late uncle, my late habit of neglect that continues fifter, my late family." Such are through life. Doth not thy heart the difpofitions we form when we revolt from fuch a ridiculous cuf- fee our children but once a year, tom? To have children, and never and even then take pains to quarrel to fee them, is the fame thing as to with them. Every thing relative to have no children at all. Mothers, education is carried to the extreme here, cannot endure their daugh- in France. Either an indecent favers when they begin to be women, miliarity or the most rigid indiffer and fathers fend away their fons be-ence takes place between the father caufe, in their prefence, they can- and fon. Thy foul would fhrink hot give a loofe to their accustomed back at the fight of fuch disorders. icentioufnels. Thus on all hands A parent ought inceffantly to renew ove fubfifs only in appearance.his existence in the hearts of his This, however, is not the only in- children, by an affiduity to fee them, convenience that refults from fo filly to follow their wanderings, to com. a practice. municate to them his views, his taftes, his inclinations, and his vir tues-provided he has any-for this does not always follow. The paternal dwelling would then attract invitation. Should it, however, continue to resemble the houfes I have already feen, the greater part of which are filled with corrupt prints, and vicious publications, it will be impoffible to keep children at home, and at the fame time preferve them from vice. Here you meet with an unnatural mother that cannot abide the fight of her daughter; there a coquet that has legions of lovers; here a father who con

At the end of three years the prefumptive heir of a dift nguished family, who had been exiled to the co'tage nurfe that lived at a confiderable tance, and had not been fcen fiuce the moment of his birth, was brought back to his parents. He was eagerly careffed, and it was found that his features bore a friking resemblance to thofe of his father and mother. A hundred vifitors came every day to embrace him, and to repeat this agreeable truth, till it was at length found out that the dear creature was a fuppofititious child, and that the

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