fame, to men of but very moderate talents. I may furely expect to come in for my fhare; and therefore fhould be a rank fool indeed were I its enemy. I leave that to innovating fanatics. Let them dream, and rave, and write : while I mind my own affairs, take men as they are and ever muft be, profit by supporting prefent establishments, and look down with contempt on the puppies who prate philofophy, and bawl for reform."

I was ftung. Confcious of the turn my own thoughts had taken, I fufpected that he had divined this from fome words which I might have dropped, and that his attack was perfonal: I therefore eagerly replied "Your language, fir, is unqualified."

"I meant no offence. If you are a reformer, I beg your pardon. I never quarrel about what I have heard certain pompous gentlemen call principles.”

"Then all thofe perfons, who differ in opinion from you, are puppies; and pompous gentlemen ?”

"Oh dear, no, fir! Only all thofe that are absent. The company, you know, according to the received rule, is excepted."

There was something impudently humble and fatirical in his look, while he uttered this: yet fo contrived as to make the man appear a pettish angry blockhead, who fhould take offence at it; and I certainly was not inclined to quarreli with my new comrades, the firft day of our acquaintance.

Befide, Trottman was a little infignificant man, in appearance; pot-bellied,. of a fwarthy complexion, but with keennefs, cunning, and mockery in his eye;: and whofe form and figure, as well as his turn of mind, must have made it ridicu lous to have quarrelled with him. I therefore

K. 5

therefore waited for fome more fortunate

opportunity, to repay him in his own coin: for I was as unwilling to be vanquifhed by wit, and fatire, as by force of argument, or of arms.

Rudge, whofe temper was more placid but who had an enquiring mind, faid, "You do not know my friend Trottman yet, Mr. Trevor. He cares, but

little who has the most reason, so that have the most laughter."

he may

"Life is a journey," added Trottman; "and, if I can travel on terra firma, with a clear sky, and a smiling landscape, let thofe that please put to fea in a butcher's tray, and fail in queft of foul weather."

"Yes, fir, but the search of ease is the lofs of happiness; and to fly from danger is the likelieft way to meet it: that is, when you either feek or fly without a guide."

"And who is this guide to fafety?"

It is, what you appear to hold in contempt, Principle."

"Ha, ha, ha! Right! The blind leading the blind. Conjure up one phan-tom to feek for another. How prodigi oufly we improve!"

"From what you have faid, I am not furprifed that you should confider principle as a phantom. But you only quarrel with the word: for, as principle can mean nothing more than a rule of action," deduced from paft experience and influencing our prefent conduct, you, cer- tainly, like other men, act from principle. It is a moral duty to fhun pain, and keep › your fingers out of the fire.”.

"Not if I want to fear up a wound.” ` "You are excellent at a fhifting blow.' But why would you apply the cautery?? Because principle, guided by experience, has previously told you that to cauterize: is in fome cafes the way to heal." * ·

"But empirics, who cauterize without healing,

K6.

healing, are daily multiplying upon

us."

"Were that granted, it is but empiric opposed to empiric. Men have been groaning under their fufferings for ages; and, fince ages have proved that the old prescriptions were infufficient, I can neither fee the danger nor the blame of following new.”

"Zeal may be purblind, and perhaps could not fee a guillotine: but her neck might chance to feel it."

"Then you

think a guillotine a more terrible thing than a halter, an axe, or perhaps even a rack ?"

"It will do more work in lefs time." "And you fuppofe it to be principle, or if you please innovation, that has given this machine its momentum ?"

Suppofe! Is there any doubt ?" "Infinite. I imagine it to be given, if we may be allowed to perfonify, neither by Innovation nor Establishment;

but