NUMBER II. S'il paffe chez l'Anglois; citoyen de taverne, Dieu vous garde fur tout, pour comble de manie, SIR, PHILOSOPHE de Sans Souci. To JEOFFRY WAGSTAFFE, Efq. LATELY fpent an evening with fome young gentlemen just returned from their travels; the converfation made fo ftrong an impreffion on me, that I am refolved to make it the subject of a letter. What difgufted me moft, was their aukward attempts to mimick that agreeable livelinefs, fo natural and pleasing in that gay and volatile people, the French for I have obferved, that extreme vivacity among my countrymen, is generally a fign of heavy intellects; the fpirits feem to be diffipated and quartered in the limbs, for want of employment in the head. Instead of fenfe or fancy in converfation, they fubftitute a pert, forward manner of addrefs, and a peremptory, decifive manner of declaring their fentiments. When I asked thefe gentlemen any questions questions about the manners, or police of the countries they had vifited, their anfwers were larded with fo many pretty French and Italian words, that they were quite unintelligible. I was fometimes malicious enough to puzzle them, by defiring an explanation of those exotic phrases which they introduced to embellish, and enrich our rude language; but I foon found they had no ideas annexed to the words: le bon ton and la belle ufage fignified fomething they could neither conceive nor exprefs. They seemed enamoured with French government, because the privileges of the nobleffe fecured them from the infolence of the vulgar, and the penalties of a Crown-office. I ventured to fay, it was the peculiar happiness of our country, that the laws made no diftinction of perfons, but generously protected the lowest individual from the infolence, and caprice of the highest; and to add weight to my fentiments, quoted the opinion of a celebrated Frenchman, who made this very principle the bafis of political freedom. I was answerered with a profufion of fashionable jargon, about gentlemen, men of honour, &c. "That their difcretion was always. "fufficient to reftrain them from doing any thing improper; but if a tradefman or chairman was impudent, it was very heard that a gentleman might not chaftize him, or on an extraordinary oc"cafion, run him through with impunity; as fuch "an eftablished right had done great fervice in "France, and was the principal means of civilizing "the commonalty, and enduing them with a politesse, "which the gentry of these barbarous countries "could fcarce attain." This was urged with fo much modesty and good fenfe, that I had nothing to reply, and so gave up argument. " the В 4 The The French, in general, were represented by our young travellers, as a nation of wits; but it was eafy to fee they had only formed a fuperficial opinion from appearances, and mistook that vivacity with which a Frenchman will afk the most indifferent queftion, for wit. I faid we were frequently deceived in this matter, by not properly diftinguishing between wit and vivacity; the latter being often found blended with ftupidity, and very confiftent with it; as quick filver, though fo very volatile, is yet heavier than lead. I found this remark was construed into an oblique reflection, at which, indeed, I was not much displeased; however, I took my leave, and I believe our parting was very agreeable on both fides. I remember being in company fome years ago where a young fellow made himself very ridiculous by his talkative impertinence, who had been remarkable before he went abroad, for the epifhness and want of fpirit. Soon after, the converfation turned on the abfurdity of fending fuch boobies to ftare away their time, and pick up the foibles and abfurdities of every country they vifit. A young lady, (the late Mifs Trevor,) distinguished for her sprightly fancy, obferved," That travelling was of infinite ufe to them, as it heightened their felf conceit, and chang"ed them from lethargic blockheads, into prating "coxcombs; it improves them as bottling does fmail "beer, which then becomes brifk, without growing ་་ ་་ tronger." I am fure feveral of these ingenious youths are obliged to this lady, for pointing out with fo much good fenfe and humour, an improvement, which to do them juftice, they feldom mifs acquiring by their travels. On On the other hand, travelling gives that ease and polish to a man of fenfe and learning, which nothing elfe can fupply. A judicious mixture of those refined manners in which our neighbours excell, add a grace and brilliancy to every folid accomplishment,. and compleat what may be justly called the fine gentleman. as our weavers ufe wool of a finer growth than our native fleeces, to carry the manufacture to its utmost perfection. The true úfe of travelling is finely exemplified by the penetrating HELVETIUS, in the following anecdote. The regent Duke of Orleans, asking a gentleman, "What characteristical marks diftin"guished the various nations of Europe," received this answer. "I fhall juft repeat to your highness the different queftions which are afked when a ftranger first makes his appearance in public: the Spaniard enquires, Is he a nobleman of the first rank? The German, Is be entitled to be prefent at the election of an Emperor? The French, Is he well receiv ed at court? The Dutch, How many thousands is be worth? The English, What fort of a man is he ?” It is the property of genius to difplay the characters of a people by traits, imperceptible to common understandings. What a noble eulogium on the British conftitution, does the last queftion convey? A free and generous people will esteem a man according to his intrinfic merit, and are not to be dazzled by the false, and meretricious glare of rank and fortune.. Stuck round with titles, or hung round with firings, That thou mayeft be, by kings, or whores of kings. I fhall conclude with a few lines on this fubject, written by the present Lord Lyttleton; they come with peculiar grace and propriety from a nobleman, whofe precepts and example are equally beautiful and inftructive. "Me other cares, in other climes engage, "Cares that become my birth, and fuit my age; "In various knowledge to improve my youth, "And conquer prejudice, worst foe to truth; "By foreign arts, domeftic faults to mend, Enlarge my notions, and my views extend; "The ufeful science of the world to know, "Which books can never teach, or pedants shew. "A nation here I pity and admire, "Whom nobleft fentiments of glory fire, "Yet taught by cuftom's force, and bigot fear, To ferve with pride, and boaft the yoke they "bear: "Whose nobles born to cringe, and to command, "In courts a mean, in camps a gen'rous band; "From each low tool of pow'r content receive, Thofe laws their dreaded arms to Europe give. "Whose people vain in want, in bondage blest, "Though plunder'd gay, induftrious though op"prefs'd: "With happy follies rife above their fate, Y |