tribunal, he gave the Marchionefs to his youngest fon, and advancing three fteps before his familyhe reclaimed his sword.-His fword was given him, and the moment he got it into his hand he drew it almoft out of the fcabbard-'twas the fhining face of a friend he had once given uphe looked attentively along it, beginning at the hilt, as if to fee, whether it was the fame-when obferving a little ruft which it had contracted near the point, he brought it near his eye, and bending his head down over it-I think I saw a tear fall upon the place: I could not be deceived by what followed.

"I shall find, faid he, fome other way, to get "it off."

When the Marquifs had faid this, he returned his fword into its fcabbard, made a bow to the guardians of it-and, with his wife and daughter, and his two fons following him, walked

out.

O how I exvied him his feelings!

S. JOURNEY, PAGE, 153.

THE

THE ASS.

WAS stopped at the gate of Lyons by a poor

large panniers upon his back, to collect eleemofynary turnip tops, and cabbage-leaves; and flood dubious, with his two fore-feet on the infide of the threshold, and with his two hinder feet towards the street, as not knowing very well whether he was to go in, or no.

Now, 'tis an animal (be in what hurry I may) I cannot bear to strike-there is a patient endurance of fufferings, wrote fo unaffectedly in his looks and carriage, which pleads fo mightily for him, that it always difarms me; and to that degree, that [ do not like to speak unkindly to him: on the contrary, meet him where I will-whether in town or country-in cart or under panniers-whether in liberty or bondage-I have ever something civil to say to him on my part; and as one word begets another (if he has as little to do as I)—I generally fall into conversation with him; and furely never is my imagination fo busy, as in framing his refponfes from the etchings of his countenance-and where thofe carry me not deep enough in flying from my own heart into his, and seeing what is natural for an ass to think as well as a man, upon the occafion. In truth, it is the only creature of all the classes of beings

below

below me,with whom I can do this:-for parrots, jackdaws, &c. I never exchange a word with them-nor with the apes, &c. for pretty near the fame reafon; they act by rote, as the others fpeak by it, and equally make me filent: nay, my dog and my cat, though I value them both (and for my dog he would fpeak if he could)-yet fomehow or other, they neither of them poffefs the talents for conversation-I can make nothing of a difcourfe with them.

But with an afs, I can commune for ever. Come Honefty! faid I-feeing it was impracticable to pafs betwixt him and the gate-art thou for coming in, or going out?

The afs twisted his head round to look up the street

Well-replied I-we'll wait a minute for thy

driver:

-He turned his head thoughtful about, and looked witifully the oppofite way

I understand thee perfectly, anfwered I,-if thou takest a wrong ftep in the affair, he will cudgel thee to death-Well! a minute is but a minute, and if it faves a fellow creature a drubbing, it fhall not be fet down as ill-fpent. He was eating the stem of an artichocke as this difcourfe went on, and in the little peevish contentions of

nature

nature betwixt hunger and unfavourinefs, had dropt it out of his mouth half a dozen times, and picked it up again-God help thee, Jack! faid I, thou haft a bitter breakfast on't-and many a bitter day's labour-and many a bitter blow, I fear, for its wage s'tis all-all bitterness to thee, what ever life is to others.

And now thy mouth, if one knew the truth of it, is as bitter, I dare fay, as foot-(for he had caft afide the ftem) and thou has not a friend perhaps in all this world, that will give thee a macaroon. In faying this, I pulled out a paper of them, which I had just purchased, and gave him one and at this moment that I am telling it, my heart fmites me, that there was more of pleafantry in the conceit, of feeing how an afs would eat a macaroon-than of benevolence in giving him one, which prefided in the act.

When the afs had eaten his macaroon, I preffed him to come in-the poor beast was heavy loaded his legs feemed to tremble under himhe hung rather backwards, and as I pulled at his halter, it broke fhort in my hand-helooked up penfive in my face" Don't thrash me with it-but if you will, you may"-If I do, faid I, I'll be d-d. The word was but one half of it pronounced, when a perfon coming in, let fall a thundering baftinado upon the poor devil's crup

per, which put an end to the ceremony. Out upon it! cried I.

TRISTRAM SHANDY, VOL. IV. CHAP. 13.

THE

ABUSES OF CONSCIENCE;

A SERMON.

HEBREWS XIII. 18.

-For we TRUST we have a good Confcience.

RUST!-Truft we have a good confcience!"

“TR

[Certainly, Trim, quoth my father, interrupting him, you give that fentence a very improper accent; for you curl up your nofe, man, and read it with fuch a fneering tone, as if the Parfon was going to abuse the Apostle.

He is, an' please your honour, replied Trim,

Pugh! faid my father, fmiling.

Sir, quoth Doctor Slop, Trim is certainly in the right; for the writer (who I perceive is a Proteftant) by the fnappifh manner in which he takes

up