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guinea; "I tell you, (cried he,) that there is no vacancy." "Do look again, an' you please, sir, (cried Jahn) and mayhap you may find one; I gave something to get into the house, you know, and here's something, if your honor won't be affronted, to get into pleace." Mr. Jn reddened at what would have been an insult from any but an ignorant man, felt an unmeant reproof that scandalized the office which he held, and putting the guinea in the poor fellow's hand, dismissed him with an order for the place he wanted.

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Although I know the above story to be a fact, yet I do not mean, by any means, to infer that there is any such thing as buying boroughs or places. I know that people think themselves very clever in making these wanton assaults and accusations, for which I think they richly deserve punishment. And I really do not see why a great man in place should not have the benefit of an action of damages, since admitting that such a thing as buying places might have existed here or there, yet truth is a libel, if a man suffers in trade by wanton representations of it; and certainly a man who might be so held up, would not be able to carry on his business the same as before; besides, the man who wants a place ought to have more decency and discretion to treat principles, (principals, I mean) with so much bluntness. It is the manner of doing a thing that is every thing, and I do very much object to any grossierètès in these matters, and shall always consider the man out of place who cannot manage better. But all this misconception of men and manners pro

ceeds from that mistaken philosophy which tries every thing by first principles, and which unreasonably denies that there can be virtue in politics, in war, or in trade, and that those things are all branches of physical evil. Now I differ from this materially, and am of opinion with Lord Kaimes; that as for war, it calls all the energy of the people into action, and that it produces instances of exalted courage and humanity, which could never have happened if so many common useless people had not been slaughtered to produce the stage effect of military virtue. As for politics, it infers so many trials of good faith in treaties, and of princely liberalities, that we are astonished at the presumption of people who pretend (for it is merely philosophical pretension) to doubt of the existence of virtue in politics; and for trade, if it were not for virtue in trade, how many overcharges should we be subjected to, and surely the reasonableness of every article shews how nicely the analogies of politics, war, and trade are preserved for the benefit of society. It is true, that some may prefer peace and the fine arts; but politics is a much finer art than any other, though not so well understood as painting or engraving; it has, nevertheless, boasted many great masters, whose battle pieces are yet remembered.

I congratulate my friends below, that, agreeable to my predictions, they are just now eating their Christmas roast beef and plumb pudding without asking leave of the Chief Consul of France; it is true that he still threatens our shores, but when every officer of

military talent, from the highest rank to the subaltern, are all engaged in our defence, we can have little to apprehend.

Some antiquaries, walking last Sunday up Primrosehill, discovered, in a place where the earth had been. newly turned up, a leaden bullet, which engaged them. to borrow a spade, and explore farther; when, after digging with a great deal of pains and caution, they obtained, at last, a considerable quantity of the same kind of bullets, all of a round form, from which they immediately drew the inference that some famous battle had been formerly fought on that ground.

Several volunteer corps had skirmished there the same week.

The Glass Slipper is put off; but whether owing to its not having fitted the principal performer, or to its not having been sent home in time, is not yet divulged to the public. I know the cause, but nullum numen abest si sit prudentia.

ERRATUM.-P. 108, 1. 14, add steak.

109, 1. 28, for ascending read ascend.

Z.

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A HAPPY new year to my readers! may they enjoy a continuance of the blessings of the last, and be able to diminish all that remains of it unpleasant. May the untoward circumstances of ill success cease to annoy them, and may their enemies lose the power to do them harm. May they set out on the journey of another year with fresh hopes, and fresh spirits, accompanied by that Providence which for Moses brought water from a rock, and gave a safe passage to the Israelites through the Red Sea, and which every day (for every day is a day of mercy) still continues to work seeming miracles for those who have faith in the goodness and power of the Almighty.

I trust that some reflections upon this revolving æra will not be unacceptable. To think of what is past, and and upon what may hereafter happen; I mean without darksome prospects of calamity. To take stock, as it were, of our good and bad habits, of the profits of our good managements, and of the loss occasioned by our mistakes and blunders, is opus diei in

die suo. A work fit and proper for the day, and will not only prove a moral advantage, but, will, considered as a matter of business, assist every man in his future temporal concerns. Let none be disheartened at looking into the account, or at the number of bad debts on their books, which have arisen from trusting to pride, vanity, the promises of pleasure, or of vice; but rather let them put them at the back of the ledger, and think no more about them, any further than to take care not to trust them again.

The parable of our Saviour," Lord, let it alone this year also," is an excellent lesson for those who have unemployed or mis-spent the time, or neglected the various opportunities offered them of success and happiness. The parable says:-that there was a certain man who possessed a vineyard, in which we may fairly suppose his chief profit, and much of his pleasure consisted. It represents him as viewing with anxious expectation the coming harvest of his tenderness and care; he notices, among other objects of his cultivation, a fig-tree, barren, and without fruit; he views it around with an anxious look, big with disappointment and sorrow at its appearance, he stops, looks at it again, and after a moment's hesitation calls out to the dresser of his vineyard, " Behold, these three years. I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none; cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?" Such were the orders given by the master of the vineyard, and to the fullest extent would they have been obeyed, had not the dresser of the vines, who had hopes of even

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