was visited by a man of no very prepoffeffing appearance, who endeavoured to smoothe his countenance, which was naturally ftern, welcomed our adventurer to his houfe; exhorted him to be of good chear; affured him he should want for nothing; and defired to know what he would choose for fupper.

Sir Launcelot, in anfwer to this civil address, begged he would explain the nature of his confinement, and the reasons for which his arms were tied like those of the worst malefactor. The other poftponed till tomorrow the explanation he demanded; but, in the mean time, unbound his fetters, and as he declined eating, left him alone to his repofe. He took care, however in retiring, to doublelock the door of the room, whofe windows were grated on the outfide with iron.

The knight, being thus abandoned to his own meditations, began to - ruminate on the prefent adventure with equal furprize and concern; but the more he revolved circumstances, the more was he perplexed in his conjectures. According to the ftate of the mind, a very fubtle philofopher is often puzzled by a very plain propofition; and this was the cafe of our adventurer-What made the ftrongest impreffion upon his mind, was a notion that he was apprehended on fufpicion of treafonable practices, by a warrant from the fecretary of state, in confequence of fome falfe malicious information; and that his prifon was no other than the house of a meflenger, fet apart for the accommodation of suspected perfons. In this opinion, he comforted himfeif by recollecting his own confcious innocence, and reflecting that he should be intitled to the pri

vilege of habeas corpus, as the a& including that ineftimable jewel, was happily not fufpended at this time.

Confoled by this felf-affurance, he quietly refigned himself to flumber; but, before he fell asleep, he was very difagreeably undeceived in his conjecture. His ears were all at once faluted with a noife from the next room, conveyed in diftin& bounces against the wainscot; then an hoarfe voice exclaimed: "Bring up the artillery-let Brutandorf's brigade advance-detach my black huffars to ravage the country-let them be new-booted-take particular care of the fpur-leathers-make a defert of Lufatia-bombard the fuburbs of Pera-go, tell my brother Henry to pass the Elbe at Meiffen with forty battalions and fifty fquadrons-fo ho, you major-general Donder, why don't you finish your fecond parallel?-fend hither the engineer Schittenbach-I'll lay all the shoes in my shop, the breach will be practicable in four and twenty hours-don't tell me of your works you and your works may be damn'd-"

"Affuredly, (cried another voice from a different quarter) he that thinks to be faved by works is in a state of utter reprobation-1 myfelf was a prophane weaver, and trufted to the rottennefs of worksI kept my journeymen and 'prentices at conftant work; and my heart was fet upon the riches of this world, which was a wicked work-but now I have got a glimpse of the new-light

I feel the operations of grace-I am of the new birth-I abhor good works-I deteft all working but the working of the fpirit Avaunt, Satan-O! how I thirst for communication with our fifter Jolly-”

"The

"The communication is already open with the Marche, (faid the firft) but as for thee, thou caitif, who haft prefumed to difparage my works, I'll have thee rammed into a mortar with a double charge of powder, and thrown into the enemy's quarters."

This dialogue operated like a train upon many other inhabitants of the place one fwore he was within three vibrations of finding the longitude, when this noife confounded his calculation: a second, in bro ken English, complained he vas diftorped in the moment of de profhection-a third, in the character of his holiness, denounced interdiction, excommunication, and anathemas; and swore by St. Peter's keys, they should howl ten thousand years in purgatory, without the benefit of a fingle mafs. A fourth began to hollow in all the vociferation of a fox-hunter in the chace; and in an inftant the whole houfe was in an uproar The clamour, however, was of a short duration. The different chambers being oped fucceffively, every individual was effectually filenced by the found of one cabalistical word, which was no other than waistcoat: a charm which at once cowed the king of P—, difpoffeffed the fanatic, dumbfounded the mathematician, difmayed the alchemift, deposed the pope, and deprived the 'fquire of all utterance.

Our adventurer was no longer in doubt concerning the place to which he had been conveyed; and the more he reflected on his fituation, the more he was overwhelmed with the most perplexing chagrin. He could not conceive by whofe means he had been immured in a madhoufe; but he heartily repented of

his knight-errantry, as a frolic which might have very serious confequences, with refpect to his future life and fortune. After mature deliberation, he refolved to demean himfelf with the utmost circumfpection, well knowing that every violent transport would be interpreted into an undeniable symptom of infanity. He was not without hope of being able to move his jailor by a due adminiftration of that which is generally more efficacious than all the flowers of elocution; but when he rofe in the morning, he found his pockets had been carefully examined, and emptied of all his papers and cash.

The keeper entering, he enquired about these particulars, and was given to understand that they were all fafely depofited for his ufe, to be forthcoming at a proper feafon : but, at prefent, as he fhould want for nothing, he had no occafion for money. The knight acquiefced in this declaration, and eat his breakfaft in quiet. About eleven, he received a vifit from the physician, who contemplated his looks with great folemnity; and, having examined his pulse, fhook his head, faying, "Well, fir, how d'ye do ?come, don't be dejected---every thing is for the best---you are in very good hands, fir, I affure you; and I dare fay will refufe nothing that may be thought conducive to the recovery of your health.--"

"Doctor, (faid our hero) if it is not an improper queftion to afk, I should be glad to know your opinion of my diforder" "O! fir, as to that (replied the phyfician) your diforder is a kind of a fir, 'tis very common in this country ---a fort of a..." "Do you think my diftemper is madness, doctor?"-Sss 2 " O Lord!

"O Lord! fir,---not abfolute madnefs--no---not madness---you have heard, no doubt, of what is called a weakness of the nerves, fir,---tho' that is a very inaccurate expreffion; for this phrafe, denoting a morbid excess of fenfation, feems to imply that fenfation itself is owing to the loofe cohesion of thofe material particles which conftitute the nervous fubftance, inasmuch as the quantity of every effect must be proportionable to its caufe; now you'll please to take notice, fir, if the cafe were really what these words feem to import, all bodies, whofe particles do not cohere with too great a degree of proximity, would be nervous; that is, endued with fenfation--Sir, I fhall order fome cooling things to keep you in due temperature; and you'll do very well---fir, your humble fervant."

So faying, he returned, and our adventurer could not but think it was very hard that one man should not dare to ask the most ordinary question without being reputed mad, while another fhould talk nonfenfe by the hour, and yet be efteemed as an oracle---The mafter of the houfe finding Sir Launcelot fo tame and fo tractable, indulged him after dinner with a walk in a little private garden, under the eye of a fervant who followed him at a distance. Here he was faluted by a brother prisoner, a man feemingly turned of thirty, tall and thin, with ftaring eyes, a hook-nofe, and a face covered with pimples.

The ufual compliments having paffed, the stranger, without further ceremony, asked if he would oblige him with a chew of tobacco, or could fpare him a mouthful of any fort of cordial, declaring he had not afted brandy fince he came to the

house---The knight affured him it
was not in his power to comply with
his requeft; and began to aik fome
queftions relating to the character
of their landlord, which the ftranger
reprefented in very unfavourable
colours. He defcribed him as a ruffian,
capable of undertaking the darkest
fchemes of villainy. He said his house
was a repofitory of the moft fla-
grant iniquities: that it contained fa-
thers kidnapped by their children,
wives confined by their husbands,
gentlemen of fortune fequeftered by
their relations, and innocent per-
fons immured by the malice of their
adverfaries. He affirmed this was
his own cafe; and asked if our he
ro had never heard of Dick Distich,
the poet and fatirift. "Ben Bullock
and I (faid he) were confident againft
the world in arms-did you never
fee his ode to me, beginning with
"Fair blooming youth." We were
fworn brothers, admired and prai-
fed, and quoted each other, fir:
we denounced war against all the
world, actors, authors, and critics;
and having drawn the sword, threw
away the fcabbard---we pushed
through thick and thin, hacked and
hewed helter fkelter, and became as
formidable to the writers of the age,
as the Boeotian band of Thebes. My
friend Bullock, indeed, was once
rolled in the kennel; but foon
He vig'rous rofe, and from th' effluvia
ftrong
[along.
Imbib'd new life, and fcour'd, and stunk
Here is a fatire, which I wrote in an
alehoufe when I was drunk--I can
prove it by the evidence of the land-
lord and his wife: I fancy you'll own
I have fome right to fay with my
friend Horace,

Qui me commorit, melius non tangere clamo ;
Flebit et infignis toto cantabitur urbe...-

The

"Damn their genius! (cried the fatyrift) a pack of impertinent rafcals! I tell you, fir, Ben Bullock and I had determined to crufh all that were not of our own party--befides, I faid before, this piece was written in drink." "Was you drunk too when it was printed and published?" "Yes, the printer shall make affidavit that I was never otherwise than { drunk or maudlin, till my enemies, on pretence that my brain was turned, conveyed me to this infernal manfion--"

"They seem to have been your beft friends, (faid the knight) and have put the most tender interpretation on your conduct; for, waving the plea of infanity, your character muft ftand as that of a man who hath fome small share of genius, without an atom of integrity---Of all thofe whom Pope lashed in his Dunciad, there was not one who did not richly deserve the imputation of dulnefs; and every one of them had provoked the fatirift by a perfonal attack. In this refpe&t the English poet was much more honeft than his French pattern Boileau, who ftigmatized several men of acknowledged genius; fuch as Quinault, Perrault, and the celebrated Lulli; for which reafon every man of a liberal turn muft, in spite of all his poetical merit, defpife him 5

as a rancorous knave. If this dif ingenuous conduct cannot be forgiven in a writer of his fuperior genius, who will pardon it in you whofe name is not half emerged from obfcurity?"

"Heark ye, friend, (replied the bard) keep your pardon and your counfel for those that ask it; or, if you will force them upon people, take one piece of advice in return: If you don't like your prefent fituation, apply for a committee without delay: they'll find you too much of a fool to have the least tincture of madnefs; and you'll be released without further fcruple: in that cafe I fhall rejoice in your deliverance; you will be freed from confinement, and I fhall be happily deprived of your conversation."

So faying, he flew off at a tangent, and our knight could not help fmiling at the peculiar virulence of his difpofition. Sir Launcelot then endeavoured to enter into conversation with his attendant, by afking how long Mr. Diftich had refided in the houfe; but he might as well have addreffed himself to a Turkish mute the fellow either pretended ignorance, or refused an answer to every queftion that was propofed. He would not even disclose the name of his landlord, nor inform him whereabouts the house was situated.

Finding himself agitated with impatience and indignation, he returned to his apartment, and the door being locked upon him, began to review, not without horror, the particulars of his fate. "How little reafon (faid he to himfelf) have we to boaft of the bleffings enjoyed by the British fubject, if he holds them on fuch a precarious tenure: if a man of rank and property may be thus kidnapped

kidnapped even in the midst of the capital; if he may be seized by ruffians, infulted, robbed, and convey ed to fuch a prifon as this, from which there feems to be no poffibility of escape! Should I be indulged with, pen, ink, and paper, and appeal to my relations, or to the magiftrates of my country, my letters would be intercepted by thofe who fuperintend my confinement. Should I try to alarm the neighbourhood, my cries would be neglected as those of fome unhappy lunatic under neceffary correction. Should I employ the force which heaven hath lent me, I might imbrue my hands in blood, and after all find it impoffible to escape through a number of fucceffive doors, locks, bolts, and centinels. Should I endeavour to tamper with the fervant, he might difcover my design, and then I fhould be abridged of the little comfort I enjoy. People may inveigh against the Baftile in France, and the Inquifition in Portugal; but I would ask if either of these be in reality fo dangerous or dreadful as a private mad-houfe in England, under the direction of a ruffian. The Baftile is a ftate prifon, the Inquifition is a fpiritual tribunal; but both are under the direction of government. It feldom, if ever, happens that a man intirely innocent is confined in either; or, if he fhould, he lays his account with a legal trial before established judges. But in England, the most innocent perfon upon earth is liable to be immured for life under the pretext of lunacy, fequeftered from his wife, children, and friends, robbed of his fortune, deprived even of neceffaries, and fubjected to the moft bru

tal treatment from a low-bred barbarian, who raises an ample fortune on the mifery of his fellow-creatures, and may, during his whole life, practife this horrid oppreffion, without question or controul.

This uncomfortable reverie was interrupted by a very unexpected found that feemed to iffue from the other fide of a thick party-wall. It was a ftrain of vocal mufic, more plaintive than the widow'd turtle's moan, more sweet and ravishing than Philomel's love-warbled fong. Through his ear it inftantly pierced into his heart; for at once he recognized it to be the voice of his adored Aurelia. Heavens! what was the agitation of his foul, when he made this discovery! how did every nerve quiver! how did his heart throb with the most violent emotion! He ran round the room in distraction, foaming like a lion in the toilthen he placed his ear close to the partition, and liftened as if his whole foul was exerted in his fenfe of hearing. When the found ceafed to vibrate on his ear, he threw himself on the bed; he groaned with anguish; he exclaimed in broken accents; and, in all probability, his heart would have burst, had not the violence of his forrow found vent in a flood of tears.

Thefe firft tranfports were fucceeded by a fit of impatience, which had well-nigh deprived him of his fenfes in good earneft. His furprize at finding his loft Aurelia in fuch a place; the feeming impoffibility of relieving her; and his unfpeakable eagerness to contrive fome fcheme for profitting by the interefting difcovery he had made, concurred in brewing up a fecond

extaly,