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I intend shortly to come over, and to entertain in a new and most inimitable manner.

you

'Seeing that the chien savant, and other most amazing learned animals, have met with so gracious a reception in your grand city; I propose to exhibit unto your good nation a concert of vocal and instrumental music, to be performed by animals only; and afterwards to entertain you with several grand feats of activity; as also with the balance and the dance.

My performers of instrumental music, great Sir, will consist of a select number of Italian cats, for the violin, violincello, and bass-viol; a German ass for the kettle-drum; and a complete set of Spanish hogs, of different age and tone of voice, for the organ con

certos.

'But my vast labour was to procure harmonious voices, and to confine them to proper time and measure. I have taught some of your English mastiffs to bark in bass, and some Guinea-pigs to squeak in treble; my cats also join in the vocal parts. I contrived divers means of deaths for swans; but though the ancients are so full of praises on their expiring melody, I could not get a single note from them, better than the squall of a goose. However, I shall have a most charming grand chorus of frogs from the fens of Holland: the words, profound Sir, you too well know, Aristophanes has furnished to my hand in Greek-ВOEXEXEXE xoa xoa-which a Leyden professor translated for me, Brekekekex koax koax. Besides these, I shall present you with a duet in recitativo, between a parrot and a magpie.

'My entertainments of dancing, and the like, will consist of a company of Norway rats, who are to move in a coranto, while my cats fiddle to them. A fox will dance a minuet with a goose; and a greyhound the rigadoon with a hare. I have trained up an elephant who will perform several tricks in

what you do call the sleight of hand; he will tumble with a castle on his back, and show several balances upon the slack-rope with his trunk. Many other surprising feats will my animals perform, too tedious to mention in this address; and, therefore, great Adventurer, I shall trouble your tired patience with the mentioning of one only. I have instructed the tamest of my cats to open her jaws at the word of command, into which I put a bit of toasted cheese, and the least of my mice jumps in and nibbles the bait: at that instant my cat closes her mouth upon him: after which, to the great astonishment of all beholders, my cat opens her jaws again, and the mouse leaps out alive upon the stage; and then they both present the good company with a jig.

'As I am determined my whole theatre shall consist of only animal performers, I must acquaint you likewise, that I am teaching two squirrels to sweep the stage with their tails; and, if it be allowed me to call in assistance from fishes, I shall not despair of being able, though it will require much time and practice, to make a lobster snuff the candles with his claw.

Other particulars, most worthy Sir, I shall beg leave to defer, till I have the extreme honour of kissing your hands in England, and am, Most revered and respected patron, With the profoundest humiliation,

A,

Your devoted slave and servant,

GUSTAVUS GOOTENRUYSCHE.'

N° 20. SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1753.

-Quid violentius aure tyranni.

Juv.

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Rough truth soon irritates a tyrant's ear.

By which of the Indian sages of antiquity the following story was written, or whether the people of the East have any remote tradition upon which it is founded, is not known; but it was probably related in the first person, to give it an air of greater dignity, and render its influence more powerful: nor would it, perhaps, appear altogether incredible, to people - among whom the Metempsychosis is an article of faith, and the visible agency of superior beings admitted without scruple.

Amurath, Sultan of the East, the judge of na tions, the disciple of adversity, records the wonders of his life: let those who presumptuously question the ways of Providence, blush in silence and be wise; let the proud be humble and obtain honour; and let the sensual reform and be happy.

The angel of death closed the eyes of the Sultan Abradin my father, and his empire descended to me in the eighteenth year of my age. At first my mind was awed to humility, and softened with grief: I was insensible to the splendour of dominion, I heard the addresses of flattery with disgust, and received the homage of dependent greatness with indifference. I had always regarded my father not only with love but reverence; and I was now perpetually recollecting

instances of his tenderness, and reviewing the solemn scene, in which he recommended me to Heaven in imperfect language, and grasped my hand in the agonies of death.

One evening, after having concealed myself all day in his chamber, I visited his grave: I prostrated myself on his tomb: sorrow overflowed my eyes, and devotion kindled in my bosom. I felt myself suddenly smitten on the shoulder as with a rod; and looking up, I perceived a man whose eyes were piercing as light, and his beard whiter than snow. 'I am,' said he, the genius Syndarac, the friend of thy father Abradin, who was the fear of his enemies, and the desire of his people; whose smile diffused gladness like the lustre of the morning, and whose frown was dreadful as the gathering of a tempest: resign thyself to my influence, and thou shalt be like him.' I bowed myself to the earth in token of gratitude and obedience, and he put a ring on the middle finger of my left hand, in which I, perceived a ruby of a deep colour and uncommon brightness. • This ring,' said he, shall mark out to thee the boundaries of good and evil; that, without weighing remote consequences, thou mayst know the nature and tendency of every action. Be attentive, therefore, to the silent admonition; and when the circle of gold shall by a sudden contraction press thy finger, and the ruby shall grow pale, desist immediately from what thou shalt be doing, and mark down that action in thy memory as a transgression of the rule of right: keep my gift as a pledge of happiness and honour, and take it not off for a moment.' I received the ring with a sense of obligation which I strove to express, and an astonishment that compelled me to be silent. The genius perceived my confusion, and turning from me with a smile of complacency immediately disappeared.

During the first moon I was so cautious and circumspect, that the pleasure of reflecting that my ring had not once indicated a fault, was lessened by a doubt of its virtue. I applied myself to public business; my melancholy decreased as my mind was diverted to other objects; and lest the youth of my court should think that recreation was too long suspended, I appointed to hunt the lion. But though I went out to the sport rather to gratify others than myself, yet my usual ardour returned in the field; I grew warm in the pursuit, I continued the chace, which was unsuccessful, too long, and returned fatigued and disappointed.

As I entered the seraglio, I was met by a little dog that had been my father's, who expressed his joy at my return by jumping round me, and endeavouring to reach my hand; but as I was not disposed to receive his caresses, I struck him in the fretfulness of my displeasure so severe a blow with my foot, that it left him scarce power to crawl away and hide himself under a sofa in a corner of the apartment. At this moment I felt the ring press my finger, and looking upon the ruby, I perceived the glow of its

colour abated.

I was at first struck with surprise and regret; but surprise and regret quickly gave way to disdain. 'Shall not the Sultan Amurath,' said I, to whom a thousand kings pay tribute, and in whose hand is the life of nations, shall not Amurath strike a dog that offends him, without being reproached for having transgressed the rule of right?' My ring again pressed my finger, and the ruby became more pale: immediately the palace shook with a burst of thunder, and the genius Syndarac again stood before me.

'Amurath,' said he, thou hast offended against thy brother of the dust; a being who, like thee, has received from the Almighty a capacity of pleasure