went immediately to complain to the Gover nor of the City. The Governor, who is always an ecclesiastic, but who was not a Roman, could not help observing to him, that he was surprised at hearing the first news of it from himself.

27. ANOTHER AT VENICE.

A foreigner at Venice having struck a Venetian nobleman, offered to give him satisfaction sword in hand. The Venetian replied coolly; O! quà non usemo→→→ "That is not the custom here."

28. IRISH BULL.

An Irish blockhead was once asked what age he was: "I am only twenty-six," he answered; "but I ought to be twenty66 seven, for my mother miscarried the year "before I was born."

29. DUKE DE LAURAGAIS' ANSWER TO A

CHALLENGE.

A French cit sent a challenge to the Duke de Lauragais, both being then in England. The Duke replied to the chal

lenge, "That none but Scaramouch would "fight Harlequin.”

30. DRUNKEN Valet.

Beaumarchais told me that he had a ser vant who was very apt to get drunk: seeing. him come staggering into his chamber one morning, "What! rascal," said he, "drunk so soon in the morning ?”—“ I "beg your pardon, Sir," replied the valet," "this is only the remains of yesterday."

31. REPARTEE OF FOOTE TO LORD SANDWICH,

Foote was extremely happy in repartee. Lord Sandwich one day said to him, "Foote, 66 you will certainly die of some bad disor"der, or be hanged some day."—" That "indeed I may, my Lord," replied Foote,. "if I embrace either your Lordship's mis"tress or your Lordship's principles."

32. COURT of Vienna.

The Court of Vienna is the most brilliant and the best constituted in Europe. I have seen there several sovereign princes, bro thers of Kings and Electors, in the service

of the Emperor; without reckoning several great noblemen, such as the princes of Lichtenstein, Esterhazy, Colloredo, d'Ausberg, and others, who from their rank and their riches are greater subjects than any other sovereign can reckon among his courtiers. The society there is extremely amusing, and very proper as a model for a young man. During a year that I was there, I' remarked that the young Englishmen who came there got rid of their awkward air, and the young Frenchmen of their foppery. The reason is, because the women are amiable, sprightly, and gracious. With these qualities, they cannot fail to please: they are willing to take the trouble of correcting these natural faults of young men, and they do it in such a manner as not to discourage them.

33. GOD'S Prescience.

All the difficulties which have been raised concerning the decrees of God and his prescience (which some think establishes the necessity of our actions), arise only from the abuse of words; which, being employed

to bring things to the level of our under standing, are applied to God in the same sense as we apply them to ourselves. The word prescience, for instance, cannot be applied to God. With Him, there is neither past nor future. Every thing being present to Him in all the states of time, we ought not to say of Him that He foresees what will happen, but that He sees what does happen. He has left men the liberty of acting, and punishes or rewards them according to the use they make of this liberty. We ought not to say of God, that He foresees what such a man will do, but that He sees what he does. Thus, when God spoke by the Prophets, with respect to Himself, He tells what happens; with respect to us, these Prophets predict what will happen. In a word, God, by his eternity, is present at all times, as He is in all places by His immensity.

34. WHAT constitutes Country.

I have been frequently told that I am a Frenchman, because I was born in France: but I have always maintained, that being

born there of protestant parents, who brought me up in their own religion, I could not consider France as my country; since it was a maxim with the Government of that kingdom, that it acknowledged no protestants in France. This is what I myself was once told by the Minister for the Home Department in that country. In fact, at the time I determined to quit it, the protestants were excluded from, all the advantages enjoyed by the subject of a state. A protestant could not contract a valid marriage; his children were deemed illegitímate; they could hold no place, either in the army, at the bar, or in the church. Every man, however, must have a country; and if he does not find it where he was born, he has a right to seek it elsewhere. This resolution I formed at the age of fifteen; and I carried it into execution some years after, by going to England. Two great men of the present age, the late King of Prussia and the late Prince de Conti (I write this in 1794), perceived the force of this reasoning, in the conversations which I had the honour to have with them upon this subject,