chicanery of law, he is prevented from fatiating his revenge, his avarice prefents itself, in first asking for the triple payment of his bond, and then for the fimple principal. From the above paffages, it is, I hope, fufficiently proved, that Shakespeare is the truer copier of nature: this does not, however, detract from the merit of Mr. Cumberland's attempt, but, on the contrary, entitles him to a larger share of praise, for ftriving to free an oppreffed people from the taunts and infults of the ignorant and malevolent. For my own part, I am proud, I feel my bofom glow with the moft pleafing fenfations, when I reflect, that I am in a country where the mift of prejudice is daily paffing away; and where Jews are treated with fellow-feeling and humanity. Thanks to the benevolent genius of Cumberland! thanks to his exalted foul! For though he has failed in endeavouring to prefent us with a copy of nature, he has done more; he has kindled into a flame the latent fparks of philan thropy, roufed the dormant feelings of humanity, and taught the confined ftream of benevolence to overflow; and, by overflowing, to fertilize the human mind. CARLOS. CHARACTERS. Now, by two-headed Janus, Nature hath fram'd ftrange fellows in her time, That they'll not fhew their teeth in way of smile, MOROSUS. SHAKESPEARE. To glide ferenely through life, unchecked by difap pointment, and unwounded by forrow, is a privilege, however defirable the poffeffion of it may appear, which heaven has not thought proper to allow us in our prefent ftate of probation. The man whofe face is for ever clothed in fmiles, and from whofe lips proceed no accents but those of thoughtless levity, however affluent his fortune, however elevated his ftation may be, muft be mafter of a degree of infenfibility which thofe, who have known the luxury of alleviating diftrefs, will be much more inclined to regard with fentiments of compaffion than of envy. The woes of thofe around us are perpetually demanding the tribute of our pity; and that heart which refufes to liften to a claim fo juftly and fo powerfully urged, muft, indeed, be dead to every tender, every ennobling fenfation. Yet, the conduct of him who is devoted only to pleasure, who gives not one moment to thought, not one figh to misery, though defpicable in itself, muft appear eftimable-when compared with that of the thankless being who views the world through the darkening medium of fullen misanthropic hate; who inceffantly murmurs at ills created by himself, and either receives the offered cup of joy with the averted look of averfion, or dashes it to the ground, and ungratefully exclaims-" It is not worth my acceptance!" In the prime of his life, with a conftitution which has never fuffered by the debilitating attacks of disease, and with a fortune ample enough to enable him to gratify every rational defire, Morofus, it might well be imagined, would have very little to wish for, and still lefs to be diffatisfied with: but this is by no means the cafe. He poffeffes, it is true, the enviable and inestimable bleffings of health and fortune, but they are like two rich gems in the hands of an idiot; for Morofus has not that ferene and grateful mind which alone can render fuch gifts truly valuable. To his perverfe optics, every object around him appears either mean and uninteresting, or gloomy and distorted; and he, of courfe, views them with cold contempt, or ferocious indignation. Repulfive in his manner, he neither loves nor is beloved; but ftands in an infulated fituation fituation-the terror of fome, and the fcorn of the greater part of those who are acquainted with his character and conduct. If you meet Morofus on the most beautiful day in fummer, and, in the courfe of your converfation, praise the fineness of the weather, he will tell you, that it is intolerable fultry: if you answer, that it is neceffary and feasonable; he replies, with a fcowling look and muttering tone, that what you fay may be true, but, that to him it is neither neceffary nor feasonable : with fpring, autumn, and winter, Morofus is equally difgufted; nor is it to the ficklenefs of the element, but to the unhappy temper of the mortal, that we are to affign the caufe, and the blame. The dependants of Morofus are particularly unfortunate; for whatever line of conduct they purfue, they are fure to be expofed to the most severe and unlimited cenfure. If they seek, by affiduity, to win esteem, he declares, that it is nothing more than cunning ftriving to practife on his credulity if they boldly dare to affert their integrity, he loudly exclaims against their effrontery, and wonders that fuch vulgar wretches fhould have the infolence to controvert his affertions, and oppose his will. It is but a fhort time fince I dined at the house of a friend, where Morofus made one of the company. The mafter of the feast was truly amiable and hofpitable; the entertainment was as elegant as the hand of taste could furnish, and the guests (Morofus excepted) vied with each other in contributing to the feftivity of the day. He alone opened his lips only to exprefs his disapprobation of fome book, fome fyftem, or fome measure, which feemed to deferve and to meet with univerfal applause. If a victory was mentioned, he fneeringly declared, that we might with Pyrrhus fay, that a few more fuch victories would ruin us :-if a defeat was lamented, he exclaimed, that it was folly in the extreme to expect any thing better from the wretched fyftem pursued at prefent. The converfation now turned from the cares of the public, to those which are more immediately felt in private private life; and my friend ftrenuously afferted, that it was very easy to obtain a confiderable fhare of happinefs, notwithstanding the obftacles which perpetually oppose our paffage through life :-but he was interrupted by Morofus, with-" You, fir, may have been very happy; but I can fafely affirm, that I never yet received a pleasure which was of magnitude fufficient to make me thankful to my Creator for his having caufed me to exift." This laft affertion completed the difguft with which his hearers had before regarded him; and, perceiving, at length, that his opinions met with very little refpect or attention, he haftily quitted the affembly; which, when he was abfent, foon regained that cheerfulness which he never could enjoy, but which his prefence banished from every perfon near him. FERDINAND ST. JULIEN. PLACIDUS, HOWEVER the currents of time may be perplexed, is found in a continual ftate of tranquillity; difturbed neither by the glitter of affluence, nor the moans of difcontent. Let us talk a little of this admirable man. He was bred to the inheritance of a fplendid fortune, which, by one of thofe reverfes that are every day fhaking the foundations of wealth, never came into his poffeffion; and he received, at the demife of his father, no more than could fuffice a moderate gentleman. Becaufe, when invited, he had hitherto never rejected the honours of a coach, it was thought that the want of fuch distinction must have given him an eternal inquietude. "Yonder carriage," said Prefton, one day, to Placidus, "reminds me of the elegant equipage in which your father frequented the court; and, indeed it is a fad misfortune that you, my worthy friend, fhould witness the decline of family greatnefs."- "Indeed, my good friend, replied Placidus, "if you looked on these things through my telescope, you would certainly alter your fentence. fentence. For my part, I lament that my father did not keep a higher retinue, as he would fooner have alighted at the end of his journey, and felt as I do, the benefits of walking. And, the very carriage you point to, is moreover, the occafion of other pleafing ideas. I am indebted to its owners for the pains they take to amufe me with fuch magnificent views, which only prove to me, that they cannot go along without meeting with perpetual impediments and mortifications, of which the fimple pedestrian is happily ridden.”—“This is, fans doute, one of the best fellows in the world,” ejaculated Prefton. I have known him these twenty years, and nothing can ruffle his repofe. During all this time, he has never been to the Opera; but thrice to the Play, and once to the Parliament Houfe; yet he always gratifies himself by faying, "that he can go when he pleafes." It was but laft September, having made an appointment to vifit Richmond by water, after many interruptions, we failed with a fine morning; when the rain coming on, put every one fadly out of tune, except my old friend, who remarked, "that finer hours would fucceed the fhowers: and fo, in fact, they did. I have repeatedly caught him at the fire-fide, near the clofe of day, as happy as a mortal could be; with no other company than the cat, and a tea-kettle. Once I was going to ridicule him out of this oddity, till, fecretly approaching him, I could difcern a tear or two diftilling from his eye-but it was the dew of content. For he rofe -he rofe, with all the warmth of one fwayed by the dearest emotions; strenuously thanked me for my vifit, as though he had not feen me for years; and defired me to be feated:-" Only have a care," faid he, "not to difturb Pufs."-" And why that injunction refpecting Pufs?"-"Did you know, Prefton," returned my friend, "did you know how much pleasure I have this day experienced from the gambols of the little animal, I am perfuaded that you would applaud my precaution. Sit down."-I fat down, and he continued :-" When the |