fcarce produced any vifible effect in the picture on which he was employed. However, as he bufied himself inceffantly, and repeated touch after touch without reft or intermiffion, he wore off infenfibly every little difagreeable glofs that hung upon a figure. He alfo added fuch a beautiful brown to the fhades, and mellowness to the colours, that he made every picture appear more perfect than when it came fresh from the mafter's pencil. I could not forbear looking upon the face of this ancient workman, and immediately, by the long lock of hair upon his forehead, difcovered him to be TIME. Whether it were because the thread of my dream was at an end I cannot tell, but upon my taking a furvey of this imaginary old man, my fleep left me. C N° 84 Wednesday, June 6. Quis talia fando Myrmidonum Dolopumve aut duri miles Ulyffei Virg. Æn. 2. v. 6. L OOKING over the old manufcripts wherein the private actions of Pharamond are fet down by way of table-book, I found many things which gave me great delight; and as human life turns upon the fame principles and paffions in all ages, I thought it very proper to take minutes of what paffed in that age, for the inftruction of this. The antiquary, who lent me these papers, gave me a character of Eucrate, the favourite of Pharamond, extracted from an author who lived in that court. The account he gives both of the prince and this his faithful friend, will not be improper to infert here, because I may have occafion to mention many of their conversations, into which these memorials of them may give light. • Pharamond, Pharamond, when he had a mind to retire for an ⚫ hour or two from the hurry of bufinefs and fatigue of ceremony, made a fignal to Eucrate, by putting his hand to his face, placing his arm negligently on a window, or fome fuch action as appeared indifferent to all the rest of the company. Upon fuch notice, unobserved by others, (for their entire intimacy was always a fecret) Eucrate repaired to his own apartment to receive the king. There was a fecret accefs to this part of the court, at which Eucrate used to admit many whose mean appearance in the eyes of the ordinary waiters and door-keepers made them be repulfed from other parts of the palace. Such as thefe * were let in here by order of Eucrate, and had audiences of Pharamond. This entrance Pharamand called The Gate of the Unhappy, and the tears of the afflicted ⚫ who came before him, he would fay, were bribes received by Eucrate; for Eucrate had the moft compaffionate fpirit of all men living, except his generous mafter, who was always kindled at the leaft affliction which was communicated to him. In the regard for the miferable, Eucrate took particular care, that the common forms of diftrefs, and the idle pretenders to forrow, about courts, who wanted only fupplies to luxury, fhould never obtain favour by his means: But the diftreffes which arife from the many inexplicable occurrences that happen among men, the unaccountable alienation of parents from their children, cruelty of hufbands to wives, poverty occafioned from hipwreck or fire, the falling out of friends, or fuch other terrible difafters, to which the life of man is expofed; in cafes of this nature, Eucrate was the patron; and enjoyed this part of the royal favour fo much without being envied, that it was never enquired into by whofe means, what no one else cared for doing, was brought about. One evening when Pharamond came into the apart ment of Eucrate, he found him extremely dejected; upon which he asked (with a fmile which was natural to him) What, is there any one too miferable to be "relieved by Pharamond, that Excrate is melancholy? "I fear there is, anfwered the favourite; a perfon without, 66 ་ "without, of a good air, well dreffed, and tho' a man "in the ftrength of his life, feems to faint under fome "inconfolable calamity: All his features seem suffused "with agony of mind; but I can observe in him, that "it is more inclined to break away in tears than rage. "I asked him what he would have; he faid he would fpeak to Pharamond. I defired his business; he could hardly fay to me, Eucrate, carry me to the king, my ftory is not to be told twice; I fear I fhall not be able to speak it at all." Pharamond commanded Eucrate to let him enter; he did fo, and the gentleman approached the king with an air which poke him under the greatest concern in what manner to demean himfelf. The king, who had a quick difcerning, relieved him from the oppreffion he was under; and with the most beautiful complacency faid to him, "Sir, do not add "to that load of forrow, I fee in your countenance "the awe of my prefence: 'Think you are speaking to 66 your friend; if the circumftances of your diftrefs "will admit of it, you fhall find me fo." To whom the ftranger: "Oh excellent Pharamond, name not a "friend to the unfortunate Spinamont. I had one, but "he is dead by my own hand; but, oh Pharamond, "tho' it was by the hand of Spinamont, it was by the guilt of Pharamond. I come not, oh excellent prince, "to implore your pardon; I come to relate my forrow, a forrow too great for human life to fupport: From "henceforth fhall all occurrences appear dreams or "fhort intervals of amufement, from this one affliction "which has feized my very being: Pardon me, oh "Pharamond, if my griefs give me leave, that I lay "before you, in the anguifh of a wounded mind, that you, good as you are, are guilty of the generous blood fpilt this day by this unhappy hand: Oh that it had perifhed before that inftant!" Here the ftranger paufed, and recollecting his mind, after fome little meditation, he went on in a calmer tone and gefture " as follows. "There is an authority due to distress, and as none of "human race is above the reach of forrow, none should "be above the hearing the voice of it; I am fure "Pharamond is not. Know then, that I have this "morning "morning unfortunately killed in a duel, the man whom "of all men living I most loved. I command myself too much in your royal prefence, to say, Pharamond, give me my friend! Pharamond has taken him from "me! I will not fay, fhall the merciful Pharamond deftroy his own fubjects? Will the father of his country murder his people? But, the merciful Pharamond "does deftroy his fubjects, the father of his country does "murder his people. Fortune is so much the pursuit of mankind, that all glory and honour is in the power of a prince, because he has the diftribution of their for66 tunes. It is therefore the inadvertency, negligence, "or guilt of princes, to let any thing grow into cuftom "which is against their laws. A court can make fashion "and duty walk together; it can never, without the guilt of a court, happen, that it fhall not be un"fashionable to do what is unlawful. But alas! in the "dominions of Pharamond, by the force of a tyrant 66 cuftom, which is mif-named a point of honour, the "duellift kills his friend whom he loves; and the judge "condemns the duellift, while he approves his behaviour. "Shame is the greatest of all evils; what avail laws, "when death only attends the breach of them, and "fhame obedience to them? As for me, oh Pharamond, were it poffible to defcribe the nameless kinds of compunctions and tenderneffes I feel, when I reflect upon "the little accidents in our former familiarity, my mind "fwells into forrow which cannot be refifted enough to "be filent in the prefence of Pharamond. (With that "he fell into a flood of tears, and wept aloud.) Why "fhould not Pharamond hear the anguifh he only can "relieve others from in time to come? Let him hear "from me, what they feel who have given death by the " false mercy of his administration, and form to himself the vengeance call'd for by those who have perished "by his negligence. R Thurfday, Interdum fpeciofa locis, morataque recè Hor. Ars Poet. v. Sometimes in rough and undigested plays 319. ROSCOMMON. T is the custom of the Mahometans, if they see any I printed or written paper upon ground, to it up and lay it afide carefully, as not knowing but it may contain fome piece of their Alcoran. I must confefs I have fo much of the Muffulman in me, that I cannot forbear looking into every printed paper which comes in my way, under whatsoever despicable circumftances it may appear; for as no mortal author, in the ordinary fate and viciffitude of things, knows to what ufe his work may, fome time or other, be applied, a man may often meet with very celebrated names in a paper of tobacco. I have lighted my pipe more than once with the writings of a prelate; and know a friend of mine, who, for thefe feveral years, has converted the eflays of a man of quality into a kind of fringe for his candlesticks. I remember in particular, after having read over a poem of an eminent author on a upon the next victory, I met with feveral fragments of it rejoicing day, which had been employ'd in fquibs and crackers, and by that means celebrated its fubject in a double capacity. I once met with a page of Mr. Baxter under a Christmas pye. Whether or no the pastry-cook had made use of it through chance or waggery, for the defence of that fuperftitious viande, I know not; but upon the perusal of it, I conceived fo good an idea of the |