SIR,

T

LETTER XIV.

HAMBURG.

HE Saturday, I waited for with fo much Impatience, being at length come, having placed myfelf in a lower Room, I faw my Philofopher alight from his Coach about three in the Afternoon, and having made a Signal, which conjured up a Piece of Bread, and half a Pint of White Wine, he took them standing, and immediately went out again, without giving me an Opportunity of accofting him. This first View, fhort as it was, encreas'd my Defires, and the Hopes I had of enjoying the Happinefs of his Acquaintance. I obferved a certain Je ne fcai quoi in his Countenance, which gave me infinite Pleasure, and heighten'd my Expectations: Love and Esteem, the first Principles of Friendship, at once commanded my Attention. I order'd my Landlord to let me know when he was feated in his ufual Place, and as I was fenfible the best Way of captivating the Minds of Perfons, who are fingular in their Way of Thinking, is to fall in with their Humors, I refolved to place myself near him, to watch his most minute Actions, and to imitate them, with the greatest Exactitude I was capable of.

ABOUT eight, in the Evening, my Landlord let me know he was in the public Room; I immediately went down, and found him seated in the Manner I had been before informed. There were feveral Companies, in the fame Room, at different Ta

bles.

bles. On one Side of the little Table, at which this fingular Gentleman had placed himself, was a Bench, of which he had taken Poffeffion, and, as foon as I enter'd, without taking Notice of any one, I took a Chair, and fat down on the other Side. The Servant coming in, at a Signal given by him, a Bottle of Wine, Pipes and Tobacco were fet on the Table, and upon my repeating the fame Signal, I was served in the like Manner. I continued to follow him in every Thing, with a feeming Inattention: When he took up a Pipe, fill'd it, laid it down again, drank a Glafs of Wine, began to fmoak, and the like, I immediately did the fame. This, I obferved, difcompofed him a little at first, and I found he took every Opportunity of my turning afide, to view me narrowly; but withdrew his Eyes, when he perceiv'd I took Notice of it. I, hereupon, began to conceive Hopes, he would foon break Silence. But he was not long before I perceived he had overcome this little Uneafinefs, and recovered his former ferene Afpect. In this Manner, we fat near two Hours, without making any Shew of being pleased or displeased with one another's Company, 'till our Bottles being near empty, I was apprehenfive I attempted to wash a Blackmoor white: But upon the Signal being given, and repeated by me, for a fresh Bottle, my Hopes revived; and I obferved twice or thrice, that he fmiled, and feemed to have (as the Vulgar term it) Words at the Tip of his Tongue; but these were but fhort Sallies of a Mind undetermined, and he as often retreated to himself again. I triumph'd, however, at laft, when, at near twelve o' Clock, the reft of the Company being gone, and our fecond Bottles almoft empty, he at once, with a graceful Smile and Countenance, broke out in the following Words, which he directed to me, in the French Idiom:

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"SIR (faid he ) I perceive you are a Stranger, and therefore fpeak to you in French, the "univerfal Language of Travellers, which I prefume you underftand: " To carry on the Humour, 1 answer'd him only with a Nod: "Sir (continued he) I must confefs you have out-done "me in my own Way, and I admire it the more "in you, as in me it is the Refult of many Years "Thoughts and Reafoning with myself: But in "you, at least, if I may be allowed to judge by "your Age, it is hardly of fo long a standing; "may I prefume to ask you your Country "? This Question almost puzzled me; I had told my Landlord I was a German; but fear'd to fay the fame to him, left he should discover me by my Speech I had, however, the Prefence of Mind, to answer him, without Hefitation, that I was a Swiss; a Nation, which, tho' they generally understand German, fpeak it very corruptly, and I thought the Progress I had made in that Tongue might enable me to imitate their Jargon, by larding my Difcourse with a pretty many French Words, tack'd to German Terminations, an affected Way, which prevails as well in Switzerland, as in Germany. "I left my native Country (continued I) young, and have been many Years abfent, in "feveral Parts of Europe; but have spent much the 66 greater Part of my Time in England; I have "been before in Germany, in the Suite of a Public "Minister, who went from the Court of Great Bri"tain to the Imperial Court; I am now going a

gain to Vienna, in my Way to Italy, and have ta"ken this Route, for the Opportunity of vifiting "this Part of Germany: And as for my Taciturnity, on which you are pleas'd to compliment "me, I think myself obliged, in Honour, to undeceive you, and tell you it is a meer bor"rowed Mask. As 1 propose to spend some " Weeks

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"Weeks here, I defired my Landlord to recom"mend me to the Acquaintance of fome Gen"tleman of Learning; upon which he gave me 66 a Skitch of your Character, and it appear'd to "me info amiable a Light, that I refolved

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upon this, I hope innocent, Stratagem, to "break your accuftomed Silence, and open a "Way to your Friendship: I have fucceeded "in the first Part of my Attempt, and it now "depends upon your Goodness to crown the Re"mainder of it with the fame Succefs".

I found he was a litttle flutter'd upon my mentioning our Landlord's having, in fome Meafure, difcovered him; but it was foon over, and with that pleasant Look, which is so natural to him, he replied:

"I SHOULD not, Sir, fo eafily have pass'd "over the Liberty affum'd by our Landlord, without fome Shew, at leaft, of Refentment, had "it not procured me the Happiness of being

acquainted with a Gentleman, whofe generous "Offer of Friendship I gratefully acknowledge "and accept, and whofe Way of Thinking feems "to be fo confonant to my own. I fhall en"deavour to make a fuitable Return, and as

your Frankness requires the fame Unreferved"nefs in me, I fhould even now give you an "Inftance of it, were not my Story too long to "be told at a Time of Night, when Nature "feems to call us to Reft: But I promife you "ample Amends, if you will favour me with your Company at my Houfe in the Country, "on Tuefday next."

I ACCEPTED of his Offer, and he promis'd to fend his Coach to fetch me, early in the Morning. After feveral Profeffions-of a future Friendfhip had pafs'd between us, our dumb Philofopher, having found his Tongue, to the Surprize

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as well as Joy of the whole Family, ordered the Servants to light us to our Chambers, and, in a friendly Manner, wifh'd me, as well as our Landlord and Landlady, a good Night. I faw him, the next Day, at the common Table, where we dined; but we had agreed not to know one another, fo I had no farther Difcourfe with him, at this Time.

THE next Day, after Dinner, the greater Part of the Company being gone, we, who remain'd, fell into a Difcourfe upon the Caufes of fo frequent unhappy Marriages; and one of us obferving, that it was very often occafioned by the Indifcretion of the Wife, in not being careful to behave with that good Humour and Complacency to the Husband, as to excite in him a Pleasure in being at Home, and enjoying her Conversation; another gave us an Inftance of the fatal Confequences attending a fullen Behaviour in a Wife, which had lately happen'd within his Knowledge; and is fo fingular, that I am tempted to give it you, as near as I can, in his own Words.

"TORVA (faid he) a beautiful young Lady, of a confiderable Fortune, was married to "Amiander, a Gentleman, in every Respect, de"ferving of her. Never was Pair, in Appearance, "more equally match'd, nor did there ever feem "a fairer Profpect of a happy Marriage: But "all these pleafing Hopes were fruftated, by a "Sullennefs of Temper in Torva, which, in her "Maiden State, was taken to be a too austere "Virtue and Modefty, that Amiander's good Hu"mour would foon wear off; but which, after "Marriage, discover'd itselfin an ill-natur'd Pride, " and haughty Affectation of Superiority. This "occafion'd firft an Indifferency, and afterwards a "Coldness, in Amiander, who was all Life and "Gaiety. Torva, who did not want good Senfe,

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" could