tory princes; and the fame method is practifed in China, in Hindoftan, and in the Turkish empire. The Princes of Little Tartary, Moldavia, and Wallachia, have been long a fecurity to the Grand Signior against his powerful neighbours in Eu

rope.

SKETCH

SKETCH VI.

War and Peace compared.

N°

O complaints are more frequent than against the weather, when it suits not our purpofe : "A difmal feafon! we "fhall be drowned, or we fhall be burnt "up." And yet wife men think, that there might be more occafion to complain, were the weather left to our own direction. The weather is not the only instance of diftruft in Providence: it is a common topic to declaim against war; "Scourge of "nations, Destroyer of the human race, "Bane of arts and industry! Will the "world never become wife! Will war net ver have an end!" Manifold indeed are the bleffings of peace; but doth war never produce any good? A fair comparifon may poffibly make it doubtful, whether war, like the weather, ought not to

be

be refigned to the conduct of Providence : feldom are we in the right, when we repine at its difpenfations.

The bleffings of peace are too well known to need illuftration: industry, commerce, the fine arts, power, opulence, &c. &c. depend on peace. What has war in ftore for balancing bleffings fo fubftantial? Let us not abandon the field, without making at least one effort.

Humanity, it must be acknowledged, gains nothing from the wars of small states in close neighbourhood: fuch wars are brutal and bloody; because they are carried on with bitter enmity against individuals. Thanks to Providence, that war, at prefent, bears a lefs favage afpect: we fpare individuals, and make war upon the nation only barbarity and cruelty give place to magnanimity; and foldiers are converted from brutes into heroes. wars give exercise to the elevated virtues of courage, generofity, and difinterestednefs, which are always attended with consciousness of merit and of dignity *. Friend

Such

fhip

* In the war carried on by Louis XII. of France against the Venetians, the town of Brescia, being taken

by

fhip is in peace cool and languid; but, in a war for glory, exerts the whole fire of its enthusiasm. The long and bloody

:

war

form, and abandoned to the foldiers, fuffered for seven days all the diftreffes of cruelty and avarice. No houfe escaped but that where Chevalier Bayard was lodged. At his entrance, the mistress, a woman of rank, fell at his feet, and deeply fobbing, " Oh! my Lord, fave my "life, fave the honour of my daughters." Take courage, Madam, faid the Chevalier, your life, and their honour, fhall be fecure while I have life. The two daughters, brought from their hiding place, were prefented to him; and the family reunited bestowed their whole attention on their deliverer. A dangerous wound he had received gave them opportunity to exprefs their zeal they employed a notable surgeon; they attended him by turn day and night; and, when he could bear to be amufed, they entertained him with concerts of mufic. Upon the day fixed for his depar ture, the mother faid to him, " To your goodness, my "Lord, we owe our lives: and to you all we have be"longs by right of war: but we hope, from your fig"nal benevolence, that this flight tribute will content "you;" placing upon the table an iron coffer full of "What is the fum?"" faid the Chevalier. money. "My Lord," answered she trembling, "no more but "2500 ducats, all that we have ;-but, if more be ne"ceffary, we will try our friends.". '—“ Madam,” said he, “ your kindness is more precious in my eyes than 66 hundred thousand ducats. Take back your money, "and depend always on me."" My good Lord, "you kill me in refuling this fmall fum: take it only

a

"as

war fuftained by the Netherlanders against the tyrant of Spain, made even Dutchmen heroes: they forced their way

to

"as a mark of your friendship to my family.". "Well,' faid he, "fince it will oblige you, I take the "money; but give me the fatisfaction of bidding adieu "to your amiable daughters." They came to him with looks of regard and affection. "Ladies," faid he, "the impreffion you have made on my heart, will ne"ver wear out. What return to make I know not ; " for men of my profeffion are feldom opulent: but "but here are two thousand five hundred ducats, of

which the generofity of your mother has given me. "the difpofal. Accept them as a marriage present ; "and may your happiness in marriage equal your "merit." "Flower of chivalry," cried the mother, "May the God who suffered death for us reward you "here and hereafter." Can peace afford fo fweet a fcene!

The following incident is still more interefting: It is of a late date among our countrymen; and will, for that reason, make the deeper impreffion. The fcene of action was in Admiral Watson's ship, at the fiege of Chandernagore, where Captain Speke, and his fon, a youth of fixteen, were both of them wounded by the fame fhot. The hiftory is related by Mr Ives furgeon of the fhip; which follows in his own words, only a little abridged. The Captain, whofe leg was hanging by the fkin, faid to the Admiral, "Indeed, Sir, this "was a cruel fhot, to knock down both father and "fon." Mr Watson's heart was too full for a reply; ke