detail of every perfon who had exifted in a long continued line of his Lordfhip's progenitors, and attempted to deduce the origin of the family from a period fo remote, that it exceeded every degree of credibility; the king, whofe patience was quite exhaufted, stopped fhort the reverend genealogift, by faying, "O man! go no further: let me digeft this knowledge I have gained: for by my foul, I did not know that Adam's name was Lumley."

MR.

ANECDOTE.

R. David Hume often met with illiberal treatment from the Clergy of Scotland, who took every opportunity to afperfe his character, on account of his free opinions. Obferving a certain zealot of this clafs always leave the room when he entered it, he one day took an opportunity to address him as follows: "I am furprized, friend, to find you exprefs an averfion to me; I would wish to be upon good terms with you here, as it is very probable we fhall be doomed to the fame place hereafter: you believe I fhall be damned for want of faith, and I fear you will be. damned for want of Charity."

PERRIN AND LUCETTA,

OR

RURAL PROBITY.

PERRIN

ERRIN was born in Brittany, in a village near Vitre; when he came into the world, poverty received him into her cold embrace; he loft his father and mother before he could pronounce their names; he owed his fubfiftence to public charity; he learned to read and write; this was the utmost extent of his education. At the age of fifteen he hired himself to a farmer; he was intrufted with the care of a flock. Lucetta, a young girl of the neighbourhood, at the fame time tended her father's fheep. She led them to paftures, where fhe often met Perrin, who paid her all the little fervices and affiduities that were poffible at his age and in his fituation. Their cuftom of being together, their quiet occupations, their innocence, and goodness of heart, their officious attention to each other, produced a mutual attachment: They were fond of each other's company; they waited with impatience for the hour at which they usually met in the meadow; they quitted it with regret; becaufe, when they were to leave it, they were to separate. Their young hearts were fufceptible; they already felt the paffion of love, though they were ignorant of its nature and its

tendency,

1

tendency. Five years glided away in innocent amufements; their fentiments grew more animated and ardent; they never met now without the warmeft emotions, which were heightened by the artlefs expreffions of their love. Lucetta frequently checked Perrin's paffion, not without regretting the constraint to which she was subjected by her confcious and ingenuous modefty; Perrin fighed, and imitated her cautious behaviour. They both wished to be united by wedlock, and communicated to each other their mutual defire. Marriage is the final object of rural love. Seducement is not known in the innocent village; the coquette and the man of intrigue are characters not to be met with there. Perrin intended to afk Lucetta of her father; he communicated his intention to his miftrefs, who blufhed at the propofal, yet frankly acknowledged that it gave her a very fenfible pleasure. She did not however chufe to be prefent at the interview betwixt him and her father; fhe told her lover that fhe was to go to the neighbouring town the next day; fhe defired him to avail himself of her abfence, and to acquaint her in the evening with his fuccefs.

The young man, at the appointed time, flew to Lucetta's father. He opened his mind to him without referve. Studied perfuafion and art are not the talents of ruftic orators. He frankly told

him that he loved Lucetta.-You love my daugh ter, answered the old man abruptly!-you would marry her!-are you in earnest, Perrin? How do you propofe to live? Have you cloaths to give her? Have you a roof to cover her? Have you food to fupport her? You are a fervant; you have nothing. Lucetta is not rich enough to maintain herfelf and you. Perrin, you are not in a condition to keep a wife and family. I have hands, replied Perrin; I have health and ftrength; a man who loves his wife never wants employment; and what induftry would I not exert to maintain Lucetta! Hitherto I have gained five crowns every year; I have faved twenty; they will defray the expences of the wedding. I will work more diligently; my favings will augment; I fhall be able to take a little farm; the richest inhabitants of our village have began as poorly as I fhall fet off in life; why may I not fucceed as well as they?-Very true, Perrin; you are young; you may wait yet for fome time; when I find you are a rich man; my daughter is yours; but till then make me no more abfurd and romantic propofals.

Perrin could obtain no other anfwer; he ran to meet Lucetta; he foon found her; he was deeply affected with his disappointment, the read on his face the tidings he was going to announce.-My

father

father then has refufed you!-Ah Lucetta, how unhappy I am to have been born poor! But I have not loft all hope; my fituation may change: Your husband would have fpared no pains to procure you a comfortable fubfiftence; will not your lover do as much to have the happiness of one day poffeffing you? We shall yet be united; I will not quit the delightful profpe&t. I conjure you to keep your heart for me; remember you have pledg ed it to me. Should your father propose a match for you; Lucetta! That is the only misfortune I can fear: Your compliance would terminate my life. And could I, Perrin, marry any one but you? No! If I am not your wife, I will be the wife of no other man upon earth.

They held this converfation on the road to Vitre. Night advancing obliged them to quicken their pace. The evening was dark. Perrin's foot hits against fomething in the road, and he falls. He fearches for what occafioned his fall; he finds it; 'tis a heavy bag; he takes it up; and, curious to know what it contains, he goes with Lucetta into a field where a fire, which the peasants had lighted in the day time, was yet burning. By the light of this fire he opens the bag, and finds gold in it.What do I fee, cried Lucetta!-Ah! Perrin you are become rich!-Is it poffible, replied Perrin,

that'