you

have mentioned defies cenfure, and is far fuperior to my praife. But "I muft obferve, it appears fingular that $$ you, who affect to defpife all other "countries, and seem of opinion, that what

is moft valuable in nature is always "the product of England, fhould bring "your brighteft illuftration of that opinion "from Germany."

T-, perceiving the advantage he had gained over his antagonist, proceeded vigorously to cenfure, what he called, the abfurd partiality of the English in their own favour; and obferved, that it would be fortunate for them, if the other nations of Europe would allow them but a few of the numerous good qualities which they fo lavishly attribute to themselves. He severely attacked the common people, and denied them even the character of goodnature, which they have been thought to poffefs in an eminent degree. He declared them to be rough and infolent in their

manners

manners (for the truth of this he appealed to the opinion of all their neighbours), cruel in their difpofitions (as a proof of which he inftanced fome of their favourite diverfions), and abfurd in their prejudices, which appears by their hatred and contempt of other nations; by all of whom, he afferted, they were in return most cordially abhorred. How, in"deed, can it be otherwife," continued he, "confidering the rough, boisterous nature "of their weather?" He then expatiated on the fertility of Italy, and the mild ferenity of the climate; to which he partly attributed the fertile genius and mild character of the Italians. "No doubt" he said, "moral causes might contribute to the fame "effect; for more pains were taken to cul❝tivate and encourage good and quiet dif"pofitions in the common people here than " in England. They were accustomed to "perform their religious duties more regu"larly; they had frequent opportunities of "hearing the moft excellent mufic in the "churches;

S 4

1

"churches; they were inftructed in hiftory "by orators in the ftreet, and were made "acquainted with the beauties of their " beft poets in the fame manner. All these "caufes united, muft neceffarily enlarge

their minds, and make them the most "gentle, humane, and ingenious people in "the world." N-shook his head, as if he laid little stress on the other's reasoning. For my own part, I remained filent, being defirous that the dispute should go on between the two who had begun it.

Continuing our walk a little without the town, we faw a crowd of people looking over a wall, which formed one fide of a fquare, exprefsly built for the purpose of bating cattle with bull-dogs. It is imagined that this renders their flesh more tender and agreeable to the tafte; and this is confidered as a fufficient reafon for torturing great numbers of bulls, oxen, and cows, before they are flaughtered for the markets; we found a multitude of fpectators enjoying this amusement. "Pray,"

fays

fays Mr. N-, addreffing himself to T--, " do you imagine this humane

practice, and the complacency which

"these refined fpectators feem to take in "beholding it, proceed from the mildness "of the climate, the pains bestowed in "teaching the people the duties of Chrift❝ianity, the enlargement of their minds "by by history and poetry, or from the gen

tle influence of mufic upon their dif "pofitions?" Then turning from Mr. T-- to me, he continued, "Not fatif"fied with knocking the poor animals on "the head, those unfeeling epicures put "them to an hour's additional torture, "merely to gratify a caprice of their cor"rupted palates."

"Of all fubjects," replied T-—, recovering himself from the confufion into which N's questions had thrown him, "those who take upon them to be the panegyrists of the English nation, ought to avoid mentioning that fpecies of Epi" curifm

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"curifm which depends on eating, left

they be put in mind of whipping pigs "to death, their manner of collaring "brawn, crimping fish, and other refinements peculiar to that humane good-na"tured people."

N

was juft going to reply, when a large bull, rendered outrageous by the ftones which the populace were throwing at him, ran fuddenly towards the gate at the inftant the keepers were opening it on fome other account; which threw them into fuch confufion, that they had not time to fhut it before the bull burst out on the multitude. He now became an object of terror to thofe who the moment before had looked on him as an object of mirth. The mighty lords of the creation, who confider other animals as formed entirely for their pastime, their attire, their food, fled in crowds from one quadruped, and would gladly have fallen on their knees and worshipped him, like fo many Egyp