going into company, fhould confider within himself, that he is not going into an affembly of a fuperior order of beings, but into one compofed of men of the fame manners, habits, and paffions with himself; that he has a right to an equal fhare of conversation, and, perhaps, refpect, with the reft of the company: he fhould confider, that it is fometimes neceffary for men to be confcious of their own virtues, in order that they may acquire a neceffary, yet modeft affurance; for, if a man of real merit has a very mean opinion of himself, if he conceives himself to be inferior to the generality of mankind, he will never be able to command that respect and attention which a man of meaner talents, poffeffed of more confidence, will always acquire. To counterpoife the ill effects which thefe confiderations may produce, in rendering him arrogant and affuming, let him reflect alfo, that each individual in fociety has a claim upon his forbearance, his refpect, and his politeness. Bafhfulness not only deprives its unfortunate poffeffor of admiration and refpect, but very frequently, also, robs him of fome of the choiceft bleffings of life: it has frequently been the impenetrable barrier against love, and an infurmountable obftacle to friendship. A variety of inftances have prefented themselves, wherein, had it not been for bafhfulness, a felicitous matrimonial connection might have taken place, or a lafting and difinterefted friendship have been contracted. In fhort, it is productive of fo many evils, that thofe who do not make every exertion to rid themselves of it, are unpardonable; and deserve cenfure, almost as much as thofe who run into the opposite extreme. HORATIO. VOL. I. C AN AN ACCOUNT OF THE SLAVE-MASTERS IN SURINAM. [From Captain Stedman's Narrative.] A Planter in Surinam, when he lives on his estate, gets out of his hammoc with the rising fun, viz. about fix o'clock in the morning, when he makes his appearance under the piazza of his house, where his coffee is ready waiting for him, which he generally takes with his pipe, inftead of toast and butter; and there he is attended by half-a-dozen of the fineft young flaves, both male and female, of the plantation, to ferve him. At this fanctum fanctorum he is next accofted by his overfeer, who regularly every morning attends at his levee, and having made his bows at feveral yards distance with the most profound respect, informs his greatnefs of what was done the day before; what negroes deferted, died, fell fick, recovered, was bought or born; and, above all things, which of them neglected their work, affected fick nefs, or had been drunk or abfent, &c. The prisoners are generally prefent, being fecured by the negro-drivers, and inftantly tied up to the beams of the piazza, or a tree, without fo much as a hearing in their own defence; when the flogging begins, with men, women, and children, without exception. The inftruments of torture, on thefe occafions, are long hempen whips, that cut round at every lash, and crack like piftol fhot; during which they alternately repeat, " Dankee, maffera" (thank you, mafter). In the mean time he stalks up and down with his overfeer, affecting not fo much as to hear their cries, till they are fufficiently mangled, when they are untied, and ordered to return to their work, without fo much as a dreffing. This ceremony being over, the dreffy negro (a black furgeon) comes to make his report; who being dif miffed with a hearty curfe for allowing any flaves to be be fick, next makes her appearance a fuperannuated matron, with all the young negro children of the eftate, over whom she is governefs. Thefe, being clean washed in the river, clap their hands, and cheer in chorus, when they are fent to breakfast on a large platter of rice and plantains; and the levee ends with a low bow from the overfeer, as it begun. His lordship now faunters out in his morning dress, which confifts of a pair of the finest Holland trowfers, white filk ftockings, and red or yellow Morocco flippers; the neck of his fhirt open, and nothing over it, a loofe flowing night-gown of the finest chintz excepted. On his head is a cotton night-cap, as thin as a cobweb, and over that an enormous beaver hat, that protects his meagre vifage from the fun, which is already the colour of mahogany, while his whole carcase feldom weighs above eight or ten ftone, being generally exhausted by the climate and diffipation. Having loitered about his eftate, or fometimes ridden on horse-back to his fields, to view his increafing ftores, he returns about eight o'clock, when, if he goes abroad, he dreffes, but if not, remains juft as he is. Should the first take place, having only exchanged his trowfers for a pair of thin linen breeches, he fits down, and holding out one foot after another, like a horse going to be fhod, a negro boy puts on his fhoes, which he alfo buckles, while another dreffes his hair, his wig, or fhaves his chin; and a third is fanning him, to keep off the mufquitoes. Having now fhifted, he puts on a thin coat and waistcoat, all white; when, under an umbrella carried by a black boy, he is conducted to his barge, which is in waiting for him with fix or eight oars, well provided with fruit, wine, water, and tobacco, by his overfeer, who no fooner has feen him depart, than he refumes the command with all the ufual infolence of office. But fhould this prince not mean to ftir from his eftate, he goes to breakfast about ten o'clock, for which a table is spread in the large hall, provided with a bacon ham, C 2 hung hung beef, fowls or pigeons broiled; plantains and fweet caffavas roafted; bread, butter, cheese, &c. with which he drinks ftrong beer and a glafs of Madeira, Rhenish, or Mazell wine, while the cringing overfeer fits at the farther end, keeping his proper distance, both being ferved by the most beautiful flaves: and this is called breaking the poor gentleman's faft. After this he takes a book, plays at chefs or billiards, entertains himself with mufic, &c. till the heat of the day forces him to return into his cotton hammoc, to enjoy his meridian nap, which he could no more difpenfe with than a Spaniard with his fiefta, and in which he rocks himself to and fro, like a performer on the flack rope, till he falls afleep, without either bed or covering; and during which time he is fanned, by a couple of his black attendants, to keep him cool, &c. About three o'clock he awakes by natural inftinct, when, having washed and perfumed himfelf, he fits down to dinner, attended, as at breakfast, by his deputygovernor and fable pages, where nothing is wanting that the world can afford in a western climate, of meat, fowls, venifon, fish, vegetables, fruits, &c.; and the moft exquifite wines are often fquandered in profufion; after this a cup of ftrong coffee and a liquor finish the repast. At fix o'clock he is again waited on by his overfeer, attended, as in the morning, by his negro-drivers and prifoners; when the flogging having once more continued for fome time, and the neceffary orders being given for the next day's work, the affembly is difmiffed, and the evening spent with weak punch, cards, and tobacco. -As for the ladies, they indulge themselves juft as much, by giving way to their unbounded paffions, and efpecially to their most relentless barbarity. But while I can bear witness to the exalted virtues of fuch a woman as Mrs. Elizabeth Danforth, now Mrs. Godfrey, and a few more, whose characters fhine with tre ble ble luftre, I shall draw a veil over all the imperfections too common to their fex in this climate. Before I drop this fubject, however, I muft attest, that hospitality is in no country practifed with greater cordiality, or with lefs ceremony, a ftranger being every where at home, and finding his table and his bed at whatever estate neceffity or choice may occafion him to vifit. This is the more to be regarded, as no inns are to be met with in the neighbourhood of any of the Surinam rivers. A MASTERLY CHARACTER OF LORD CHATHAM. ATTRIBUTED TO MR. GRATTAN. HE fecretary stood alone. Modern degeneracy THE had not reached him. Original and unaccommo dating, the features of his mind had the hardihood of antiquity. His august mind over-awed majesty, and one of his fovereigns thought royalty fo impaired in his prefence, that he confpired to remove him, in order to be relieved from his fuperiority. No ftate chicanery, no narrow fyftem of vicious politics, no idle conteft for minifterial victories, funk him to the vulgar level of the great; but overbearing, perfuafive, and impracticable, his object was England, his ambition was fame. Without dividing, he deftroyed party; without corrupting, he made a venal age unanimous. France funk beneath him. With one hand he fmote the house of Bourbon, and wielded in the other the democracy of England. The fight of his mind was infinite: and his schemes were to affect, not England, not the prefent age only, but Europe and pofterity. Wonderful were the means by which these schemes were accomplished, always feasonable, always adequate; the fuggeftions of an understanding animated by ardour, and enlightened by prophecy. The ordinary feelings, which make life amiable and C 3 indolent, |