break through battalions, and bear down fquadrons. Upon the point of being overpowered by numbers, they refolutely sustain the effort of the enemy; and the generals being informed by their aids-de-camp of what paffes on that fide, caufe fuccours to march thither with all speed, revive the fpirits of the foldiers by their prefence, rally the broken battalions, bring them again to the charge, repulfe the enemy, drive them before them, regain the ground they had loft, retrieve the whole affair, purfue the enemy clofe, trample them under foot or ride over them, entirely difable them, put all that refift to the fword; and, after having fuftained continual discharges of cannon and small shot, and gained an entire and complete victory, cause a retreat to be founded, and lie on the field of battle, while the air refounds with the flourishes of trumpets."

The above defcription is contained in an edition of Mr Boyer's learned and useful work, now become exceedingly fcarce. It is there given in French and English; but I chufe to publish the tranflation only, as I mean it for the fole use of our British commanders, from

whose

whose practice at the time of its firft publication (about the beginning of this century) the description was probably taken. Perhaps, in fome late campaigns, our generals had confulted other Dictionaries, containing a much lefs animated and decifive definition of a battle than that which I have transcribed from the ingenious Mr Boyer.

I

No 108.

-N° 108.

I

SATURDAY, May 20. 1780.

Ah vices! gilded by the rich and gay.

SHENSTONE.

F we examine impartially that estimate of pleasure, which the higher ranks of fociety are apt to form, we fhall probably be furprised to find how little there is in it either of natural feeling or real fatisfaction. Many a fashionable voluptuary, who has not totally blunted his tafte or his judgement, will own, in the intervals of recollection, how often he has fuffered from the infipidity, or the pain of his enjoyments; and that, if it were not for the fear of being laughed at, it were fometimes worth while, even on the fcore of pleafure, to be virtuous.

Sir Edward

to whom I had the pleasure of being introduced at Florence, was a character much beyond that which diftinguishes the generality of English travellers of fortune. His ftory was known to fome of his countrymen who then refided in Italy; from

one

one of whom, who could now and then talk of fomething befide pictures and operas, I had a particular recital of it.

He had been firft abroad at an early period of life, foon after the death of his father had left him mafter of a very large eftate, which he had the good fortune to inherit, and all the inclination natural to youth to enjoy. Though always fumptuous, however, and fometimes profufe, he was obferved never to be ridiculous in his expences; and, though hè was now and then talked of as a man of pleafure and diffipation, he always left behind him more inftances of beneficence than of irregularity. For that refpect and esteem in which his character, amidst all his little errors, was generally held, he was fuppofed a good deal indebted to the fociety of a gentleman, who had been his companion at the university, and now attended him rather as a friend than a tutor. This gentleman was, unfortunately, feized at Marseilles with a lingering diforder, for which he was under the neceffity of taking a fea-voyage, leaving Sir Edward to profecute the remaining part of his intended tour alone.

Defcending into one of the valleys of Piedmont, where, notwithstanding the ruggedness

of

of the road, Sir Edward, with a prejudice natural to his country, preferred the conveyance of an English hunter to that of an Italian mule, his horfe, unluckily, made a falfe ftep, and fell with his rider to the ground, from which Sir Edward was lifted by his fervants with scarce any figns of life. They conveyed him on a litter to the nearest house, which happened to be the dwelling of a peasant rather above the common rank, before whose door fome of his neighbours were assembled at a fcene of rural merriment, when the train of Sir Edward brought up their master in the condition I have defcribed. The compaffion natural to his fituation was excited in all; but the owner of the manfion, whofe name was Venoni, was particularly moved with it. He applied himself immediately to the care of the * ftranger, and, with the affistance of his daughter, who had left the dance fhe was engaged in, with great marks of agitation, foon reftored Sir Edward to fenfe and life. Venoni poffeffed fome little fkill in furgery, and his daughter produced a book of receipts in medicine. Sir Edward, after being blooded, was put to bed, and tended with every poffible care by his hoft and his family. A confiderable degree