told her she might deserve his clemency; and they accordingly took their departure together, she being placed astride upon the saddle, holding the bridle in one hand, and a switch in the other; and our adventurer sitting on the crupper, superintending her conduct, and keeping the muzzle of a pistol close at her ear. In this equipage they travelled across part of the same wood in which his guide had forsaken him; and it is not to be supposed that he passed his time in the most agreeable reverie, while he found himself involved in the labyrinth of those shades, which he considered as the haunts of robbery and assassination.

Common fear was a comfortable sensation to what he felt in this excursion. The first steps he had taken for his preservation were the effects of mere instinct, while his faculties were extinguished or suppressed with despair; but now, as his reflection began to recur, he was haunted by the most intolerable apprehensions. Every whisper of the wind through the thickets was swelled into the hoarse menaces of murder, the shaking of the boughs was construed into the brandishing of poniards, and every shadow of a tree became the apparition of a ruffian eager for blood. In short, at each of these occurrences he felt what was infinitely more tormenting than the stab of a realdagger; and at every fillip of his fear he acted as a remembrancer to his conductress, in a new volley of imprecations, importing that her life was absolutely connected with his opinion of his own safety.

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Human nature could not long subsist under such complicated terror: at last he found himself clear of the forest, and was blessed with the distant view of an inhabited place: he then began to exer

cise his thoughts upon a new subject. He debated with himself, whether he should make a parade of his intrepidity and public spirit, by disclosing his achievements, and surrendering his guide to the penalty of the law; or leave the old hag and her accomplices to the remorse of their own consciences, and proceed quietly on his journey to Paris, in undisturbed possession of the prize he had already obtained. This last step he determined to take, upon recollecting that in the course of his information the story of the murdered stranger would infallibly attract the attention of justice, and, in that case, the effects he had borrowed from the defunct must be refunded for the benefit of those who had a right to the succession. This was an argument which our adventurer could not resist ; he foresaw that he should be stripped of his acquisition, which he looked upon as the fair fruits of his valour and sagacity; and, moreover, be detained as an evidence against the robbers, to the manifest detriment of his affairs: perhaps too he had motives of conscience, that dissuaded him from bearing witness against a set of people whose principles did not much differ from his own.

Influenced by such considerations, he yielded to the first importunity of the beldame, whom he dismissed at a very sinall distance from the village, after he had earnestly exhorted her to quit such an atrocious course of life, and atone for her past crimes by sacrificing her associates to the demands of justice. She did not fail to vow a perfect reformation, and to prostrate herself before him for the favour she had found: then she betook herself to her habitation, with full purpose of advising her fellow-murderers to repair with all dispatch to the village, and impeach our hero, who, wisely dis

trusting her professions, staid no longer in the place than to hire a guide for the next stage, which brought him to the city of Chalons sur Marne. SMOLLETT.

PEOPLE OF FASHION.

THERE are many phrases that custom renders familiar to our ears, which, when looked into, and closely examined, will appear extremely strange, and of which it must greatly puzzle a very learned etymologist to account for the original.

Of this sort is the term, People of Fashion. An expression of such very common use, and so universally understood, that it is entirely needless to set down here what is meant by it; but how it first acquired its present meaning, and became a title of honour and distinction, is a point, I apprehend, of no small difficulty to determine.

I have on this occasion consulted several of my friends who are well skilled in etymology. One of these traces the word fashion through the French language up to the Latin. He brings it from the verb facio, which, among other things, signifies to do. Hence he supposes People of Fashion, according to the old derivation of lucus à non lucendo, to be spoken of those who do nothing. But this is too general, and would include all the beggars in the nation.

Another carries the original no farther than the French word façon, which is often used to signify affectation. This likewise will extend too far, and will comprehend attorneys' clerks, apprentices, milliners, mantua-makers, and an infinite number of the lower people.

A third will bring fashion from parts. This in the genitive plural makes párɛwv, which in English is the very word. According to him, by People of Fashion are meant people whose essence consisteth in appearances, and who, while they seem to be something, are really nothing.

But though I am well apprised that much may be said to support this derivation, there is a fourth opinion which, to speak in the proper language, has yet a more smiling aspect. This supposes the word Fashion to be a corruption from Fascination, and that these people were formerly believed by the vulgar to be a kind of conjurors, and to possess a species of the black art.

In support of this opinion, my friend urges the use which these people have always made of the word Circle, and the pretence to be inclosed in a certain circle, like so many conjurors, and by such means to keep the vulgar at a distance from them.

To this purpose likewise he quotes the phrases, a polite circle, the circle of one's acquaintance, people that live within a certain circle, and many others.

From all which he infers, that in those dark and ignorant ages, when conjurors were held in more estimation than they are at present, the credulous vulgar believed these people to be of the number, and consequently called them People of Fascination, which has been since corrupted into People of Fashion.

However whimsical this opinion may seem, or however far-fetched the derivation may sound to those who have not much considered the barbarous corruption of language, I must observe in its favour, how difficult it is, by any other method, to account not only for that odd phrase People of

Fashion, but likewise for that circle within which these people have always affected to live.

Even now, when conjurors have been long laughed out of the world, the pretence to the circle is nevertheless maintained, and within the circle the People of Fascination do actually insist upon living at this day.

It is moreover pleasant to observe, what wonderful care these people take to preserve their circle safe and inviolate, and with how jealous an eye they guard against any intrusion of those whom they are pleased to call the vulgar; who are on the other hand as vigilant to watch, and as active to improve every opportunity of invading this circle, and breaking into it.

Within the memory of many now living, the circle of the People of Fascination included the whole parish of Covent Garden, and a great part of St. Giles's in the Fields; but here the enemy broke in, and the circle was presently contracted to Leicester Fields and Golden Square. Hence the People of Fashion again retreated before the foe to Hanover Square; whence they were once more driven to Grosvenor Square, and even beyond it, and that with such precipitation, that, had they not been stopped by the walls of Hyde Park, it is more than probable they would by this time have arrived at Kensington.

In many other instances we may remark the same flight of these people, and the same pursuit of their enemies. They first contrived a certain vehicle called a hackney-coach, to avoid the approach of the foe in the open streets. Hence they were soon routed, and obliged to take shelter in coaches of their own. Nor did this protect them long; the enemy likewise in great numbers mount