Il8 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



every day ferved up to him a plate of fomething 

 gray-coloured, I could not tell what, and fimilar, 

 in form, to fmall pebbles. He ate very heartily 

 of this didi, but never prefented it to any one at 

 table ; though his entertainments were always 

 given in the moft elegant ftyle, and every other 

 diQi indifcriminately recommended to his guefts, 

 of whatever rank. He one day perceived me 

 looking attentively at his fivourite mefs ; and 

 aiked, with a fmile, if T would pleafe to tafte it. 

 I accepted his offer, and found that it confided of 

 little balls of curdled milk, faked, and befprinkled 

 with anife- feeds, but fo hard and fo tough, that it 

 coft me inexpreffible exertion to force my teeth 

 through them, but to fwallow them down, was 

 abfolutely impoffible. 



** Thefe are," faid the Grand Mafler to me, 

 *' the cheefes of my native country. It is a tafte 

 *' which I acquired in myboyifli days. I was ac- 

 *' cuftomed, when a child, to feed with the pea- 



which I predifled the future partition of Poland, by the Powers 

 contiguous. This partition aélually took place fome years af- 

 terward. I have fince endeavoured to deferve well of my coun- 

 try by my fervices, both military, in the Weft-Indies, in my ca- 

 pacity of Captain of the royal engineers, and literary, in France, 

 and I add, with confidence, by my conduft likewife : but I 

 have not, hitherto enjoyed the felicity of experiencing, in my 

 fortune, that flie has been pleafed gracioufly to accept the va- 

 rious facriiices which I faw it my duty to make to her. 



fants 



