128 STL^DIES O? NATURE. 



refugee to the Exchange, and recommended hîm 

 without ceremony, and without humihation, to a 

 commercial agent, who fimply afked of the young 

 Frenchman a fpecimen of his hand-writing; he 

 then took down his name and addrefs in his 

 pocket-bock, and defired him to return next day 

 to the fame place at the fame hour. I did not fail 

 to obferve the affignation in company with him 

 and Mr. Le Brelon. The agent appeared, and pre* 

 fented my compatriot with a hft of feven or eight 

 fituaiions of clerk, in different counting-houfes, 

 fome of which were worth better than thirty gui- 

 neas a year, befide board and lodging ; others, 

 abont fixty pounds without board. He was, ac- 

 cordingly, fettled at once, without farther folici- 

 tation. I afked the elder Mr. Le Breton whence 

 came the aftive vigilance of this agent in favour 

 of a ftranger, and one entirely unknown to him : 

 He replied : " It is his trade ; he receives, as an 

 *' acknowledgment, one mondi's falary of the per- 

 *' fon for whom he provides. Do not be furprized 

 *' at this," added he, " every thing here is turned 

 '' to a commercial account, from an odd old (hoc 

 " up to a fquadron of fliips.'* 



We muft not fufFer ourfelves to be dazzled, 

 however, by the illuiions of a prodigious com- 

 merce ; and here it is that our politics have fre- 

 quently mifled us. Trade and man.ufadures, we 



are 



