STUDY XIII. 193 



employ the art of a fmith : if not for myfelf, for 

 the benefit of feme one elfe. I order this honeft 

 fellow to manufadlure for me fome folid ufeful ar- 

 ticles of houfehold furniture, which I intend to be- 

 ftow, as a monument to preferve my memory in 

 fome poor family. I wilh, befides, to purchafe 

 the friendfliip of an artificer; I am perfecflly furc 

 that the attention which he fees I pay to his work, 

 will induce him to exert his utmofl fkill in exe- 

 cuting it. I thus hit two marks with one ftone. 

 A rich man, in (imilar circumftances, would give 

 alms, and confer no obligation on any one. 



7- 7' Roiijfeau told me a little anecdote of him- 

 felf, relative to the fubjed in hand. " One-day," 

 faid he, " I happened to be at a village- feftival, 

 *' in a gentleman's country-feat, not far from Paris. 

 *' After dinner, the company betook themfelves to 

 '' walking up and down the fair, and amufed 

 " themfelves with throwing pieces of fmall money 

 " among the peafantry, to have the pleafure of 

 " feeing them fcramble and fight, in picking them 

 *^ up. For my own part, following the bent of my 

 ** folitary humour, I walked apart in another dircc- 

 " tion. I obferved a little girl felling apples, dif- 

 *' played on a flat bafket, which Ihe carried before 

 *' her. To no purpofe did fhe extol the excel- 

 " lence of her goods; no cuftomer appeared to 

 *' cheapen them. How much do you aik for all 



VOL. IV. o ** your 



