228 
that each article was served in the 
finest porcelain of Sevres. In the 
meanwhile, Monsieur begged me to 
excuse their frugality. ‘Your amia- 
ble friend knows perfectly well the 
difficulty of circumstances,” said Ma- 
dame. 
“Jeanneton! my milliner—is she 
“come?” “Yes, Madame, she has 
brought the hat, the two caps, and a 
turban, which you ordered.”—‘‘ Have 
you paid her the six louis?” ‘“ Yes, 
Madame. The shoemaker has also 
brought Monsieur’s shoe, which he 
has mended, and asks fifteen sous.” — 
“T think dear enough.” ‘Has healso 
brought my boots of the blossom 
colour, which pleased me?” “No, 
madame, he says he can’t sell them 
for less than twelve francs.”—‘‘ Well, 
let it be so; for I never beat shop- 
keepers down for such trifling objects.” 
—“‘ Monsieur’s tayloris here, who de- 
sires to know if my master wishes a 
surtout for the winter.” ‘No: tell 
him thatlastyear’sis goodenough. Be- 
sides, I must have two douilletts, and 
four robes; and I can hardly support 
even that expense. Hold! here’s 
twelve sous: take what is necessary 
for the supper.—I have a box to- 
night at the Theatre Italien, and I 
hope Monsieur V. will do me the ho- 
nour of his company.” I went with 
her to the opera, but took care not to 
return to supper; the twelve sous had 
spoiled my appetite, and I repaired to 
my hotel, sent for the traiteur, and 
very soon made up for my abstemious- 
ness at my lady’s,—the brilliant, ele- 
gant, astonishing, and dazzling Ma- 
dame P. 
a 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
AM a constant reader of your en- 
tertaining and useful Miscellany; 
and, as you have many judicious and 
well-informed correspondents, 1 shall 
Biographical Account of Martin Henry Klaproth. 
[Oct. 1, 
be obliged, if you will permit me to 
ask them a few questions. 
Is it not very remarkable, that there 
should be efforts making at the same mo- 
ment in France, Germany, Prussia, and 
Belgium, for the restriction of the liberty 
of the press ? 
Is not the only legitimate way of op- 
posing error by bringing forward the 
truth? 
Does truth need the aid of the sword ? 
Is there any precept of Christianity 
which authorizes fines and imprisonments 
for its defence?—Are not its rewards to 
be conferred in Heaven? and its penalties 
to be inflicted in a future world of 
misery? 
Might not all our missionaries in foreign 
lands be imprisoned and fined? Are they 
not blasphemers against the established re- 
ligion of the country? 
Does a religion like Christianity, of 
divine origin, need to be defended by penal 
statutes?—Has it not successfully with 
stood the inveterate and malignant attacks 
of every age ?—If it be of God, will it not 
stand and triumph, as it actually did in 
primitive times, over every opposition? 
If the employment of human force is 
allowable in matters of religion, then is 
not the Presbyterian justifiable in punish- 
ing the Episcopalian in Scotland ? and the 
Episcopalian in England to be commended 
for persecuting the Presbyterian? and is 
not the Catholic at Rome defensible, for 
punishing every species of Protestantism ? 
If Christianity is to be defended by 
pains and penalties, is there any differs 
ence, in this respect, between the Chris- 
tian religion and Mahometanism? 
Can human establishments in religion 
be defended by any other means than 
force ?—And is this lawful ? 
Did not the Apostles say, “‘ The wea- 
pons of our warfare are not carnal ?”—Can 
the supporters of human establishments, 
with their ecclesiastical courts, fines, im- 
prisonments, and executions, say any 
thing like this?—If they cannot, is their 
Christianity the same system which the 
Apostles preached ? 
A Mopest ENQUIRER. 
BIOGRAPHY OF EMINENT PERSONS. 
LIFE of KLAPROTH, the celebrated CHE- 
MIST, by E. G. FISCHER; read m the 
ACADEMY of SCIENCES ai PARIS. 
ARTIN HENRY KLAPROTH was 
born at Wernigerode in Dec. 
1748, and died at Berlin in January 
1817. His father, a citizen of Werni- 
gerode, having had the misfortune to 
lose his property by a great fire in 
1751, was able to do little or nothing 
for the education of his children. 
Klaproth obtained such meagre in- 
structions, in the Latin language, as 
the school of Wernigerode afforded, 
and was obliged aiso to procure his 
small school fees, by singing as one of 
the church choir. The unmerited hard 
treatment which he met with at school, 
so disinclined him to study, that he de- 
termined, in his 16th year, to learn the 
trade 
