14 TRAVELLIN'S MEMORANDUMS. Sep. 1 5, 



jiift reaS one of SHakcfpear's capital pl.iys, I'tliink it 

 his beft, till I read another : at this moment I think 

 the^^izrf is Mollier's beft comedy ; — I may alter my opi- 

 nion without abating myeftimation of it, whcnlfuc- 

 eeffively perufe the Tartujr, and the Mifanthropey &c — 

 We may obferve in real life, that if the moft notorious 

 raifer had fenfe enough to avoid certain pitiTul, trifling, 

 and contemptible favings, he might be allowed to me- 

 rit the chara£ter of a wife and cautious man. — Mol- 

 lier's mifer would pafs for a rational good old man, 

 pruriently rcftraining the cxcefies of his inconfiderate 

 and unexperienced children.— If you retrench thofe 

 grofs and ridiculous fooleries, which indeed are infe- 

 parahle from the nature of avarice. — His lendingy in 

 place of giving a good day, feems outre \ but he is truly 

 natural and comic, tv'hen he gives his fteward directions 

 about the entertainment. '* Plenty of foup maigre to 

 '' cloy their ftomachs 5 and provide what may ferve u 

 '.' company of eight, which will be fufficient for twelve 

 *< cr fourteen." ■ ■ 



Harpagon's kialcrous agitations on difcovery of the 

 robbery have a remarkable and very curious refemblance 

 to Shakefpearc's Shylcck en a fimiliar occaficn. It is 

 pleafant to mark fuch comparifons of genius in differ- 

 ent countries. Here the fimilitudeis delightfully ftrikiilg. 



Jlyeres, March 20, 17 87. Lift of French books, 

 cccafionally recommended by intelligent friends here: 

 — Tilontaigne — Voltaire's edition of Con:ei/h; — Racine, 

 Crehiilon — MoUiere — Boiha'u — DinioKaire raifonnce um~ 

 verfel d'HiJloire tiaturelle, par MonJ. Valtnonty feveir 

 volumes — Voyage d'un amateur des arts, — Elemens de 

 I'hiftoire de France, 3 vols, par PAbbe Milot — Jllemdrcj 

 de chimie, par Monf. Sage — Hijioire d'Efpagne, par Ma- 

 riana — Htjioire de Henri quatre, par Perefixw- — Tableau 

 de Paris, many vols. — Guide des amateurs ct des etran- 

 gers voyeageures a Paris — Schruchzei's natural hiftory 

 of Switzerland.— Monf. laume promifcs to give me a 

 lift of the moft efteemed memoirs and tranflations in 

 the French language. 



