f 792- on ntifcellaneous reading. 37 



the education of a gentleman as defined by d'Alertibert, 

 it win Imply more than Is at first imagined. He says, 

 that " a gentleman ihould have a fuperficial knowledge 

 of all things, and be profound in one, namely, his pro- 

 fefslonal capacity ;" he advises also, in order to fave 

 time, that readers of history should begin from the pre- 

 sent time, and advance their studies by retrogradation. 

 Now though I am not entirely of his opinion, yet 

 we must confefs it a most ingenious one, to abridge 

 the road to learning 5 I will even go so far as to avow, 

 that a tolerable body of science may be acquired, by a 

 constant perusal of all periodical publications ; and we 

 rarely find a person of common capacity, who reads 

 with attention the several newspapers, magazines, par- 

 lour-window books, i:fc. <is'c. that is not capable of ac- 

 quitting himself with decency, and even with ec/at, on 

 any topic of general conversation. 



Arc-en-ciel. 



DESCRIPTION OF A NAUTCH AT THIBET, 

 GIVEN BEFORE THE LAMA» 



Taken from the manuscript journal of a late traveller^ 

 "With which we have been favoured by a respectable 

 correspondent. 

 1 PASSED my time in looking at the dancers, or playing 

 at chefs with some of the Thibetians. The court held 

 about thirty dancers, half of them men, half women. 

 The men were drefsed in different and party-colour- 

 ed clothes, with their large bonnets of sheep's wool, 

 a bit of coloured silk In each hand, and a leather ma- 

 chine, something in shape of, but rather lefs than a 

 fiddle, at their side j it seemed, however, to be only 



