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though a faint one, to the distinction which 

 you deny. I remember, too, that he was 

 much diverted at the good emperor's pane- 

 gyric on kissing crust ; and he put me in 

 mind of a scene we had witnessed together, 

 when a French gentleman, before a pretty 

 large company at breakfast, very openly 

 expressed his disappointment, at not find- 

 ing any crust of that kind : we had observed 

 him turning the loaf round several times ; 

 at last he exclaimed, " Ma foi je le tourne, 

 le retourne, et n'y vois rien d'appetissant IT 

 But, to return from this Frenchman to the 

 emperor: I believe, as you say, that he 

 meant to account for the pleasure he re- 

 ceived, solely from his stoic doctrines, and 

 yet, as, according to those doctrines, all 

 the productions of nature universally, (even 

 those that are baneful, as poisons) were to 

 be admired, why should he select and spe- 

 cify these particular objects, as having 

 something peculiarly ornamental and at- 

 tractive ? I think I can account for this 

 selection, and, as you may suppose, in a 

 manner that accords with my distinction, 

 a a 2 



