incent: "there are few better satires on a
civilized country than the observations of visitors less polished; while
on the contrary the civilized traveller, in describing the manners of
the American barbarian, instead of conveying ridicule upon the visited,
points the sarcasm on the visitor; and Tacitus could not have thought of
a finer or nobler satire on the Roman luxuries than that insinuated by
his treatise on the German simplicity."

"What," said Monsieur D'E--(an intelligent ci-devant emigre), "what
political writer is generally esteemed as your best?"

"It is difficult to say," replied Vincent, "since with so many parties
we have many idols; but I think I might venture to name Bolingbroke as
among the most popular. Perhaps, indeed, it would be difficult to
select a name more frequently quoted and discussed than his; and yet his
political works are the least valuable part of his remains; and though
they contain many lofty sentiments, and many beautiful yet scattered
truths, they were written when legislation, most debated, was least
understood, and ought to be admired rather as excellent for the day than
estimable in themselves. The life of Bolingbroke would convey a juster
moral than all his writings: and the author who gives us a full and
impartial memoir of that extraordinary man, will have afforded both
to the philosophical and political literature of England one of its
greatest desideratums."

"It seems to me," said Monsieur D'E--, "that your national literature is
peculiarly deficient in biography--am I right in my opinion?"

"Indubitably!" said Vincent; "we have not a single work that can be
considered a model in biography, (excepting, perhaps, Middleton's Life
of Cicero.) This brings on a remark I have often made in distinguishing
your philosophy from ours. It seems to me that you who excel so
admirably in biography, memoirs, comedy, satirical observation on
peculiar classes, and pointed aphorisms, are fonder of considering man
in his relation to society and the active commerce of the world, than
in the more abstracted and metaphysical operations of the mind.
Our writers, on the contrary, love to indulge rather in abstruse
speculations on their species--to regard man in an abstract and isolated
point of view, and to see him think alone in his chamber, while you
prefer beholding him act with the multitude in the world."

"It must be allowed," said Monsieur D'E----t, "that if this be true, our
philosoph