being fine, came up on deck. After some time, there
stept out of the Cabin a man in cinnamon-colored coat with gold
button-HOLES; in black wig; face and coat considerably dusted with
Spanish snuff. He looked fixedly at me, for a while; and then said,
without farther preface, 'Who are you, Monsieur?' This cavalier tone
from an unknown person, whose exterior indicated nothing very important,
did not please me; and I declined satisfying his curiosity. He was
silent. But, some time after, he took a more courteous tone, and said:
'Come in here to me, Monsieur! You will be better here than in the
Steerage, amid the tobacco-smoke.' This polite address put an end to
all anger; and as the singular manner of the man excited my curiosity,
I took advantage of his invitation. We sat down, and began to speak
confidentially with one another.

"Do you see the man in the garden yonder, sitting smoking his pipe?'
said he to me: 'That man, you may depend upon it, is not happy.'--'I
know not,' answered I: 'but it seems to me, until one knows a man, and
is completely acquainted with his situation and his way of thought, one
cannot possibly determine whether he is happy or unhappy.'

"My gentleman admitted this [very good-natured!]; and led the
conversation on the Dutch Government. He criticised it,--probably to
bring me to speak. I did speak; and gave him frankly to know that he
was not perfectly instructed in the thing he was criticising.--'You
are right,' answered he; 'one can only criticise what one is thoroughly
acquainted with.'--He now began to speak of Religion; and with eloquent
tongue to recount what mischief Scholastic Philosophy had brought upon
the world; then tried to prove 'That Creation was impossible.' At this
last point I stood out in opposition. 'But how can one create Something
out of Nothing?' said he. 'That is not the question,' answered I; 'the
question is, Whether such a Being as God can or cannot give existence to
what has yet none.' He seemed embarrassed, and added, 'But the Universe
is eternal.'--'You are in a circle,' said I; 'how will you get out of
it?'--'I skip over it" said he, laughing; and then began to speak of
other things.

"'What form of Government do you reckon the best?' inquired he,
among other things. 'The monarchic, if the King is just and
enlightened.'--'Very well,' answered he; 'but where will you find Kings
of that sort?' And thereupon went into such a sally upon Kings, as could
not in the lea