will-whether in town or country-in cart or under panniers-whether in liberty or bondage—I have ever fomething civil to fay to him on my part; and as one word begets another (if he has as little to do as 1)-I generally fall into converfation with him; and furely never is my imagination fo bufy as in framing his refponies from the etchings of his countenance and where thofe carry me not deep enough-in flying from my own heart into his, and feeing what is natural for an afs to think as well as a man, upon the occafion. In truth, it is the only creature of all the claffes of beings below me, with whom I can do this: for parrots, jackdaws, &c.I never exchange a word with them—nor with the apes, &c. for pretty near the fame reafon; they act by rote, as the others fpeak by it, and equally make me filent: nay, my dog and my cat, though I value them both. (and for my dog, he would fpeak if he could) yet, fomehow or other, they neither of them poffefs the talents for converfation I can make nothing of a difcourfe with them, beyond the proponition, the reply, and rejoinder, which terminated my father's and my mother's converfations, in his beds of juftice-and thofe utteredthere's an end of the dialogue ever. But with an afs, I can commune for Come, Honefly! faid I-feeing it was impracticable to pafs betwixt him and the gate-art thou for coming in, or going out? The afs twisted his head round to look up the street Well-replied I-we'll wait a minute for thy driver. He turned his head thoughtful about, and looked witfully the oppofite way I understand thee perfectly, answered I if thou takeit a wrong ftep in this affair, he will cudgel thee to death-Well! a minute is but a minute, and if it faves a feilow-creature a drubbing, it shall not be fet down as ill spent. He was eating the ftem of an artichoke as this difcourfe went on, and in the little peevish contentions of nature betwixt hunger and unfavourinefs, had dropt it out of his mouth half a dozen times, and pick'd it up again God help thee, Jack! faid I, thou hast a bitter breakfast on't-and many a bitter day's labour-and many a bitter blow, I fear, for its wages-'tis all all bitterness to thee, whatever life is to others.And now thy mouth, if one knew the truth of it, is as bitter, I dare fay, as foot-(for he had caft afide the ftem) and thou haft not a friend perhaps in all this world, that will give thee a macaroon. -In faying this, I pulled out a paper of them, which I had just purchafed, and gave him one-and at this moment that I am telling it, my heart fmites me, that there was more of pleafantry in the conceit, of seeing how an afs would eat a macaroon volence in giving him one, which prefided in the act. -than of bene When the afs had eaten his macaroon, I prefs'd him to come in-the poor beat was heavy loaded-his legs feem'd to tremble under him he hung rather backwards, and, as I pulled at his halter, it broke hort in my hand-he look'd up penfive in my face-" Don't thrash me with it but if you will, you may."If I do, faid I, I'll be dd. The word was but one half of it pronounced, like the abbefs of Andouillet's(fo there was no fin in it)-when a perfon coming in, let fall a thundering baftinado upon the poor devil's crupper, which put an end to the ceremony. Out upon it! cried Ibut the interjection was equivocal and, I think, wrong placed too -for the end of an ofier, which had started out from the contexture of the afs's pannier, had caught hold of my breeches pocket as he rushed by me, and rent it in the most difaftrous direction you can imagine fo that the Out upon it! in my opinion, fhould have come in here. Sterne. 72. Players in a Country Town defcribed. The players, you must know, finding this a good town, had taken a leafe the laft fummer of an old fynagogue deserted by the Jews; but the mayor, being a prefbyterian, refufed to licence their exhibitions: however, when they were in the utmost despair, the ladies of the place joined in a petition to Mrs. Mayorefs, who prevailed on her husband to wink at their performances. The company immediately opened their fynagogue theatre with the Merchant of Venice; and finding a quick doctor's zany, a droll fellow, they decoyed him into their fervice; and he has fince performed the part of the Mock Doctor with univerfal applaufe. Upon his revolt 3 L the the doctor himself found it abfolutely neeeffary to enter of the company; and, having a talent for tragedy, has performed with great fuccefs the Apothecary in Romeo and Juliet. The performers at our ruftic theatre are far beyond thofe paltry ftrollers, who run about the country, and exhibit in a barn or a cow-houfe: for (as their bills declare) they are a company of Comedians from the Theatre Royal; and I affure you they are as much applauded by our country critics, as any of your capital actors. The fhops of our tradefmen have been almost deferted, and a croud of weavers and hardwaremen have elbowed each other two hours before the opening of the doors, when the bills have informed us, in enormous red letters, that the part of George, Barnwell was to be performed by Mr, , at the particular defire of feveral ladies of distinction. 'Tis true, indeed, that our principal actors have most of them had their education at Covent-garden or Drury-lane; but they have been employed in the bufinefs of the drama in a degree but just above a scene-fhifter. An heroine, to whom your managers in town (in envy to her rifing merit) fcarce allotted the humble part of a confidante, now blubbers out Andromache or Belvidera; the attendants on a monarch ftrut monarchs them felves, mutes find their voices, and meffage-bearers rife into heroes. The humour of our best comedian confifts in fhrugs and grimaces; he jokes in a wry mouth, and repartees in a grin: in fhort, he practifes on Congreve and Vanbrugh all thofe diftortions which gained him fo much applaufe from the galleries, in the drubs which he was obliged to undergo in pantomimes. I was vaftly diverted at feeing a fellow in the character of Sir Harry Wildair, whofe chief action was a continual preffing together of the thumb and fore-finger, which, had he lifted them to his nofe, I should have thought he defigned as an imitation of taking fnuff: but I could easily account for the caufe of this fingle gesture, when I discovered that Sir Harry was no lefs a perfon than the dexterous Mr. Clippit, the candle-fnuffer. You would laugh to fee how ftrangely the parts of a play are caft. They played Cato: and their Marcia was fuch an old woman, that when Juba came on with his" Hail! charming maid !"the fellow could not help laughing, Another night I was furprized to hear an eager lover talk of rufhing into his mif trefs's arms, rioting on the nectar of her lips, and defiring (in the tragedy rap ture) to " hug her thus, and thus, for ever;" though he always took care to ftand at a molt ceremonious distance. But I was afterwards very much diverted at the caufe of this extraordinary refpect, when I was told that the lady laboured under the misfortune of an ulcer in her leg, which occafioned fuch a disagreeable ftench, that the performers were obliged to keep her at arms length. The entertainment was Lethe; and the part of the Frenchman was performed by a South Briton; who, as he could not pronounce a word of the French language, fupplied its place by gabbling in his native Welsh. The decorations, or (in the theatrical dialect) the property of our company, are as extraordinary as the performers. Othello raves about in a checked handkerchief; the ghost in Hamlet stalks in a poftilion's leathern-jacket for a coat of mail; and Cupid enters with a fiddle-cafe flung over his fhoulders for a quiver. The apothecary of the town is free of the house, for lending them a pestle and mortar to ferve as the bell in Venice Preferved: and a barber-furgeon has the fame privilege, for furnishing them with bafons of blood to befmear the daggers in Macbeth. Macbeth himself carries a rolling-pin in his hand for a truncheon; and, as the breaking of glaffes would be very expenfive, he dashes down a pewter pint-pot at the fight of Banquo's ghost. A fray happened here the other night, which was no fmall diverfion to the audience. It seems there had been a great conteft between two of thofe mimic heroes, which was the fittest to play Richard the Third. One of them was reckoned to have the better perfon, as he was very roundshouldered, and one of his legs was fhorter than the other; but his antagonist carried the part, because he started beft in the tent fcene. However, when the curtain drew up, they both rushed in upon the stage at once; and, bawling out together, " Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths," they both went through the whole fpeech without stopping. Connoiffeur. the audience, by the expreffion of Jeu de Theatre, which we may tranflate, "the juggle of the theatre." When these little arts are exercised merely to affift nature, and fet her off to the best advantage, none can be fo critically nice as to object to them; but when tragedy by these means is lifted into rant, and comedy distorted into buffoonry; though the deceit may fucceed with the multitude, men of fenfe will always be offended at it. This conduct, whether of the poet or the player, resembles in fome fort the poor contrivance of the ancients, who mounted their heroes upon ftilts, and expreffed the manners of their characters by the grotesque figures of their masks. Ibid. $74. True Pleafure defined. We are affected with delightful fenfations, when we fee the inanimate parts of the creation, the meadows, flowers, and trees, in a flourishing state. There muft be fome rooted melancholy at the heart, when all nature appears fmiling about us, to hinder us from correfponding with the reft of the creation, and joining in the univerfal chorus of joy. But if meadows and trees in their chearful verdure, if flowers in their bloom, and all the vegetable parts of the creation in their most advantageous drefs, can infpire gladnefs into the heart, and drive away all fadnefs but defpair; to fee the rational creation happy and flourishing, ought to give us a pleasure as much fuperior, as the latter is to the former in the fcale of beings. But the pleasure is ftill heightened, if we ourfelves have been inftrumental in contributing to the happiness of our fellow-creatures, if we have helped to raise a heart drooping beneath the weight of grief, and revived that barren and dry land, where no water was, with refreshing fhowers of love and kindness. Seed's Sermons. $75. How Politeness is manifefted. To correct fuch grofs vices as lead us to commit a real injury to others, is the part of morals, and the object of the most ordinary education. Where that is not attended to, in fome degree, no human fociety can fubfift. But in order to render converfation and the intercourse of minds more eafy and agreeable, good-manners have been invented, and have carried the matter somewhat farther. Wherever nature has given the mind a propenfity to any vice, or to any paffion difagreeable to others, reAned breeding has taught men to throw the bias on the oppofite fide, and to preserve, in all their behaviour, the appearance of fentiments contrary to those which they naturally incline to. Thus, as we are naturally proud and selfish, and apt to affume the preference above others, a polite man is taught to behave with deference towards thofe with whom he converses, and to yield up the fuperiority to them in all the common incidents of fociety. In like manner, wherever a person's fituation may naturally beget any disagreeable fufpicion in him, 'tis the part of good-manners to prevent it, by a studied difplay of fentiments directly contrary to thofe of which he is apt to be jealous. Thus old men know their infirmities, and naturally dread contempt from youth: hence, well educated youth redouble their inftances of refpect and deference to their elders. Strangers and foreigners are without protection: hence, in all polite countries, they receive the firit place in every company. A man is highest civilities, and are entitled to the lord in his own family, and his guests are, in a manner, fubject to his authority: hence, in a manner, fubject to his authority: hence, he is always the lowest perfon in the com pany; attentive to the wants of every one; and giving himfelf all the trouble, in order to please, which may not betray too vifible ftraint on his guests. Gallantry is nothing an affectation, or impofe too much conbut an inftance of the fame generous and refined attention. As nature has given man the fuperiority above woman, by endowing him with greater ftrength both of mind and body, 'tis his part to alleviate that fuperiority, as much as poffible, by the generofity of his behaviour, and by a studied clinations and opinions. Barbarous nations deference and complaifance for all her indifplay this fuperiority, by reducing their fining them, by beating them, by felling females to the most abject flavery; by conthem, by killing them. But the male fex, among a polite people, difcover their authority in a more generous, though not a left evident, manner; by civility, by refpect, by complaifance, and, in a word, by gallantry. In good company, you need not afk, who is mafter of the feaft? The man who fits in the lowest place, and who is always industrious in helping every one, is moft certainly the perfon. We muft either condemn all fuch inftances of generofity, as foppish and affected, or admit of gallantry among the reft. The ancient Mufcovites wedded their wives with a whip inftead of a wedding ring. The fame peo 3 L 2 ple, ple, in their own houfes, took always the precedency above foreigners, even foreign ambaffadors. Thefe two inftances of their generofity and politenefs are much of a-piece. Hume's Effays. $76. The Bufinefs and Qualifications of a Poet defcribed. "Wherever I went, I found that poetry was confidered as the highest learning, and regarded with a veneration fomewhat approaching to that which man would pay to the angelic nature. And it yet fills me with wonder, that, in almost all countries, the most ancient poets are confidered as the beft: whether it be that every other kind of knowledge is an acquifition gradually attained, and poetry is a gift conferred at once; or that the firft poetry of every nation surprised them as a novelty, and retained the credit by confent which it received by accident at firft: or whether, as the province of poetry is to defcribe nature and paffion, which are always the fame, the first writers took poffeffion of the most striking objects for defcription, and the most probable occurrences for fiction, and left nothing to those that followed them, but tranfcriptions of the fame events and new combinations of the fame images. Whatever be the reafon, it is commonly obferved, that the early writers are in poffeffion of nature, and their followers of art: that the first excel in ftrength and invention, and the latter in elegance and refinement. "I was defirous to add, my name to this illuftrious fraternity. I read all the poets of Perfia and Arabia, and was able to repeat by memory the volumes that are fufpended in the mofque of Mecca. But I foon found that no man was ever great by imitation. My defire of excellence impelled me to transfer my attention to nature and to life. Nature was to be my subject, and men to be my auditors: I could never defcribe what I had not feen: I could not hope to move those with delight or terror, whofe interefts and opinions I did not un derstand. "Being now refolved to be a poet, I faw every thing with a new purpofe; my fphere of attention was fuddenly magnified: no kind of knowledge was to be overlooked. I ranged mountains and deferts for images and resemblances, and pictured upon my mind every tree of the forest and flower of the valley. I obferved with equal care the crags of the rock, and the pinnacles of the palace. Sometimes I wan dered along the mazes of the rivulet, and fometimes watched the changes of the fummer clouds. To a poet nothing can be useless. Whatever is beautiful, and whatever is dreadful, must be familiar to his imagination: he must be converiant with all that is awfully vaft or elegantly little. The plants of the garden, the ani. mals of the wood, the minerals of the earth, and meteors of the sky, muft all concur to store his mind with inexhaustible variety: for every idea is useful for the enforcement or decoration of moral or religious truth: and he who knows moft will have moft power of diverfifying his scenes, and of gratifying his reader with remote allufions and unexpected inftruction. "All the appearances of nature I was therefore careful to study, and every country which I have furveyed has contributed fomething to my poetical powers." "In fo wide a furvey," faid the prince, "you muft furely have left much unobferved. I have lived, till now, within the circuit of these mountains, and yet cannot walk abroad without the fight of fomething which I never, beheld before, or never heeded." "The business of a poet," faid Imlac, " is to examine, not the individual, but the fpecies, to remark general properties and large appearances: he does not number the streaks of the tulip, or defcribe the dif ferent shades in the verdure of the forest He is to exhibit in his portraits of nature fuch prominent and striking features, as recal the original to every mind; and muft neglect the minuter discriminations, which one may have remarked, and another have neglected, for those characteristics which are alike obvious to vigilance and careleffness. "But the knowledge of nature is only half the task of a poet: he must be acquainted likewife with all the modes of life. His character requires that he estimate the happiness and mifery of every condition, obferve the power of all the paffions in all their combinations, and trace the changes of the human mind as they are modified by various inftitutions, and accidental in fluences of climate or custom, from the fprightlinefs of infancy to the defpondence of decrepitude. He muft diveft himself of the prejudices of his age or country; he muft confider right and wrong in their abftract and invariable ftate; he muft difregard prefent laws and opinions, and rife to general general and tranfcendental truths, which will always be the fame: he must therefore content himself with the flow progrefs of his name; contemn the applaufe of his own time, and commit his claims to the juftice of pofterity. He must write as the interpreter of nature, and the legislator of mankind, and confider himself as prefiding over the thoughts and manners of future generations, as a being fuperior to time and place. "His labour is not yet at an end: he muft know many languages and many fciences; and, that his tyle may be worthy of his thoughts, must, by inceffant practice, familiarize to himself every delicacy of fpeech and grace of harmony." Johnson's Raffelas. § 77. Remarks on fome of the best Poets, both ancient and modern. 'Tis manifeft, that fome particular ages have been more happy than others, in the production of great men, and all forts of arts and fciences; as that of Euripides. Sophocles, Ariftophanes, and the relt, for ftage poetry, among the Greeks; that of Auguftus for heroic, lyric, dramatic, elegiac, and indeed all forts of poetry, in the perfons of Virgil, Horace. Varius, Ovid, and many others; efpecially if we take into that century the latter end of the commonwealth, wherein we find Varro, Lucretius, and Catullus: and at the fame time lived Cicero, Salluft, and Cæfar. A famous age in modern times, for learning in every kind, was that of Lorenzo de Medici, and his fon Leo X. wherein painting was revived, poetry flourished, and the Greek language was restored. Examples in all thefe are obvious: but what I would infer is this, That in fuch an age, 'tis poffible fome great genius may arife to equal any of the ancients, abating only for the language; for great contemporaries whet and cultivate each other; and mutual borrowing and commerce, makes the common riches of learning, as it does of civil government. But fuppofe that Homer and Virgil were the only poets of their fpecies, and that nature was fo much worn out in producing them, that she is never able to bear the like again; yet the example only holds in heroic poetry. In tragedy and fatire, I offer myfelf to maintain, againft fome of our modern critics, that this age and the last, particularly in England, have excelled the ancients in both thefe kinds. Thus I might fafely confine myself to my native country; but if I would only crofs the feas, I might find in France a liv ing Horace and a Juvenal, in the person of the admirable Boileau, whofe numbers are excellent, whofe expreffions are noble, whofe thoughts are juft, whofe language is pure, whofe fatire is pointed, and whofe fenfe is clofe. What he borrows from the ancients, he repays with ufury of his own, in coin as good, and almost as univerfally valuable; for, fetting prejudice and partiality apart, though he is our enemy, the ftamp of Louis, the patron of arts, is not much inferior to the medal of an Auguftus Cæfar. Let this be faid without entering into the interefts of factions and parties, and relating only the bounty of that king to men of learning and merit: a praife fo juft, that even we, who are his enemies, cannot refuse it to him. Now, if it may be permitted me to go back again to the confideration of epic poetry, I have confeffed that no man hitherto has reached, or fo much as approached to the excellencies of Homer or Virgil; I must farther add, that Statius, the beft verfificator next Virgil, knew not how to defign after him, though he had the model in his eyes; that Lucan is wanting both in defign and subject, and is befides too full of heat and affection; that among the moderns, Ariofto neither defigned juftly, nor obferved any unity of action, or compafs of time or moderation in the vastness of his draught: his ftyle is luxurious, without majeity or decency; and his adventurers without the compafs of nature and poffibility. Tafio, whofe defign was regular, and who obferved the rules of unity in time and place more clofely than Virgil, yet was not fo happy in his action: he confeffes himself to have been too lyrical, that is, to have written beneath the dignity of hero c verfe, in his epifodes of Sophronia, Erminia, and Armida; his ftory is not fo pleasing as Ariofto's; he is too flatulent fometimes, and fometimes too dry; many times unequal, and almost always forced; and befides, is full of conceptions, points of epigram, and witticisms; all which are not only below the dignity of heroic verse, but contrary to its nature. Virgil and Homer have not one of them: and those who are guilty of fo boyish an ambition in fo grave a fubject, are so far from being confidered as heroic poets, that they ought to be turned down from Homer to Anthologia, from Virgil to Martial and Owen's epigrams, 3 L3 and |