I thóugt ít mỳ glòry to purfue à tráck which Dryden ánd 'Otway tród before mè. 'I conidered the goddefs of this region ás the parent of excellence; ánd however án íntercourfe with the world might give ús good fénfe, the overty fhe granted 'I fuppòfed to be the nurse

genius! Big with thefe reflections, 'I fate own, and finding that the best things remailed to be fáid on the wrong fide, I refolved write à book that should be wholly new. therefore dréft úp three páradoxes with fóme genuity. They were false, indeed, bút hey were new. The jewels of truth háve een fò óften imported by others, thát nóthing vás léft, fór me to impòrt bút fóme fpléndid hings that át à diftance looked every bít ás well. Witness you powers what fancied importance fate perched upón my quill while 'I was writing. The whole learned world, 'I nade no doubt, would rife to oppòse my fýfems; but then I was prepared to oppose the vhole leárned world. Like the pórcupine I át félf- collected, with à quill pointed against very opposer."

Well fáid, my boy," cried I, „ánd what úbject did you treat upón? I hope you did ot páfs over the importance of Monogamy. But I interrupt, gò ón; you públished your áradoxes; well, and what did the learned vorld fày tỏ your paradoxes?

,,Sir," replied mỳ fón, „thẻ leárned world áid nothing to my páradoxes; nóthing át áll, Sir. 'Every man of them was employed in railing his friends and himfélf, or condéming his enemies; and unfortunately, ás 'I nád néither, 'I fuffered the cruelleft mortifi cation, negléct."

,,As I was méditating one day ín à coffee. houfe on the fate of my paradoxes, à little min happening to enter the room, placed hiff in the box 2) before mè, ánd áfter fome preliminary difcourfe, finding me to be à Ichólar, drew but a bundle of proposals, beg ging me to fubfcribe to a new edition he was going to give the world of Propertius a), with notes. This demánd néceffarily produced à reply that I hád nò móney; and that confession led him to inquire into the nature of my expectations. Finding that my expectations were júft ás great as my púrfe, I fee, crìed he, you are unacquainted with the town, I'll teach you à párt of ít. Look at thefe propòfals, upón thèle very proposals 'I have fubfifted very comfortably for twelve years.

The moment

nobleman returns fróm hís trávels, à Creos lian b) arrives from Jamaica c), ór à dówager fróm hér country feat, I ftrike fór à fubfcrip tion. I first befiège their hearts with fláttery, ánd then pour in my propòfals at the breach. 'If they fubfcribe readily the first time, I renew my request to beg à dedication fee. T they let me have that, I fmite thèm ónce

z) box, ein Verfchlag oder Abfchlag in einem Zimmer, durch welchen man von der übrigen Gefellschaft g wiffermofsen abgesondert wird.

a) Sextus Aurelius Propertius, ein Römifcher Dichter, wurde zu lispellum bei Spoleto um das Jahr nach Erbauung Roms 696 geboren, und starb im Jahr 739. Man hat von ihm vier Bücher Elegien.

b) Creolian, ein Kreole, einer, der von Europäischen Eltern in Amerika geboren worden ist.

c) Jamaika, eine den Engländern gehörige Infel in Weft indien; fie wird zu den grofsen Antillen gerechnet.

more for engraving their coat of arms at the top. Thús, contínued hè, 'I líve by vánity, ánd laugh át ít. Bút between ourfelves, ' an now too well known, I fhould be glád to borrow your face à bít; à nobleman óf diftinction has just retúrned from 'Italy; mỳ face is familiar to his pòrter; but if you bring this copy of vérfes, my life fór ít you fucceed, and we divide thè fpoil."

„Bléfs ús, George," cried I,,,ánd ís this he employment of poets now! Do mén óf their exalted talents thús ftoop to beggary! Can they fò fár difgràce their calling, ás to make à vile tráffic of praife for bread?"

دو

"O nò, Sír," returned hè, a true poet can never bè fò base; fór wherever there ís genius there is prìde. The creatures 'I nów defcribe áre only beggars in rhyme. The real poet, ás hè braves évery hárdship for fame, fò he is equally a coward to contémpt, and none bút those who are unworthy of protection condelcend to folicit ít.

"Háving à mind too proud to stoop to fich indignities, and yet à fórtune too humble to házard à fécond attempt fór fame, 'I was nów obliged to take à middle course, and write for bread. Bút I was unqualified for à proféffion where mère índustry alone was to enfùre fuccéfs. 'I could not fuppress my lurking páffion for applaufe; bút ùfually confumed that time ín éfforts after excellence which takes úp bút little room, when it should have been mòre advantageously employed in the diffùfive productions of fruitful mediocrity. My hile pièces would therefore cóme forth in the mift of periódical publication, unnoticed and

unknown.

The públic were more importantly

employed than to obferve the eafy fimplicity of my style, or the hármony of my periods. Sheet after fhèet was thrown off to oblivion. My éllays wére búried among the éffays upón liberty, èaftern tàles, ánd cùres fór the bite of à mád dog; while Philautos, Philalèthes, Phile leutheros and Philántropos d), all wrote better, because they wrote fáfter, thán 'I."

Nów, therefore, I began to affòciate with none but difappointed authors, like myself, who praised, deplored, and defpifed each other. The fatisfaction wè found in every célebrated writer's attempts, was invérfely as their merits. I found that nò gènius ín another could pleafe mè. My unfortunate páradoxes hád entirely dried úp thát fòurce of comfort. 'I could neither read nór write with fatisfaction; fór éxcellence in another was my avérfion, and writing was mỳ trade.

,,In the midst of these gloomy reflections, ás 'I was one day fitting ón à bench in St. James's park e), a young gentleman óf distínc tion, who had been my íntimate acquaintance at the university, approached me. We falùted each other with fome hesitation, hè almost afhamed of being known tó óne who made fo fhábby án appearance; and 'I afraid of à re

d) Griechische Namen erdichteter Schriftsteller, welche der Reihe nach im Deutschen überfetzt werden könnten durch: Eigenlieb, Wahrheitsfreund, Frei• heitsfreund, Menschenfreund.

e) St. James park, der Hauptspaziergang der Engländer, f. von Archenholz England und Italien, S. 133, und vorzüglich die lebhafte Schilderung, welche von demselben in dem Journal: London und Pa vis, erften Jahrgangs zweites Stück, S. 135, gegeben wird.

púlle. But my fufpicions foon vánished; fór Ned f) Thornhill wás át thẻ bóttom à véry good natured fellow."

„What did you fày, George?" interrupted I,,Thornhill, was not that his name? It cán certainly bè nó other thán mỳ lándlord. ,,Bléfs me," cried M'rs. 'Arnold, ís Mr. Thornhill fò near à néighbour of yours? He hás long been à friend in our family, and we expéct à vílit fróm hím fhórtly."

My friend's firft càre," contínued my fón, was to alter my appearance by à very fine fùit of his own cloaths, and then I was admitted to his table upón the footing of hálf - friend, hálf- underling. My bufinefs was to attend hím át auctions, to put him in fpírits when he lát fór his picture, to take the left hand in his cháriot when not filled by another, ánd to affift át táttering à kíp 8), ás the phrafe was, when hè hád à mìnd fór à frólic.

Be

fides this, I had twenty other little employ ments in the family. 'I was to do mány (máll things without bidding; tỏ cárry the corkfcrew; to ftánd godfather to all the butler's children; to fíng when I was bíd; to bè néver out of humour; always to bè húmble, and, if I could, to be very happy.“

f) Ned für Eduard.

3) to tatter a kip foll eigentlich eine Irländische Redens art feyn, welche bedeutet, in ein liederliches Haus eindringen, dafelbft den Hausrath zerstören, und andern ähnlichen Unfug treiben. Kip bedeutet nehmlich im Irländifchen ein Hurenhaus, and to tatter, zerreissen. In unferer Stelle follen die Worte to affift at tattering a kip wel weiter nichts heifsen, als: ginen tollen Streich ausführen helfen.