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deep sockets, like diamonds in the mine! whilst that commanding brow moves over them like a cloud, and carries storm or sun-shine, as the deity within directs: She is the child of nature, or, if you will allow me the expression, nature herself; for she is in all things original; in pity, or in terror, penitent or presumptuous, famished, mad, or dying, she is her author's thought personified; and if this nation, which fashion now nails by the ears to the shameful pillory of an Italian opera, shall ever be brought back to a true relish of its native drama, that woman will have the merit of their reformation.' This rhapsody was received with great tranquillity by the painter, who coolly replied—

All that is very well, but where will you see finer attitudes, than in an opera dance, or more picturesque draperies, than in a masquerade? Every man for his own art.' Vanessa now came up, and desiring leave to introduce a young muse to Melpomene, presented a girl in a white frock with a fillet of flowers twined round her hair, which hung down her back in flowing curls; the young muse made a low obeisance in the style of an Oriental salam, and with the most unembarrassed voice and countenance, whilst the poor actress was covered with blushes, and suffering torture from the eyes of allthe room, broke forth as follows:

Oh thou whom Nature's goddess calls her own,
Pride of the stage and favorite of the town-

-But I can proceed no further, for if the plague had been in the house, I should not have ran away from it more eagerly than I did from Miss and her poetry.

NUMBER XVIII.

LEONTINE is one of those purse-proud humorists, who profess to speak what they think-For why? he is independent and fears no man. If you complain of an affront from Leontine, you are sure to be told-That is his way, that is so like Leontine, you must take him as he is.'-In short, there are certain savages in society, who seem to have a patent for their brutality, and he is one.

I often think I can give a good guess at the temper of the master by the servants' looks; in Leontine's family it is strongly marked; I was let in the other day by a staring half-starved fellow, fresh from the country, who was out of his wits for fear, not knowing whether he was to say his master was at home or abroad: Whilst he stood gaping with. the door half-opened in his hand, a voice roared out from the parlour, ' Who's there?' Upon which he slapped the street-door in my face and ran to his master as I was quietly walking away, he followed me up the street and told me to come back, for his master would see me. I found Leontine in a fit of the gout; his wife on her knees wrapping flannel round his foot: It mortified me to see how much the world is governed by the abject principle of fear, for the assiduity with which this bashaw was waited upon by his wife and servants was sur prising. After having cursed the gout, damned his servants, and scolded his wife for her awkwardness in swathing his foot, he began to rave about the state of the nation, crying out to me every now and then- A fine pass you have brought things to at

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last; I always told you how it would be, but you would not believe me, and now you are ruined, bankrupt, and undone to the devil; I thought what it would come to with your damned American war.' -I told him I had nothing to do with politics, and knew very little of the matter. That's true,' says he, I understand you are writing a book, and going to turn author: You know I am your friend, and always speak my mind, therefore I must tell you, you will repent of what you are about. Cannot you let the world alone? Is it in your power to make it better? Can the devil make it worse? Why I could write a book if I pleased, but I scorn it; nay I was fool enough to do it once, from a silly principle of good will to my country; and what was the consequence? Why, after proving as plain as two and two make four, that we were no longer a nation, that we were broken, baffled, defeated, and upon the eve of being a province to France— after having proved all this, d'ye see, for the good of my country, what was my reward, think you, but to be abused, vilified, posted in the rascally newspapers, who threw the twelfth of April in my teeth, and set the people's heads a madding contrary to all sense and reason, though I had been at the pains of convincing them how foolish all such hopes were, and that there was not a chance left, though miracles should be wrought in their favour, of any possible salvation for this devoted kingdom.'

As Leontine is one of those pro and con reasoners, who handle their own argument in their own way by question and answer, and know what their opponent has to offer before he has uttered three words, I always leave him a clear stage to fight out the subject by himself as he can; so that he proceeded without interruption to put a number of questions, to which he regularly made responses,

and, though these were the very opposites to what 1 should probably have given. I let them pass without contradiction, till there was a stop to the torrent by the introduction of a stranger, who, after telling Leontine his name, proceeded to say he had a little necessary business to settle with him, which he should take the liberty to explain in very few words. This stranger was a little, meagre, consumptive man, far advanced in years, of an aspect remarkably meek and humble, so that it was not without surprise I heard him begin as follows:'I wait upon you, Sir, to demand full satisfaction and atonement for an injury you have done to my character by the basest lie that ever man uttered, and which if you do not disavow in as public a manner as you reported it, I shall expect you will immediately answer my challenge, as there is no other mode of redressing wrongs of so insidious a nature.' When this gentleman announced his name and description I found he was a general officer, who had been upon an unsuccessful command in the course of the war; and that Leontine, in one of his political rhapsodies, had treated his character accord. ing to his custom with great scurrility; this had unJuckily passed in the hearing of a friend of the General's, who had endeavoured to stop Leontine in time, but not being able so to do, had made report to his friend of what had been said of him in his absence. As he fixed his eyes upon Leontine in expectation of his answer, I observed his checks, which before were of a ruddy scarlet, turn to a deep purple, which gradually turned into a livid tawney; fear so transformed his features, that the fying soldier in Le Brun's battle was not a more perfect model of horror: His lips, which so lately thundered out vengeance and anathemas against the whole host of critics, magazine-mongers, news

writers, and reviewers, with all their devils, runners, and retainers, now quivered without the power of utterance, till at last a gentle murmuring voice was heard to say-General, if I have given you offence, I am very sorry for it, but I suspect that what I said must have been unfairly stated, else,'-Here the little gentleman immediately interrupted him, by saying— "This excuse affects the veracity of my friend; I shall therefore take the liberty of calling him into your room, which I did not chuse to do in the first instance, not knowing you had any body with you; but if this gentleman will have the goodness to stand in place of your referee on the occasion, I will bring my witness face to face, who will testify to the very words you spoke.' This was no sooner said than done; for the friend was in the passage, and in the most precise terms asserted the truth of his information. And now, Sir,'resumed the General, 'give me leave to say there is not a man in England more abhors a personal quarrel than I do, but I make it my study to give no offence, and both my reputation and my profession indispensibly oblige me not to put up with insult from any man: There is no alternative therefore left to either of us, but for you to sign this paper, which I shall use as I see fit in my own vindication, or turn out; I am very sorry for it; it is an unhappy custom, but if any occasion can justify it, I take the present to be one.'-Having so said, he tendered the paper to Leontine with as much politeness and address, as if he had been delivering a petition to the commander in chief.

The intimidated boaster took the paper with a trembling hand, and throwing his eye over it, begged to know if it might not be mitigated in some particulars I should be very glad to oblige you,' says the General, in what you wish, but they are my words, and as I generally think before I speak or

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