of a borough: else I should have mentioned a seat in parliament as one of the qualifications, by which these gentry rise to greatness. The Herald's Office, however, was not neglected, a coat of arms having been his first acquisition; and we are just informed, that, to render his name illustrious after death, he hath ordered his funeral to be in the style and manner of the late RR—, Esq.-5001. for a monument, and 41, yearly to have it brushed by the sexton.

MELANGE.
No. VII.

Chacun à son gout.

SWIFT.

Riding out one morning in the Strand near Dublin, he met with a parishioner of his well mounted, and began to pay him some compliments on his horse, &c. "All this may be very true, Mr. Dean," said the man; "but still he is not equal to yours," "To mine!" returned the Dean in surprise: "why, this is but a mere pad, which I keep for exercise."" Aye, but notwithstanding that," replied the other, "he carries the best head of any horse in Ireland."

CLERICAL BOOTS.

A Clergyman in Essex, not much celebrated as a preacher, used to wear boots generally on duty; and gave as a reason for it, that "the roads were so deep in some places, that he found them more convenient than shoes." "Yes," said Foote, "and, I dare say, equally convenient in the pulpit; for there the Doctor is generally out of his depth too."

INTUITION, AND SAGACITY.

Of the difference between those two qualities (the one being immediate in its effect, and the other acquiring a

circuitous process) Foote said, "the former was the the latter the nose, of the mind."

eyes

THE CAUSE OF A PLAY BEING DAMNED.

A foreigner being present at a musical piece which was damned the first night of its performance, asked Foote who the author was. Being told that his name was St. John, he asked again, "St. Jean, St. Jean, quel St. Jean? (St. John, St. John, what St. John ?")" Oh, Monsieur! cried Foote; le gentilhomme sans la tête. (Oh, Sir, the gentleman without a head)."

CONSTANTIA GRIERSON,

OF THE COUNTY OF KILKENNY, IN IRELAND; DIED 1733, AGED 27;

Was allowed, long before, to be an excellent scholar, not only in Greek and Roman literature, but in history, divinity, philosophy, and mathematics. She gave a proof of her knowledge in the Latin tongue, by her dedication of the Dublin edition of Tacitus to the Lord Carteret, and by that of Terence to his son, to whom she likewise wrote a Greek epigram. She wrote several fine poems in English, on which she set so little value, that she neglected to leave copies, but of very few, behind her.

She is said to have exemplified that fine saying of a French author: "That a great genius should be superior to his own abilities."

When Lord Carteret was lord-lieutenant of Ireland, he obtained a patent for Mr. Grierson, her husband, to be king's printer; and to distinguish and reward her uncommon merit, had her life inserted in it.

The foregoing account is entirely transcribed from Mrs. Barber's preface prefixed to her poems. To this we shall add some particulars, which Mrs. Pilkington has recorded. She tells us that when about eighteen years of age, she was brought to her father to be instructed in mid wifery; that she was mistress of Hebrew, Greek, Latin and French, understood mathematics as well as most men ; and what made these extraordinary talents yet more surprising, was, that her parents were poor illiterate country people; so that her learning appeared like the gift,

poured out on the apostles, of speaking all languages without the pains of study." Mrs. Pilkington enquired of her, where she had gained this prodigious knowledge? to which Mrs. Grierson answered, "that she received some little instruction from the minister of the parish, when she could spare time from her ueedle-work, to which she was closely kept by her mother." Mrs. Pilkington adds, “that she wrote elegantly both in verse and prose; that her turn was chiefly to philosophical or divine subjects; that her piety was not inferior to her learning; and that some of the most delightful hours she herself had ever passed, were in the conversation of this female philosopher."

She wrote an Abridgement of the History of England. There are many particular circumstances of her life which do her honour, and are a noble example to the living, particularly as a wife and mother. She was patronized by the late Lord Granville, and was the editor of several of the classics. Her son, who was his majesty's printer at Dublin, and instructed by her, was a man of uncommon learning, great wit and vivacity. He died in Germany, at the age of twenty-seven. Dr. Johnson highly respected his abilities, and often observed, that he possessed more extensive knowledge than any man of his years he had ever known. His industry was equal to his talents, he particularly excelled in every species of philological learning, and was perhaps the best critic of the time.

POPERY. At the beginning of the long Parliament, a cry of "No Popery," was heard in this kingdom. One of the oddest expressions of alarm was the following simile of Pym. "Popery," said he, "may be compared to the dry bones of Ezekiel; which first came together from afar, then sinews and flesh grew upon them, afterwards the skin covered them, and lastly, breath and life were put into them." The comparison is yet more applicable now. Popery is indeed become a heap of dry bones; and the very priests are at a loss which to select as worthy to become the skeletons of a reanimated church. Sinews and flesh will not grow upon them, without long industry and governmental patronage. The eventual re-creation must assume a new, a glossy and glorified skin. And the whole apprehended process resembles more the imagery of a visionary than the foresight of a prophet.

ON REFORMATIONS.*

THE work of reformation, in church and in state, hath long been agitated; and, doubtless, there are many things in both, that may well be thought to want it. Some however, averse from reforming, think it more expedient to temporize with prevailing manners and customs; and would rather acquiesce under, than attempt a correction of, the numerous irregularities and evils with which we abound. This may be just and good, as well as wise and politic, in certain situations: yet, if we mean any thing when we talk of human perfection and human happiness, it must surely be right to correct errors and abuses; nor can reformation possibly be deemed unreasonable, always provided, that the reformers, amidst their zeal, will ponder well the materials, the stuff, they have to work upon†; lest, being hurried on by visions, and ideas of a perfection not to be attained, they produce greater evils than those they would remove.

In the last century, by pushing the spirit of reforming too far, greater evils were produced than the reformers had it in their view to remove. Resistance was made to the encroachments of regal power, and made successfully; but did the spirit of reforming rest here? No; it proceeded till the monarchy was destroyed. And what followed then? Why, anarchy succeeded monarchy; a republic, such as it was, succeeded anarchy; a protec torate succeeded a republic; and, finally, the nation, having reeled to and fro from one form of government to another, and having found no rest under any, recurred at length to a monarchy, more arbitrary even with their own consent, and more pernicious in its consequences, than that which had been abolished. But to proceed,

The objects of reformation are, manners, opinions, and establishments. On the article of manners, enough has been written: enough to shew, that manners cannot be reformed by laws, but only by education, or an esta

From the Irenarch.

+ Mens humana, si agat in materiam, naturam rerum contemplando, pro modo materiæ operatur, atque ab eadem determinatur. Bacon.-And is not this as necessary in the world of spirit, as in the world of matter?

blished system of early discipline. With regard to opinions, I am free to own, with Mr. Bayle, that "there are no truths so minute, but what are worthy to be promoted; no errors so trifling, but what had better be corrected than retained. But, when the circumstances of time and place will not suffer novelties to be proposed, though ever so true, without occasioning a thousand disorders," I must also concur with Mr. Bayle in supposing, that "it were much better to let things remain as they are, than undertake to reform them; since the remedy would be worse than the disease." To which I may add, that, after all the reformation which can be made, every man will have, because every man must have, his own opinion still. Idiopaoia is defined by a certain physican humorum illud peculiare temperamentum, unde sua est cuique sanitas, suus cuique morbus: and might he not have added, if his subject had required it, sua cuique indoles, sua cuique OPINIO?-To suppose that any man should think as I do, is to suppose that man organized as I am; that he has received the same temperament, the same nutriment, the same education, and (which includes all) the same modification, with me, in every instant of his duration: in one word, it is to suppose, that he is what I am. Why not expect from him a conformity of features, as well as a conformity of opinions, with mine? the former, as should seem, being just as much in his power, as the latter.

With regard to establishments, I suppose myself to dissent from those, whom the spirit of reforming agitates the most, only in this; that, whereas they would have the principle of reformation to operate at all times, and in all situations of things, I would limit and contine it to certain times, and certain conjunctures. "There is a time for all things," says a great reformer: "it is not every conjuncture which calls with equal force upon the activity of honest men; but critical exigencies now and then arise (†)". As therefore, on the one hand, I would not, with a Leviathan spirit assert the rectitude of maintaining at all events whatever was established; so, on the other, I would as

(†) Mr. Burke.-See to what an extent Erasmus carried the idea of waiting for conjunctures, in the business of reforming religion. Scio quidvis esse ferendum potius, quam ut publicus orbis status turbetur in pejus: scio pietatem esse nonnunquam celare veritatem; neque eam quovis loco, neque quovis tempore, neque apud quosvis, neque quovis modo neque totam ubique promendam. Epist. 501.