Vefiibulum ante ipsum, primisque in faucibus Orci, Juft in the gates, and in the jaws of Hell, (VIRGIL.) Here Toils, and Death, and Death's half-brother, Sleep, (DRYDEN.) Protinus infernas ad limina tetra forores Et luxus populator opum; cui femper adhærens "The infernal council, at Alecto's call (CLAUDIAN.) “Conven'd, affemble in the Stygian hall; Myriads of ghaftly plagues, that fhun the light, "Daughters of Erebus and gloomy Night : “Strife war-compelling; Famine's wasting rage; "Envy, Profperity's repining foe, The productions of the human genius will borrow their complexion from the times in which they originate. Ben Jonson fays, that the players often mentioned it as an honour to Shakespear, that in his writing (whatsoever. he penned) he never blotted out a line. My answer hath been (adds he) Would he had blotted out a thoufand! which they thought a malevolent fpeech. I had not told pofterity this, but för their ignorance, who chofe that circumftance to commend their friend by, and to juftify mine own wherein he most faulted; candour, for I loved the man, man, and do honour his memory on this fide idolatry as much as any: He was indeed honeft, and of an open and free nature; had an excellent phantafie, brave notions and gentle expreffions, wherein he flowed with that facility, that fome time it was necessary he should be stopped; Sufflaminandus erat, as Auguftus faid of Haterius: His wit was in his own power; would the rule of it had been fo too! I think there can be no doubt but this kind of indignant negligence with which Shakespear wrote, was greatly owing to the flight confideration he had for his audience. Jonfon treated them with the dictatorial haughtiness of a pedant; Shakespear with the careleffnefs of a gentleman who wrote at his eafe, and gave them the firft flowings of his fancy with out any dread of their correction. These were times in which the poet indulged his genius without reftraint; he stood alone and fupereminent, and wanted no artificial fcaffold to raise him above the heads of his contemporaries; he was natural, lofty, careless, and daringly incorrect. Place the fame man in other times, amongst a people polished almost into general equality, and he shall begin to hesitate and retract his fallies; for in this refpect poetical are like military excurfions, and it makes a wide difference Q4 difference in the movements of a skilful general, whether he is to fally into a country defended by well-difciplined troops, or only by an irregular mob of unarmed barbarians. Shakespear might vault his Pegafus without a rein; mountains might rife and feas roll in vain before him; Nature herfelf could neither ftop nor circumfcribe his career. The modern man of verfe mounts with the precaution of a riding-mafter, and prances round his little circle full-bitted and caparifoned in all the formality of a review. Whilft he is thus pacing and piaffering with every body's eyes upon him, his friends are calling out every now and then- "Seat your "felf firm in the faddle! Hold your body "ftraight! Keep your fpurs from his fides for "fear he fets a kicking! Have a care he does "not ftumble; there lies a ftone, here runs a "ditch; keep your whip ftill, and depend upon 66 your bit, if you have not a mind to break your neck!"-On the other quarter his enemies are bawling out-"How like a taylor "that fellow fits on horfeback! Look at his feet, look at his arms! Set the curs upon "him; tie a cracker to his horfe's tail, and "make sport for the fpectators!"- All this while perhaps the poor devil could have performed paffably well, if it were not for the mobbing mobbing and hallooing about him: Whereas -Shakespear mounts without fear, and starting in the jockey-phrafe at fcore, cries out, "Stand "clear, ye fons of earth! or, by the beams of my "father Apollo, I'll ride over you, and trample "you into duft !" I N° LXXXV. WAS in company the other day with a young gentleman, who had newly fucceeded to a confiderable eftate, and was a good deal ftruck with the converfation of an elderly perfon prefent, who was very deliberately cafting up the feveral demands that the community at large had upon his property.-" Are you aware," fays he, "how small a portion of your revenue will "properly remain to yourself, when you have "fatisfied all the claims which you must pay to "fociety and your country for living amongst us "and supporting the character of what is called "a landed gentleman? Part of your income "will be ftopt for the maintenance of them who "have none, under the denomination of poor"rates; this may be called a fine upon the par "tiality |