The letter from Urania breathes the full spirit of that amiable ambition, which at present seems generally to infpire our heroines of the stage to accept of none but shining characters, and never to present themselves to the public but as illuftrious models of purity and grace. If virtue be thus captivating by refemblance only, how beautiful must it be in the reality! I cannot however help pitying the unknown poet, whose hopes were dasht with the following rebuke.

Sir,

I have run my eye over your tragedy, and am beyond measure furprized you could think of allotting a part to me, which is fo totally unamiable. Sir, I neither can, nor will, appear in any public character, which is at variance with my private one; and, though I have no objection to your scene of felf-murder, and flatter myself I could do it justice, yet my mind revolts from fpilling any blood but my own.

I confefs there are many fine paffages and fome very ftriking fituations, that would fall to my lot in your drama, but permit me to tell you, Sir, that until you can clear up the legitimacy of the child, you have been pleased therein to

lay

lay at my door, and will find a father for it, whom I may not blufh to own for a hufband, you must never hope for the affiftance of your humble fervant.

URANIA.

The other letter is addreffed to the fame unfortunate poet from an artist, who seems to have ftudied nature in her deformities only.

Dear Difmal,

I wait with impatience to hear of the fuccefs of your tragedy, and in the mean time have worked off a frontifpiece for it, that you, who have a paffion for the terrific, will be perfectly, charmed with.

I am fcandalized when I hear people say that the fine arts are protected in this country; nothing can be further from the truth, as I am one amongst many to witness. Painting I prefume will not be difputed to be one of the fine arts, and I may fay without vanity I have fome pretenfions to rank with the best of my brethren in that profeffion.

My first studies were carried on in the capital of a certain county, where I was born; and being determined to chuse a striking subject for

my debut in the branch of portrait-painting, I perfwaded my grandmother to fit to me, and I am bold to say there was great merit in my picture, confidering it as a maiden production; particularly in the execution of a hair-mole upon her chin, and a wart under her eye, which I touched to fuch a nicety, as to make every body ftart, who caft their eyes upon the canvafs.

There was a little dwarfish lad in the parish, who befides the deformity of his perfon, had a remarkable hare-lip, which expofed to view a broken row of difcoloured teeth, and was indeed a very brilliant fubject for a painter of effect: I gave a full-length of him, that was executed fo to the life, as to turn the ftomach of every body, who looked upon it.

At this time there came into our town a travelling fhow-man, who amongst other curiofities of the favage kind brought with him a man-ape, or Ourong-outong; and this perfon, having feen and admired my portrait of the little humpbacked dwarf, employed me to take the figure of his celebrated favage for the purpose of dif playing it on the outfide of his booth. Such an occafion of introducing my art into notice fpurred my genius to extraordinary exertions, and though I muft premife that the favage was

not

not the best fitter in the world, yet I flatter myself I acquitted myself to the fatisfaction of his keeper and did juftice to the ferocity of my fubject: I caught him in one of his most strik ing attitudes, standing erect with a huge club in his paw: I put every muscle into play, and threw such a terrific dignity into his features, as would not have difgraced the character of a Nero or Caligula. I was happy to observe the general notice, which was taken of my performance by all the country folks, who reforted to the show, and I believe my employer had no caufe to repent of having fet me upon the work.

The figure of this animal with the club in his paw suggested a hint to a publican in the place of treating his ale-house with a new fign, and as he had been in the service of a noble family, who from antient time have borne the Bear and ragged ftaff for their creft, he gave me a commiffion to provide him with a sign to that effect: Though I fpared no pains to get a real bear to fit to me for his portrait, my endeavours proved abortive, and I was forced to refort to fuch common prints of that animal as I could obtain, and trufted to my imagination for supplying what else might be wanted for the piece: As I worked

H 3

worked upon this capital defign in the room, where my grandmother's portrait was before my eyes, it occurred to me to introduce the fame hair-mole into the whifkers of Bruin, which I had fo fuccefsfully copied from her chin, and certainly the thought was a happy one, for it had a picturesque effect; but in doing this I was naturally enough, though undefignedly, betrayed into giving fuch a general refemblance to the good dame in the rest of Bruin's features, that when it came to be exhibited on the fign-poft all the people cried out upon the likeness, and a malicious rumour ran through the town, that I had painted my grandmother instead of the bear; which loft me the favour of that indulgent relation, though Heaven knows I was as innocent of the intention as the child unborn.

The difguft my grandmother conceived against her likeness with the ragged staff, gave me incredible uneafinefs, and as fhe was a good cuftomer to the landlord and much refpected in the place, he was induced to return the bear upon my hands. I am now thinking to what ufe I can turn him, and as it occurs to me, that by throwing a little more authority into his, features, and gilding his chain, he might very possibly hit the likeness of fome lord mayor of

London