cital by a more punctilious exactness. Befides, I could not think it civil to introduce my friends upon the fcene, only to fhew them, as it were, for mutes; their politenefs to us, who were principals in the debate, being fuch as to restrain them from bearing any confiderable part in it. Yet this way of relation would, no doubt, have given fomething more of life to the sketch, I here fend you; as their prefence, you may believe, certainly did to the original converfation. It is enough to say, that nothing more material, than what I have now related to you, passed on the occafion. For by this time the day was pretty well spent, and it was neceffary for us to withdraw to our feveral engagements. FOR myself, I leave you to guess the effect which our philofopher's grave remonftrance left upon me. One thing you will think remarkable; that the part of of arraigning the present state of things fhould fall to my share; while he, at an age that is naturally querulous and diffatisfied, was employed in defending it. Whether this be a proof of his wisdom, or good fpirits, I pretend not to say. But it gave me a pleasure to hear the old man indulging himself in the prospect of better days, which, as young as we are, and as warmly as we wish to see them, you and I had always defpaired of. LET LETTER S Ο Ν CHIVALRY AND ROMANCE: Serving to illustrate some Paffages in the THIRD DIALOGUE. Guarda, che mal fato, O giovenil vaghezza non ti meni TASSO. III. Characteristics of, accounted for. pared. v. Their differences, noted. VI. Gothic manners more poetical, than VII. Their effect on SPENSER, MILTON, VIII. Faery Queen criticized-the me- IX. TASSO's Gier. Lib. confidered-- history of the Italian poetry. x. Faery way of writing--vindicated. |