tion in depreciating the talents or attainments they are consciously void of: while it may be occafioned by a contempt of the ordinary circumstances of Writers, in those who account nothing but money worth pursuing, and are too apt to confider a want of it as the only material ignominy. With thefe men of Touch, then, as our Author calls them, he fets out, as the declared enemies of Authorifm: affirming, There is scarcely one page in the annals of the world, which does not feem to fhew, that wit and money have been always at war, and always treated ⚫ one another with reciprocal contempt.-And though a man may plead, prefcribe, preach, marry, and fight for money, without imputation, yet if he writes like one infpired from Heaven for it, the money'd man declares, he who aims at < praise ought to be ftarved.'-The art of writing, nevertheless, our Author affirms to be as much an art as that of painting or war; and afterwards fhrewdly and wittily adds- Some branches ⚫ of this art require abilities and accomplishments of the firft rate -Such accomplishments and abilities are the patents of God Almighty for place and precedency; and after those on whom they are bestowed have mellowed a due time in their graves, the privilege of them is allowed.-Till then, indeed, the King's patents, by univerfal connivance, are preferred; because there is nothing we are fo unwilling to acknowlege, as a fuperiority • of nature; because titles or pretences to honour are many ways ⚫ attainable; and because we are glad to avail ourselves of any ⚫ palliative to countenance the fervile homage we are apt to pay to thofe poffeffed of them.' From this almost inherent contempt, which men of mere money have for almost all Writers above the order of accomptants, our Author proceeds to obferve, there is not much lefs of it amongst perfons of elevated life and ftations, from whofe leifure and education men of faculties might naturally expect more liberal treatment. For having placed Authors of genius, after Heroes and Patriots, on the fecond column of national glory, he, too juftly, reflects, the more we abound in vanities, the more confiderable we are efteemed. And where any neceffary is wanting, apparently through neceflity, all the douceurs of life, arifing from obfervance and refpect, will be wanting too. If,' fays he, for illuftration, we had a Shakespeare, a Milton, or a Newton, now exifting among us, who fhould come into what is called good company in dirty linen, for want of clean, and a Charters, a Lafcels, a Lowther, a Walter, or a Craf tein did the fame, merely to fave the charge of washing, the latter would be courted and careffed, and the former would hardly be acknowleged.-The most notorious abuse of wealth not being able to render the abuser contemptible, nor talents the most fublime to render poverty otherwife.' Few of our Readers, we conceive, are fo inexperienced as to hefitate about the certainty of this illuftration, though we hope a majority of them are too delicate and liberal not to lament it. Nevertheless, our fenfible Author, who can contem plate fubjects in the aggregate, as well as the abftract, foon admits there may be cogent reafons for wealth's being intitled to fome degree of respect, and particularly in this nation, acknowleging, that when political and philofophical maxims clash, • prudence requires the latter should give way to the former.' Having mentioned thofe Authors who commence fuch from the love of fame or importance, which are different modes of felf-love, though more lucrative to the bookseller, he fuppofes very justly, that the rate of Authorship ought to be fixed folely by the real value of the work; adding with equal truth, That fociety is beft formed, where selfishness of every kind centers in the good of the whole.' But as the price current of any writings is a matter of little moment, he obferves, There is, indeed, a fpecies of venality which can no otherwise be palliated, than by the famous maxim of a late famous ftate-cafuift, "That he is a fool who is a grain honester than the times "he lives in."-This intrinfically vile, this truly impolitic contempt of all integrity and principle, our Author properly stigmatizes in a spirited note, and expreffes his dread of its rapacious confequences, in no very improbable apprehenfion, that ⚫ government itself, in the end, may be torn to pieces by them, like Acteon by his own dogs.'---Perhaps, indeed, it were not too remote to infer, that the great rapacity and artifice, fo generally afcribed of late to a fet of men, who were formerly confidered as people of the firft fimplicity and probity, may be owing, in no small degree, to their beholding that corruption which has prevailed and rioted throughout every borough within their knowlege. Hence they faw the confciences both of their fuperiors and equals were abfolutely venal, and became convinced from example, that all justice to, and love of their country, were utter chimeras, and that one univerfal principle of action folely exifted, which was profit. It may be obviously pronounced here, that any state-cafuift, who could avow fuch a maxim, either wanted a capacity and forefight, to comprehend the fecurity and credit of his country in fucceeding generations, or had very folicitude about it. For when the public virtue, and private little probity, of a great majority of any people, is fo far extinguifhed as to be incapable of relumination, their courage muft expire too; and the determination of their happiness and fignificance, as as a nation, muft alfo neceffarily arrive. Thus we find, when Horace could justly reproach his countrymen with their raging purfuit of money only, which they reckoned more than equiva lent to every † natural advantage, the Roman empire was advancing very rapidly to its diffolution. The incorrupt Poet himfelf could fay, he preferred ‡ virtue to gold; and, under the highest obligations a Writer ever had to a Prince, he, like a patriot indeed, generously contrafted the virtue and frugality of the vigorous republic, to the luxury and effeminacy of the Auguftan age. Such paffages occur frequently in his odes, and are fo many immortal inftances of a firm connection between fublime genius, and divine unfelfifh integrity. And yet even in that degenerating age, we find fome inftances, that wealth, as well as power, was not above condefcending to countenance Authors of merit. This was not lately, nor is at present their cafe, if our Author, who appears to write from experience, may be credited. For having obferved from the late Juftice Fielding, that it may be as juftifiable to live by the pen as by the tongue, he adds, It became, indeed, but too apparent, that genius and ⚫ knowlege were worth nothing, no, not even countenance or notice, till grafted on fome factious stock, and made fubfervient to some separate intereft: that it was downright folly to hope to rife by difinterefted merit: and that he was only laughed at, who laid the ftrefs of his fuit on any fuch pretenfions. Indeed the juft diftinction that ought to obtain in regard to the venality contemptuoufly applied to Authors, feems to be, that where every affiftance and material is fold, the venal or mercenary author is not he who fells his well-meant works, which have cost him time and money to compofe and publifh; but that Writer only, who fells his confcience, by writing for hire against his own principles or conviction: though, indeed, one who writes even from principle, may be guilty both of arrogance and avarice, in fetting too exorbitant a price on his compofitions. In fuch a view our Author confiders the Writer of a late Eftimate of the Times; of whom he affirms, that with an eye to preferment, he has officioufly ftrained all his powers and faculties, to make the people appear fole authors of their own calamities.'---And our Author having premifed, that the most interested of Writers were the readieft to brand their cotemporary Writers as fcribblers, (with the addition of many bad epithets) who write to find ⚫ their account in it,' he observes, as a confirmation of it, Occupet extremum scabies. Et genus et formam regina pecunia donat. Vilius argentum eft auro, virtutibus aurum. that At fides, et ingenîbenigna vena, elt; pauperemque dives me petit. < who ⚫ whoever cafts an eye on the Exiftimator's scanty page, and o vergrown margin, will pronounce at once, that nobody under • ftands the value of three fhillings and fix-pence better than he.' And here the Writer of the prefent pamphlet has prudently guarded against any recrimination on this head, his twelvepenny pamphlet containing within one third as much as the Eftimator's bound book. Our Author having obferved, that minifterial Writers have been fometimes rewarded by an office in the church or ftate; and having made fome fhrewd remarks on writing for bookfellers, in which he honeftly admits, much may be urged in justice to them, as well as in compaffion to ingenious Authors,' he enters upon a difcuffion of the province of writing for the ftage. And having extended his interefting and fpirited reflections on the state of the theatres to a confiderable length, he proceeds to eftimate the fituation of a Writer employed by a faction (in the name of the community) that is, of a political Writer. This he judges the most flattering of all, because the Writer who fills it, expects to do that without doors, which his confederates, in a fuperior ftation, find impracticable to do within; on which account he is confulted and careffed by them, as well as affured, that in the divifion of the promised land, a lot fhall be referved for him. But he adds foon after, that when oppofition is at an end, and the pen no longer of use, he that held it is left, in the language of Shakespeare, like an unregarded bulrush in the ftream, to rot itself with motion.' He admits, however, and inftances many examples of the promotion, or other reward, of men of abilities and ingenuity in former reigns; though with regard to the too general neglect of them, he introduces a very pleasant and appofite dialogue, page 35, 36, faid to have paffed between the Earl of S and Sir Richard Steel, in 1718, and which he supposes was never printed before. Soon after he contrafts this neglect of his clients, to the preferments bestowed on bubbles, the genteeler order of gamblers, and the runners of the Great; adding, wherever the Great make a point of serv ing a man, it is no matter whether he deferves to be posted at the altar or at Tyburn.' This reminds us of the qualifications for preferment in Juvenal's days. Aude aliquid brevibus Gyaris et carcere dignum, Having contrafted the extraordinary rewards of dentists, fidlers, fingers, &c. the parade in which they appear, and the respect with which they are treated, to the cafe of profeffed Authors, he gives us his eftimate of the order and precedence, in which he thinks it defireable, that different things and qualities were were ranked in the following climax. As things fhould be, • I apprehend the fcale fhould be thus: Labour, Money, Ingenuity, Knowlege, Wifdom, Honour, Virtue, Piety, Public Spirit, or Magnanimity. As they are, Money, however acquired, is at the fummit, and Public Spirit under foot.' The too manifeft depreffion of the laft, indeed, is a dreadful contemplation to every true lover of his country, who reflects how potently great wealth may attract an enemy, and how impotent that mere wealth which we idolize may be to repel one. Finally, this agreeably farcaftical and mifcellaneous Writer compares authorism and oratory; and though he gives fome preference to the former, (to which he is profeffedly attached) on the old axiom of Litera fcripta manet, juftly obferving, the. Writer is a fort of actor in the world, as long as his works, continue to be read;' yet he owns afterwards, that in certain, inftances and places, where the queftion may importantly affect all that is effential to the happiness of fociety, a moment's eloquence may be worth an age of ftudy.' But then, he adds, the eloquence of such a man would be the leaft of all his accomplishments; and having glanced at a great, and, it is to be hoped, a worthy object of popular love and expectation, he refumes, If then, we have a man amongst us, thus qualified for the fervice, I had like to have faid the falvation of the public, with radical knowlege, fpeculative and experimental, familiar reference to every branch of it, facile communication, firm in principle, great in fentiment, noble in purpose, determined in execution, equally free from diffidence and prefumption, equally incapable of furprize and diimay, meannefs, or perfidy, and equally mafter of all the powers of argumentation, imagination, and elocution, we must admit he can have no competitor, but fuch a minifter as Sully, or such a Hero as is now • the wonder of Europe; and all our Writers ought to be proud of laying their pens at his feet.' This, indeed, is no maladroit manner of tendering one profeffed Author, who cannot be ignorant, however, that minifters of the firft merit and probity need them leaft. For whatever want of virtue and principle has been afcribed, and however fpeciously, to the body of this nation, their very general approbation of the prefent measures, and their entire acquittal of the new minifters, from the late difgraceful non-attempt of their scheme, feems a comfortable affurance, that the extinction of public fpirit is not to be afcribed to the people, and that they dare applaud where there is a juft foundation for it. Our Author continues, in his digreffive and defultory manner, to fay many juft things, and to propofe fome reasonable and ufe ful ones, in very fpirited diction. He has a feeling, and intiREV. April, 1758. A a inate |