the mingled praises of Genius, and Judgment; of the Poet, and his Commentator.

Having fome space left in this paper, I will now, with the permiffion of my readers of the great world, addrefs myself more particularly to my fellow-citizens.

To them, the effay which I have here prefented, to them, will, I flatter myself, be peculiarly ferviceable at this time; and I would earnestly recommend an attentive perufal of it, to all of them whose muses are engaged in compofitions of the Epic kind. I am very much afraid that I may run into the error, which I have myself pointed out, of becoming too local,-but where it is evidently intended for the good of my fellow citizens, it may, I hope, be now and then pardonable. At the prefent juncture, as many have applied for my affiftance, I cannot find in my heart to refuse it them. Were I to attempt fully explaining, why, at the prefent juncture, I fear it would be vain. Would it not feem incredible to the Ladies, where I to tell them, that the period approaches, when upwards of a hundred Epic Poems will be expofed to public view, most of them nearly of equal length, and many of them nearly of equal merit,

with the one which I have here taken into confideration; illuftrated moreover with elegant etchings, defigned either as hieroglyphical explanations of the fubject, or as practical puns on the name of the author?-And yet in truth fo it is,and on this fubject I wish to give a word of advice to my countrymen.

Many of them have applied to me by letter, to affift them with defigns for prefixing to their poems; and this I should very willingly have done, had those gentlemen been kind enough to fubscribe their real names to their requests: whereas, all that I have received have been figned, Tom Long, Philofophus, Philalethes, and fuch like. I have therefore been prevented from affording them the affistance I wished; and cannot help wondering, that the gentlemen did not confider, that it was impoffible for me to provide typical references for feigned names; as, for ought I know, the perfon who figns himself Tom Long may not be four feet high; Philofophus may be poffeffed of a confiderable share of folly; and Philalethes may be as arrant a liar as any in the kingdom.

It may not however be ufelefs to offer fome general reflections for all who may require them.

It is not improbable, that, as the subject of their poems is the Refloration, many of my fellow-citizens may choose to adorn their title-pages with the representation of His Majefty, Charles the Second, efcaping the vigilance of his purfuers in the Royal Oak. There are fome particularities generally obfervable in this picture, which I fhall point out to them, left they fall into fimilar errors. Though I am as far as any other Briton can be, from wishing to "curtail" his Majesty's Wig "of its fair proportion;" yet I have fometimes been apt to think it rather improper, to make the Wig, as is ufually done, of larger dimenfions than the tree in which it and his Majefty are concealed. It is a rule in Logic, and I believe may hold good in moft other Sciences, that "omne majus continet in fe minus," that "every thing larger can hold any thing that is lefs;" but I own, I never heard the contrary advanced or defended with any plaufible arguments, viz. " that every little thing can hold. one larger." I therefore humbly propofe, that there should be at least an edge of foliage round the outskirts of the faid wig; and that its curis fhould not exceed in number the leaves of the tree. There is also another practice almoft equally prevalent, of which I am fceptic enough to doubt the propriety. I own, I cannot think it by any

means conducive to the more effectual concealment of his Majesty, that there should be three Regal Crowns ftuck on three different branches of the tree. Horace fays indeed,

·Pictoribus atque Poetis,

Quidlibet audendi femper fuit aqua poteftas.
Painters and Poets our indulgence claim,

Their daring equal,and their art the fame.-FRAN. And this may be reckoned a very allowable poetical licence; inafmuch as it lets the fpectator into the fecret, who is in the tree. But it is apt to make him at the fame time throw the accufation of negligence and want of penetration on the three dragoons, who are ufually depicted on the foreground, cantering along very compofedly, with ferene countenances, erect perfons, and drawn fwords, very little longer than themselves.

B

No. XIII.

OF THE

MICROCOSM.

MONDAY, February 19, 1787.

Quanto ferocius ante fe egerint, tanto cupidius infolitas voluptates haufiffe.-TAC.

Their appetite for unufual pleasure, was in proportion to their former ferocity.

T

HERE are many ideas, which, as I have hinted in a former paper, we are apt, merely on poetical authority, to adopt as data, and to fubftitute the pleasing, but extravagant exuberance of a luxuriant fancy, for the convincing folidity of Historical demonftration. Among these, none perhaps recurs more frequently to our imagination, or strikes it more forcibly, than the primeval innocence of man. We inwardly reproach ourselves with degeneracy; and are chagrined, when, after having