marian!-But in fufpending his voice-was the fenfe fufpended likewife? did no expreffion of attitude or countenance fill up the chafm?-Was the eye filent? Did you narrowly look ?-I look'd only at the ftop watch, my lord. Excellent obferver.

AND what of this new book the whole world makes fuch a rout about ?-Oh! Itis out of all plumb, my lord,quite an irregular thing! not one of the angles at the four corners was a right angle I had my rule and compaffes, &c. my lord, in my pocket.-Excellent critic!

AND for the epic poem your lordship bid me look at ;-upon taking the length, breadth, height, and depth. of it, and trying them at home upon an exact scale of Boffu's 'tis out, my lord, in every one of its dimensions. Admirable connoiffeur.

And did you step in, to take a look at the grand picture in your way back?'Tis a melancholy daub! my lord; not one principle of the pyramid in any one group!

-and what a price !for there is nothing of the colouring of Titian-the expreffion of Rubens the grace of Raphael the purity of Dominichino-the correigiefcity of Corregio the learning of Pouffin the airs of Guido- -the taste of the Carrachi's contour of Angelo.0 %

or the grand

:

GRANT me patience, juft Heaven!Of all the cants which are canted in this canting world-though the cant of hypocrites may be the worft the cant of criticism is the most tormenting!

I WOULD go fifty miles on foot, to kifs the hand of that man, whofe generous heart will give up the reins of his imagination into his author's hands-be pleased he knows not why, and carès not wherefore.

WHEN Tom, an' please your honour, got to the fhop, there was nobody in it, but a poor negro girl, with a bunch of white feathers flightly tied to the end of a long cane, flapping away flies not killing them.-'Tis ‹a› pretty picture! faid my uncle toby fhe had fuffered perfecution, Trim, and had learnt mercy

SHE was good, an' please your honour, from nature as well as from hardships; and there are circumstances in the story of that poor friendless, flut that would melt a heart of ftone, faid Trim; and fome difmal winter's evening, when your honour is in the humour, they shall be told you with the reft of Tom's story, for it makes a part of it,

THEN do not forget, Trim, faid my uncle Toby. -A NEGRO has a foul, an' please your honour, faid the corporal (doubtingly).

A Minot much verfed, corporal, quoth my uncle Toby, in things of that kind; but I fuppofe, God would not leave him without one, any more than thee or me.

IT would be putting one fadly over the head of an, other, quoth the corporah

IT would fo, faid my uncle Toby. Why then, an? please your honour, is a black wench to be used worse than a white one? grote for th

I CAN give no reason, said my uncle Toby -ONLY, cried the corporal, fhaking his head, because the has no one to ftand up for her

'Tis that very thing, Trim, quoth my uncle Toby, which recommends her to protection, and her brethren with her; 'tis the fortune of war which has put the whip into our hands now where it may be hereafter, Heaven

knows!

know!-but be it where it will, the brave, Trim, will not ufe it unkindly.

GOD forbid, faid the corporal.

AMEN, refponded my uncle Toby, laying his hand upon his heart.

STERNE.

CHAP. V.

RIVERS AND SIR HARRY.

SIR HAR. COLONEL, your most obedient; I am come upon the old business; for unless I am allowed to entertain hopes of Mifs Rivers, I fhall be the most miserable of all human beings.

Riv. Sir Harry, I have already told you by letter, and I now tell you perfonally, I cannot listen to your proposals. SIR HAR. No, Sir?

Riv. No, Sir, I have promifed my daughter to Mr. Sidney; do you know that, Sir ?

SIR HAR. I do; but what then! engagements of this kind, you know

Riv. So then, you do know I have promised her to Mr. Sidney?

SIR HAR. I do; but I also know that matters are not finallyt fettled between Mr. Sidney and you; and I moreever know, that his fortune is by no means equal to mine, therefore

Riv. Sir Harry, let me ask you one queftion before you make your confequence.ix

SIR HARd Asthousand if you please, Sir..

A

Riv. Why then, Sir, let me ask you, what you have ever observed in me or my conduct, that you defire me fo familiarly to break my word?? I thought, Sir, yoù, confidered me as a man of honour.

SIR HAR. And so I do, Sir, a man of the nicest ho

of

RIV. And yet, Sir, you ask me to violate the fanctity my word; and tell me directly, that it is my intereft to be a rafcal

SIR HAR. I really don't understand you, Colonel: I thought when I was talking to you, I was talking to a man who knew the world; and as you have not yet figned

RIV. Why, this is mending matters with a witness! And fo you think because I am not legally bound, 1 am under no neceffity of keeping my word! Sir Harry, laws were never made for men of honour: they want no bond but the rectitude of their own fentiments, and laws are of no ufe but to bind the villains of society.

SIR HAR. Well! but my dear Colonel, if you have no regard for me, fhew fome little regard for your daughter. RIV. I fhew the greatest regard for my daughter, by giving her to a man of honour and I must not be insulted with any farther repetition of your proposals.

SIR HAR. Infult you, Colonel ! Is the offer of my alliance an infult? Is my readiness to make what fettlements you think proper

RIV Sir Harry, I fhould confider the offer of a kingdom an infult, if it was to be purchafed by the violation of my word: Befides, though my daughter fhall never go a beggar to the arms of her husband, I would rather fee her happy than rich; and if the las enough to provide handfomely for a young family; and fomething to fpare for the exigencies of a worthy friend,

as if he was miftrefs of Mexico.

fhall think her as affluent

SIR HAR.. Well, Colonel, I have done, but I believeRIVA Well, Sic Harry, and asidur conference is done, we will, if you pleafe, retire to the ladies: I shall be always glad of your acquaintance, though I cannot receive you as a fon-in-law; for a union of interests look upon as a union of dishonour, and confider a marriage for money, at beft, but a legal proflitution.

FALSE DELICACY.

CHAP. VI.

SIR JOHN MELVIL AND STERLING.

STERL. WHAT are your commands with me, Sir John ?

SIR JOHN. After having carried the negociation between our families to fo great a length, after having affented fo readily to all your propofals, as well as received fo many inftances of your cheerful compliance with the demands made on our part, I am extremely concerned, Mr. Sterling, to be the involuntary caufe of any uneafiness..

STERL. Uneafinefs! what uneafinefs? Where bufiness is transacted as it ought to be, and the parties understand one another, there can be no uneafinefs. You agree on fuch and such conditions, to receive my daughter for a wife; on the fame conditions I agree to receive you as a fon-in-law; and as to all the reft, it follows of course, you know, as regularly as the payment of a bill after acceptance.

SIR JOHN. Pardon me, Sir; more uneafinefs has arifen than you are aware of. I am myself, at this inftant, in a ftate of inexpreffible embarraffment; Mifs Sterling, I know, is extremely difconcerted too; and unless you will oblige me with the affistance of your friendship, I foresee the speedy progrefs of discontent and animofity through the whole family.

STERL.

What the deuce is all this! I do not underftand a fingle fyllable.

SIR JOHN. In one word then, it will be abfolutely impoffible for me to fulfil my engagements in regard to Mifs Sterling.

STERL. How, Sir John ? Do you mean to put an affront upon my family? What ! refuse to

SIR JOHN. Be affured, Sir, that I neither mean to affront nor forfake your family. My only fear is that you should