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moral art, is itself too, in every inftant, confummate and complete; is neither heightened nor diminished by the quantity of its duration, but is the fame to its enjoyers, for a moment or a century.

UPON this I fmiled. He asked me the reason. It is only to obferve, faid I, the course of our inquiries. A new hypothefis has been advanced: appearing fomewhat strange, it is defired to be explained. You comply with the request, and in pursuit of the explanation, make it ten times more obfcure and unintelligible, than before. It is but too often the fate, faid he, of us commentators. But you know in

fuch cafes what is ufually done. When the comment will not explain the text, we try whether the text will not explain itself. This method, it is poffible, may affist us here. The hypothefis, which we would have illuftrated, was no more than this: That the Sovereign Good lay in rectitude of Conduct; and that this Good correfponded to all our pre-conceptions. Let us examine then, whether, upon trial, this correfpondence will appear to hold; and, for all that we have advanced fince, fuffer it to pafs, and not perplex us. Agreed, faid I, willingly, for now I hope to comprehend you.

RECOLLECT then, faid he. Do you not remember that one pre-conception of the Sovereign Good was, to be accommodated to all times and places? I remember it. And is there any time, or any place, whence Rectitude of Conduct may be excluded? Is there not a right action in profperity, a right action in adverfity ?. May there not be a decent, generous, and laudable behaviour, not only in peace, in power, and in health; but in war, in oppreffion, in ficknefs, and in death? There may..

AND

AND what shall we fay to thofe other pre-conceptions; to being durable, self-derived, and indeprivable? Can there be any Good fo durable, as the power of always doing right? Is there any Good conceivable, fo entirely beyond the power of others? Or, if you hefitate, and are doubtful, I would willingly be informed, into what circumftances may fortune throw a brave and honest man, where it shall not be in his power to act bravely and honeftly? If there be no fuch, then Rectitude of Conduct, if a Good, is a Good indepriv able. I confefs, faid I, it appears fo.

BUT farther, faid he; Another pre-conception of the Sovereign Good was, to be agreeable to nature. It was. And can any thing be more agreeable to a rational and focial animal, than rational and focial condu&t? Nothing. But rectitude of Conduct is with us Rational and Social Conduct. It is.

ONCE more, continued he; Another pre-conception of this Good was, to be conducive not to mere-being, but to well-being. Admit it. And can any thing, believe you, conduce fo probably to the well-being of a rational focial animal, as the right exercise of that reason, and of those focial affections? Nothing,. And what is this fame exercise, but the higheft Rectitude of Conduct?. Certainly.

HARRIS.

ON

CHA P. III.

CRITICISM..

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ND how didGarrick speak the foliloquy last night? Oh, against all rule, my lord, moft ungrammatically! betwixt the fubftantive and the adjective, which fhould agree together in number, cafe and gender, he made a breach

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thus,-ftopping as if the point wanted fettling;-and betwixt the nominative cafe, which your lordship knows fhould govern the verb, he suspended his voice in the epilogue a dozen times, three feconds and three fifths by a stop-watch, my lord, each time.-Admirable grammarian!-But in fufpending his voice-was the fense fufpended likewife? did no expreffion of attitude or countenance fill up the chafm? Was the filent? Did eye narrowly look? — I look'd only at the ftop-watch, my lord.- Excellent observer. AND what of this new book the whole world makes fuch a rout about?-Oh! 'tis 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.

you

-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 corregiefcity of Corregio-the learning of Pouffin-the airs of Guido- -the tafte of the Carrachi's or the grand contour of Angelo.

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

I WOULD

IWOULD go fifty miles on foot, to kifs the hand of that man, whose generous heart will give up the reins of his imagination into his author's handsbe pleafed he knows not why, and cares not wherefore.

STERNE.

W

CHA P. IV.

ON NE GROES.

HEN Tom, an' please your honour, got to the shop, 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.

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pretty picture! faid my uncle Toby-she had suffered 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 slut that would melt a heart of stone, said Trim; and fome difmal winter's evening, when your honour is in the humour, they fhall be told you? with the rest of Trim'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).

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

Ir would be putting one fadly over the head of another, quoth the corporal.

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?

I CAN give no reason, said my uncle Toby

ONLY, cried the corporal, fhaking his head, because

fhe has no one to stand up for her

'Tr's 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!-but be it where it will, the brave, Trim, will not use it unkindly.

GOD forbid, faid the corporal.

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

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upon the old business; for unless I am allowed to entertain hopes of Mifs Rivers, I fhall be the most miferable of all human beings..

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

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

SIR HAR. Ido; 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 alfo know that matters are not finally fettled between Mr. Sidney and you; and I moreover

know,

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