At the promotion of General Officers in 1793, his Lordship was made a Major-General, and during the active campaigns on the continent applied to his Majesty that he might be fent with his regiment to ferve under the Duke of York; but his appointment of Gold Stick prevented the application taking effect. His Majesty, however, being desirous of becoming acquainted with certain matters on the Continent, and the operations of the army, particularly the British, fent Lord Harrington on a private miffion to the Duke of York, with whom he remained for a fhort time. His Lordship, on the 9th of January 1798, was advanced to be LieutenantGeneral, and is now fecond in com mand on the London Staff. He has also been made a Privy-Counsellor. His exertions in placing the Volunteer Corps on a respectable and effective footing have been apparent to every obfervation. To fuch fervices no individual applaufe can add any cele brity; it can only come with propriety from the nation at large, which it is to be hoped will, ere long, hail the deliverers of mankind in the downfal and deltruction of democracy and defpotin, and their infolent and implacable IT is fo long fince you and I have correfponded, that I really do not recol. lect whether you are a letter in my debt or I in yours: for my own credit's fake I with it may be the former: but be it as it may, I will not omit the op. portunity of Mr. Rainsford's return, to fend you Mr. Sheridan's Differtation, which includes part of his plan. 'Tis addreffed, as you fee, to a great man: when you read it, you will not be at a Jols to discover, that the perfon ad. drefled is our prefent firit Minifter. It has been as well received by him as we could pollibly with, and even beyond the expectation of our friends. He expreff-d himself highly pleated with the deng, and sent Mr. Sheridan word it thould receive all countenance and encouragement. Lord Bute is a man of his word, and every body knows his great influence; fo that the affair now leems likely to become of great importance. The Course of Lectures which Mr. Sheridan is now reading in the city is attended in a manner that thews the people more warm and ear. neft on the fubject than can well be conceived; his auditory feldom confifting of lefs than five hundred people, and this is the utmost the hall will contain; many have been dif appointed for want of room, and he is thenuously folicited to repeat the Courfe again immediately in the fame place. This I believe he will comply with, though he is to give another Course next month at Spring Gardens. Latt Monday evening, Charles, for the first time, exhibited himself as a little orator. He read Eve's fpeech to Adam, from Milton, beginning, "O thou! for whom, and from whom I was form'd," &c. As his father had taken a deal of pains with him, and he has the advantage of a fine ear and a fine voice, he acquitted himfelf in fuch a manner as atonifhed every body. He purpoles in his next Courfe to fhew him in all the variety of style that is used in English compoution, and hopes in a very little time to make him complete in his own art. Dick has been at Harrow School fince Christmas: as he probably may fall into a bustling life, we have a mind to accuftom him early to shift for himself: Charles's domeftic and fedentary turn is bett fuited to a home education this is the prefent fyltem of your little old acquaintance. I fhall be glad of your opinion on the Differtation, as alfo to know what progrefs you yourfelf have made in this particular branch in your school, which I am very glad to hear by Mr. Rain ford is in great reputation. I am obliged to break off, as I have been interrupted a dozen times fince I fat down to write, Indeed I am fo diftreffed for want of a room to myself, that it difcourages me from attempting any thing, though I have this winter made a fhift to fcribble fomething that you thall hear of another time.-Adieu, dear Sam. I am yours fincerely, FRANCES SHERIDAN. P.S. My fitter Chamberlaine defires me to inform you, (you may be affured I did not hint the fubje&t,) that the had paid Mrs. fome money that you had left in her hands for that ufe, which the exects you'll acquit her of. I leave my brother Dick to answer for imfelf. CURSORY CURSORY THOUGHTS on EPIGRAMMA TICK COMPOSITION. In tenui labor, at tenuis non gloria. VIRG. SCALIGER obferves, that an Epigram in its original fate was nothing more than an Infcription, which the Greek word Emiypappa fufficiently proves. When the memory of an hero was immortalized by a ftatue or trophy, it was ufual to prefix a fhort poem as an illustration of the honour: Hence a fudden turn and quickness of thought neceffarily arofe from the narrownefs of its extent, which was not improperly named the fting; though the generality of Greek Epigrams are not fo remarkable for the acuteness of their clofe, as a continued train of fublime thought. This fpecies of compofition has long laboured under the contempt of modern criticks; and Addifon, in his Allegory on True and Falfe Wit, reprefents it ftationed in the rear of the former, to prevent a defertion to the latter, as it was strongly fufpected of difaffection. To diffent from an opinion ettablished by fuch formidable authorities would almost feem prefumption; yet though an Epigram does not claim the most eminent part of Parnaffus, it is difficult to fay why it fhould be degraded to the loweit, unless the fondnefs which juvenile Writers betray for this line of poetry may have drawn it into difgrace: Yet a genius, when matured by age and experience, should not look back on its first essays as trifling, without reflecting how few excel in thefe trifles. The nicety attending its accomplishment evinces its ingenuity. Some fpecies of falfe wit may be attained by intenfe application; fuch as that of including a poem with in the exact fymmetry of any particular form Where thou may'ft wings difplay and al tars raise, And torture one poor word a thousand ric feem beft fuited to its airy meafures, which the writer may vary as his fancy prompts him; though there are numerous examples of good Epigrams on more ferious fubjects. With re fpect to its extent, the strictest attention fhould be paid to brevity, as far as is allowable without obfcurity; for as it ought to have only one thought in view, it should not be stretched, at fartheft, beyond the length of eight or ten lines. On reading an Epigram, the mind is led, from the nature of the compofition, to expect concileness, which, if prolixity fuperfedes, it is too much fatigued by expectation to relish the fharpness of the clofe, which should be polished to the finest point of wit, and not inferted in a feparate claufe, but drawn out imperceptibly from the preceding lines. In an interesting novel, when the contents of a chapter are prefixed at the beginning, the pleafing gratification of curiofity is destroyed; to if an introduction is required more copious than the Epigram, anticipation robs us of its greatest beauty, viz. an expected turn of wit; and it seems a paultry refource to tell the reader what a perufal would not difcover. The following, though an Epigram according to the strictest rules, lies under this predicament. On a fpacious BRIDGE built by the D-ke of M-lb-gh over a contemptible Stream at B-nb-m. The lofty arch his high ambition fhews, The ftream an emblem of his bounty flows. Though it may juftly be alledged in excufe for this example, that being originally written on the bridge, it did not require the explanation, and loft its beauty only by being tranflated into a book. Puns have been long reprobated as mere nuga canoræ, and it must be confeffed that they do not heighten their dignity much by the ornamental drefs of poetry: But fuch is the fluctuation of tafte in literature, that Quintilian great, ly commends a punning epigram of Ci cero, (Fundum Varro vocat, quod possum mittere funda, &c.) which, according to modern judgment, would difgrace a much inferior genius.-Addison recommends the translation of a piece of wit into a different language, which, like an affaying oven, would prove its purity, or bafenefs. This is an infallible method to detect a pun, and ancient as well as modern Epigrams must fome. times feel its effects. Much cannot be advanced in the justification of a pun, though it does not wholly delerve the molt abject contempt.-When a pun is introduced, the object of its aim is delight, and not defiance to the fevere Tules or criticifin; and its defign, if well conducted, is conteffedly crowned with fuccefs. The brevity, file, and lightnefs of an Epigram recommends it to judgment as a proper field for the first exercife of genius; and not feeling, or not acquainted with the levere beauties of criticifin, a pun, by almoft the fame qualifications, appears to them in full brilliancy of wit, and is often immoderately indulged. But though the Epigram, which bears Mr. Additon's teft of truth, is confiderably more deferving of praife, yet a pun ought not to be totally configned over to contempt, lince it requires lome ingenuity to introduce it with enfe, and without ftretching its allutions too remotely; for as it requires delicate treatment, no species of falle wit is more abject than a far-fetched pun; like a dangerous medicine, which with fkilful management may be used as a fate and infallible remedy, but if its qualities are miftaken, is attended with the molt perni cious confequences. COMPARISON of the ENGLISH, SCOTCH, and IRISH, refident in LONDON. [From the "United States Gazette," an American Paper.] HE love of the Englishman,though ofT ten intente, is commonly influenced by fome fecondary conûduration, fuch as riches, convenience, or the benefit of a refpe&table connection. The North Briton loves a bannie lae dearly, and his affection is not dindinished by wealth; while the Hibernian, though often reproached as a fortune hunter, generally loves his mittrels for her beauty and accompliments. The friendship of the Englishman is cordial and confiftent; the Scotchman is alfo a fincere friend, the friendibip of the Irithman, though more fervid, is like the blaze of a faces, too often liable to be extinguifhed by the firit guft of his anger. In religion, the Englishman is as fyf tematic as in the regulation of his but finefs; the Scotchman is still more tria in performing the duties of his faith; and the Difhigan, who loves God and his neighbour as well as either, is feldem folicitous to appear religious. In hiteravure as in commerce, the Englaman has a large capital, which he improves to the greatest advantage; the Scotchman, who derives part of his intellectual wealth from others, as it were by inheritance, applies the rich bequed of Homer, Virgil, and other illustrious ancients, to his own use with propriety; but he rather lives on the interet than increates the nock. On the contrary, the Irithman inherits but little from the ancients. His literary wealth conûfts in the rich bunnenved ore of his own genius, with which he adventures to almost every part of the globe, and is often unfucceistul, though fometimes his bullion is coined into current money. For fond learning, fome philofophy, and the happiell fights of the epic and the dramatic mule, the English may hazard a competition with any other nation. The Scotch literati, with lefs claim to originality, fuccefsfully purfue the ufeful relearches of divinity,history, and critición; while the Irish, without either the extensive knowledge of the former, or the difcriminating fagacity of the latter, often excel in genuine wit, ironical humour which commands rifibility, and that pathos of fenfibility which melts the heart. In fupport of this affertion, England has produced a Newton, a Milton, and a Shak fpeare; Scotland can boat of a Blair, à Roberta fon, and a Beattie, and Ireland, as a proof of the justice of her pretentions, can bring forward a Swift, a Goldsmith, and a Sterne. glories in the fuperiority of his country With respect to pride, the English his opinion is confirmed by beholding in wealth, trade, and civilization; and people from all nations in London. The ambition of the North Briton is cherished by his learning, and the antiquity of his family, and the pride of an Irishman is generally confined to his mihiefs or wife, or the accompliments own endowments, the beauty of his of his friend. One fingular clafs of It ifhmen con ufis of thole adventurers who repair to London as fortune hunters, and allume generally handfome, well made men, the character of gentlemen. They are and decorate their natural comelinels ped, they frequent the theatres, malwith a fashionable diefs. Thus equipquerades, and public walks: and e |