implicitly follow their leaders, do not know what is a mean performance, or what the contrary; nor confider that the fubject of grievances is never exhausted, while the grievances continue. Thus the honest writer's good advice is neglected, and the eil remains un-cured, as much as if it were really incurable. Now this conduct fhews how we have improved on the fagacity of our forefathers; time was, when people were afbamed of being publicly branded; and it was thought neceffary to anfwer a writer, who prefumed to infinuate, that governors, either in church or state, were culpable. What was the confequence? Why, a controverfy was fet on foot: Matters were thoroughly examined: Truth came out The eyes of the people were opened: Knavish statesmen and churchmen were foiled at fair argument, and the wings of tyranny and prieftcraft were clipped. How much wifer we; who walk off, as quietly as fo many cowards after a kicking; and never make one wry face! Populus me fibilat: at mihi plaudo. If we have not

the

the empty praife, we have the folid pudding.

At the fame time, I cannot deny, that there are more buyers of books in this age, than in any former. But this is no argu

ment, that we are at all the better for the books we buy. No nation pays fo magnificently for the performance of mufic, vocal and inftrumental (if the frittering noise, we are now-a-days regaled with: at operas and concerts, may be called mufic) than the English. Yet it is notorious, that no people on earth have fo little natu ral genius to mufic, as the South Britons. The cafe is the fame with books, as with mufic; we lay out money in both, not because we want them, but because we are rich, and must lay out our money in fomewhat.

Do you know our ingenious way of proceeding with respect to new books? I bes lieve you don't; and therefore I will tell you. Thus it is; when a book is published, if it comes to be the fashion to buy it, which depends upon fomebody's faying,. that fomebody faid, fomebody thought the fiyle

B. 5.

ftyle was brilliant; then every body buys the book, and puts it in their parlour window; that all who come to their rout, may fee, that they are people of taste; and there the fashionable books lie, till they become too numerous for the window to contain them. Then that generation goes, and another comes in its place. But as to reading, you may guess what time we have for it, when I tell you, that from daylight, which all the year round begins,. with us in this tenth climate, precisely at twelve at noon, every creature of the leaft Spirit (excepting the king and royal family) is obliged to spend twelve hours of the time it is awake, in eating, drinking, dresfing, and cards.

I have been just mentioning our elegant eighteenth-century-tafte, with ref pect to ftyle. Our humour about style is very diverting; fo, between you and me, are most of our humours. But we will have our way, because, as I observed above, we are rich, and can af

ford.

• Some dæmon whisper'd, "John Bull, have a taste!"

POPE.

ford to be as capricious as we please. You must know, that we have not, to this day, fettled any one rule concerning English ftyle (any more than concerning English manners) by which to determine, with precision or unanimity, what is good style, excepting only that it has a certain je ne ffai quoi in it. We are not even agreed about the pronunciation of our language. But. we are as eager in our admiration of what we are pleased to admire, as if we had an English academy for the purpose of regulating and adjusting our ftyle and pronunciation, as they have in France; and as if we knew why we admired.

You will perhaps be got back to fuch a ftate of fimplicity, as I fuppofe you will have the world to begin a-new, that, if any of you fhould find yourselves in danger of being bewildered on Salisbury-downs, or Mendip-hills, you will be glad to be puc in your way by a simple ruftic, even if he fhould give you the direction in plain. English, without any je ne fai quoi flourish

es.

You will, perhaps, only confider, in perufing a book; whether you find in it any thing, by which you are made wifer, B. 6

or.

or better; whether it lets you a-thinking, and examining the foundations of established nonfenfe; whether it helps you to correct your errors in principle or in practice; whether it affifts you in curbing your vices, and warms your hearts to the pursuit of whatever is virtuous and praife-worthy; whether it teaches you to diftinguish between those, who really deferve well of their country, and thofe, who are more intent on the pursuit of riches and honours, than of their country's good.. You will perhaps, not mind fo much how an author writes, as what he writes. We, for our wife parts, never regard the usefulness of the matter, if the manner be but pleasing, Yet we do not know theoretically, why, or when, we should be pleased even with an author's manner.

But I was faying, page 3, that I choofe to dedicate to you this my fecond volume, because I am in hopes, you will be more in humour to liften to me, than the good. people of my own times. There will undoubtedly be a great change in the state of affairs by the time you make your appearance. How it will be circumftanced, no

one