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in quarto, on the negative fign in algebra.-Now if he would affift your magazine."

"Better affift the public in this time of extreme danger and peril, faid a gentleman with a remarkably long face, and a difmal black wig, whofe countenance I obferved, betrayed ftrong marks of difcontent, while Mr. Equation was haranguing,-I am amazed and aftonished, he went on, that at fuch an important period as the prefent, men's thoughts fhould be employed upon such trivial things, as algebra and magazines, contemptible and infignificant! When the intereft of all Europe is concerned; and the belligerant powers are using every effort to give fuccefs to their schemes: no man who loves his country, should think or talk of any thing but its political concerns; every private fatisfaction fhould be given up; and in the cause of liberty, of virtue, of protestantism, and the prefent glorious establishment, we fhould unite our utmoft, our most fagacious and thoughtful confiderations. And if men will write, and will have magazines, furely a political one would be the only proper, and the only useful magazine in the prefent state of things. In this might be delineated the true fyftem of polity in the general, the law of nature, of nations, and of diftinct communities : great helps for which would be drawn from Grotius and Puffendorf, and, from Vatell in particu+ lar, more excellent than either. Then the inte

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reft of Great Britain, and the utility of continental connections, the neceffity of fupporting Pruffia, the glory of the prefent war, and the like, might be set forth: And, what ftrikes me moft of all, and I believe will perfuade me to undertake a thing of this kind, thus might the lies of that arch-falfifier Maubert, that wretch. of wretches, that difgrace of politicians, be clearly developed and exposed, to the unfpeakable utility of the world in general."

"You have got the right rope by the end, my boy, yare, yare, my lad, said a rough gentleman, who fate near the politician, and clapped him heartily on the back when he had finished his fpeech. Not accustomed to fuch rude familiarity, he received the gratulations of Mr. Loveftorm in a look of difdain, and expreffed his difapprobation with a tone of anger. "Nay, and

you be for brewing a storm, d'ye fee, quoth the failor, I can weather it out, I believe, as well as yourself. But I lik'd your lingo, and was going to strike fail with you, my mafter, and hove my cargo of opinions aboard the veffel of your piloting. For, tho' I say it, no man loves his country better than I, and especially the fhiping: I don't use the fea indeed only now and then, as it may be for my own pleasure; but the glory of Old England is her wooden walls, and I am proud to be in the belly of a good tight veffel. I'll venture a wager, my Lively VOL. II. Peggy,

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Peggy, will fail with any fhip in the navy, I could go to fleep on her top-maft: but, as I faid, our wooden walls are, as a body may call them, the anchor and cable of Old England, we muft ftand by them. I am fure that's good politics; or we fhall presently ride in a storm, and it will be God's mercy, if we don't go to

the bottom."

I obferved, while this lover of the ocean was delivering his fentiments, two gentlemen, who feemed to exprefs a fovereign contempt for all that had been faid, were converfing; the one, with much energy, on the beauties of painting, the other on the fuperlative excellence of dramatic poetry. The merits of the pieces prefented to the Society for arts, &c. were very nicely and critically examined by the former; and I perceived that he could not be brought to acknowledge any peculiar merit in modern productions. The art of painting, he affured us, was perfectly loft, (as indeed there was no encouragement for it in England) and nothing fhort of a Rubens or a Titian, a Raphael or a Rembrandt, I found, could fuit his fublimated tafte. The admirer of the drama feem'd to eftimate the painter at a very low rate, as a mechanic genius; no way comparable to the poet, whofe eye in a fine phrenzy rolling, doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven, &c.

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He feemed very defirous to difcufs the merits of the ancient and modern dramatic writers; and by a natural tranfition was led to characterize our actors; large were his commendations of the British Rofcius, to give which their weight, he was fo obliging as to attempt to fpeak two or three favourite paffages in Mr. Garrick's manner; which he affured us he had ftudied with fome accuracy; but an unfortunate flip or two, and an unpleasing provincial and monotonic accent, occafioning a burft of laughter, this lover of the theatre was obliged to take his hat and withdraw in fome confufion.

"What fimple men are all these, faid a gentleman, who fat at my elbow, and whispered into my ear-to profecute fuch idle amusements! For my part, I am for real knowledge, and on that account have made antiquity my study, for many years: I fhould be glad, Sir, to show you my medals, they are very perfect and fine, I affure you; I have very nearly compleated my feries."—I thanked the gentleman very cordially, and my time being expired, was obliged to withdraw; which Mr. Flofculus doing at the fame time, I was favoured with his company down the street, when he made precifely the fame remark, with my friend the Antiquarian; and proceeded to recommend in the strongest terms, his own delightfome, healthful, rational amusement, "The cultivation of flow

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ers,” “For I am, faid he, a perfect Florist; I dedicate all my leifure time to this noble employment, and I believe my. ftage of Auriculas is inferior to few; I christened two new flowers last season, the Prince Imperial and the Duke of Brunfwie, and I have no doubt of equal honour and success in the fame way, next season. I won the prize at the Carnation Feaft, and I would not exchange tulips with any Burgò-Mafer in Holland." I promised to avail myself of his friendship, and to decorate my garden, with the cut-cafts of his flowery family.

Such were my affociates at Mrs. C's; I leave my readers to make their own reflections. Permit me only to remark, that as each man hath his favourite amufement, he may, he ought to be allowed quietly to enjoy it, (we fuppofe it innocent). No man has a right to moleft him, while he rides his hobby-horfe; but in return, let him not moleft any man, but suffer him as quietly, equitare in arundine longâ. In fhort, we may in perfect good-nature fmile one at the other; but let us not by any means be angry, or difpute, because we do not approve the fame entertainments; because we have not all the fame taftes :—contentedly reft in your own; leave me, with the fame content, to relax my mind in fuch a manner, as pleases me. You love turtle, I love a plain leg of mutton; eat your turtle in peace, and go to bed! why should you

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