Absurd Epithets.

When a quality is given by an epithet to a subject which by nature it cannot possess, the imagery strikes our reason as absurd.

In Pope's Elegy on an Unfortunate lady, the line which describes the wing of an angel is highly improper.

"While angels with their silver wings o'ershade." A metallic wing could not belong to any living being, or communicate motion to it. Commentators have endeavoured to extricate Pope from this error by saying that the poet meant by the word silver to describe white wings. Pope's master, Dryden, talks equally absurdly of a silver bow; and we do not wonder that, by such authority, a modern authoress was led astray, when she begins a sonnet

"Queen of the silver bow!"

Perhaps Mrs. Smith might have meant by silver the pale colour of the ash, yet such poetic liberties are very licentious.

Love in Old Age. Bon Mot.

It is a saying among sage matrons, that it is better to be an old man's darling than a young man's mistress; which proverb is, no doubt, founded on the experience that the love of old

persons is excessive dotage. A lively French writer, speaking of love in old age, used to say, that the amorous passion resembled the small-pox; as the later both disorders attacked the patient, the worst sort always discovered itself in each malady.

Modern Critics.

No persons can act more fairly than these judges of an author's merit, as they not only give their opinions of another's productions and offer to correct them, but often give you specimens of their own talents on the subject. When Milbourne began his attack on Dryden's translation of some passages in Virgil, he boldly appealed to the public on the justice of his criticisms, and for his claim to the character of a scholar and poet, by giving samples of his own translation. Pope called Milbourne, for this reason, the "fairest of critics.'

History.

Sir Nicholas Bacon, lord keeper of the great seal in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, conceived a a plan in her father's time, of founding a seminary of ministers of state out of the revenues of the dissolved monasteries. The plan was laid before the King. After enumerating the languages to be taught in this seminary to qualify the students for situations as ambasadors, others

of the students were to be employed in writing the history of the national transactions, both at home and abroad; including, particularly, embassies, treaties, arraignments, and state trials; but, before they were permitted to write on these subjects, they were to take an oath, before the Lord Chancellor, that they would do it truly, without respect of persons, and without any corrupt views. This design, however, miscarried.-Gen. Biog. Dict. by Alexander Chalmers.

Ridicule the Test of Truth.

*

This popular and dangerous position of my Lord Shaftesbury has long stood its ground, partly from the obscurity of the terms in which it is couched. But a writer, whose understanding no sophistry could confound, has placed the absurdity of this position in a clear light. "If ridicule be applied to any position as the test of truth, it will then become a question whether such ridicule be just; and this can only be decided by the application of truth as the test of truth." Here, to use a vulgar phrase, the cart is put before the horse, and the jester made judge and jury in his own cause. Of this excellent writer's observation we may say, with the Poet,

* Lives of the Poets, vol. 4, Akenside.

Why, that's the way to choak a gibing spirit,
Whose influence is begot of that loose grace,
Which shallow laughing hearers give to fools:
A jest's prosperity lies in the ear

Of him that hears it, never in the tongue
Of him that makes it.

Love's Labour Lost.

Philology and the Belles Lettres..

Since the revival of letters, too much honour has been given to the studies of the Latin and Greek languages, inasmuch as they have been called exclusively erudition. A writer who was an eminent classical scholar himself, has placed philology in its proper rank. "To what purpose doth a man fill his head with Latin and Greek words, with histories, opinions, and customs, &c. if it doth not contribute to make him more rational, more prudent, more civil, more virtuous and religious? Such occupations are to be considered as introductory, and ornamental, and serviceable to studies of higher importance, such as philosophy, law, ethics, politics, and divinity. To abandon these sciences in order to support philology, is like burning a city to save the gates."-Dr. Jortin's Life of Erasmus.

Charles I. of England.

My Lord Clarendon observes that the cause of the troubles which broke out in the reign of this

monarch, was owing to a notion that was entertained and reported by many, viz. of his intention to reclaim the Church lands given away by Henry VIII. and to restore them to the Church. This occasioned a rumour that Charles was about to re-establish the Catholic worship, and to destroy the schism which Henry, and James his father, had established. This account appears very singular, and worthy of remark, as no other French or Italian writers, on the subject of the troubles of England, or any other English historian, have mentioned it. ~Melanges d' Histoire et de Litterature, par M. de Vigneule. Marville, 1700. Rouen, 1 vol. Quere, if Lord Clarendon reports this, as the French writer mentions, in any passage or volume of his history?

A singular Criticism.

A French author had written several very heavy dramatic pieces, which had very little favour shewn them by the public, yet he still persisted in writing for the stage. In a large company, he entered on the defence of his last comedy, and said, that in spite of all the severe criticisms which had assailed his play, he was yet happy to say, that the audience did not hiss the performance. "My dear sir," said a critic, who had been pre