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molism. Envy made Johnson a mole to all our best poets, except Dryden and Pope. You are a mole to Sterne-and I-for why should not my portly self run in amongst you intellectually greater folk?—I am a mole to Spencer, so far at least, that, though I perceive the power of his genius in the mass, and infinitely admire particular passages, I could never read a book of the FairyQueen through, without being ennuied past bearing by the Hydra-headed allegories.

But molism of this kind always existed. Plato was a mole to Homer.-You are no mole to me, however, for, in truth, you have looked at the little stars of my imagination, through Mr Herschel's last optic-glass.

Proceeding through your Lowth, often have I, in imagination, enjoyed the pleasures that must result to you from the consciousness of having honourably completed so great a work—the reputation of which must increase as time rolls on. May health, and domestic happiness, be added to the sunny glow of that consciousness!

LETTER LXXXIII.

CAPTAIN SEWARD*.

Dec. 7, 1787.

Is it possible that Lord Heathfield should not see the impropriety of my presuming to intrude upon the Duke of Richmond's attention with an interference, by request, in military promotions, since I can scarcely be said to have the shadow of a personal acquaintance with his Grace?

My father's present state, the almost utter loss of all his intellectual faculties, is known. Did he possess them, impertinent surely would be an acknowledgement from him, that he supposed the Duke meant any thing more than a polite compliment, by giving the name of obligation to the civility of ordering our servants to make up a bed for him during three nights, and to prepare a bason of gruel for him in the morning, before he went to the field. This was literally all he could be prevailed upon to accept beneath this roof, when, in his years of bloom, he united the occupation of Mars to the form of Adonis. I was then a

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* This respectable character is still alive, and resident at Southampton.-1810.

molism. Envy made Johnson a mole to all our best poets, except Dryden and Pope. You are a mole to Sterne ;-and I-for why should not my portly self run in amongst you intellectually greater folk?—I am a mole to Spencer, so far at least, that, though I perceive the power of his genius in the mass, and infinitely admire particular passages, I could never read a book of the FairyQueen through, without being ennuied past bearing by the Hydra-headed allegories.

But molism of this kind always existed. Plato was a mole to Homer.-You are no mole to me, however, for, in truth, you have looked at the little stars of my imagination, through Mr Herschel's last optic-glass.

Proceeding through your Lowth, often have I, in imagination, enjoyed the pleasures that must result to you from the consciousness of having honourably completed so great a work—the reputation of which must increase as time rolls on. May health, and domestic happiness, be added to the sunny glow of that consciousness!

LETTER LXXXIII.

CAPTAIN SEWARD*.

Dec. 7, 1787.

Is it possible that Lord Heathfield should not see the impropriety of my presuming to intrude upon the Duke of Richmond's attention with an interference, by request, in military promotions, since I can scarcely be said to have the shadow of a personal acquaintance with his Grace?

My father's present state, the almost utter loss of all his intellectual faculties, is known. Did he possess them, impertinent surely would be an acknowledgement from him, that he supposed the Duke meant any thing more than a polite compliment, by giving the name of obligation to the civility of ordering our servants to make up a bed for him during three nights, and to prepare a bason of gruel for him in the morning, before he went to the field. This was literally all he could be prevailed upon to accept beneath this roof, when, in his years of bloom, he united the occupation of Mars to the form of Adonis. I was then a

* This respectable character is still alive, and resident at Southampton.-1810.

molism. Envy made Johnson a mole to all our best poets, except Dryden and Pope. You are a mole to Sterne ;-and I-for why should not my portly self run in amongst you intellectually greater folk?—I am a mole to Spencer, so far at least, that, though I perceive the power of his genius in the mass, and infinitely admire particular passages, I could never read a book of the FairyQueen through, without being ennuied past bearing by the Hydra-headed allegories.

But molism of this kind always existed. Plato was a mole to Homer.-You are no mole to me, however, for, in truth, you have looked at the little stars of my imagination, through Mr Herschel's last optic-glass.

Proceeding through your Lowth, often have I, in imagination, enjoyed the pleasures that must result to you from the consciousness of having honourably completed so great a work-the reputation of which must increase as time rolls on. May health, and domestic happiness, be added to the sunny glow of that consciousness!

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