Piron had genius, but wanted tafte. His Metromanie is one of the best (1) comedies that has been written fince Moliere. The unpardonable licentiousness of fome of his pieces, very justly excluded him from the Academy.

As I know your palate relishes honey better than gall, I muft endeavour to make you forget the epigram, by prefenting you with a madrigal.

To a BROWN BEAUTY.

Vous etes belle, & votre fœur eft belle,
Entre vous deux tout choix feroit bien doux ;
Le dieu d'amour étoit blond comme elle;
Mais il aimoit une Brune comme vous.

(1) The Mechant, by Greffet, is another of the best modern comedies; it is incomparably well written.

P.S.

P.S. Thank you for the Modern Anecdote. It is as light as a woman.

But it

is witty, pretty, graceful; and though I never faw its fair author, I'll be fworn. fhe is amiable. I am afraid there is a fault against delicacy of tafte in the laft page but one of the dedication (fomething about champaigne); and I believe there is another fomewhere elfe,. but I forget where.

Voltaire fays, it is a proof of taste, to find a beauty where there is a number. of faults; or a fault among a number of beauties. It is then to prove my own tafte that I have pointed out two trifling errors, which are certainly furrounded by a crowd of prettineffes. "It was al"most dark when they returned to the "castle;

"castle; and it is recorded by a crow, "who was perched upon the top of one. "of the largest trees in the avenue, that young Franzel gave Cecil a kifs be"hind it." Don't you like that turn? Isn't it pretty and new?

LET

LETTER XXIII.

IBERIUS retired to Capreæ, as

TIB

Frederick has done to Sans-fouci.

But the retreat of the Emperor was that of a Tyrant; the retreat of the King is

that of a Philofopher.

Fid

dle

dee

dee,

to fill

up the page.

LET

LETTER XXIV.

A

Frenchman," (1) fays the Earl of Chefterfield, "who, with a

"fund of learning, virtue, and good "fenfe, has the manners and good

breeding of his country, is the per"fection of human nature." I am not an enemy to the French; but I do not think this affertion true. In my opinion, the following would have been jufter: An Englishman, who joins manners and good-breeding to the folidity, energy, and greatness of mind, which characterize his

I

(1) Letter LXXXVI.

country,