AND what fhall we fay to thofe other pre-conceptions; to being durable, felf-derived, and indeprivable? Can there be any Good fo durable, as the power of always doing right? Is there any Good conceivable, fo entirely beyond the power of others? Or, if you hefitate, and are doubtful, I would willingly be informed, into what circumstances may fortune throw a brave and honeft man, where it shall not be in his power to act bravely and honeftly? If there be no fuch, then Rectitude of Conduct, if a Good, is a Good indeprivable. I confefs, faid I, it appears so.

BUT farther, faid he; Another pre-conception of the Sovereign Good was, to be agreeable to nature. It was. And can any thing be more agreeable to a rational and fo cial animal, than rational and focial conduct? Nothing. But rectitude of Conduct is with us Rational and Social Conduct. It is.

ONCE more, continued he; Another pre-conception of this Good was, to be conducive not to mere-being, but to well-being. Admit it. And can any thing, believe you, conduce fo probably to the well-being of a rational, focial animal, as the right exercise of that reason, and of those social affections? Nothing. And what is this fame exercife, but the highest Rectitude of Conduct? Certainly.

HARRIS.

CHAP. III.

ON CRITICIS M.

AND how did Garrick speak the foliloquy laft night?

Oh, against all rule, my lord, moft ungrammatically! betwixt the fubftantive and the adjective, which should agree together in number, cafe and gender, he made a breach P 2

thus,

thus,-ftopping as if the point wanted fettling;-and betwixt the nominative case, which your lordship knows fhould govern the verb, he fufpended his voice in the epilogue a dozen times, three feconds and three fifths by a flop-watch, my lord, each time.-Admirable grammarian!-But in fufpending his voice-was the fenfe fufpended likewife? did no expreffion of attitude or countenance fill up the chaẩm ? -Was the eye filent? Did you narrowly look ?—I look'd only at the ftop-watch, my lord.-Excellent obferver.

AND what of this new book the whole world makes fuch a rout about?—Oh! 'tis out of all plumb, my lord,-quite an irregular thing! not one of the angles at the four corners was a right angle. I had my rule and compaffes, &c. my lord, in my pocket.-Excellent critic.

And for the epic poem your lordship bid me look at ; -upon taking the length, breadth, height, and depth of it, and trying them at home upon an exact scale of Boffu's— 'tis out, my lord, in every one of its dimenfions.-Admirable connoiffeur !

1

AND did you flep in, to take a look at the grand picture in your way back?'Tis a melancholy daab! my lord; not one principle of the pyramid in any one group! and what a price!for there is nothing of the colouring of Titian-the expreffion of Rubens-the grace of Raphael—the purity of Dominichino-the corre giefcity of Corregio-the learning of Pouffin-the airs of Guido-the tale of the Carrachi's- or the grand contour of Angelo.

GRANT me patience, juft Heaven!-Of all the cants which are canted in this canting world-though the cant of hypocrites may be the worft the cant of criticifm is the moft tormenting!

I WOULD

I WOULD go fifty miles on foot, to kifs the hand of that man, whose generous heart will give up the reins of his imagination into his author's handsbe pleafed he knows not why, and cares not wherefore.

CHA P. IV.

STERNE.

ON

NEGRO E S.

WHEN Tom, an' please your honour, got to the

shop, there was nobody in it, but a poor negro girl, with a bunch of white feathers flightly tied to the end of a long cane, flapping away flies-not killing them.-'Tis a pretty picture! faid my uncle Toby-fhe had fuffered perfecution, Trim, and had learnt mercy

-SHE was good, an' please your honour, from nature as well as from hardships; and there are circumstances in the ftory of that poor friendless flut that would melt a heart of ftone, faid Trim; and fome difmal winter's evening, when your honour is in the humour, they fhall be told you with the reft of Tom's ftory, for it makes a part of it

THEN do not forget, Trim, faid my uncle Toby.

A NEGRO has a foul, an' please your honour, faid the corporal (doubtingly).

I AM not much verfed, corporal, quoth my uncle Toby, in things of that kind; but I fuppofe, God would not leave him without one, any more than thee or me.

-IT would be putting one fadly over the head of another, quoth the corporal.

IT would fo; faid my uncle Toby. Why then, an' please your honour, is a black wench to be used worse than a white one?

"

I CAN give no reafon, faid my uncle Toby

ONLY, cried the corporal, fhaking his head, becaufe fhe has no one to ftand up for her

I

-'Tis that very thing, Trim, quoth my uncle Toby, which recommends her to protection, and her brethren with her; 'tis the fortune of war which has put the whip into our hands nowwhere it may be hereafter, Heaven knows! but be it where it will, the brave, Trim, will not use it unkindly.

-God forbid, faid the corporal.

AMEN, refponded my uncle Toby, laying his hand upon his heart.

STERNE.

CHA P. V.

RIVERS AND SIR HARRY.

SIR HAR. COLONEL, your moft obedient: I am

come upon the old bufinefs; for unless I am allowed to entertain hopes of Mifs Rivers, I fhall be the most miferable of all human beings.

RIV. Sir Harry, I have already told you by letter, and I now tell you perfonally, I cannot listen to your proposals. SIR HAR. No, Sir?

RIV. No, Sir, I have promised my daughter to Mr. Sidney; do you know that, Sir?

SIR HAR. I do; but what then! Engagements of this kind, you know

RIV. So then, you do know I have promised her to Mr. Şidney?

SIR HAR. I do; but I alfo know that matters are not finally fettled between Mr. Sidney and you; and I moreover know,

ts.

know, that his fortune is by no means equal to mine, therefore

Riv. Sir Harry, let me afk you one queftion before you make your confequence.

SIR HAR. A thoufand if you please, Sir.

RIV. Why then, Sir, let me afk you, what you have ever observed in me or my conduct, that you defire me fo familiarly to break my word? I thought, Sir, you confidered me as a man of honour.

SIR HAR. And fo I do, Sir, a man of the niceft ho

nour.

RIV. And yet, Sir, you afk me to violate the fanctity of my word; and tell me directly, that it is my interest to be a rafcal.

SIR HAR. I really don't understand you, Colonel: I thought when I was talking to you, I was talking to a man who knew the world; and as you have not yet figned

RIV. Why, this is mending matters with a witness! And so you think because I am not legally bound, I am under no neceffity of keeping my word! Sir Harry, laws were never made for men of honour; they want no bond but the rectitude of their own fentiments, and laws are of no use but to bind the villains of society.

SIR HAR. Well! but my dear Colonel, if you have no regard for me, fhew fome little regard for your daughter.

RIV. I fhew the greatest regard for my daughter, by giving her to a man of honour: and I must not be infulted with any farther repetition of your proposals.

SIR HAR. Infult you, Colonel! Is the offer of my alliance an infult? Is my readiness to make what fettlements you think proper