sent at the comedy," people cannot hiss and yawn at the same time." Wicked Men. The following observation on the censure most galling to these persons, is taken from a French dramatic author, and shews he was qualified to instruct his audience, and is worthy of Moliere. "To shew our aversion to wicked men, flatters their self-love and consequence, as it implies some dread of them mixed with it: the best method to humble these pests of society, is to turn them into ridicule." So says our great moral bard : Safe from the bar, the pulpit, and the throne, Pope. A Young Author. M. Danchett was very kind to young authors, and would give them good advice. Once a young man brought him a copy of verses on the "Misfortunes of his Mistress." It had this line in the beginning, Philippe N. Destouches, author of several comedies, died at Paris 1754. M. Danchet, French academician, and a writer of operas.. died in Paris 1748, "Maison, qui renfermez l'objet de mon amour." "Suppose," said M. D. " you put instead of house, too common a term, palace, or fair residence." True, sir,' said the young man, but she was in a bridewell.' "Oh then," said the critic, "house is good enough." The Duke of Marlborough and Mr. Dennis. The good fortune of Mr. Dennis's play of Angir, or Liberty asserted," had gained suc cess by the many abusive passages on the French, with whom we were then at war. At the making of the peace, Dennis called on his friend the Duke of Marlborough, and begged his interest with his Grace that the plenipotentiaries might not give him (Mr. D.) up to the French King. The Duke gravely and drily told him, his danger might not be so great as he thought, for he had not himself applied to the plenipotentiaries, and yet he believed that he had done the French as much damage as Mr. Dennis. Attention. Hints to Young Students in Law. A more true and lively account of this excellent habit of the mind cannot easily be found, than the following extract from Howel. "I desire to * O house, that hidest the object of my love. know how you like Plowden :* I heard it often said, that there is no study requires patience and constancy more than the common law, for it is a good while before one comes to any known perfection in it, and consequently to any gainful practice in it. This, I think, made Jack Chander throw away his Littleton, like him, when he could not catch a hare- A pox upon her, she is dry, tough meat; let her go.' It is not so with you," &c. Howel's Famil. Letters, vol. ii, l. 9. An ambiguous and ingenious Compliment. "Ubi est multum phantasiæ parum est fortunæ," says a Latin proverb, which may be rendered, Wits are generally poor, and men of fancy are seldom fond of money. Fleetwood,† the Recorder of London in Queen Elizabeth's time, having occasion to speak to the citizens, and desirous to conciliate their good will," Gentlemen," said the courteous orator, "when I consider your wit, I admire at your great wealth." Howel's Letters, b. 4, letter 9. Plowden, the great lawyer. + A. Wood says, "Fleetwood was a learned man, but of marvellous merry and pleasant conceit." Origin of the Variety of Languages. Perhaps the sagacious though quaint Howel has as well, if not better, than more learned men, framed his conjecture on this dark point. "Your Lordship knows that there be divers meridians and climes; and as they make men differ in the ideas and conceptions in the mind, so in the motion of the tongue, in the tune and tones of the voice, they come to differ one from the other. Now all languages at first were imperfect, confused sounds, then came they to be syllables, then words, then speeches and sentences, which by practice, by tradition, and a kind of natural instinct from parents to children, grew to be fixed." Howel's Fam. Letters, vol. ii. letter 61, to the Envy, an Anecdote. This passion is apt, in most minds, to take shame to itself, and try to hide its real character under false pretences. Mr. D- was telling a friend, (subject to this influenza,) that he had lately built a house, and described its beauties with some degree of hobby-horsical pleasure. The auditor sighed loudly, and putting on the most amiable countenance in his power, and adopting the most gentle accents in correspondence to it, exclaimed, "Pray tell me, my dear friend, have you built the staircase wide enough to convey your coffin down safely."-See also Dr. Johnson's answer to David Garrick at his villa, in Boswell's Life of him. Ancient and Modern Suicides. How different are the causes of modern and ancient self-murder. The Grecian and Roman hero, and the modern suicide-the Roman killed himself, because he had been unfortunate in war; the Englishman, because he has been unlucky at the gaming-table: the old hero, because he had disgraced his country; the modern, because he dare not shew his head at Brooks's: the former, because he was deprived of his glory; and the latter, because he could no more command his ortolans and his champagne: the first was encouraged by a mistaken principle of religion; the last, for want of any, &c. Estimate of the Manners of the Times, 2 vols. 1757. A Humorist, Though often marked by satire and scorn, is yet often very undeserving of either censure. He is often a man of great sensibility and sense, and |