"appears by the names in ufe. Thus Monkey, "which, the Etymologifts tell us, comes from "monkin, monikin, bomunculus. Baboon, "from Babe, the termination denoting addition and "increment, a large Babe. Mantygre fpeaks its "original. And when they have brought their fir"names with them from their native country, as Ape, the common people have as it were chriftened them by the addition of Jack-an-Ape." Mr. W.

Mantygre speaks its original! This poor critic Speaks his original in every note he writes, especially if left to bimfelf. Mantiger is the English pronunciation of Mantichora, Malixugas. But not to be grave-The ather is on a passage in King Lear, Act I.

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Regan. That I profefs

Myself an enemy to all other joys,

"Which the most precious fquare of fenfe poffeffes.

"Which the most precious fquare of fenfe poffeffes.]

By the fquare of fenfe, we are, bere, to underftand the four nobler fenfes, viz. the fight, hearing, taste and smell. For a young Lady could "not, with decency, infinuate that she knew of any pleafures which the fifth afforded. This is ima

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gined and expreffed with great PROPRIETY and "DELICACY. But the Oxford editor, for fquare "reads fpirit." Mr. W.

I cannot

I cannot help bere pausing a little, and reflecting on the strange notes, which I have been tranfcribing.-Yet this Critic, after the utmost acrimony of Stile against Mr. Theobald and Sir Thomas Hanmer, thus concludes, "They Separately poffeffed thofe "two qualities which, more than any other, have "contributed to bring the Art of Criticism into dif repute, DULNESS OF APPREHENSION, and EXTRAVAGANCE OF CONJECTURE."

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I have spoken very fully of what has contributed to bring the art of criticism into difrepute; but the want of Scholarship is the original of all. And I could wifh our Critic, among fome few other obfervations, had not thought the following abfolutely below his ferious notice :

" "Twere well if a careful and critical reader "would first form to himself some plan, when he "enters upon an author deferving a stricter in"quiry: if he would confider that originals have "a manner always peculiar to themselves; and not « only a manner, but a language: if he would compare one paffage with another; for fuch authors "are the best interpreters of their own meaning: "and would reflect, not only what allowances may " be given for obfolete modes of Speech, but what a “ venerable caft this alone often gives a writer. I 1 Mr. W.'s preface, p. xiii.

❝ omit

..omit the previous knowledge in ancient cu"stoms and manners, in grammar and conftru❝ction; the knowledge of these is presupposed; "to be caught tripping here is an ominous "ftumble at the very threshold and entrance upon criticism; 'tis ignorance, which no guefs-work, no divining faculty, however .66 ingenious, can atone and commute for."

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Had Mr. W. seriously noticed this, he would, as seriously, bave laid afide all defigns of commencing an editor of Shakespeare: nor would be bave gone out of his way to fhew his readers, bow little be knows of the English, bow lefs of the Latin, bow nothing of the Greek languages. He has • launched forth on the immense ocean of criticism with no compass or card to direct his little fkiff; and tho' perhaps he may blind the eyes of the lefs-obferving reader by ftealing this manʼs obfervations, and by adding a little to another's; by overrefining on this passage, and seeking after diftant and far-fetched allufions to other passages: yet all this fig-leave covering will but the more ferve to difcover the nakedness of the commentator to the difcerning eye of the real Critic.

2 Critical obfervations, &c. B. II. S. I.

IX. Whatever

IX.

Whatever appearances of learning these remarks, which I have now under examination, may put on; yet being deftitute of the thing itself, they will, from fuch appearances, be more defpifed by the real fcholar. I have heard it faid by Critics, That fuch a remark is more ingenious than true. But, for my own part, I know nothing ingenious, but what is true. Nor can I look on the following in any other light, than as an idle dream

"From off this briar pluck a white rose with me.] This is given as the original of the two badges of the houfe of York and Lancafter, "whether truly or not, is no great matter. But "the proverbial expreffion of SAYING A THING "UNDER THE ROSE, I am perfuaded, came from "thence. When the nation had ranged itself into "two great factions, under the white and red

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rofe, and were perpetually plotting, and counter

plotting against one another, then when a matter " of faction was communicated by either party to his friend in the fame quarrel, it was natural for him to add, that he faid it under the rofe; "meaning that, as it concern'd the faction, it was "religiously to be kept fecret." Mr. W. [vol. 4. pag. 465.]

This is ingenious! What pity, that it is not learned too?The Rofe, (as the fables fay) was the fymbol of filence, and confecrated by Cupid to Harpocrates, to conceal the lewd pranks of his mother. So common a book as Lloyd's dictionary might have inftructed him in this. "Huic Harpocrati Cupido "Veneris fil. parentis fuæ rofam dedit in munus, " ut fcilicet fi quid licentius di&tum, vel actum fit in "convivio, fciant tacenda effe omnia. Atque idcirco

cr

veteres ad finem convivii fub rofa, Anglicè “under the role, transacta esse omnia ante digreffum contestabantur; cujus formæ vis eadem effet, « atque ifta, Μισῶ μνάμονα συμπόταν. Probant "banc rem verfus qui reperiuntur in marmore: "Eft rofa flos Veneris, cujus quo furta laterent "Harpocrati matris dona dicavit Amor. "Inde rosam menfis hofpes fufpendit amicis, "Convivæ ut fub eâ dicta tacenda fciant.”

BUT there is fcarcely a page, that does not furnish us with inftances of this over-refining humour. 'Tis this, together with a love of paradoxes, that generally misleads him from that plain road, to which plain fenfe would direct every reader.Who, even of a common understanding, can be mistaken in interpreting the following paffage in Macbeth, Act I. where the Captain is giving an account of the Battle?

" As