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OLD CHINA.

HAVE an almost feminine partiality for old china. When I go to see any great house, I enquire for the china

closet, and next for the picture gallery. I cannot defend the order of preference, but by saying, that we have all some taste or other, of too ancient a date to admit of our remembering distinctly that it was an acquired one. I can call to mind the first play, and the first exhibition, that I was taken to ; but I am not conscious of a time when china jars and saucers were introduced into my imagination.

I had no repugnance then-why should I now have? to those little, lawless, azure-tinctured grotesques, that under the notion of men and women, float about, uncircumscribed by any element, in that world before perspective—a china tea-cup.

I like to see my old friends-whom distance cannot diminish-figuring up in the air (so they appear to our optics), yet on terra firma still-for so we must in courtesy interpret that speck of

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OLE CHINA.

HAVE an almost for me partia for old ina. When I go to see any great ho MC, I enquire for the chinacloset, and next for the picture gallery. I cannot defend the order of prefcere ut by saying, that we have al some taste or other, of too ancient a date to admut of our remembering distinctly that it was an acquired one. I can call to mind, the first play, and the first exhibition, that I was taken to; but I am rot conscious of a tire when china jars and arters were introduced into my imagination.

I had no repugnance then-why should I now have?-to those lite, lawles, azure-tinctured grotesques, that under the notion of men and women, float about, marcanseed by any element, in that world ofore per pective-a china tea-cup.

I like to see my old friends-whem.ncs t diainish-figuring up in the air so they to our cot.cs, vet on terra fra stil -1 r must ir courtesy inpret that speck of

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