Nor is ease more contrary to wit than to fublimity; the celebrated stanza of Cowley, on a lady elaborately dreffed, lofes nothing of its freedom by the spirit of the fentiment.

Th' adorning thee with fo much art

Is but a barb'rous skill,

'Tis like the pois'ning of a dart,
Too apt before to kill.

Cowley feems to have poffeffed the power of writing easily beyond any other of our poets, yet his pursuit of remote thoughts led him often into harfhness of expreffion. Waller often attempted, but feldom attained it; for he is too frequently driven into tranfpofitions. The poets, from the time of Dryden, have gradually advanced in embellishment, and confequently departed from fimplicity and ease.

To require from any author many pieces of eafy poetry, would be indeed to opprefs him with too hard a task. It is lefs difficult to write a volume of lines fwelled with epithets, brightened by figures, and ftiffened by tranfpofitions, than to produce a few couplets graced only by naked elegance and fimple purity, which require fo much care and fkill, that I doubt whether any of our authors has yet been able, for twenty lines together, nicely to obferve the true definition of eafy poetry.

I

NUMB. 78. SATURDAY, October 13, 1759.

HAVE paffed the fummer in one of thofe places to which a mineral fpring gives the idle and luxurious an annual reafon for reforting, whenever they fancy themselves offended by the heat of London. What is the true motive of this periodical affembly, I have never yet been able to dif cover. The greater part of the vifitants neither feel difeafes nor fear them. What pleafure can be expected more than the variety of the journey, I know not, for the numbers are too great for privacy, and too fmall for diverfion. As each is

known to be a spy upon the reft, they all live in continual restraint; and having but a narrow range for cenfure, they gratify its cravings by preying on one another.

But every condition has fome advantages. In this confinement, a fmaller circle affords opportunities for more exact obfervation. The glass that magnifies its object contracts the fight to a point, and the mind must be fixed upon a fingle character to remark its minute peculiarities. The quality or habit which paffes unobserved in the tumult of fucceffive multitudes, becomes confpicuous when it is offered to the notice day after day; and perhaps I have, without any diftinct notice, feen thousands like my late companions; for when the fcene can be varied at pleasure, a flight difguft turns us

afide before a deep impreffion can be made upon

the mind.

There was a felect fett, supposed to be diftinguished by fuperiority of intellects, who always paffed the evening together. To be admitted to their converfation was the highest honour of the place; many youths afpired to distinction, by pretending to occafional invitations; and the ladies. were often wishing to be men, that they might partake the pleafures of learned fociety.

I know not whether by merit or deftiny, I was, foon after my arrival, admitted to this envied party, which I frequented till I had learned the art by which each endeavoured to fupport his character.

Tom Steady was a vehement affertor of uncontroverted truth; and by keeping himself out of the reach of contradiction, had acquired all the confidence which the consciousness of irresistible abilities could have given. I was once mentioning a man of eminence, and, after having recounted his virtues, endeavoured to reprefent him fully, by mentioning his faults. Sir, faid Mr. Steady, that he has faults I can easily believe, for who is without them? No man, Sir, is now alive, among the innumerable multitudes that fwarm upon the earth, however wife, or however good, who has not, in fome degree, bis failings and his faults. If there be any man faultlefs, bring him forth into publick view, fhew him openly, and let him be known; but I will venture to affirm, and, till the contrary be plainly fhewn, shall always maintain, that no fuch man is to be found. Tell not me, Sir, of impeccability and perfections fuch

talk

talk is for thofe that are strangers in the world: I bave feen feveral nations, and conversed with all ranks of people: I bave known the great and the mean, the learned and the ignorant, the old and the young, the clerical and the lay, but I have never found a man without a fault; and I fuppofe fhall die in the opinion, that to be buman is to be frail.

To all this nothing could be opposed. I listened with a hanging head; Mr. Steady looked round on the hearers with triumph, and faw every eye congratulating his victory; he departed, and spent the next morning in following those who retired from the company, and telling them, with injunctions of fecrecy, how poor Spritely began to take liberties with men wifer than himself; but that he suppressed

him by a decifive argument, which put him totally

to filence.

- Dick Snug is a man of fly remark and pithy fententiousness he never immerges himself in the ftream of converfation, but lies to catch his companions in the eddy: he is often very fuccefsful in breaking narratives and confounding eloquence. A gentleman, giving the history of one of his acquaintance, made mention of a lady that had many lovers: Then, faid Dick, he was either handfome or rich. This obfervation being well received, Dick watched the progress of the tale; and hearing of a man loft in a fhipwreck, remarked, that no man was ever drowned upon dry land.

Will Startle is a man of exquifite fenfibility, whofe delicacy of frame, and quickness of difcernment, fubje& him to impreffions from the flightest causes;

caufes; and who therefore paffes his life between
rapture
and horror, in quiverings of delight, or
convulfions of difguft. His emotions are too vio-
lent for many words; his thoughts are always dif-
covered by exclamations. Vile, odious, horrid, de-
teftable, and sweet, charming, delightful, aftonishing,
compofe almost his whole vocabulary, which he ut-
ters with various contortions and gesticulations, not
eafily related or defcribed.

Jack Solid is a man of much reading, who utters nothing but quotations; but having been, I fuppofe, too confident of his memory, he has for fome time neglected his books, and his ftock grows every day more fcanty. Mr. Solid has found an opportunity every night to repeat from Hudibras,

Doubtless the pleasure is as great

Of being cheated, as to cheat.

And from Waller,

Poets lofe half the praise they would have got,
Were it but known that they discreetly blot.

Dick Mifty is a man of deep research, and forcible penetration. Others are content with fuperficial appearances; but Dick holds, that there is no effect without a caufe, and values himfelf upon his power of explaining the difficult, and difplaying the abftrufe. Upon a dispute among us which of two young ftrangers was more beautiful, You, fays Mr. Mifty, turning to me, like Amaranthia better than Chloris. I do not wonder at the preference,