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TO LELY,

Drawing the Countess of Castlemain's picture.

Stay daring man, and ne'er presume to draw
Her picture, till thou may'st such colours get
As Zeuxis and Apelles never saw,

Nor e'er were known by any painter yet.

"Till from all beauties thou extracts the grace,
And from the sun the beams that gild the skies,
Never presume to draw her beauteous face,

Nor paint the radiant brightness of her eyes.

In vain the whilst thou dost thy labour take,
Since none can set her forth to her desert;
She who's above all Nature e'er did make,

Much more's above all can be made by art.

Yet be n't discouraged, since whoe'er do see't,
At least with admiration must confess,

It has an air so admirably sweet

Much more than others, though than her's much less.

So those bold giants who would scale the sky,
Although they in their high attempt did fall,
This comfort had, they mounted yet more high
Than those who never strove to climb at all.

Comfort thee then, and think it no disgrace,
From that great height a little to decline,
Since all must grant the reason of it was,

Her too great excellence and no fault of thine.

Speaking of his book of epigrams this writer says, “they are chiefly in praise of worthy persons, of which none ever had a more plentiful supply than I, having been always conversant with the best and worthiest in all places where I came; and amongst the rest with ladies, in whose conversation, as an academy of virtue, I learnt nothing but goodness, saw nothing but nobleness, and one might as well be drunk in chrystal fountain, as have any evil thought whilst they were in their company, which I shall always remember as the happiest and innocentest part of all my life."

The following germ of a common epigram, I transcribe from this writer, for the assistance of those of my female friends who want consolation in the terrible state to which the lines have reference.

SHEPHERD. Since you are resolved, farewell,

Look you lead not apes in h-l.

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The NIGHT MARE visited Richard de Haverings, archbishop of Haverings, in 1306, to some purpose. Stanihurst (in 6. Holinshed, 446,) relates, that this prelate," after that he had continued well-near the space of five years in the see, was sore appalled by reason of an estrange and wonderful dream. For on a certain night he imagined that he had seen an ugly monster standing on his breast, who, to his thinking, was more mighty than the whole world, insomuch that being as he thought in a manner squeezed or pressed to death with the heff" [Qu?]" of this huge monster, he would have departed with the whole substance of the world, if he were thereof possessed, to be disburthened of so heavy a load. Upon which wish he suddenly awoke. And as he beat his brains in divining what this dream should import, he bethought himself of the flock committed to his charge, how that he gathered their fleeces yearly by receiving the revenues and perquisites of the bishopric, and yet he suffered his flock to starve for the lack of preaching and teaching. Wherefore, being for his former slackness sore wounded in conscience, he travelled with all speed to Rome, where he resigned up his bishopric, a burthen too heavy for his weak shoulders, and being upon his resignation competently beneficed, he bestowed the remnant of his life wholly in devotion."

THE BIBLE. Anthony Purver, a poor Quaker carpenter, conceived that the spirit impelled him to translate the Bible. He accordingly learnt Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and published a literal version of the Old and New Tastaments, in two vols. folio, 1764. This book is curious for its Hebrew idioms. By adhering to these, Anthony has, in some rare instances, excelled the com

mon version; but when he alters only for the sake of alteration, he makes miserable work. E. g. A hind let go may exhibit genteet Naphtali; he gives fine words-for, " Naphtali is a hind let loose; he giveth goodly words." I am he who am is better than I am that I am. He calls the Song, the Poem of Solomon; song, he says, being of prophane use.

UNPUBLISHED MSS. It seems almost incredible, and yet the statement does not appear to be contradicted, that there are valuable works prepared by Cudworth for the press, that are still unpublished by the university which possesses them. There is also extant in MSS a folio volume of unprinted sermons by Jeremy Taylor. Bishop Berkeley's journal of his travels in Italy is in the same neglected state. While such gems might be found at home, we think the royal patronage was rather idly employed in exploring the ruins of Herculaneum.

PARTY PASSION. "Well sir," exclaimed a lady, the vehement and impassionate partizan of Wilkes, in the day of his glory, and during the broad blaze of his patriotism," well sir! and will you dare deny, that Mr. Wilkes is a great man, and an eloquent man?” Oh! by no means, madam! I have not a doubt respecting Mr. Wilkes's talents.--" Well, but sir! and is he not a fine man, too, and a handsome man?" Why, madam! he squints—doesn't he? “ Squints! yes, to be sure he does, sir! but not a bit more than a gentleman and a man of sense ought to squint!!"

GREAT POETS. Ben Johnson has borrowed a just and noble sentiment from Strabo. "If men will impartially and not asquint look toward the offices and function of a poet, they will easily conclude to themselves the impossibility of any man's being a great poet without being first a good man." In the "Shepherds Hunting," a poem by Withers, which was published in 1620 the poet thus speaks of the pleasures which he received from the remembrance of the delightful occupations of his youth, augmented by an ardent love for the muses:

In my former days of bliss,

Its divine skill taught me this:

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ENGRAVING. Of all the imitative arts, engraving is the most applicable to general use, and from the facility with which prints are re-produced, they have acquired one kind of superiority over paintings of a character almost miraculous.

What though no marble breathes, no canvass glows,

From every print a ray of genius flows!

Be mine to bless the more mechanic skill;
That stamps, renews, and multiplies at will;

And cheaply circulates, through distant climes,
The fairest relic of the purest times.-ROGERS.

Engraving has another advantage over painting of the highest consequence, and that is, durability. It is remarked, that while the pictures of Raphael, like those of Apelles and Zeuxis have mouldered from their walls, the prints of Raimondi, his friend and cotemporary, are in complete preservation, and afford a lively conception of the beauties of those paintings, which, but for the graver's art would have been lost forever. It is also justly said, that before the invention of printing in the fifteenth century, the accumulated wisdom of ages was confined to a few perishing MSS. too expensive to be generally obtained, and too valuable to be frequently transferred from the hands of the proprietor. What printing has been to science, engraving has been to art, and the works of the best masters, whether of painting or sculpture, will be indebted to it, for that perpetuity, which the invention of print. ing has secured, to the Inferno of Dante, and the Cid of Corneille.

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ROBINSON CRUSOE'S REFLECTIONS.

In one of the volumes

of a well known mariner, we find the following reflections:

I Robinson Crusoe, grown old in affliction, borne down by calumny and reproach, but supported from within, boldly prescribe this remedy against the universal clamours and contempt of mankind. Patience, a steady life of virtue and sobriety, and a comforting dependence on the justice of Providence, will first or last, restore the patient to the opinion of his friends, and justify him in the face of his enemies; and in the meanwhile, will support him comfortably, in despising those who want manners and charity, and leave them to be tormented with their own passions and rage.

This thought made me long ago claim a kind of property in some good old lines of the famous George Withers, Esq. made in prison in the tower. He was a poetical gentleman, who had, in the time of the civil wars in England, been unhappy in changing sides too often, and had been put in the tower by every side in turn; once by the king-once by parliament-once by the armyand, last again, I think, by general Monk: in a word, whatever side got up, he had the disaster to be down. The lines are thus:

The world and I may well agree,

As most that are offended:
For I flight her and she flights me,
And there our quarrel 's ended.
For service done and love express'd,
Though very few regard it,
My country owes me bread at least;
And if I am debarr'd it,

Good conscience is a daily feast,
And sorrow never marr'd it.

It is the custom to bind a thread on one's finger for the sake of remembering any thing.. A very ancient practice: for we read, Deut. vi. 9. "And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes."

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