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confirms him in their opinion as "a very sensible and discerning person," as well as "a mighty good kind of a man." He is so familiarized to assent to every thing advanced, that I have known him approve opposite sentiments in the course of five minutes! The weather is a leading topic with "a mighty good kind of a man," and you may make him agree in one breath, that it is hot and cold, frost and thaw, and that the wind blows from every point of the compass! He is so civil and well-bred, as to keep you in the rain, rather than ascend a carriage before you; and the dinner would grow cold in your attempt to move him from the lower end of the table.-Not a glass approaches his lips unless he has disturbed half the company to drink their health. He never omits his glass with the mistress of the house, nor forgets to notice little master and miss, which with mamma always makes him "a mighty good kind of man," and also assures her, that he would make a very good husband. No man` is ever half so happy, or so general, in his friendshipsevery one he names is a friend of his, and all his friends are mighty good kind of men." He pulls off his hat to every third person he meets, though he knows not even the name of one in twenty!-A young man born with this demonstrated propensity of "mighty goodness" has every chance of advancing his fortune. Thus, if in orders, he will contrive to pick up a tolerable living, or become tutor to a dunce of quality. If "a mighty good kind of man" is a counsellor, he will draw from the attornies a large supply of chamber cases. and special pleadings, or bills and answers, he being greatly qualified for a dray-horse of the law.-If he is admitted into the college as M. D. he will have every chance to be at the top of the profession, as the whole success of the faculty depends upon old women, or fanciful young ones, hypochondriac men and ricketty children to the generosity of all these nothing so

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much recommends a physician, as his being "a mighty good kind of a man."-It is past dispute that a good man, and a man of sense, should possess in some degree the outline described; yet, if he possesses no more, he will be at least but a vapid and valueless character. Many superficial observers are deceived by French paste; it has the glitter of a diamond, but the want of hardness discovers the counterfeit, and points it out to be of no intrinsic value! If the head and heart are to be omitted in the character, you may as well seek for female beauty without a nose or an eye, as expect a valuable man without understanding or sensibility. But besides this, it often happens that those "mighty good kind of men" are wolves in sheep's clothing, and that the plausible cunning of their outward deportment is calculated to entrap the unwary, and to promote sinister designs.

THE MAN OF GENIUS.
A FRAGMENT.

*****TOM Gradus arrived in London in a stagecoach, assured that the metropolis was the soil for genius to flourish in, where every door would fly open-in this persuasion also, his friends had only furnished him with cash sufficient to bear his expenses thither. He slept the first night at an inn, to consider how best to make choice of the most favourable patronage. He first imparted his business and qualifications to a plain tradesman, whom he accidentally met at the inn, who told him that his rich neighbour Mr. Pulley, who had made a fortune by inventing whirligig chairs, and other mechanical articles, was the greatest genius in the world, and encouraged all such. The next morning Tom waited on Mr. Pulley-" I loves all men of genius (says he); come, give me your opinion of this lever, with which I mean to lift a car

riage across the street, on crowded opera nights."Tom shook his head, and disclaimed any particular knowledge of the lever." Not know the lever!" roared out Pulley; "a man of genius not know the lever! -Why, you're an impostor!-A mau of genius! ha! ha ha!"-Ton returned somewhat disappointed to his inn, where he found a Baronet of high fame on the turf: My lad," said he to Tom, "the landlord tells me that you are a man of genius.I'm glad of it, cross me; for I have not met with one since the death of Carrotty Bob, my training groom;-distance me if I have-Come and see my Arabian mare, and tell me her speed and her paces; come!"—" I know nothing about horses," says Tom, "having never rode three in my life."-" Not rode three in your life, and set. up for a man of genius? Spavin me, if I had you at home, but I would couple you with mangy Scamp my old fox-hound, for being such a cheat.”

He was soon afterwards informed, that a person who could invent was wanted by the most noble the Pic Nic Society. Tom hoped to be at length suited, by having to deal with the upper and polished ranks of mankind: he applied, and found that they wanted a person who could invent-new figures for coloured. lamps-and could improve on the Egyptian rougemange, and Corunna custard, just started!The man.. of invention retired with a sigh, confessing that he knew nothing of the effect of the lamp-oil or custard!

Tom Gradus now thought he had mistaken his way by not applying to the professed patron. of the Muses: be therefore proceeded to one of the theatres, and announced himself to the manager as a man of genius; who told him that the present were not times to employ men of genius in the way of dramatic ta lent, unless he was competently skilled in music, machinery, and pantomime. "Sir," replied Tom, "the pantomimes of the ancients have been my particular,

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study; they are"-"Not for my market!" hastily interrupted the acting manager, who just then bounced in, all besmoked from the rehearsal of a ghost and devil piece. "If, now, you can turn King Lear into an opera, or fit the part of Lady Macbeth to Catalani's alto and ad libitum, your genius may make your fortune: or if you could transpose Hamlet into a comic opera, with an oriental processionade"-" Sir," indignantly interrupted our scholar," I venerate. Shakspeare too much to even attempt the mummeries you describe, should I die breadless. I took the theatres for the living temples of the immortal bard, but I find his altars are overthrown, and those of flimsy emasculate sound are erected in their stead; and that his high-priest, instead of guiding public taste to nutritive and sanative food, only pampers sickly appetites with mawkish sugared trifles!"-He then quitted the conference in perfect contempt of Catalani's ad libitum!-He was next recommended to an eminent

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publishing bookseller. "So, Mr. Genius," exclaims Vamp, are you in the translation, the compilation, or the index way" Sir," replied Tom, "I aspire to be original."" Original!" screams the Knight; "I have not touched a sheet these seven years; nor would I buy them by the pound-Mr. Genius, they won't sell, no, no, my lad, I have no employment for you; I keep two great scholars already, who do more work than I can print-cut and paste-cut and paste, that's the only authorship now!"

He next heard of a vacancy in a city parish-school, and was instructed to apply to the churchwardens, one of whom was described as a man of great power, and said to be the first in his line in the three kingdoms. Tom was somewhat surprised in tracing him to find— purveyor of sausages in gold letters over the door.-His patron was reading a newspaper, which he threw down upon mistaking Tom for a customer," Sarvant,

Sir," "said he, pulling down his greasy waistcoat. "I am come, Sir," says Toni, "concerning the vacant schoolmastership!"-"Oh! there again," resumed the churchwarden; "why, you are the seventeenth feller, that has been here to-day, plaguing me about this here vacasey. How do you read? you'll all have a trial, before me and my brother representative of this parish; and my spouse will also attend the reading bouts. Now if you mind your hits, may be, you'll be the dominy. But mind, I likes your sonorous voices, and my spouse wants a deal of action: so mind, loud and sonorous, and plenty of mascular motion for my spouse! Move off, Sir, move off; I sees a customer: Sarvant, mawm.”—Flesh and blood could bear no more!-Repairing to a huckster's stal!, to relieve fainting nature, the gond woman asked him why he was so melancholy ?—“ I'm a man of genius," answered Tom: "Well, to be sure," replied the woman, "I likes all men of genius for the sake of my little Timothy, who was the surprisingest genius in the world: he read the Testament at fourteen, and in a very few years would have understood written hand-but the wonder of the world is gone!" !" And so I fear, Mr. Editor, long ere this, is poor Tom Gradus; for never did he return to his wretched garret from this shop! Therefore let us all pray, that none of our children may be men of genius!

I

TINTA

SEVENTH LETTER FROM MR. DASHAWAY.

MY HEARTY NOUN-SPLICER,

HAVE just returned from London, where I have been admitted to the Neck or Nothing Club-My two supporters there, were Harry Hellcat and Sir Stephen Stark, both of whom are famous long bowmen, full of gumption, and have long proved them

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