what ftrange, unworthy, and uncouth notions he has concerning these things. You may as foon perfuade him that his head whirls round upon his shoulders, as that the earth turns round upon its axis; or that the fire will not burn his flesh, as that there is no fuch quality as heat inherent in the fire itself. Tell him that colours are not in bodies; but that they are only ideas raised in the human mind by the various modification of the rays of light reflected from the vifible fuperficies, and he will immediately think, if not pronounce you a madman.

The moral I would draw from the whole is this: viz. that we ought not to judge of men or things by bare outward appearances that we ought to suspend our determination, till we had made a more accurate and close search into them; that we fhould not peremptorily pronounce the qualities of men's actions, till we had examined the fecret fprings of them, and confidered the undue media through which they might appear to us. The fame rule alfo, if duly attended to, will be of very fingular use to us in forming a true judgment of all natural bodies. Almost every object of nature offers itself to our view through a deceitful mirrour. If we make rash conclufions from the bare external afpect, from that which first strikes our imagination, we fhall certainly be deceived. The medium, the diftance, the fituation, and many other accidents that raise an idea in the mind quite different from the reality of the thing, muft be taken into confideration, if we would difcover truth, and form a rational judgment of the object before us.

Brother STUDENT,

W

-'s Coffee-houfe, May 4, 1750.

Ithout a compliment I am much pleased with your fcheme, and heartily with you fuccefs, Hitherto I think you bid fair for it, and feem to meet with general apNumb. V.

plaufe.

*

plaufe. But will you forgive my offering a word or two of advice? Let us have no more of your abstract speculations, as you call them; indeed they are not popular. Laft night, in a full affembly of pretty fellows at this place, (all your admirers) Billy Languish read your fourth number. We all agreed that your IMPUDENCE is inimitable, but your letter in defence of religion, tho' it did not ftartle us, (as you apprehended it would) fomewhat amazed us, I muft own. Confider, Mr. STUDENT, you write for the publick, of which three fourths are Ignoramufes; and therefore, tho' we may allow you now and then in compliment to your taylor and mercer and other learned folks, to infert a Latin ode or epigram, yet I muft needs tell you, that we don't relifh your metaphyfics. For which reafon I am directed in the name of all the Smarts at 's, to acquaint you, that we expect, (especially if it be English) at least to understand what we read. We confider your book as a monthly feast or entertainment; and if we pay our ordinary, 'tis but reasonable the dishes fet before us fhould be all fuch as we are able to you tafte. We cannot indeed always expect rarities, and may now and then admit of a trifle or puff by way of make-up ; but prithee don't surfeit us with ambigu's and inconnu's. At the fame time I must tell you, that we are much pleased with your last fapphic, that we reverence Tony Alfop's memory, and have refolv❜d one and all to subscribe to his works. Billy Languish and Dick Dimple indeed say, the verses on the grotto are better; and Dick (who you know is a wit as well as a beau) gave us off hand a translation of them, but I have indeed fince found out where he borrow'd it. A proposI was laft week with Tom Careless at his father's countryfeat. Tom has three fifters, who, by the by, are charming girls. They take in the Student conftantly, fo I need fay nothing of their wit and judgment. Thefe ladies, you must know, have been fashionably employ'd in making a grotto;

* See the School of Impudence, Number iv. page 149.

which they have just finish'd, and dedicated to Apollo ; but have made a law, that no man, except like the deity of the place he be nondum barbatus, (Anglicè a Fribble) fhall be permitted to inspect the arcana loci, unlefs he firft folemnly promise to send them a copy of verses in honour of their handywork, written within a month after his admittance. I had the pleasure of viewing this beautiful grott (which I affure you far exceeds Calypfo's) but wanting the Cynthian passport, I was forced to give my parole of honour that I would make the poetick oblation within the time limited. But alas! to gratify my curiofity I have promis'd what I am not able to perform. Will you therefore be fo good, my dear bro ther, to fupply me with a copy of verfes out of your storehouse, or else to correct and print the following excufe for my inability to do justice either to the ladies or their grotto.

I am yours,

HARRY DIDAPPER.

To CLARA, the eldest of the three fifters.

AD I your high command obey'd,

HA

Sure I had done fome mighty wrong;

When ev'ry mufe deny'd her aid,

And CLIO thus forbad my fong.

"When NATURE faw the Grotto chang❜d,
"The filver mofs thus fudden grown,
The fhells in wondrous order rang'd,
"She thought the work was all her own.

But when the artists fhe beheld,

"And all their beauteous forms furvey'd, How in all virtues all excell'd,

"She knew the works herself had made.

"Whether the Nymphs our thoughts inspire,

"Shining with every native grace;
Whether the Grot-work we admire,
"Where nature muft to art give place;

"We will allow no Oxford wit

"To celebrate, in humble lays, "Themes for a mortal bard unfit,

"And which deferve our nobleft praise.

"No let each MUSE her tribute bring,
"Exert her power for CLARA's fake :
"For only GODDESSES may fing

"Works which the lovely GRACES make."

LUNAR

T

INFLUENCE,

A POEM, written by MOON-LIGHT.

HE MOON was full, fo was my heart,
Pond'ring the great creator's art,
Th' opacous globe, the foreign light,
That filver glory of the night.

And is the Moon's a borrow'd blaze
From Phoebus's peculiar rays?
So half the SYLVIAS, call'd divine,
Only in borrow'd beauties fhine.

Flanders with lace the head befriends,
The pearl and diamond India lends,
Their fhape from Greenland they obtain,
And half their white and red from Spain.

From

From thee the fex their foibles caught,
And change, by thy example taught :;
They, like the fea, thy influence know,
And therefore always ebb and flow.

If paffion overturns the mind,
The maid for Bedlam is defign'd:
The MOON has play'd a cursed trick,
And fhe's confin'd a lunatick.

The lordly men unjustly rail,
By lunar impulse females fail:
With pity then their errors view;
The Moon's all over blemish'd too,

The maid fhall hint her heart's defire,
The man fhall burn with equal fire,
Within a moment of her lips,
And thus fhe fuffers an eclipse:

Of accefs free CORINNA fhines,
With her to-day MENALCAS dines;
'Twixt him and her a rival flides,
And then eclips'd CORINNA hides.

If woman's faith in time decays,
From Thee fhe learns her wicked ways:
Thy wane no chearfulness adorns,
And nothing's fhown us but the horns.

From Phoebus too they fomething learn,
And every tender object burn:
Suns at a distance, comets nigher,
To fet th' enamour'd world on fire.