AN AUTHOR SOLICITING PATRONAGE. SYMPTOMS OF GREATNESS. is not influenced in my favour by THE FAIR SEX, BY THE FAIREST OF THE SEX. 273 him, told me that one day M. de I might compare myself in relation Grammont, who, at the Palais to many other infirmities, to many Royal, was considered as one of other great men; but if fortune the family (having espoused one of the Cardinal's nieces), and who, of course, possessed the liberty of free entry at all times, broke in upon the Cardinal after dinner, while amusing himself with leaping in the great gallery. M. de Grammont, like an able courtier, told the Cardinal he could leap much I have never had any great better than he, and immediately esteem for the generality of the fair began leaping five or six times. sex; and my only consolation for The Cardinal, who was as accom-being of that gender has been, the plished a courtier as himself, per- assurance it gave me of never being fectly understood his meaning, and married to any one among them; afterwards distinguished him more but, I own, at present, I am so than ever by his favour. much out of humour with the actions of Lady H- that I never was so heartily ashamed of my petticoats before. You know, I suppose, that by this discreet match she renounces the care of her children; and I am laughed at by all my acquaintance for my faith in her honour and understanding. My only refuge is the sincere hope that she is out of her senses, and taking herself for Queen of Sheba, and Mr. M- for King Solomon. I do not think it quite so ridiculous; but the men, you may well imagine, are not so charitable, and they agree in the kind reflection, that nothing hinders women from playing the fool but not having it in their power. The many instances that are to be found to support this opinion, ought to make the few reasonable more valued--but where are the reasonable ladies ?—(Lady M. W. Montagu.) I flatter myself (says Beattie) I shall soon get rid of this infirmity [a distressing giddiness from which he was slowly recovering]; nay, that I shall ere long be in the way of becoming a great man. For, have I not headache, like Pope? vertigo, like Swift? gray hairs, like Homer? Do I not wear large shoes (for fear of corns), like Virgil? and sometimes complain of sore eyes (though not of lippitude), like Horace? Am I not at this present writing invested with a garment not less ragged than that of Socrates? Like Joseph, the patriarch, I am a mighty dreamer of dreams; like Nimrod, the hunter, I am an eminent builder of castles (in the air). I procrastinate like Julius Cæsar; and very lately, in imitation of Don Quixote, I rode a horse, lean, old, and lazy, like Rosinante. Sometimes, like Cicero, I write bad AN AUTHOR SOLICITING PATRonage. verses; and sometimes bad prose, The distresses of authors, somelike Virgil. This last instance I times, on receiving patronage, are have on the authority of Seneca. as great as that which renders paI am of small stature, like Alexan-tronage necessary. On this subject, der the Great; I am somewhat in- a story is told of the eccentric clinable to fatness, like Dr. Ar- Wynne. buthnot and Aristotle; and I drink A short time previous to his brandy and water, like Mr. Boyd. | publishing his History of Ireland, S IGNORANCE. he expressed a desire to dedicate of sables hung on a hedge-stake, or it to the Duke of Northumberland, one of those bodiless forms we see who was just returned from being swinging on a dyer's pole. On his lord - lieutenant of that country. introduction, Mr. Wynne began For this purpose he waited on Dr. his formal address; and the noble Percy, and met with a very polite Duke was so tickled at the singureception. The Duke was made larity of the poet's appearance that, acquainted with his wishes, and in spite of his gravity, he burst the Dr. Percy went as the messenger bonds of good manners; and at of good tidings to the author. But length, agitated by an endeavour there was more to be done than to restrain risibility, he leaped from a formal introduction: the poor his chair, forced a purse of thirty writer intimated this to the good guineas into Mr. Wynne's hand, doctor; who, in the most delicate and hurrying out of the room, told terms, begged his acceptance of an the poet he was welcome to make almost new suit of black, which, what use he pleased of his name with a very little alteration, might and patronage. be made to fit. This, the doctor urged, would be best, as there was not time to provide a new suit, and Sir John Germain was so ignorant, other things necessary for his debut, that being told that Sir Matthew as the Duke had appointed Mon- Decker wrote St. Matthew's Gosday in the next week to give the pel, he firmly believed it. I doubted historian an audience. Mr. Wynne this tale very much, says Walpole, approved of the plan in all respects, till I asked a lady of quality, his and in the meantime had prepared descendant, about it, who told me himself with a set speech, and a it was most true. She added, that manuscript of the dedication. But, Sir John Germain was in conseto digress a little, it must be under-quence so much persuaded of Sir stood that Dr. Percy was consider- Matthew's piety, that, by his will, ably in stature above Mr. Wynne, he left two hundred pounds to Sir and his coat sufficiently large to Matthew, to be by him distributed wrap round the latter, and conceal among the Dutch paupers in Lonhim. The morning came for the don. author's public entry at Northumberland House; but, alas! one grand mistake had been made: in the hurry of business, no application had been made to the tailor for the necessary alteration of his clothes: however, great minds are not cast down by ordinary occurrences. Mr. Wynne dressed himself in Dr. Percy's friendly suit, together with a borrowed sword, and a hat under his arm of great antiquity; then taking leave of his trembling wife, he set out for the great house. True to the moment he arrived. Dr. Percy attended, and the Duke was ready to receive our poet, whose figure at this time presented the appearance of a suit SIR JOHN HARRINGTON'S EXTRAVA- Sir John Harrington, the celebrated epigrammatist in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, was a man of great wit, but thoughtless in his conduct, and extremely careless in the management of his affairs; so that, in consequence of his extravagance, he was obliged to part with several of his estates. Among the rest, he sold a very fine one, called Nyland, in Somersetshire, concerning which Dr. Fuller, in his account of Harrington, relates a whimsical anecdote. Sir John while riding over this manor, accompanied by an old and trusty servant, suddenly turned ! James Smith says, "I don't round, and with his usual pleasantry fancy painters. General Phipps said, John, John, this Nyland, Alas! once was my land. used to have them much at his table. He once asked me if I liked to meet them. I answered, 'No; I know nothing in their way, and To whom John, as merrily and they know nothing out of it.' truly replied, If you had had more wit, sir, MADAME DE BOURDONNE. It might have been yours yet, sir. Madame de Bourdonne, Canoness of Remiremont, had been present THE BRISTOL MILKWOMAN'S POETRY. at a discourse full of fire and eloThe anecdote of Mason is well quence, but deficient in solidity known, when solicited to subscribe and arrangement. One of her five guineas in support of Ann friends, who felt an interest in the Yearsley, the Bristol milkwoman preacher, asked her, as she came and poetess. He observed to his out of church, how she liked it?" friend, who was rather hyperbolical" Is it not full of spirit?" said she. in his praises-"Here are five "So full," replied Madame de Bourpounds for her book, and five shil- donne, "that I could not perceive lings for her heaven-born genius." any body." Perhaps this was illiberal; but the force of its reasoning may be applied and rendered even poetically just by analogy. CONVERSATION. THE ARCHBISHOP OF LYONS. The Archbishop of Lyons had his hands completely distorted and disfigured by the gout. He was once engaged in play at cards, and Gibbon, one of the most fasti- had gained a thousand pistoles. dious of men, and disposed by "I should not mind it," said the neither party nor personal recol- losing party, "if my money had lections to be enamoured of Fox, not got into the ugliest hand in the describes his conversation as admir-kingdom." "That is false," said able. They met at Lausanne, spent the Archbishop; "I know one that a day without other company, "and is still uglier." "I'll wager thirty talked the whole day." The test pistoles you don't," said the other. was sufficiently long under any The Archbishop immediately drew circumstances, but Gibbon declares off the glove which covered his left that Fox never flagged; his anima- hand, and the gamester acknowtion and variety of topic were in- ledged he had lost his wager. exhaustible. ART CRITICISM. Dr. Bentley was loquacious. Dr. Stillingfleet, Bishop of Worcester, Ambrose Philips, the poet, was to whom this talented man was very solemn and pompous in converchaplain, said that if Bentley had sation. At a coffee-house he was been a little more diffident, he discoursing upon pictures, and pitywould have been the most extra-ing the painters who in their hisordinary man in Europe. Grotius was very talkative, but he was thoughtful, and richly stored with learning. Of Goldsmith, it was said, "He wrote like an angel, and talked like poor Poll." torical pieces always draw the same "Your man who sat just by: "I have been a traveller myself, and can testify that what you observe is true; but the greatest variety of skies that ever I found was in Poland." "In Poland, sir?" said Philips. "Yes, in Poland; for there is Sobiesky, and Sarbiensky, and Jablonsky, and Podebrasky, and many more skies, sir." LAUDAMY AND CALAMY. The Society of Philologists, formed in Germany a few years ago, originated thus:-In 1837, the University of Göttingen held its centennial celebration. The festiThe following is related by Mr. val of a university, which could Gillies, in his Reminiscences of Sir look back upon so proud a century Walter Scott:-"It happened, at a as that which marked the history small country town, that Scott sud- of this celebrated seat of learning, denly required medical advice for naturally attracted an unusual one of his servants, and, on inquir- assemblage of scholars. Distining if there was any doctor at the guished philologists of all parties place, was told that there were two met together, forgetting their anione long established, and the mosities, and embracing each other other a new-comer. The latter as fellow-labourers in the same gentleman, being luckily found at great enterprise, though contemhome, soon made his appearance plating it from different points of a grave, sagacious-looking per-view. sonage, attired in black, with a So touching was the scene, and shovel hat, in whom, to his utter so delightful the magnanimous astonishment, Sir Walter recog-feelings with which those who nized a Scotch blacksmith, who participated in it greeted each had formerly practised, with toler- other, that Thiersch, the pillar of able success, as a veterinary ope- Greek learning in Bavaria-a man rator in the neighbourhood of of the noblest enthusiasm, as well Ashestiel. 'How, in all the world!' as of great eloquence-gave utterexclaimed he, can it be possible ance to his struggling emotions, that this is John Lundie?-'In and ventured, in his remarks, to troth is it, your honour-just a' propose the formation of a society that's for him.'-'Well, but let us which should secure the annual hear you were a horse-doctor be- recurrence of such occasions. A fore; now, it seems, you are a man- special meeting was called to condoctor; how do you get on?'-'Ou, sider the subject, at which Humjust extraordinar weel; for your boldt presided. The proposal was honour maun ken my practice is received with acclamation, and the vera sure and orthodox. I depend first meeting was appointed to be entirely upon twa simples.'-"And held in Nuremberg, in 1838, at what may their names be? Per- which Thiersch was to preside. haps, it is a secret ?—' I'll tell your In 1839, the society met at Manhonour,' in a low tone; 'my twa heim. simples are just laudamy and calamy! Simples with a vengeance!' replied Scott. But John, do you never happen to kill any of your patients? Kill? Ou ay, may be sae! Whiles they die, and whiles Frederic Jacobs, whose age and partial deafness prevented him from attending the first meeting, where his name had been mentioned with particular marks of respect, had also decided not to THE ETTRICK SHEPHERD. 277 attend the second. But Rost of! quest of employment as overseer of Gotha resorted to a stratagem, some extensive sheep-farm; but, which was successful in procuring though Scott had furnished him the attendance of Jacobs. At the with strong recommendations to age of seventy-five, he undertook various friends, he returned withhis four days' journey, travelling out success. He printed an account forty miles a day, and calling, as of his travels, however, in a set of he went, on his literary friends at letters in the Scots Magazine, which, Frankfort, Darmstadt, and Heidel- though exceedingly rugged and unberg. When this amiable old man couth, had abundant traces of the naand popular writer-the favourite tive shrewdness and genuine poetiof all parties-arrived, he could cal feeling of this remarkable man. not decline addressing the assem- These also failed to excite attention; bled classical teachers of his coun- but, undeterred by such disappointtry, mostly of the younger genera-ments, the Shepherd no sooner read tion. He spoke in an affecting the third volume of the Minstrelsy, strain of eloquence, which was re-than he made up his mind that the ceived with unusual applause. Editor's Imitations of the Ancients After the meeting, the principal were by no means what they should members of the society appointed have been. "Immediately," he says, Hermann of Marburg to draw up in one of his many memoirs of hima special communication in Latin, self, "I chose a number of tradiaddressed to Jacobs, testifying, in tional facts, and set about imitating the warmest terms, their respect the manner of the ancients myself." for him as one of the most accom- These imitations he transmitted to plished of classical scholars, and Scott, who warmly praised the their personal regards for him as a many striking beauties scattered man and as a friend. This cir- over their rough surface. The next cumstance called him out, in an- time that Hogg's business carried other public speech, on a subse-him to Edinburgh, he waited upon quent day, so that the occasion was a kind of jubilee to that noble representative of the past genera tion. Scott, who invited him to dinner in Castle Street, in company with William Laidlaw, who happened also to be in town, and some other admirers of the rustic genius. When JAMES HOGG AND SIR WALTER SCOTT. Hogg entered the drawing-room, Speaking of Scott's acquaintance Mrs. Scott, being at the time in a with the Ettrick Shepherd, Mr. delicate state of health, was reclinLockhart relates the following ing on a sofa. The Shepherd, after anecdotes of the latter:-Shortly being presented, and making his after their first meeting, Hogg, best bow, forthwith took possession coming into Edinburgh with a flock of another sofa placed opposite to of sheep, was seized with a sudden hers, and stretched himself thereambition of seeing himself in type, upon at all his length; for, as he and he wrote out that same night said afterwards, 'I thought I could Willie and Katie, and a few other never do wrong to copy the lady of ballads, already famous in the the house.' As his dress at this Forest, which some obscure book-period was precisely that in which seller gratified him by printing accordingly; but they appear to have attracted no notice beyond their original sphere. Hogg then made an excursion into the Highlands, in any ordinary herdsman attends cattle to the market, and as his hands, moreover, bore most legible marks of a recent sheep-smearing, the lady of the house did not observe |