glance, he continued silent, taking care, by a significant shake of his head and a quicker 'evolution of his thumbs,' to intimate, that he held Stanza's sentiments in most ineffable contempt.

Not content with a dubious victory, the triumphant poet continued to throw down the gage of controversy with a wish to provoke his sullen adversary to renew the combat. After having proved that we really knew little or nothing of past ages, and shewn, from the nature of things, that little or nothing could be known, he proceeded to question our knowledge of the present; and the obituary of my old friend Urban (whose labours always lie on my tea-table) served him as a textbook. He first read a warm eulogium on Sir Mushroom Treatwell, who, it was affirmed, died universally regretted by a very numerous and respectabie acquaintance.

"Drop the word respectable," said the invidious Stanza, "and there is some truth in the panegyric. The old contractor kept a French cook, and his wines were almost genuine. His house was crowded with needy sycophants, who gave him flattery for his meat, and though they were the sweepings of Grub-street, he really believed that he patronised wit and genius. I went once just to enjoy the singularity of seeing every eye and every word directed to the great man, whose table was furnished like that of Apicius, while his person and conversation exhibited a compound of Scarron and Midas. I could not address my remarks to a fellow whose three ideas centered in being knavish, avaricious, and ostentatious: nor could I listen to the jests of Joe Miller, translated into the cockney idiom. He courted me, 'tis true, for this full blown buffo had

some discernment. But I assure you, Ladies, I was not one of the respectable acquaintance who deplored the loss of Sir Mushroom."

In this satirical style did Stanza run over several columns, proving, to our extreme astonishment, that although you practise every vice, and inherit every meanness, wealth, and an affectation of liberality, will procure you a passable reputation while living, and on your demise give you honourable mention among the records of Britain's true worthies. He then descanted on the folly of parsimony, and the misfortune of indigence, the one in neglecting, and the other in not being able to secure, that rich though ideal possession, fame, when his unmerciful prosing was interrupted by the following simple paragraph,

"On the 27th died, at the house of her nephew, the earl of Avondel, the

"And is nothing said of her ladyship?" inquired the doctor. "At least" said Stanza, "this abstinence of censure obliges us to confess, that the age is as charitable as it is liberal. O tempora, omores, that such a woman should be allowed to steal thus silently to the grave!"

"I presume," said I, "Lady Selina was a very extraordinary character; I wonder I never heard of her."

The sententious doctor turned up his eyes, and admitted it was very wonderful.

"My dear Mrs Prudentia," observed Stanza, who, with all his flippancy and self-conceit, really is well bred, “I am sure your walls are never contaminated by the recital of gross misdemeanours, unaccountable perjuries, breaches of all divine and human laws, of

fences that burst the very bond of society. Should any one of your visitants attempt to entertain you with an account of such outrages, I am confident your doors would be thenceforth barred against him, whom you would consider as a foul defamer of your species, endeavouring to contract your charity and impugn your candour."

Unquestionably," said I, "the deeds of such miscreants as you allude to are better concealed from the world, and I exceedingly condemn those who first promulgate them. But though I abhor defamation, when a story is public there is no harm in hearing it. Did you know lady Selina, Sir?"

No, thank my happier stars," replied Stanza, shrugging his shoulders and rising to take leave.

"Bless me," resumed I, "is her story then so very bad? you might just give one an outline, as there are no young ladies present?"