10 



DIALOGUE ON THE SOUTH DEVON MONTHLY 

 MUSEUM. 



MR. EDITOR, If the following dialogue between 

 two persons (whether real or imaginary I leave you 

 to guess) whom I shall name EUELPIS and DUBI- 

 TATOR, should appear to you worthy of insertion in 

 your proposed magazine, it is quite at your service. 



S. 



[After conversation at an Evening Party had a little flagged, 

 EUELPIS happened to see a " Prospectus of the South Devon 

 Museum," and he said to his friend DUBITATOR,] 



What think you of this monthly magazine that is 

 to be forthcoming in our town ? 



D. Think ! think that it wont do, it can 't do. 



E. But why ? Why should not Plymouth sup- 

 port a magazine of this kind as well as many other 

 towns in the kingdom that have not half so many 

 inhabitants, that have no similar Institutions, and 

 which are far inferior to it in Commerce, Literature 

 and Science? 



D. You may say what you please but it certainly 

 will not answer. 



E. Is there, then, any Act of Parliament to pre- 

 vent the inhabitants of this town in particular from 

 thinking and writing too ? If so, I hope that through 

 the influence of our present worthy members it will 

 soon be erased from the Statute Book. 



D. I know of no such Act of Parliament cer- 

 tainly ; but the truth is, that several similar attempts 

 have been made before, and they have all failed, 

 therefore, this will fail also, and therefore the Editor, 

 had he consulted his own interest, would never have 

 commenced the work, for it will not do. " Quod 

 erat demonstrandum" 



E. Admirable reasoning truly ! ! ! perfectly sui- 

 ted to those who are enamoured with indolence, and 

 who detest every improvement as a hurtful innova- 

 tion. Suppose we were to follow it up, what would 

 it lead to? Just this; that because Adam never dis- 



