228 Notes of the Month on Affairs in General. FEB. 



motives proclaims its false pretences so boldly, that it is indeed difficult to 

 distinguish through its medium the right from the wrong, the true from the 

 false. None can more regret than we do, to see the noblest engine which man 

 can employ so exceedingly debased [here is remorse] to see that which ought 

 to spread knowledge and virtue and benevolence over the world, made the organ 

 of slander and depravity and malignity [too strong, the Lit. Gaz. is not so much 

 to blame]. Were the individual oracles whence these pernicious principles are 

 diffused, held up to the scorn and infamy they richly merit ; were they but dragged 

 from their darkness, and rendered visible in their own naked insignificance and worth- 

 lessness ; we can fancy how astonished the public would be at its folly in having 

 listened to such guides. This is wise [yvw0i o-scwrov]. Persons for whom the English 

 tongue has but one impressive term, blackguards ; boys pert from school ; men 

 never met in society, and without the responsibility of reputation ; ignorant and 

 envious libellers ; the justly disappointed ; the scurrilous and the self-interested, 

 take too prominent a part in our periodical literature, and to those who are in the 

 secret of their existence furnish an abundant wonder that they should produce the 

 slightest effect upon the mind of the country." 



The same remark has often occurred to us when we have happened 

 to glance over the slip-slop columns of our repentant contemporary, but 

 politeness forbade the utterance of it, till his very full confession gave us 

 the permission. The penitent must be greatly eased by this delivery of 

 his breast, which, after all, was unnecessary, for every body knew the 

 facts, except indeed the other dunces. It is easy to imagine how heavily 

 burthened his mind must have been when we consider, among a multi- 

 tude of minor offences of puffery, that he blew the trumpet for the 

 King Death of Quacks, Augustus St. John Long. The ghosts of the 

 patients have doubtless haunted the editor's couch. 



He continues to say, with great propriety, " We confess that our wish 

 is strong, for an improvement not only in ourselves, but in our contem- 

 poraries." 



Certainly a little education and instruction in good manners would be 

 serviceable to many of the public instructors, and especially to those 

 whom the penitent does meet in society. Where is the fable of the 

 bug, who boasted of his bed-fellows ? Whenever we hear a creature 

 talk of his society, and whom he meets, we set him down for a bug. 

 A gentleman would no more think of turning his associations to pride 

 than of bragging of wearing clean linen ; but a fungus is properly in 

 perpetual admiration of his own place in the world. 



The contrite man, under a strange delusion, says, " Be it ours still to 

 cherish the literature of England, and make known its merits to every 

 quarter of the globe ; never be it ours to hurt one good feeling by 

 the miserable ambition of being smart and clever" Of smartness and 

 cleverness no one can accuse him ; but what in the name of wonder 

 has put into his head that he cherishes the literature of England ! The 

 literature of England is not dry-nursed, not brought up by spoon. We 

 will tell him what he does. The publishers send him suds, and he blows 

 bladders with it, or, to drop metaphor, he " cherishes" advertisements, 

 and propagates puffs. 



