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" with advertifements," if Johnfon himfelf had not kindly 

 afllfled us with the tranflation. Such palTages are inconfiftent 

 with the cenfure paffed in liis Idler on a ridiculous citizen, wlio 

 by ailbciating with flage players had learned a new language ; 

 and when a cuftomer has talked longer than he is willing to 

 hear, is made to complain that " he has been excruciated with 

 " unmeaning verbofity." The author of the Rambler, though 

 not a citizen, has as little claim to the privilege of fpeaking un- 

 intelligibly. 



There are however two occafions on which this fault appears 

 yet more extravagant and ridiculous. The firfi; of thefe is, where 

 perfonages of different defcriptions are introduced as writing in 

 their own charaders ; for what can be more abfurd than to 

 fuppofe a fimilarity of flile, and particularly where that f^ile is 

 fo far from a fimple one, in the writings of perfons fuppofed 

 to be of different ages, tempers, fexes and occupations. Yet all the 

 correfpondents of the Rambler feem infeded with the fame literary 

 contagion, and the Johnfonian diftemper to have been equally 

 communicated to all. Thus Papilius talks of '■■ garrulity, erratic 

 " induflry, and heterogenous notions dazzling the attention 

 " with fudden fcintillations of conceit." " Vidoria paffes through 

 " the cofmetic difcipline, covered with emollients, and puniflied 

 with artificial excoriations." Mifocapelus tells of his " ofEcina! 

 " ftate, adhefions of trade, and ambulatory projeds ;" and Hy- 

 pertatus defcribes the " flaccid fides of a foot-ball fwelling out 

 " into fliffnefs and extenfion," and talks of " concentration of 

 " underftanding, barometrical pneumatology," and " tenuity of 

 " a defecated air." In fuch writings the hand of the maftcr 

 muft be immediately perceived ; the exiflence of the imaginary 



correfpondents 



