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correfpondents cannot even for a moment be believed, and the 

 Rambler ftands convided of an ineffedual and unneceffary 

 attempt to raife his own confequence by forging letters to 

 himfelf. 



The fecond occafion on which this fault is equally glaring, 

 is where ordinary or perhaps mean fubjeds become neceffary 

 to be treated of; and a few inftances from our author may well 

 warrant my aflertin^ that on fuch occafions, as he himfelf fays lefs 

 defervedly of Dr. Young, — " burlefque cannot go beyond him." 

 Thus a calamity which will not admit being complained of, is 

 in Johnfon's language, fuch as " will not juftify the acerbity 

 " of exclamation, or fupport the folemnity of vocal grief:" to 

 deny and to profefs, are to " pronounce the monofyllables of 

 " coldnefs and the fonorous periods of refpedful profeffion :" 

 when the fkillct is watched on the fire, we fee it " fimmer with 

 " the due degree of heat, and fnatch it off at the moment of 

 " projedion :" for fun-fet, we read " the gentle corufcations 

 " of declining day ;" and for wafhing the face with exadnefs, 

 we have, " wafhing with oriental fcrupulofity." Mean and 

 vulgar expreffions cannot have a more powerful recommendation 

 than that one of the ablefl writers in the Englilh language could 

 only thus avoid them. 



Johnson was a writer of too attentive and critical obfervation 

 to be ignorant of this remarkable peculiarity of his own ftile. 

 In the laft paper of his Rambler, where he treats of his work 

 as a claflical Englifh compofition, he takes notice of, and by 

 a defence, which if admitted would juflify and recom- 

 mend it, fhews himfelf not a little prejudiced in its favour. 



[E] After 



