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his poverty, his vigour and his vanity : that nullum quod ietigU 

 non ornavlt, is the panegyric of a friend writing a terfe infcrip- 

 tion on his tomb. 



By an indudion of many particular remarks of the fort I have 

 here fuggefted fome general obfervations might be drawn, as to 

 the parts of an author's writing which may be fuppofed indica- 

 tive of charader, and as to the indications which they afford. 

 When of many particular inflances, all equally appofitc, one is 

 fpecially feleded, that one will ufually be found to afford fome 

 indication of the author's habits and circumflances, difpofitions 

 and powers of mind. " Whoever," fays Profeffor Reid, " would 

 " infer the inutility of logic from finding that men of good 

 " fenfe reafon juflly without rules, might as well infer, that 

 " becaufe a man may go from Edinburgh to London by way of 

 " Paris, therefore any other road is ufelefs." This fentence 

 muft appear to every reader decifive as to the country of the 

 author. When of feveral fubjeds, all equally important, one is 

 more largely infiffed on than the refl, it mufi be becaufe that 

 one is in fome efpecial manner accommodated to the prcdifpo- 

 fitions of the author's mind, peculiarly congenial to his habits, 

 or conneded with his fortunes. If the exploits of Julius and 

 Auguflus Ca2far, as exhibited on the fhield of yEneas, engrofs 

 nearly one-half of Virgil's defcription, we can have little doubt 

 of the age in which Virgil flourifhed, and the protedion he 

 courted or enjoyed. 



Th! 



