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Defcriptas fervare vices operumque colores, &c. &c. 

 Si dicentis erunt fortunis abfoha dida 

 Romani tollent equites, peditefque cachinnum. 

 Intererit multum Davufne loquatur an Heros, 

 Maturufne fenex an adhuc florente juventa 

 Fervidus : an matrona potens, an fedula nutrix, 

 Colchus, an Aflyrius, Thebis nutritus, an Argis, &c. &c. 

 iEtatis cujufque notandi funt tibi mores, &c. &c. 



It is the boaft, of the German authors, and their copyifls, to write 

 in diredt oppofition to thefe good rules, and to the common fenfe 

 and general experience of mankind, on which they are founded ; 

 and to furprife you perpetually, with fuch language, fentiments, 

 and condudt, as you could leaft expedl, fuch, in fadt, as are the 

 moft foreign and abhorrent from the received notions refpeding 

 the perfonages introduced. Thus, the ftage is filled with patriotic 

 highwaymen, chafte curtezans, liberal jews, fentimental bailifFs, 

 benevolent executioners, heroic tailors, poifoning lovers, profti- 

 tute princefTes, minifters of ftate who are buffoons, and veteran 

 generals, who are petit maitr6s.* There is however a method in 

 this madnefs. The great objedt is to aftonifh and dazzle, an ef- 

 fed at which the German writers and their fchool are for ever 

 aliming , and to which they readily facrifice the maxims of pro- 

 priety 



• The pernicious confequences of this incongruity in unfettling all our notions of 

 decorum are obvious. 



