Le Se ol il 
; 
454 Extracts from the Port-folio of a Man of Letters. [Decs ty 
or that for an embellishing painter, 
Striving with Nature, what he drew: 
Was fairer and more lasting too. 
SECOND EDITION OF A PUN, 
The Unitarians are preaching sermons 
in behalf of aclergynan deprived of his 
benefice for professing their opimions: 
On this Stone they would found their 
church. 
INSTANCE OF THE BATHOS. 
In Addison’s Ode for Saint Cecilia’s 
Day, the fellowing indecorous distich oc- 
curs i— 
Th’ Almighty listens toa tuneful tongue, 
And seems well-pieas’d and courted with a 
song. 
It is easy to find bad, it is not easy to find 
good poetry in Addison’s works. The 
letter from Italy, and Cato, contain his 
best passages. Lven his prose, which 
was avowediy despised by Swift, has. been 
overzrated by Johnson. A small volume 
would comprize all his beauties. 
DOMESTICITY OF ARIOSTO, 
Ariosto had a great contempt for tra- 
velling; in one of his satires he says: 
Che vuol andare a torno, a torno vada, 
Vegga Inghiltexra, Ungheria, Francia e Spag- 
Bi Sia 5 
A me piace habitar Ja mia contraday 
Vista‘ho Toscana, Lombardia, Romagna. 
He seems to think the whole civilized 
world comprized in Italy, 
SALMONET, 
John Monteath, minister of Duding- 
ston, in Scotland, emigrated to France, at 
atime when Cardinal Richelieu was prime 
minister to Lewis the XIVth. Having 
gained access to the cardinal, i order to 
ebtain employment, he was asked by his 
emuience to what family he belonged, in 
the ancient kingdom of Scotland, which 
for many ages liad been in close alliance 
with the grand monarch’s dominions. To 
this enquiry the prudent Scot, whose fa- 
ther was a poor fisherman in the salmon 
trade, somewhere below Stirling, on. the 
Forth, replied with great composure, that 
he pertained to the ancient and noble fa-~ 
mily of Monteith, of Monteith, in the 
province of Perth. Richelieu request- 
ing to know farther as to the particular 
branch of that family, was answered that 
he belonged to the Monteiths of Sa/- 
mon net. ‘Vhe cardinal’s look expressed 
his ignorance with regard to this ilustri- 
ous branch of the family of Monteith: 
but the parson’s claim to nobility was 
never after called in question, and he re- 
tained the title De Sulmonet, by which 
-he was distinguished in his literary proe 
ductions, till the day of his death. © 
VENERABLE BEDE. 
He was never called so daring his life, 
The term was hrought in by. those who 
quoted his writings. By. the Ciceroni of 
his chamber, chair, &c. in the north, ve-' 
nerable was first turned into admirable, 
and admirable into admiral; and accord- 
ing to Grose, his chair, engraved in the 
Antiquarian Repertory, has been exhie 
bited as Admiral Bede's chair. 
SPANISH CHARACTER. 
The following extracts relative to. the 
Spanish character are at this moment of 
some interest. They are drawn from 
avery curious work, by Peter Heylin, his 
“ Cosmography,” the first great system of 
geography presented to the English pub- 
lic, about 150 years ago. The Spanish 
national character has been stationary ; 
and their ancient patience, and invinci- 
ble spirit, will probably be traced, and 
made eminently manifest, in the present 
race of Spanish patriots. 
The French character has somewhat 
changed, from the circumstance of the 
singular genius who commands them; 
but doubtless, though they have:hitherta 
retained their rapid conquests, their nas 
tural genins will one day discover itself 
by its old vacillations. Reverses have 
not yet reached them; but a. defensive 
war on the part of the Spaniards, if they. 
are unanimous, may bring them. Of the 
French, Heylin writes, “ The ancient 
Gaul was quick-witted, of a sudden and 
nimble apprehension, but withal very: 
rash and hare-brained; of vehement af- 
fections, and precipitate in all their ac~ 
tions, as well military as civil; falling on 
like aclap of thunder, and presently go- 
ing off in smoke. Primus impetus ma- 
jor quam viroram, secundus minor quam 
foeminarum,’ at the first attack greater 
than men, at the second Jess than woe 
men ! was their character in the time of 
Florus, the historian. There is much of 
the old Gaul still left among them.” 
“Take a comparison, homely, I must 
confess, but to the life expressing the na- 
ture of the French, compared with the 
Dutch and Spanish, in matters of war.. 
The French is said to be like a flca, 
quickly skipping intoa country, and soon 
leaping out of it; the Dutch is said to be 
like a /quse, slowly mastering a place, and 
as slowly, yet at last, driven out of thejr 
hold. ‘The Spaniard is said to be like 9 
crab, which being once crept intoa place, 
is so rooted there, that nothing but the 
extremity of violence can fetch him out 
aga, 
ae ee ae 
