230 
-quite-at.a loss how to proceed. I took 
them up, one by one, arid, with a view 
-to ascertain their range of vision, placed 
them: at different distances from the 
main body, with their heads turned to- 
wards it, but found them uniformly to 
remain unconscious of its presence, un- 
til placed within half an inch of each 
other. They. then approached with 
much eagerness, and were readily re- 
admitted into. the line, the rear-ranks 
making way, and halting for them to 
resume-their regular positions. I placed 
one of. these stragglers in front, with 
his tail. towards the original leader’s 
head; but he pertinaciously refused 
the honour of conducting the band; 
considerable sensation seemed commu- 
nicated to the whole body by this at- 
tempted. usurpation, of which they 
seemed to become aware—but by what 
means I could not discern. : As soon as 
this forced usurper was at liberty, he 
turned round to the leader, who, how- 
ever, repulsed him with vigour, and bit 
at him, upon which he: retreated hur- 
riedly along the line, constantly trying 
to recover‘a'place in it; but he was bit 
at by.every one as he ran along, till, at 
at last, a good-natured friend permitted 
him,to fall into theline. I then took 
up the large one, when the rear imme- 
diately closed up: I placed him at the 
head, and used every inducement to 
make him take the lead, but in vain; 
he seemed much confused by the hearty 
buffets given him by the active’ little 
Bonaparte I. wished him to: supplant; 
and would probably have failed in re- 
gaining his ‘place, had not I, sympa- 
thizing for the distress my experiment 
had occasioned, given. him some assist-" 
ance. He seemed delighted to get into 
his place again‘: but; stupid fellow, was’ 
so much: confused: by the adventure, 
that he mistook the first sharp turn the 
line came. to,"and the whole ‘rear was 
again thrown into confusion; the line 
thus broken, much consternation ‘and. 
bustle ensued, which subsided not-un- 
til each had replaced his head close to 
his neighbour’s tail. 
I now took up the leader, obviously 
less, though more active and intelligent 
than the rest ; when the alarm instantly 
spread through. the whole line. I ex- 
pected the ‘second to: take the com- 
mand :—but. no, he seemed the most 
distressed of all, and eagerly sought 
about from side to side, and, in his per- 
plexity turned quite round, as if to con- 
sult his: neighbour... Hesitation ‘and | 
confusion was. now ‘universal : parties 
Jennings on Bowles. 
[Oct. 1, 
broke off, as the impression reached 
the rear, and sought anxiously about, 
returning again to the Ime. Haying 
replaced the leader, he instantly re- 
sumed his station with confidence, con- 
ducting the whole with perfect -order 
and composure; and when ¥ now inter- 
rupted their march, the main body no 
longer exhibited their. former anxiety 
and impatience, but seemed ‘to wait 
with perfect nonchalance, until “ their 
loved leader” had, by the exercise of 
his activity and ingenuity, overcome 
every obstacle. It did not occur to 
ine, till after I had left these amusing 
travellers, to try what would have been 
the effect of placing the leader in the 
rear, in order to observe how he would 
bear the degradation, and to ascertain 
if the head of the column would thereby 
have been changed. 
a 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
Sir: , 
A’ anonymous writer, in page 12 
of your last magazine, has taken 
the opportunity, in estimating the’ rank 
of Pope as a poet, to make some ob- 
servations on the poetry of Bowrks, 
which appear to me to require some 
notice. I might, in imitation of your 
anonymous correspondent, send . this 
paper abroad without the responsibility: 
of aname, but I prefer the more manly 
course; real signatures are the best 
preservatives of purity and disinterested- 
ness of purpose. 
Ido not exactly like the style in which 
this anonymous writer speaks of Bowles, 
in the first paragraph of his communi- 
cation; it is unhandsome, to say the 
least of it; and although he gives Mr. 
Bowles credit for having succeeded tri- 
umphantly in his final appeal,—as who 
does not?—yet what I desire to ‘call 
to your readers’ attention, more parti- 
cularly, is a passage in page 13, where 
he says, 
“ Mr. Bowles, in all his ministrations 
to the Muses, has shewn his invariable 
propensity to sweeten cream-and water 
with sugar-candy, and call it the streany 
of Helicon.” wy 
Now Sir, I would ask whether, after 
such censure as this, any reader of the 
Monthly Magazine, who had no pre- 
vious acquaintance with the poetry of 
Bowles, would not be very likely to 
conclude, if he gave credit: to this 
anonymous critic, that it was, literally, 
not worth reading. I think that this is 
the decision to which any reader, “dis- 
posed to follow such anonymous-opi-_ 
Se nion, 
