544 
please of a man, who neither aims to solicit, 
nor wishes to accept, any favour from them. 
«¢ Believe me.to be, with the truest esteem, 
sir, your much obliged and very faithful 
servant, 
«oW. Mason. 
«© P.S. T'should be sorry if you thought 
this latter part of my letter required any 
answer.” 
A copy of the Probationary Odes was 
sent to Warton with this letter: 
«¢ Rev. Sir, 
«© J hold ingratitude to be one of the 
basest crimes that can stain the human cha- 
racter. I bave deemed it therefore my in- 
dispensible duty to transmit. the inclosed to 
ou, as a testimony of my grateful recol- 
ection for the peculiar service you have ren- 
dered me, in-setijng the first example of a 
joke, by the continuance of which I have 
already profited so much, and hope to do 
still more so by the succession of future 
editions, with which the accompanying ef- 
fusions will be indispensably “seer in 
future. Had it not been for the inimitable 
effort of Juxuriant hamour which proceeded 
from you on the occasion [ allude to, the 
world would have been deprived of the most 
astonishing exhibition of genuine joke, that 
ever graced the annals of literature, and I 
should have been still more unhappy to have 
lost the opportunity of a competent indepen- 
dency. T eatpeat you, therefore, good sir, 
to accept my warmest gratitude, and believe 
me to be ever yours, 
«© The Editor of the Probationary Odes.” 
On this letter Mr. Mant has simply 
remarked, that Ais readers may perhaps 
understand it: he should have stigma- 
tized it as it deserves. Every writer 
lays himself open to public satire: as 
poet-laureat, Warton was almost offici- 
ally exposed ; he himself, with his cha- 
racteristic good humour, joined honestly 
in the laugh. But this letter was a pri- 
vate insult, for which, as no provocation 
had been given, so no palliation can be 
admitted. 
Some odd peculiarities of Warton are 
noticed by his biographer. 
<¢ Tt will beno serious imputation on the 
character of snch a man to say, that he had 
his singularities and imperfections. Bio- 
graphical justice requires that such things 
shouldebe noticed; and a smile may perhaps 
be excited at the information, that the his- 
torian of English Poetry was fond of drink- 
ing his ale and smoking his pipe with per- 
sons of mean rank and education; that he 
artook of a weakness which has been attri- 
ted to the author of the Rambler, and be- 
lieved in preternatural apparitions 5 that, in 
his fondness for pleasantry aud humour, he 
POETRY. 
delighted in popular spectacles, especially 
when enlivened by the music of adrum; 
and that such was his propensity to be pre- 
sent at public exhibitions, as to have induced 
him ata time, when he was desirous of not 
being discovered, to attend an execution in 
the dress of a carter.” 
Of his love of the drum we remember 
an anecdote current at Oxford. He was 
a member of the Jelly Bag Society, so 
called because the fellows of that foun- 
dation wore jelly bags on their heads. 
From the absurdity of this costume the 
place of meeting was kept secret. It 
was known that Warton was a member, 
and a drum was beat through the streets 
as the best means of discovering him. 
The bait took, he could not resist the 
sound, but throwing up the window, 
thrust out head and jelly bag to see 
what was passing, 
«* It has been remarked, that daring his 
residence at Winchester he was fond of as- 
sociating with his brother's scholars: indeed 
he entered so heartily into their sports and 
employments, as to fat been occasionally 
involved in rather ludicrous incidents. Be- 
ing engaged with them in some eulingry 
occupation, and alarmed by the sudden ap- 
proach of Dr. Warton, he has been known 
to conceal himself in some dark corner, and 
has been drawn out from his hiding place, 
to the no small astonishment and amuse- 
ment of the doctor, who had taken him for 
some great boy. He would assist the boys 
in making their exercises, generally contriv- 
ing to accommodate his composition to the 
capacity of him whom he was assisting. 
* How many. faults?’ was a question, the 
answer to which regulated him; anda bo 
was perhaps as likely to be flogged for the 
verses of Mr. Warton as for his own. 
«« T remember that an anecdote used to be 
told relating to this part of Mr. Warton’s 
conduct, which is somewhat characteristic 
of both the brothers. Warton had given a 
boy an exercise ; and the doctor thinking it 
too good for the boy himself, and suspecting 
the truth, ordered him into his study after 
school, and sent for Mr. Warton. The 
exercise was read and approved: ‘ And don’t 
you think it worth half-a-crown, Mr. War- 
ton ?’ said his brother: Mr. Warton assented. 
«Well then, you shall give the boy one.’ 
Our author accordingly paid the half-crown 
for his own verses, and the doctor enjoyed 
the joke.” 
Rat-hunting was a sport in which he 
delighted to join with the boys; when 
one of these expeditions was to be un- 
dertaken, he supplied themes and verses 
for the truants who required them. It 
will not be wondered at that the name 
