} 
1792. om characteristic mifsive letters. 38% ) 
Observations on the above. 
Tue Editor is much obliged to this very ingenious cor- 
respondent for the above hints, and many others of equal 
importance; and will think himself very happy, if he 
fhall be favoured with any interesting papers of the nature 
above specified: but he begs leave at the same time 
to. afsure his readers, that it is far from his in- 
tention to-convert his miscellany into'an antiquarian re- 
pository. Papers that contain useful information, or af- 
ford an agreeable relaxation to the mind, will be always re- 
ceived with pleasure, by whomsoever they may be writ- 
ten ; but trivial and uninteresting matters, though they 
had been written by the greatest man that ever lived, wiil 
not be admitted merely because of the name of the wri- 
ter. Many literary forgeries are now pafsed upon the 
world; nor does the Editor pretend to say he could de- 
tect such as might be attempted to be pafsed upon him. 
He cannot even pretend to enter upon that difficult line 
of investigation. The only sure rule of conduct there- 
fore he has to adopt in his situation, is, merely to judge 
_ of the intrinsic merit of the pieces themselves that may 
be offered to him. Cuz bono, is the question he fhall ever 
put to himself on these occasions; and if he finds it can- 
not be easily answered, he must decline inserting the per- 
formances. By adhering to this conduct he hopes to con- 
tinue to merit the approbation of his candid readers. 
Let him not however be here supposed to disapprove 
the publication of letters cf every sort, that may have been: 
written by men of eminence. He knows the im- 
portant uses that may occasionally be made even of the 
most trivial of these by studious persons; but as there 
are few who read merely with these views, and as these 
few would with to find the matter they are in quest of 
comprefsed ‘into as small a size as polsible, without 
VOL. xii. AA tT 
