•179I' LirrRARY intelligencer. ^^ 



" Bogie about the flacks" could never have been an 

 amufemtnt, unlcfs in a corn country, which ctrtaii.i/ 

 the lorell, or Sclkirklliire, ^vas not in the reign of 

 James IV.f 



There arc many people alive who converftd v. i'h 

 thofe who lived at the beginning of this ccniui.-;.: kt 

 thote fay that they ever heard a tradition of that ^77- 

 cicrit ode as we now have it. The author, ijjlUl.clive, 

 will do well to Hand forth and dilabufc poitcrity. t 

 dm, &c. 



On Popular Tf^rilii-gs, 



The grcatefl part of the works which the public e- 

 fteem at prefent, huveonlyarrived bydcgrees at thatuni- 

 verfal approbation, (f.^.Shakefpcar^. A fucccfs too bril- 

 liant at the firil, affords but a bad augur for its conti- 

 nuance, and only proves the mediocrity of the work. 

 Beauties which ave within the reach of all the world, 

 inunediatcly make their impreihon ; grer.t beauties are 

 often lefs llriking, and it is rare that a v/ork of the 

 fin'l merit, obtains, at the beginning, the fufTrage of ;i 

 great number. It is only a few who arc able at once 

 to ftel the force of fmgular excellence: but by degrees 

 the falfe glare wliich dazzled at the fiiilj begins to v/e-.:r 

 oil", and men gradually difcover beauties that at firli 

 cfcapcdtheir notice. This difcovery occafionsan agree- 

 able furprife. Tliey return to the lubjecf , and difcover 

 fiili more ; fo that their admiration cor.tir.ues to aug- 

 ment from day to day. 



f It is ;n:c, t^f hp.X'Ac of Floddin wns .fc-'.jrht rn tlic tordcrs, vihfre 

 lifllt ground cciilci be tlun cultivated : But the efL-its of it wt-rc tVIt 

 over ail Scotland, as the army was colkdkd from every part of ihe 

 country; fo that this rcn;ark fccms to be not io well icnuidid. W,tt^ 

 otha-a in this cITay. Ku.- y :L:. ll^uiv, . Q 



