SMOLLETT. 221 



he at first put on his inclinations ; and as 

 he was possessed of good conversational 

 powers, and had a general knowledge of 

 worldly affairs, the fairer side of the 

 Doctor's portrait was developed. Open 

 and ingenuous, with a good natural capa- 

 city, he had studied anatomy and surgery 

 with ardour and advantage ; but had failed 

 to discover, that to ensure success in its 

 practice, a study of the amenities of life, 

 and the possession of a polish a little 

 beyond what he was likely to acquire 

 in the cockpit of a man-of-war, were ab- 

 solutely necessary before he could attain 

 that rank in his profession which men 

 of far less pretensions then occupied. 



Indeed the Doctor's character, as ex- 

 hibited that day, interlarded as his con- 

 versation was with scenes from the cock- 

 pit, reminded me forcibly of the faithful 

 resemblances inimitably depicted by the 

 pen of Smollett; and in him I thought 



