XYi MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 



We make no apology for inserting the following jeu 

 d' esprit of Mr Mackenzie, the author of " The Man of 

 Feeling," which bears the date of several years later, as it 

 will at once, perhaps, serve to show the terms on which 

 the literary men of that period lived, and also because 

 nothing from the pen of that distinguished writer can fail 

 to be read with interest. We are not aware that this 

 lively effusion has ever previously appeared. The follow- 

 ing note accompanied the lines in question : — 



" Heriot Row, Wednesday Morning, 21th November 1804. 



" My Dear Sir, — I regret much I have not met with 

 the ladies, or you, since your return to town. I meant to 

 call again to-day, but am afraid I shall be kept too late 

 in the Exchequer. I send, therefore, this note, and the 

 subjoined jeu d'esprit, to pay my respects in my stead. 

 When you borrowed my ink on Monday evening, the 

 young folks amused themselves with the idea of the very 

 different use it would be put to from those to which I com- 

 monly applied it. This idea was bandied about a good 

 deal. I fell asleep with my inkstand on the table ; its 

 mouth was open ; and in my dream it spoke as follows : — 



Ink — loquitur. 



Your friends, the Baron's, t'other day, > 

 Abused me in a scurvy way, 



Because my face was white ; 

 And said the characters I drew 

 Were always, or at least when new, 



Faint, feeble, lost to sight. 



But now I beg my brother Pen, 

 To tell those honorable men 



'Tis quite a different thing ,* 

 My colour's strong, my credit higher, 

 To other service I aspire. 



Than when I served the King.* 



* The King's printer had been complained of fof the paleness of the ink 

 with which he furnished the Tax Office and the Exchequer, 



