#796.] 
the) bar, tue theatre, the pulpit, the, 
houfes of lords and commons, the auction 
rooms, and fimilar places; and as it is 
my lot to fall fometimes into different 
companies, the converfation with which 
J am entertained, points out too much 
the clafs to which the parties belong, 
and they feem to vie with each other in 
endeavouring to remove as far as poflible, 
from the fimpleft and beft modes of 
exprefiion. 
Thus if a bithop reads prayers in a 
church, our ears are continually ter- 
tured with the mincing founds of Lud 
Gud, in the very places where we 
wifhed “the greateft folemnity. At 
‘table,.a man talks to you of his neigh- 
bour, whom he bas iz his eye, though 
the perfon alluded to is behind him. A 
player thinks himfelf difgraced in 
{peaking of a point of no importance, if 
he does not dwell upon an unfortunate 
monofyllable, and diftort his features to 
lencthen his po—z/. I might remark 
fimilar imaccuracies, or, I might call 
them, vulgarities, in the barrifter, the 
‘judge, the methodift preacher, and city 
orator, who ali feem to fall- under one 
commen error, that they cannot make a 
proper impreifion upon the audience, if 
they do not diftort their features, drawl 
out their tones, lay improper emphatfis, 
ufe inelegant phrafes, or in fome man- 
ner or other deftroy the beauty and har- 
mony of our language. 
. As, in my apprehenfion, our language 
does not deferve this treatment, I fhould 
be happy to find that you cculd appor- 
tion a part of your Magazine to the 
noticing of every deformity either in 
diétion or pronunciation, which, either 
from the ignorance or affectation of a 
few perfons, may lead to its corruption. 
‘The materials, 1 am forry to fay, are too 
plentiful; but by perfeverance we may 
get the better of many idle habits, and 
your readers cannot fail of receiving 
both amufement and inftruétion from 
the many valuable obfervations which 
will naturally be fuggefted on the pre- 
fent ftate of our language, its origin, 
and probable decline. 
Wo. Ce 

To the Editor of the Monthly Magoxine. 
STR. 
ee enclofed was written on the date 
it bears. Many events have paffed 
fince that time; but as none of them 
give us reafow to conclude that the dif- 
pofitions of the old: lady thercin men- 
C ofmogunia. : 
ig 
tioned are at all altered for the better; 
what might be faid of her in 1793, I 
conceive is not lefs proper in 1796; and, 
therefore, the dialogue is at your fer- 
Vice. : 
DIALOGUE BETWEEN MADAM COS- 
MOGUNIA, AND A PHILOSOPHI- 
CAL ENQUIRER OF THE I8TH 
CENTURY. 
January i, 1193- 
E. I REJOICE, my good madam, to fee 
you. You bear your years extremely 
well. You really look as frefh and 
blooming this morning as if you were 
but jaf out of your leading-ftrings, and 
yet you have—I forget how many cen- 
turies upon your fhoulders. 
C. Do not you know, fon, that people 
of my ftanding are by no means fond of 
being-too nicely queftioned about their 
years? Befides, my age is a point by no 
means agreed upon. 
#. Y thought it was fet down in the 
church regifter ? 
C. That is true; but every body does 
not go by your regifter. ‘Che people 
who live eaftward of us, and have fold 
tea time out of mind, by the great wall, 
fay I am older by a vaft deal; and that 
long before the time when your people 
pretend I was born, I had near as much 
wifdom and learning as I have now. 
E. I do not know how that matter 
might be; one thing I am certain of, 
that you didnot know your /eéers then ; 
and every body knows that thefe’ tea- 
dealers, who are very vain, and want to 
go higher than any body elfe for the an- 
tiquity of their family, are noted for 
lying. 
C. On the other hand old JZ/aac, the 
great chronicler, who was fo famous for 
caiting a figure, ufed to fay that the re- 
gifter itfelf had been altered, and that he 
could prove J was much younger than 
you have ufually reckoned me to be. It 
may be fo; for my part, I cannot be 
fuppofed to remember fo far back. I 
could not write in my early youth, and 
it was a long time before I had a pocket 
almanac to fet down all occurences in, 
and the ages of my children, as I do 
now. > 
E, Well; your exa€t age is not fo- 
material; but there is one point which 
I confefs I with much to afcertain; I 
have often heard it afferted, that as you 
increafe in years, you grow wifer and 
better; and that you are at this moment, 
more candid, more liberal, a better ma-. 
nager of your affairs, and, in fhort, more 
D2 amiable 
