4799-] 
objected to, (if I may venture to diffent 
in opinion from fo great an authority) 
as not being in the manner of Pope: 
I am unable to difcover clearly the real 
import of ‘* edges INTO rhyme ;”’ it ap- 
pears, however, to differ confiderably from 
that light and fportive idea which a 
STUMBLE and a FALL, efpecially in the 
rhyming part of a poet’s bufinels,. (after 
SLIDING into it with all the ealy freedom 
and fancy of one who mittakes the illu- 
fions of vanity for the infpiration of the 
roufe), exprefles with fuch peculiar and 
eminent propriety: this whimfica] and 
ludicrous idea, which conititutes, it 
fhould feem, the principal beauty of the 
verfe, and in which the effence and point- 
ednefS of its humour confifts, is, by the 
fubftitution of the two words above men- 
tioned, completely fet afide and done 
away. 
Many words which have become obfo- 
lete in fome parts of the country, are re- 
tained in others. This I conceive to be 
more particularly the cafe with refpec& to 
the word ‘hitch.’ I fcarcely remem- 
ber to have met with it any where, in 
common ule, at any fubfequent period of 
my life; but think I recollect perfeétly 
well, even now, its being familiarly ufed 
at a fchool, (in Kingfwood Foreft, about 
three miles from the city of Briftol) where 
i relided many years ago. The inhabi- 
tants of that diftriét, as a late writer 
in the Monthly Magazine obferves, 
**fpeak a language that is peculiar to 
themtlelves, aad perfetly unintelligible to 
a itranger.”” 
Should any of your intelligent c¢or- 
relpondents, who may Have confidered 
this very curious paffage more attentively 
than I have, be diilatished with the above 
mentioned explanation of it, it is to be 
hoped they will communicate, through 
the channel of your uleful Magazine, any 
further information leading to the more 
perfect knowledge of a word, which, ac- 
cording to his own confeflion, exercifed 
the penetration even of Dr. Johnfon—Or 
if any of your nnmerous provincial readers 
can fuggeft any novel or various accep- 
tation ot which the word « hitch’? is 
fufceptible, their communications will no 
doubt be entitled to re{pectful notice, as 
they may ferve to throw fome additional 
light on the fubje@, 
ARTHUR KERSHAW. 
Foxton, Fanuary 15. 
MONTHLY Mac. No. XL, 
On the word Hitch. —Geographica. Hints. 
25 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
T ivems to be your chief concern to. 
render your Magazine ufetul; per- 
haps, theretore, you will do me the ta- 
vour to infert a /zmt. One great deéji- 
dzratum with young ftudents of hittory isy 
the means of calily and immediately con- 
necting the geography of the ancient and 
modern world. ‘Tvnis might be effected 
by maps printed with ink of different 
colour. On common charts we fee the 
boundaries of diftinct countries thaded 
with various colours; and nothing fur- 
ther would be neceflary to avoid the con- 
fulion ariling from the interiection of in- 
dependent and unconnected lines of de- 
marcation. The names of the principal 
towns might be dittinguifhed in like 
manver. Such maps would not require 
a very expenfive execution, as they would 
be mere links to connect ifuperior atlafles 
ot both kinds: they would be fingularly 
ufeful in elementary and {chool-compila- 
tions.—Mem. Ought not our gazetteers 
for general ule to include the azcient names 
of places? . 
Alfo a query fabmitted to your legal 
correfpondents, but interefting to all po- 
litical philofophers: ‘* Do the annals of 
our criminal jurif~rudcnce contain any iu~ 
fiance of a conviction and EXECUTION 
for MURDER by DUEL, where the party 
bas behaved according to the generally re- 
cerwed maxims of honour?’ Should no 
inftance occur, how ftriking a proof will 
it be of the inefficacy of daw oppoted to 
manners!!! - Yours, &c. 
December 1798. HGR. 
EE 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
I DOUBT not but from the impar- 
tiality you have difcovered, you will» 
be ready'to contribute towards. the ex- 
poling oi impolture and the detence of an’ 
injured body of men, by interting the 
following : 
There is a man, who ftyles himfelf the 
Rev. David Rivers, wno has publithed 
a pamphiet full of the grofleft abute of the 
proteitant diffenters. ‘The piece is too 
contemptible in itfelf to deferve notice : 
But it has-been raifed into fome degree 
of importance by the account given of it 
in fome party-publications. Be fo good 
as to inform your numerous readers, that 
this Rev. David RIVERS is not, and 
wever was acknowledged by the body of ' 
D munifters, 
