116 
any language; fill more in French, the 
idiom of which is very remote from the 
concifenefs of the original. To our 
aftonifhment, Mr. Townley, an Englith 
ntleman, has tranflated Hudibras inte 
rench, with the {pirit and concifenefs of | 
the original. 
ACIII. SQUIRRELS AND MICE—LORD 
. PEMBROKE. 
Regularly after break faft; in the fum- 
mer feafon, at leaft, Mr. Walpole ufed to 
i bread and milk in a large bafon, and 
row it out at the window of the fitting- 
room, for the {quirrels ; who, foon after 
came down, from the high trees, to en- 
joy their allowance. This inftance of 
tamenefs and confidence, led to one yet 
moe remarkable, related by Mr. W. 
When I vifited the old Earl of Pem- 
broke, at Wilton, he would always be- 
fore dinner cut a flice of bread into {mall 
dice, and f{pread them on the chimney- 
piece of the dining room. I was at firft 
furprifed at this ceremony, till I fawa 
number of mice creep from invifible cre- 
vices, to partake the earl’s unufual hof- 
pitality. 
That nobleman had feveral excentrici- 
ties. He one morning took it -into his 
head to daub with colours the cheeks and 
eyes of his fine ftatues. Tranfported 
with the novelty of his creation, he ran 
in queft of the ladies, to thew them this 
furprifing improvement. Meanwhile a 
wagegifh youth, his relation, had extend- 
ed the colouring to fome other parts. 
*¢ Walk in, ladies, it is life itfelf,” faid 
the old earl. His furprife, and the con- 
fufion of the women, may be eafily ima- 
gined. 
XCIV. BIOGRAPHIA. 
T had happened to fay that the Biogra- 
pay Britannica was an apology for every 
odys This reached the ears of Dr. 
Kippis, who was publithing anew edi- 
tion; and who retorted that the life of 
Sir Robert Walpole fhould prove that 
the Biographia was not an apology for 
every body. Soon after I was furprized 
with a vifit from the Doétor, who came to 
felicit materials for my. father’s life. 
You may guefs I very civilly refufed. 
XCI. CONNOISSEURS. 
Dr. Ducarel was a poor creature. He 
was keeper of the library at Lambeth ; 
and I wanted a copy of that limning 
there, which is prefixed to my Royal and 
Noble Authors. Applying to the Doétor, 
Z found nothing but delays ; I mutt pur- 
chafe his works, and take fome of his 
autigues at an exorbitant price, &c. 
Completely difgu&ed, I applied te the 
Walpoliana, No. V1. 
[Aug. 
Archbithop himfelf, who immediately 
permitted a drawing to be taken. 
Sir *** *** is another poor creature of 
a connoifieur. He is in truth a mere 
dealer in antiquities, and fome of them 
not the moft genuine. 
XCVI. FONTENELLE. 
Fontenelle, in his old age, was very 
deaf, and was always attended in com- 
pany by a nephew, a talkative vain 
young man. When any thing remark- 
able had efcaped Fontenelle’s auditory 
herve, he ufed to apply to his nephew, 
‘¢ What was {3id??? This coxcomb 
would often anfwer, ** Uncle, I faid —’” 
Beh ! was the conftant retort of the phi- 
lofopher. 
XCVII, INFIDELITY. 
Fontenelle’s Dialogues on the Plurality 
of Worlds, firftrendered me an infidel. 
Chriftianity, and a plurality of worlds, 
are, inmy opinion, irreconcileable. In- 
deed, one would be puzzled enough to re- 
concile modern difcoveries on this globe 
alone, with any divine revelation. I ne- 
ver try tomake converts; but expect and 
claim to enjoy my Own opinion, and 
other people may enjoy theirs. It is my 
Bill of Rights. If a religious fyftem. be 
infallibly true, and iafpired by heaven 
itfelf, what human effort can injure it ? 
Intolerance is i#/o faéo a proof of falfe~ 
hood. Truth, far from being toe deli- 
cate to be touched, is ftrengthened by 
oppofition and difcuffion. Yet in what 
country is a fair oppofition to the efta- 
blithed. religion permitted? Are not 
fame, rewards, emoluments, wholly on 
the fide of the priefthood? Ought they 
not to be open to all perfuafions? One 
man gets an archbifhopric, and ten thou- 
fand a year, for afferting a fyitem perhaps 
falfe. He who could even mathematical- 
ly, if poffible, demonftrate its falfehood, 
would only run a rifk of being burnt. Is 
this truth? Is this equality of difcuf- 
fion? O fye, gentlemen! firft lay down 
your preferments, and then argue. Ar- 
guments from felf-intereft are of no avaid 
with the wife. But as difintereftednefs 
and poverty were the very foundations of 
your fyftem, fo felf-intereftednefs and 
wealth will be its ruin. 
Atheifm I diflike. It is gloomy, un- 
comfortable ; and in my eye unnatural and 
irrational. It certainly requires more cre- 
dulity to believe that there is no God, thar 
to believe that thereis. This fair creation, 
thofe magnificent heavens, the fruit of 
matter afl chance! O impoflible! 
I go to church fometimes, in order te 
induce my fervants to go toehurch. £ 
am 
