i2 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
Tr you have room enough, you will 
much oblige me, by inferting the fol- 
lowing in the next Number of your en- 
tertaining Mifeellany: 
In the fecond volume of the Fugitive 
Pieces (printed for Dodfley, 1765) there 
is an ingenious effay, intituled, ‘¢ A Vin- 
dication of Natural Society, or a View of 
the Miferies and Evils arifing to Man- 
kind, from every Species of Artificial 
Society: Ina Letter to Lord *#***, by 
the late Noble Writer. Firft printed in 
the year 1756.” By the late noble writer, 
I fuppofe is meant Lord Bolingbroke, in 
imitation of whofe ftyle this letter is 
written. The author, after inveiching 
again{ft Ld. B.’s philotophy, in the begin- 
ning of the Preface, proceeds to inform 
us, tlat ‘ his defign was, to fhow, that 
without the exertion of any confiderable 
forces, the fame engines which were em- 
ploved for the deftruétion. of religion, 
might be employed with equal fuccefs 
for the fubverfion of government.” 
But (begging the author’s pardon) I 
confefs, I cannot fee what good end is to 
be anfwered by this defign. For the 
writer’s drift appears to be, to fix a 
fligma on Ld. B.’s mode of reafoning, by 
fhowing, that in the fame manner every 
fyftem of government can be overthrown. 
At is juft as if he had faid, “* to prove 
the vanity and falfity of his Lordthip’s 
arguments againft religion, I will fhow 
you that thefe arguments will alfo make 
againft government.’ This is arguing 
a fertort with a witnefs. It fuppofes 
political fociety to ftand upon furer foun- 
dations than religion: and infinuates, 
that whatever arguments may be .made 
ufe of againft the former, muft necef- 
farily be erroneous, and therefore can be 
of no avail againft the latter. But furely 
this is a very round-about way of de- 
fending the caufe of religion. It is a 
fufficient anfwer to an argument againft 
religion, to fay, ‘No, this argument muft 
Certainly be fallacious, for, if it is not, 
artificial fociety mutt fali by it as well as 
religion, which you know is impoilible.” 
The author, itis plain, wifhes to alarm 
us with the confequences. ‘* Don’t pur- 
‘fue that enguiry any farther, for fee 
what deftruétive ccnfequences it will 
lead,to.” But what. fignifies it whither 
it will lead us? If we have fullowed 
-truth fo far, fhall w® turn back and leave 
her in the lurch? rather let us (as the 
_avriter himielf fays fomewhere in_ his 
lepter) “ probe the Weund, without coa- 
Similes of Hamer, Virgil, Secs 
[Jul 
fidering how deep our inftruments may 
cut.” If, indeed, he had fhown, that the 
arguments would lead to an abfurdity, 
we fhould then gladly thank him, and 
leave off the vain purfuit. But let it be 
‘remembered, that when once we have 
opened our doors for the admitlion of 
truth, it is vain to think of excluding 
the confequences. , 
If any of your readers will give any 
account of this author, or fet his defign 
in a fairer light than i have been able 
to fee it in, he will much vbiige 
Your conftant Reader, 
PHILALETHES- 
ee 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
SIMILES OF HOMER, VIRGIL, AND 
MILTON (CONTINUED). 
FROM FIRE AND FLAME. 
THE element of fire, by the violence 
and rapidity of its action, and the 
fplendor it gives to objeéis, when excit- 
ed to combuftion, is capable of affording 
a variety of ftriking images for poetical 
comparifon. ‘Thefe have not efcaped the 
notice of that original obferver of na- 
ture, Homer, whofe imagination feems 
to have been durably impreffed with 
whatever the various fcenery in which 
he was converfant could offer to capti- 
vate the attention, or intereft the feel- 
ings. 
The appearance, not unfrequent in a 
hot and dry climate, of a wood on fire, 
has fuggefted to him three fimiles, in 
one of which, the /plexdsr, and in the 
others, the wolence of the flames, are 
the circumftances of refemblance. In 
that c/ufer of ftriking firniles, by which 
the firft advance of the Grecian army to 
battle is diftinguifhed, we meet with the 
following ; 
As when on mountain tops devouring fir 
Confumes a fpacious foreft ; from afar 
The fplendor gleams: fo from the pelith’d brats, 
As on they march’d, the dazzling luftre round 
Flath’d up to heaven, IL. El-p. 455s. 
The purfuit of the Trojans by Aga- 
Memnon gives occafion to the fame 
image, except that a thicket is repre- 
fented as the fcene of conflagration, ra- 
ther than a tall wood, to favour the re- 
femblance, confifting in quick and fre- 
quent overthrow : sis 
As when devouring flames.a thicket feize, 
This way and that. by whirling winds difpers’d 5 
Beneath the fiery force the fhrubs around 
Fall by the roots: thus by Atrides” arm 
The heads of flying Trojans low were lald.. 
si) IL, xi. 155. 
The 
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