140 
to hear some sccount of a deceased 
friend, ‘has induced me to trouble you 
With a few memoirs of Taste. aes 
INIT A Ds i 5 
Paste was the offspring of Judement 
and Imagination. As he was rather a 
plain child, his parents endeavoured to 
femedy the defects of nature by art; but 
the methods they pursved were so dif- 
ferent,that they were continually involved 
in quarrels respecting him. The conse- 
quence of this was, that he was scarcely 
attended to at all, and used to run about 
the streets up to his knees in mud. In 
this cendition he was found by Homer, 
who scraped off some of the dirt that 
bung aboet him, and carried him with 
him, in the capacity of a guide. Homer 
yitroduced him\to the muses, and whén 
they went to' take up their abode at 
Athens he accompanied them. Here, 
under their tuition, he improved rapidly ; 
and at an age when other children are 
thumbing their horn-books, and playing 
at chuck-farthing, he was engraving on 
drinking-mugs, and making sonnets, A's 
he grew up, from the company in which . 
he resided, he was of course jntroduced to 
all the celebrated poets and artists of the 
~ age, who cherished and instructed him; 
and as he was a popular character, he 
was enabled to requite their services by 
rewarding their labors, 
Besides, however, his friends, he had 
(ike all who possess intrittsic worth) se- 
veralenemies. He was nearly killed by 
Diogenes, for attempting to paint that 
eynic’s tub, and carve his wooden bowl, 
He once attempted to settle in Sparta; 
but Lycurgus threw some black broth in 
his face, and kicked him out of the city, 
because he could not leap over a ditch, 
Atleveth, during the decay of Athens, 
finding it impossible to reside in a state 
continually harassed, partially subdued, 
and universally terrified by powerful ene- 
mies, he removed to Rome. Here he 
became a great favourite at court, under 
the reign of Augustus. After that em- 
peror’s death, his own friends also gradu. 
ally dying, he began himself to droop, and. 
his destruction was nearly completed by 
“RN. immense course of Latin divinity. 
Thus situated, deprived of his. friends, 
weak and wounded-in his condition, and 
despised, he became hypochondriacal, and 
- for some time languished unheard of. , 
At lencth he again appeared, though 
‘scarcely discernibie from the rude weeds 
of Gothic barbarity that covered shim. 
Weak, deformed, and secluded from pule 
Memoirs of, Taste.—Flebilis, 
4 , . . ° . 
that it would not, be displeasing to you: 
[March 1, 
lic life in the gloom of a monastery, it 
was scarcely known that he existed, un~ 
til, in the age of chivalry, he was again 
called forth m the service of the fair sex. 
From this time he began to gain strength 
and respectability, The reason of this 
was that, although he bad been forgotten, 
his works remained ; which, on his first re- 
appearance, were eagerly consulied ; and 
it was universally agreed that the auther 
must be worthy of the highest degree of 
honor and respect. We was in conse- 
quence declared supreme judge of works 
of art and science, patron and protector _ 
of all artists and professors of literature, 
and president of all scientific establish. 
ments. His power now became unli- 
mited; and, still feeling'an affection for 
Italy, the scene of his former grandeur, 
he made it the seat of his present great. 
ness, After some centuries however of 
just and undisputed sway, certain eccenr 
tricities were observed in his behaviour, 
which much alarmed bis friends; and at 
length he gave full proof of insanity, by 
falling in love with and marrying Folly, - 
a beg whom he had always before de- 
spised and hated., By her he had a 
son called Absurdity, by whom he was 
dethroned: after which he languished 
a short time and then died; leaving but 
few friends to lament his loss. 
It is not my iitention now to enter 
into q histery of the reign of Absurdity; 
bat should this be deemed worthy of pubs 
lication; you may perhaps hear some 
account Uf him, from Your's &c. | 
; shale *. Non-wzs, 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, fe 
T is somewhat surprising, that your, 
correspondent R. B. p. 471 of your 
last volume, in consulting Horace for 
authorities respecting flebilis, should have 
overlocked the followed sentence : 
Flebilis sponse juvenemve raptum 
Plorat. Lib. 4, Od. 2. Lin. 24, 22. 
Here ftebilis is evidently used in pres 
cisely the same signification, as that m 
which Lord Hailes bas employed it, 
More instances of a similar use of the. 
word may probably occur in classic au~ 
thors. To search for them, however, is 
unnecessary 3° as this one example is of 
itself. quite sufficient to vindicate his 
lordship from the hasty charge preferred 
against him by your correspondent. ~ 
Hanslope, - Your's, &e. 
Dec. 8.71809, - W. SINGLETON. 
_ MEMOIRS 
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