358 
confirm me in this opiien; it is in 
Italian what the Plurality of Worlds is 
in French. It has the appearance of 
being copied from that work ; and there 
is, moreover, a great deal of unneceflary 
wit. The work is not more profound 
than the Plurality of Worlds. I be- 
lieve there are more truths to be met 
with in ten pages of my work, than are 
to be found throughout his whole vo- 
Jume ; and that is juft what will fink and 
carry me to the bottom, whilft his work 
will fwim down with the ftream of time 
and make a fortune. He has gathered 
the flowers, and left me only thorns. 
Maupertuis, the man who of all France 
underftood thefe things beit, was very 
well pleafed with my Newton’s Elements, 
and you will allow that his opinion ought 
to have great weight. .I know well 
enough, that, in fpite of all the demon- 
firations | have collected together to op- 
pole the chimera of vortices, the phi- 
jofophical romance of Defcartes will 
maintain its ground for fome time with 
many grey-beards, who are unwilling 
to forget the leffons of their younger 
days. 
for the Ufe of Ladies, in Six Dialogues of 
Light and Colours, from the Italian of Sig. 
Algarotti.” See Monthly Magazine, for July 
1806, p. 534.—Tranflator. 
Original Poetry. 
[May 1, 
After all, Iam the firft in France, 
and I may fay in Europe, who have 
made thefe matters plain to the under- 
ftanding. St. Gravefende addreffed him- 
felf to mathematicians only; and Pem- . 
berton has but made Newton more diffi- 
.cult to be underftood. I am not fur- 
prifed, that at Paris they would give a 
better reception to lampoons and {cur- 
lity, than to fuch an ufeful work. It cannot 
be otherwife, for fcurrility and lampoons 
are the foap-bubbles which delight the 
froward children of that great capital, 
And again, you ought to know the furi- 
ous jealoufy of the Zoili, and the infa- 
mous arts of fome men of letters. But 
I promifed you to make mention of au- 
thors of reputation only, and here am I 
talking of myfelf, and have already faid 
a great deal too much on that fubject. 
friend—And why not talk of your- 
felf? We beg you to be pleafed to 
take notice that we are not Freronians. 
Volt.—I will not fay a word of my 
Maid of Orleans: it is a work fit only 
for the jakes. From the perufal of my 
Candide, little more is to be collected 
than that the world is a fink of impurity 
and abomination. I was troubled with 
fits of fpleen at the time I wrote many of 
the chapters of the Optimilt.—(To be 
continued. ) 
ORIGINAL POETRY. 
ee 
THE BUTTERFLY AND MAGGOT, 
A’ TALE. g 
By PETER PINDAR, Ese. 
INSCRIBED TO A LADY. 
Harriet, for you I pen the tale, 
Who, dove-like, feek the filent vale! 
Rich in the virtues, rich in pow’rs of mind, 
Content, where Wispom points the way, 
in modef folitude to ftray, 
And leave a buftling frenzied world behind. 
EuTTerFry, of plumage gay, 
- Defcended on a hazel fpray, 
Where dweit a maggot in his nut, 
. Contented in his humble hut. 
The coxcomb pertly now prefs’d. in,” 
Exclaiming, with fatiric grin, 
€€ Who’s here that bids the world farewell? 
Hoh! mafier Maggot, are ye dead?”’. 
The maggot heard—popp’d out his head 
Juft like a hermit from his ceil, 
6s What, Friar Maggot! alive and moping ; 
Amid the dark for ever groping? 
Why, what a horrid life is thine! 
I range at will the hill and vale, 
I face the fun, enjoy the gale, 
- And on the honied bloffoms dine. 
«¢ Amid the fields of air I ftray, 
And, tell me, who dares ftop my way 
Not of proud man the crawling nation. 
Why, thou art e’en beneath the Mole! 
Heavens, how I pity thee, .poor foul! . 
Thy birth difgraces the creation.” 
‘¢ What infolence (the grub replies 3) - 
Alas! how vain are Butterflies. 
Know, then, that Heaven my wifkes grants, 
Contented with my humble food, 
I know that Providence is good, 
And feel his bounty in my wants. 
<¢ Blafpheming creature learn, O learn 
What thy dull optics can’t difcern ; 
The hand which gave the Sun its form, 
Fram’d ocean, bids the winds arife, 
Difplaysits pow’r on earth and fkies, 
Difplays a world within a worm.” ) 
. The 
