To this fucceeds a narrative of the pleafant journey of the Family into Cornwall, on a vifit to their acquaintance Mr. Smatter. In this peregrination Wit mounts the coach-box, Genius rides poftilion, and Humour gets up behind; while Truth, Wifdem, Prudence, and Common Senfe are content to take their places within the carriage.

The family of the Smatters are zealous Jacobites, This circumftance affords the Author an opportunity of touching on party-matters, and of exploding the adherents to the unfortunate houfe of Stuart..

In chap. 3. of book ii. Genius goes to pass a few months with lord B. at his refidence, during his banishment, in France, and affifts him in writing his excellent Letters on the Study and Ufe of Hiflory.

At this time we find Wifdem in the houfe of Commons; but the Author has not told us what county or borough he reprefented. Here his behaviour was fuch as muft naturally be expected from his great and exalted character.

He fometimes, fays the Hiftorian, joined the court and fometimes the country party, as they were then called, for he always fupported thofe motions that appeared to him to be the most equitable, and therefore could not be conftantly attached to any faction. But as the parliamentary fcale into which WISDOM Occafionally threw his weight, did generally preponderate, the lighter one, or (to speak more technically) the Minority never failed to revenge themfelves upon my poor mother. Any attempts to invalidate or depreciate what he had advanced, would be acknowledging their own folly in the most oftenfible manner, and they knew very well that there was no way of making him feel their refentment effectually, but by calumniating the character of my mother. This they endeavoured to accomplish by every mode of proceeding that can be conceived-in the house and out of the houfe-from the pulpit, and from the stage-in preaching, acting, writing, printing and converfation; fo that my mother being of a delicate conflitution, and much affected by fcandal, was reduced almost to death's door we could fcarcely keep life in her for many years together, especially in the winter feafon; for though the received benefit from the country air in the fummer, fhe was fure to relapfe at the ineeting of the parliament. I often tried to perfuade her not to give fo much attention to the profligate behaviour of those with whom he had not the leaft connection or alliance; and I thought I had hit upon a circumftance that would adminifter comfort to her, when I brought to her recollection the great variety of perfons wha had fuffered feverely in her caufe. O! fon, fays fhe, can it be any confolation to your mother to be put in mind of all those poor fouls who have borne, for my fake, a thousand different punishments, and have undergone with pious patience, the moft ingenious tortures that cruelt could fuggeft to the mind of man, and all this to vindicate my character and fupport my reputation? O! fon what an account is here to be fettled? and where fhall I find a fund fufficient to difcharge the migh y debt? I do acknowledge, Madam, fays I, the debt is great;

but

but if you will please to caft your eye upon the credit fide, and con fider the number of your friends who have by perfeverence and magnanimity overcome their enemies, and brought them to bend the knee and bow the head at your facred altar, I fay, Madam, if you will adjuft the account fairly, I believe you will find a large balance in your favour.'

We shall give our Readers the fourth chapter entire, leaving them to their own reflections on the feveral particulars it contains: It has been hinted before, that I do not think it incumbent on me, as a writer of my own life, to give the hiftory of my family, thofe parts excepted, which fall immediately within my own knowledge. Nor do I imagine, notwithstanding the title of this book, that it would be very agreeable to the English reader, for whofe entertainment it is wrote, were I to recite the variety of transactions and employments in which I was engaged in foreign countries. I fhall therefore confine my hiftorical accounts for the future, to Great Britain only. Eut to avoid the imputation of having neglected my duty as a good citizen, and put it out of the power of any one to fay that I flood tamely by and fuffered the greatett enormities both of a private and public nature, to pafs unoppofed and unnoticed, I think proper to declare-that in 172, when Mr. Pultney was created a Peer of the realm, I was fuddenly feized with the falling ficknefs, and could not attend to the affairs of the nation-that when the admirals Matthews and Leftock were fent out together to the Mediterranean, I was called away to Spain, in my phytical capacity, to cure that Monarch of an obstinate bloody flux-that at the time of the rebellion in 1745, I was neither in England, Scotland or Ireland-that the taking of Minorca by the French in 1756, happened when I had quarelied with government about my mother, and was not confulted in flate affairs-that the porter tax in 1761, and the cyder tax in 1763, met with every obitruction I could throw in the way, but the book of numbers prevailing in a certain great affembly, I was knocked down, trampled upon, and bruized in fuch a manner, that I could not appear in that houfe for fome time afterwards that neither I nor any of our family were confulted or advised with, in making the peace of 1763-that when Mr. P-tt accepted of the peerage, I was ill in a fever attended with a delirium. I could go on and jullify my conduct throughout, by proving that, when in health and called upon, I never refufed my affiftance to any country of which I have been an inhabitant; but this eternal blazon mul not be, to ears of flesh and blood-this could not be done without giving offence to moit of the greatest perfonages in the known world, which would anfwer no other purpose but that of creating more enemies to myself. For I never found that any thing I could fay to thofe in the highest or loweft rank of life, had ever any fort of effect. The former were too exalted to listen to me; and the latter did not understand me. I have therefore, for this and fome other reafons, generally taken up my refidence amongst the middling people in England, and in all other countries where there are any fuch people.'

One thing for which the Author of this work deferves peculiar commendation, is, the fkill and judgment he has fhewn in the contrafts and diftinations of his characters; that of Wit,

in

in particular, is very well marked and fupported throughout : of which our Readers may, in fome measure, form a competent idea from the following letter, wherein Wit gives his fon Common Sense an entertaining account of the misfortunes he met with in croffing the country from Cornwall to Derbyshire, to vifit his dear friend the earl of Chesterfield:

"If I did not think it a crime of the deepest dye, to destroy the fame and reputation of an old acquaintance, I could a Tale unfold that would make the fufferings of Virgils Enes appear languid and pitiful. For this reafon only I will not tell my story in heroics.

I took my departure from Oak-Hall two days after you left it: but before I fet out I furnished myfelf with a map of the roads and a pocket compaís, both of which I thought might be ufeful in travelling thro' a country I knew nothing at all of; I had befides procured the beft directions and informations that could be had in the nighbourhood, and a horse being provided which was to carry me the first twenty miles of my journey, I took leave of my friends and mounted with great fpirits and refolution. For the first ten miles all things went on very well, tho' not very fmoothly; my horfe and I had however no quarrel, and I don't believe I had occafion to ask the way above ten times: but now the face of affairs began to wear a different afpect. We arrived upon the borders of a large heath, on which there appeared no kind of track, nor any living creature (except sheep) to make enquiry from. Here I took out my compafs and fteered due north for one hour, in which time I fuppofe I might run (for my Pegasus did not fly) about five knots. I then stopped to take a furvey of the country, being refolved to make for the firft houfe that prefented itfelf; but alas! there was no fuch thing to be feen-1 found myfelf as much at fea as ever, and therefore purfued my course for three hours more, when I approached the edge of the heath, where ftood the lonely cottage of an humble fhepherd, who informed me that I had come ten miles out of the way, and directed me thro' a lane which he faid would bring me to a village from whence I might easily get into the right road. This lane was perhaps very pafiable in a dry season, but the rain had foftened the clay fo as to let my horfe in almoft up to the fhoulders, and I found it neceffary to difmount, that he might be able to get out again; but in getting off, I had the misfortune to put my right leg into a hole up to my knee, where it was fo clofely imprifoned that I could not relcafe it without leaving my boot behind as a fecurity in this fituation I endeavoured, like Prince Volcius, to hop after my horfe, but unluckily lofing the center of gravity, I fell Hat on my face in the mud; however I made shift to mount my horse again, and in that condition rode to the village before mentioned, and lay there that night. What would the pious Eneas have faid to this? the next morning I purchased a pair of old boots of a farmer, and fet off for the market town, where I was to leave my horfe. I forgot the name of it-you know my memory is none of the best, but it is twenty miles only from Oak-Hall, tho' I contrived to make it five and thirty.

Here

Here I got a fresh horfe and fresh intelligence; and as I had received an intimation that things were not fundamentally right, I got likewife fome diachylon plaiter fpread upon leather to fupply the place of that I had loft. From hence I took a guide, and continued to do fo for three fucceffive days, till I arrived at the city of Gloucefter: and now I thought I might very well fpare that expence and purfue my journey alone; I had fcarcely got four miles from Gloucefter, when I heard fome people galloping faft after me, and as foon as they came abreaft of me, one of them turned his horfe's head towards me, and cried out I command you, in the King's name, to ftop and furrender yourfelf into the hands of juftice. Sir, fays I, I am very ready to stop, and fo is my horfe, but why command me in the King's name? I'm So much the worfe for you, fays the fure he knows nothing of me. man, for if he had, you might have flood a chance of being pardoned after you are condemned. Condemned, fir, fays I, for what? for what, fays he, why you know well enough, for robbing the weftern mail: come, fir, you must go along with us before a magiftrate. So. we all jogged on, that is to fay, back again to Gloucester, and I prefently found myself in the pretence of one of the quorum, who ordered me to be fearched; and when the contents of my pockets were produced before him, O! O! fays he, very neceffary materials for croffing the country, a map of the roads and a compafs; hark ye, firrah, what have you done with your piftols? I never travel with any, fays I, for I have nothing valuable about me, but what cannot be taken from me. That's his reputation I fuppofe, fays the justice, winking at the conftable, but where do you live how do you live? and what country-man are you? fir, fays I, I am a citizen of the world—a native of every country, and I speak all languages; I live by flattering my friends and frightening my enemies; I am no King, nor King's reprefentative as your worship may be, but I have a dominion of my own, of which I fhall never be difpoffeffed, though many pretenders have ufurped my authority for a time; lafly, fir, and what will fee me, furprize you more than all the reft, is, that lively as you am as old as Adam.

I

"Take him away, take him away, fays the juftice, this is fome poor lunatic that has broke loofe from his keeper; difcharge him directly, or we shall have him upon the parish to maintain.

"I was not at all difpleafed with being taken for a mad-man, as it procured my immediate difmiflion; but it was rather cruel in dame fortune firft to fubject me to the fufpicion of having committed a robbery, and then to throw me into the jaws of that very highwayman for whom I was before fufpected. This actually happened to me two days afterwards; but I had luckily concealed my watch, fo that ̧ he took from me only my money and my hat and wig; in exchange for which, he put upon my head a greafy fheep-fkin wig and a poftilion's leathern cap, and then telling me I looked very well in it, he rode haftily away: in three days after this, he was taken and committed to Derby goal, where I have fince had the curiofity to vifit him; and I confefs that my blood rofe to fee my rafcal of a wig fit fo compofed and quiet on the head of a fcoundrel in captivity.

My letter would exceed all epiftolary bounds, were I to ennumerate all the diftreffes that befel me after my robbery. I fhall therefore

only

only fay that my watch was melted into current coin to purchase a more decent covering for my head, and to defray the future expence of my journey; at the end of which I arrived in twelve days from my leaving Oak-hall, fafe and well, tho' in more tattered habiliments than thofe I had on when you faw me in the fmoaky cabin on the coaft of Barbary. But I was foon equipped with a fuit of the Earl's cloaths which fit me as well as if they were made for me. You know we refemble each other in our perfons, tho' not fo much as in our fentiments and opinions. Adieu. WIT.

Bretfy, Sept. 22, 1732.

"P. S. I have taken the liberty to draw upon you for twenty pounds."

From the foregoing account of the unfitnefs of Wit, unaided by Prudence, to manage the common affairs of life, the fuperiority which the Author, all along, means to give to Common Senfe, is not unhappily evinced.

The Author has introduced fome well known characters in various parts of his work.-Mr. Garrick is brought out of Staf fordshire by Genius, and he becomes a great favourite with moft of the Family, particularly with Wit, Humour, and (what was fearce to be expected) with Prudence alfo.-We need not enlarge on the happy confequences to this fortunate disciple of Genius.

Hogarth is here faid to have quarrelled with Genius towards the close of his life; in confequence of which, his last productions, wanting the affiftance of that friend, were by no means fitted to fupport the reputation he had acquired by his former works.

Foote is taken off in the following manner, without exagge

ration or caricatura:

That the infirmities and failings of our fellow creatures fhould furnish matter of entertainment to mankind, is a reflection upon human nature; and yet there are fo many daily confirmations of this fact, that it cannot be denied.

But though this illiberal pleasure, this confcioufness of our own fuperiority, this triumph over the imperfections of others, has exifted ever fince the world began, I do not find that any one, before this time, ever dared to exhibit upon a public ftage, the frailties and weaknefles of particular perfons. I imagine it was left unattempted 'till now, upon a fuppofition that no audience could be pleafed with fuch a reprefentation.

The perfon who firft introduced this fpecies of entertainment (which could be called theatrical for no other reafon but because it was performed at a theatre) was an intimate acquaintance of HuMOUR's, but not much known to my father or GENIUS. He was born a gentleman aud educated accordingly.-He had a lively imagination, and was fatirically jocofe. His audacity was more than came to one man's fhare, for whatever he conceived he immediately brought forth, without blufhing for the pain he gave his friend. His loquacity and paffion for haranguing in coffeehoufes gained him the admiration

of