ADVERTISEMENT

TO THE SECOND PART.

THE success of his former "Trip to Holland" has induced the Author to publish a second. He had taken Sterne for a model, without meaning at all times to copy his manner, which is uniformly narrative. The Second Part, therefore, is chiefly an account of the people in general; their manners and customs. The characters of individuals have, for the most part, gone before.-The book, it is hoped, will answer to its title.

A TRIP TO HOLLAND.

Now then, in like manner with my deceased, but never-to-be-forgotten parent, Mr. Tristram Shandy,* I shall begin this portion

"Have a care, Sir-keep clear of imitation-remember Horace-' O imitatores, servum pecus!'"

"A little patience, good Mr. Critic."

"And this, Madam, is your son? Bless me! how extremely like his father! Every look, every action, every feature, I protest! What a wonderful imitation!"

"Imitation?" My dear Sir, what are you thinking about? Imitation is the work of art; and the likeness of my son to his father is merely the effect of nature: you surely".

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True, Madam, true-you are certainly right-and pray, Mr. Aristarchus, do you not imagine that there may be the same homogeneity, the same spontaneity(will your honours allow me talk thus ?)-in a word, do you not imagine that there may be a resemblance of soul, as well as of body? And that Nature may sometimes operate with the one, in exactly the same manner that she so frequently operates with the other? Consider this attentively; and when you meet with a writer

*The Reviewers have acknowledged the relationspip, so no one, I hope, will dispute it.

who has caught the style and manner of an excellent original, do not be so ready to cry out, a 'servile imitator!' No, no; if you really perceive a likeness, honestly acknowledge it; and, in the spirit of a trueborn Englishman, boldly pronounce him' a chip of the old block.'"*

"A chip of the old block,”—what a vulgar expression! exclaims the critic-but 'tis done, 'faith; and I never blot-what shall I do?-Why I must e'en shelter myself, with Terence, behind a scrap of Latin-Ex homine hunc natum dicas.

bad a

"Well but, my dear Sir, if you, who are so very swimmer, will thus foolishly venture out of your depth, and run the hazard of drowning, is it my fault? Or if you will pursue an ignis fatuus, a will-o'th'wisp, and by that means tumble into a pit, can I possibly help it? -Do look at yonder cloud, now-there, that in the shape of a camel†—you see it, do you not?"

"See it? impossible! why, Sir, had I the eye of an eagle "

"Prithee, Aristarchus, walk this way-step with me into yonder classical-'psha! what a blunder!—into yonder chirurgical school-observe that anatomist there -see how very awkwardly he holds his pen !—his scalpel, I mean. Do, young gentleman, prithee take care you will certainly cut yourself instead of the

*

"It is, perhaps, juster to say, that a previous correspondency of character impelled to imitate, than that imitation itself produced that correspondency of character: at least, it will be allowed to incline a writer strongly to imitation; and, where a congenial spirit appears to provoke him to it, a candid critic will not be forward to turn this circumstance to the dishonour of his invention."

Again

"The most original writer as certainly takes a tincture from the authors in which he has been most conversant, as water, from the beds of earth or minerals, it hath happened to run over."-BISHOP HURD on Imitation. But you had better read the whole Essay.

This is not an imitation, but a quotation.—But if any critic would rather choose to consider it as plagiarism, I have not the smallest objection.