The wit of sense and reason which prevails in Is wholy inconcave. An ignorance of al that the more refined of the middle, or even of the jower clames, well know, is accompanied by an insulting contempt for any one, who does not know any of the silly and worthless trifles, which form the staple of their only knowledge. An entire incapacity of reasoning is twinsister to a ready, and flippant, and authoritative denial of all that reason has taught others.

Whoever, after passing an evening in such society, shall attempt to recollect the substance of the conversation, will find himself engaged in a hopeless task. It would be easier to record the changes of colour in a pigeon's neck, or the series of sounds made by an Æolian

harp, or the forms and hues of an Aurora Borealis ;-all is pleasing, all pretty, all serviceable in passing the time, but all unsubstantial. If man had nothing to do here below, but to spend, without pain or uneasiness, the hours not devoted to sleep, certainly there would be no reason to complain of these coteries; but if he is accountable for his time, then surely he has no right to pass it thus. Compared with this, dancing, which is exercise, is a rational mode of passing the hours-compared with this, it is worthy of a rational being to read the most frivolous romance ever penned.-Thoughts on the Aristocracy, 1835.

Do these people imagine, that because they are not required to labour for their bread, that they are to do as they please? We tell them that none are suffered to live according to their own humour, or for such ends as please their own fancy!-Law's Serious Call.

(19) I look upon these sons and daughters of idleness and folly (to speak of them in a style suitable to their taste and talents), not as paying visits, but visitations, and am never obliged to give audience to one of this species, that I do not consider myself as under a judgment for those numberless hours which I have spent in vain. Since the days of man are shrunk into a few hasty revolutions of the sun, whole afternoons are much too considerable a sacrifice to be offered up to tame civility.— FITZOSBORNE'S Letters.

The mind never feels with more energy and satisfaction that it lives, that it is rational, great, active, free, and immortal, than during those moments in which it excludes idle and impertinent intruders.-ZIMMERMAN.

If we engage into a large acquaintance and various familiarities, we set open our gates to the invaders of most of our time: we expose our life to a quotidian ague

of frigid impertinences, which should make a wise man tremble to think of!—COWLEY.

(20) Where distinctions are possessed without the labour of deserving them, honour becomes a badge! "Those of no birth have to make their way in the world, to win their spurs; others start on a vantage ground,—they are born spurred.”—Thoughts on the Aristocracy.

(21) The despotism of Fashion may, in many cases, require to be withstood, even when aspiring to jurisdiction merely over amusements.-Fashion may, on some occasions, prove herself powerful enough to attach women to amusements, which, though neither stained with blood, nor derived from the infliction of pain (as in the Spanish bull-fights), may be such as for other reasons ought to be universally reprobated and exploded.-GISBORNE'S Duties of Women.

(22) In the Opera, the ears and the eyes are better satisfied than the mind; where, through a constant_subserviency to music, the most ridiculous faults are become necessary: the actors dance round a tomb, and sing at the destruction of a city. We tolerate these extravagancies because we fancy ourselves on enchanted ground; and provided there be some show, fine dancing, music, and a few interesting scenes, we are satisfied!-VOLTAIRE's Critical Essays on the Drama.

(23) The general admiration awarded to foreign music in Britain is despicable affectation. The Italian opera in England is witnessed with the most remarkable listlessness and inattention. It can raise no passion in the audi

ence, because they do not understand the language in which it is written. (Among the very few who understand the language, and enter with pleasure and taste into the Italian music, the conduct of the dramatic part appears 80 ridiculous, that they can feel nothing of that transport of passion, the united effect of music and poetry) yet vanity prevails so much over the sense of pleasure, that the Italian opera is in England more frequented by people of rank, than any other public diversion; and to avoid the imputation of want of taste, they condemn themselves to some hours' painful attendance on it every week, and pretend to talk of it in raptures, to which their hearts will ever remain strangers.-GREGORY'S Comparative View.

He who sits at a play, without understanding the dialect, may, indeed, discover which of the actors are best dressed, and how well the scenes are painted or disposed; but the characters and conduct of the drama must for ever remain a secret to him.-FITZOSBORNE'S Letters.

There is no question but our great-grandchildren will be very curious to know the reason why their forefathers used to sit together like an audience of foreigners in their own country, and to hear whole plays acted before them in a tongue which they did not understand!—ADDISON.

(24) There is nothing which has more startled our English audience, than the Italian recitativo at its first entrance upon the stage. People were wonderfully surprised to hear generals singing the word of command, and ladies delivering messages in music. Our countrymen could not forbear laughing when they heard a lover chanting out a billet-doux, and even the superscription of a letter set to a tune!-ADDISON.