know not fuch another) is not sufficient to justify , while we are writing to thousands who never heard of the perfon, nor of any thing like him. Such Rara Aves should be remitted to the epitaphwriter, or to fome poet, who may condefcend to hitch him in a diftich, or to flide him into a rhyme with an air of carelessness and neglect, without giving any offence to the reader. In the last place, the actions should be fuch as may not only be within the compafs of human agency, and which human agents may probably be fuppofed to do; but they should be likely for the very actors and characters themselves to have performed: for what may be only wonderful and furprifing in one man, may become improbable, or indeed impoffible, when related of another. This laft requifite is what the dramatic critics call confervation of character; and it requires a very extraordinary degree of judgment, and a moft exact knowledge of human nature. It is admirably remarked by a most excellent writer, That zeal can no more hurry a man to act in direct oppofition to himself, than a rapid stream can carry a boat against its own current. I will venture to fay, that for a man to act in direct contradiction to the dictates of his nature, is, if not impoffible, as improbable and as miraculous as any thing which can well be conceived. Should the best parts of the ftory of M. Antoninus be afcribed to Nero, or fhould the worst incidents of Nero's life be imputed to Antoninus, what would be more fhocking to belief than either inftance? whereas both thefe being related of their proper agent, constitute the truly marvellous. Our modern authors of comedy have fallen almost universally into the error here hinted at. Their heroes generally are notorious rogues, and their heroines abandoned jades, during the first four acts; but in the fifth, the former become very worthy gentlemen, and the latter, women of virtue and difcretion: nor is the writer often fo kind as to give himself the least trouble, to reconcile or account for this monftrous change and incongruity. There is, indeed, no other reason to be affigned for it, than because the play is drawing to a conclufion; as if it was no lefs natural for a rogue to repent in the last act of a play, than in the laft of his life; which we perceive to be generally the cafe at Tyburn, a place which might, indeed, close the scene of fome comedies with much propriety, as the heroes in thefe are most commonly eminent for thofe very talents which not only bring men to the gallows, but enable them to make an heroic figure when they are there. Within thefe few reftrictions, I think, every writer may be permitted to deal as much in the wonderful as he pleases; nay, the more he can furprise the reader, if he thus keeps within the rules of credibility, the more he will engage his attention, and the more he will charm him. As a genius of the highest rank obferves in his fifth chapter of the Bathos, "The great art of all poetry is to mix truth with fiction; in order to join the credible with the furprising." For tho' every good author will confine himself within the bounds of probability, it is by no means neceffary that his characters, or his incidents, fhould be trite, common, or vulgar; fuch as happen in every street, or in every house, or which may be met with in the home articles of a news - paper. Nor must he be inhibited from fhowing many perfons, and things, which may poffibly have never fallen within the knowledge of great part of his readers. If the writer ftrictly obferves the rules above-mentioned, he has difcharged his part; and is then entitled to fome faith from his reader, who is indeed guilty of critical infidelity, if he difbelieves him. For want of a portion of fuch faith, I remember the character of a young Lady of quality, which was condemned on the ftage for being unnatural, by the unanimous voice of a very large affembly of clerks and apprentices; though it had had the previous fuffrages of many Ladies of the first rank; one of whom very eminent for her understanding, declared it was the picture of half the young people of her acquaintance. CHAP. II. In which the Landlady pays a Vifit to Mr. Jones. WHEN Jones had taken leave of his friend the lieutenant, he endeavoured to close his eyes, but all in vain; his fpirits were too lively and wakeful to be lulled to fleep. So having amufed, or rather tormented himself with the thoughts of his Sophia, till it was open day-light, he called for fome tea; upon which occafion my landlady herself vouchfafed to pay him a visit. This was indeed the first time she had feen him, or at least had taken any notice of him; but as the lieutenant had affured her that he was certainly fome young gentleman of fashion, fhe now determined to fhow him all the respect in her power: for, to speak truly, this was one of those houses, where gentlemen, to use the language of advertisements, meet with civil treatment for their money. She had no fooner begun to make his tea, than fhe likewife began to difcourfe. "La! Sir," faid fhe, "I think it is great pity that fuch a pretty » young gentleman fhould undervalue himself so, as to go about with these soldier fellows. They call themselves gentlemen, I warrant you; but ,, as my first husband used to fay, they fhould remember it is we that pay them. And to be fure it is very hard upon us to be obliged to دو دو دو دو ,, pay them, and to keep 'em too, as we publicans are. I had twenty of 'um laft night befides officers; nay, for matter o' that, I had rather have the foldiers than the officers: for nothing is ever good enough for thofe fparks; and I am fure, if you was to fee the bills; La, Sir, it is nothing. I have had lefs trouble, I warrant you, with a good Squire's family, where we take forty or fifty fhillings of a night, befides horses. And ,, yet I warrants me, there is narrow a one of all thofe officer fellows, but looks upon himself to be as good as arrow a Squire of 500 l. a year. ,, To be fure it does me good to hear their men ,, run about after 'um, crying your Honor, and your Honor. Marry come up with fuch Honor, and an ordinary at a fhilling a head. Then there's fuch fwearing among 'um, to be fure, it frightens me out o' my wits, I thinks nothing can ever profper with fuch wicked people. And here one of 'um has used you in fo barbarous a manner. I thought indeed how well the rest ,, would fecure him; they all hang together; for if you had been in danger of death, which I am glad to fee you are not, it would have been all as one to fuch wicked people. They would have let the murderer go. Laud have ,, mercy upon 'um; I would not have fuch a fin to answer for, for the whole world. But tho' ,, you are likely, with the bleffing to recover, there is laa for him yet, and if you will employ lawyer Small, I darest be fworn he'll make the fellow fly the country for him: tho' perhaps دو دو دو وو وو |