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extremity; as generals, who are anxious to cover one part of their works, are apt to leave an opposite quarter defenceless.

But the most serious complaint I have received, is a letter subscribed Censor, arraigning, with true Juvenalian severity, the conduct of a certain club, which, in the words of my correspondent, “continues, in defiance of decency and good manners, to insult the public in large cha racters, in the front of every newspaper in town. This" he adds, "moves my indignation the more, when I consider that several of its principal members are arrived at a period of life which should teach decorum, at least, if it does not extinguish vice."

In answer to this angry correspondent, I will tell him the following story: Some years ago, I happened to be in York at the time of the assizes. Dining one day in a tavern with some gentlemen of that city and its neighbourhood, we were vio

lently disturbed by the noise of somebody below, who hooted and halloo'd, smacked his whip, and made his servants sound their French horns; in short, rehearsed, during the whole time of our dinner, all "the glorious tumult of the chace." Some of the company, after several ineffectual messages by the waiter, began to be angry, and to think of a very serious remonstrance with the sportsman below. an elderly person, who sat opposite to me, pacified their resentment: "I know the gentleman who disturbs you," said he; "his head-piece was never one of the best; but now, poor man! I believe we must let him alone-Since he is past running down the fox in the field, he must e'en be allowed to hunt him in the parlour."

But

No. 85. TUESDAY, February 29, 1780.

Possum oblivisci qui fuerim? Non sentire qui sim? Quo caream honore? Quâ gloriâ? Quibus liberis? Quibus fortunis? Cic. ad ATT.

*A PERIODICAL publication, such as the Mirror, is, from its nature, confined chiefly to prose compositions. My illustrious predecessor, the Spectator, has, however, sometimes inserted a little poem among his other essays; and his example has been imitated by most of his successors. Perhaps it may be from this cause, that, among the variety of communications I have lately received, many of them consist of poetical compositions. I must observe in general to these correspondents,

* This preamble to the poem was written by Lord Craig.

that, though the insertion of a poem, now and then, may not be altogether improper for a work of this kind, yet it is not every poetical composition that is fit for it. A poem may be possessed of very considerable merit, and may be entitled to applause, when published in a poetical collection, though, from its subject, its length, or the manner in which it is written, it may not be suited to the Mirror. I hope my poetical correspondents, therefore, will receive this as an apology for their poems not being inserted, and will by no means consider their exclusion as proceeding from their being thought destitute of merit.

Among the poetical presents I have received, there is, however, one, which seems very well suited to a work of this kind. The gentleman from whom I received it says, he has been informed that it was founded on the following inscrip

tion (probably written from real feeling) on the window of an inn, situated in the Highlands of Scotland:

"Of all the ills unhappy mortals know,
A life of wandering is the greatest woe;
On all their weary ways wait Care and Pain,
And Pine and Penury, a meagre train,

A wretched exile to his country send,

Long worn with griefs, and long without a friend."

This poem contains a description of the situation of a Scotch gentleman, who had been obliged to leave his country for rebellion against our present happy government. It points out the fatal consequences of such treasonable attempts, and represents the distress of the person described, in a very interesting and pathetic

manner.

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