the more profitable employments of agriculture. Surely, equally fuccefsful would be the endeavours of our Poets, if they would boldly extirpate from their writings every fpecies of foreign manufacture; and adopt in their ftead, materials from the prolific looms of their countrymen. Surely, we have a variety which would fuit all fubjects and all descriptions; nor do I defpair, if this ⚫ letter has the defired effect, but I fhall presently 'fee landscapes beautifully diverfified with (all due deference being paid to alliteration) plains of PLUSH, paftures of POPLIN, downs of DIMITY, vallies of VELVERET, and meadows of MANCHESTER. How gloriously novel would this be; how patriotically poetical an innovation; ' which nothing but bigotted prejudice could object to, nothing but difaffection to the interests of the country could difapprove, སྒོ Excufe me, Sir, if I have detained you beyond the usual limits of a letter, on a subject, in which I am fo deeply interested. Pardon, Sir, the partiality of an old man, to the profeffion of his youth; and, O! Mr. Griffin, may your pa'per be the means of refcuing from unmerited ridicule and illiberal contempt, an ART, which 613 • has has added a clearness and a polifh to the remarks of CRITICISM; and has cloathed the conceptions of POETRY in the language of Metaphor: an ART, inferior to none, but thofe, ⚫ which have fo frequently and so successfully borrowed its affiftance; nor even to them, unless it can be proved, that that which provides the neceffary raiment for the body, fhould yield to those which ⚫ are but the fources of amusement to the Mind. 'I am, Sir, 'Yours, &c. "H. HOMES PUN. I cannot but own myself much pleased with the enthusiasm which feems to animate my correfpondent, while he treats on a subject so near his Heart. He has, I can affure him, my full approbation to his proposed improvements; and I am convinced every well meaning perfon in his Majesty's kingdoms muft feel the force of his reafoning.-Will any caviller prefume to contend, that our Looms are not as fertile of poetic imagery, as those of our neighbours? Have we not handkerchiefs of printed cotton, crowded with all the beauties of rural fcenery? and "azure flowers that blow," in the carpets of the Wilton manufactory? factory? Nay, even fuppofing an unquestionable inferiority on the fide of the English Looms, would not every Englishman ftill fhew a laudable partiality to his country? and by fuch a preference, what he loft in Poetry, would he not am ply make up in patriotifm? In fhort, fo convinced am I by Mr. Homefpun's arguments, that I cannot help taking the earliest opportunity to recommend to fuch of my correfpondents, as may have been induced by the forwardness of the feafon, to begin Odes on Spring for the use of the MICROCOSM, that they would be careful to stick to the productions of the Englifh Loom, if they think it neceflary to draw Metaphors from WEAVING at all; that is, if they do really think, that NATURE can be embellished by the technical terms of ART; and that the works of the CREATOR, can receive additional beauty by being affimilated to thofe of the MANUFACTURER Which, in my humble opinion, I will confefs, does not appear to be the cafe. I know no better advice that I can give to my Correfpondents on this head, unlefs indeed it were, not to write "Odes on Spring" at all. B No. XXIII. OF THE MICROCOSM. MONDAY, April 16, 1787. If there be any land, as fame reports, Where common laws refrain the Prince and Subje&ts; Flows thro' each member of the embodied flate; Sure all unite to hold her league of rule, That links the jarring elements in peace. F JOHNSON'S IRENE. ROM a subject that has been so often handled as the various modes and forms of government, little novelty can be expected; and the ableft pen could effect no more, than to place in new lights, or cloath in different words, thofe arguments which have been urged for ages by the advocates of different parties. As I am not qualified by my years or experience to decide amidft fuch contending fac tions, or to give any additional weight to either fide by a declaration of my opinion, my only endeavour in this effay fhall be to collect and place in one point of view, the most important points of the controversy; to reft my affertions not on the frail foundations of speculation, but experience; and by exhibiting the several expedients of human wisdom for the regulation of fociety, make my fellow-citizens fenfible of the bleffings of that conftitution, under which we live; and to the protection of whofe privileges they will moft probably be hereafter fummoned. To trace the progrefs of legal Government, from the fimple fubordination of the Patriarchal power, to the complex fyftem of modern politics; to mark the gradual encrease and extension of acknowledged authority from the head of a single family to the fovereignty of a mighty empire, may prove an ample reward to the toil of useful curiofity; but it is a task beyond the limits of my paper, or the extent of my abilities. I fhall therefore pafs over the fubject, and content myself with this remark; that it is abfolutely neceffary to the existence of civil fociety, that for the public good, the individual should refign a part of |