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full as well, as if he had compiled the works of former authors, or tranflated three whole months from the French.

HENCE it muft happen that science and literature must foon be quite difgraced, being without honor and polite reception: the book fel, lers not daring to print what may leffen their former property in authors on the same subject, timid to engage in new works, and the writer in no ftate to publish for himself (for it has been much the fate of genius, to be wedded to poverty in this kingdom) it follows, that literature must naturally fall into decay, and science feems to be at a full ftop.

ALL thefe dictionaries, and compilements in arts, are juft well enough written to flatter the understandings of the ignorant, and amuse with that moon-fhine of knowledge, which gives just light enough to mistake one animal for another, and impart one kind of deceitful colour to all objects.

In truth, these abstracts, and compiled works, seem to be contrived, to make every one who

reads

reads them, understand nothing, and render the authors, from whence they were drawn, altogether unftudied, and not understood: thus, letters will be probably destroyed by letters.

THESE are the present advantages, which are drawn from genius and printing; and in this manner it must remain, unless more men of rank, fortune, and nobility, will follow the noble example of the Earl of H-fs, and give countenance to genius, when it appears in this country.

FROM this state of things it must happen, that the French academies of belles lettres, and sciences (the firft of which is honorable without penfion) muft at laft conquer the genius of England in letters.

HONOR is the vital principle of every thing that is truly praife-worthy; the person who attempts a work with that view, will always endeavour to give it the utmoft perfection he is able; the other to finish it as foon as poffible, money being the refearch of the latter, and eternal praise the object of the former.

To

To make literature thrive, and call forth the latent feeds of genius, academies of this kind should be establish'd, where productions in belles lettres might be read, and the opinion of the best judges taken, before the work is given to the world; this would impart luftre to letters and weight to theperformance; and bookfellers might then feek writers, as the latter are obliged to seek them at prefent.

A GENEROUS reception at the tables of the great, as learned men are fure of finding in Italy, would impart a more polite manner of conceiving, or at leaft delivering fentiments, than at prefent prevails in this kingdom.

THE ladies, methinks, fhould be as fond of prefiding in a circle of learning, as in a tumult of cards; and a duchefs might draw as much honor from having the politeft affembly of men of letters, as from that of the greateft rout. I wish the time would come, when the females would universally make that manner a rule, and every lady's fame depend upon her reception and encouragement of the literati: this has prevail'd VOL. II.

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in Italy and France, and one lady you know, the celebrated Laura Buffi, has obtain❜d a profefforship, and been made member of the academy at Bolognia, which fhe fupports with honor, and has a chair in their affemblies destined for her alone.

To defpife the understanding of women, is to lose the grace of many kinds of writing, and fometimes the matter; knowledge from the fex, like diamonds from the hands of the lapidary, receiving its figure and brilliancy, tho' they do not create the gem. Adieu; I am,

Your most obedient fervant.

LET

LETTER L.

To the Reverend Father BATISTA GUARINI, at Rome.

I

Dear Sir,

T is by nations, as by individuals, there is

no more pretence to expect perfection from one, than the other; the most exalted people, like the most exalted understandings, have their foibles and vices, like thofe who bear no rank in the nations of the earth; and tho' there may have been certain æras in which they feem to affume the nature of angels, there are others where they join that of the brute; it is the condition of a whole community, as well as of thofe individuals which compose it.

NOTHING is more common than to fee a man of fuperior understanding duped, in the most common articles of life, where men of much less sense would have escaped; the most preposterous and abfurd paffions, the most ridi

culous

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