what he never meant to give. I shall, therefore, as a Brother Projector, throw out a few hints about what such a work, if undertaken by myself, would probably contain; but I solemnly warn and caution my readers against supposing that I am writing the puff preliminary for another's work, and particularly against expecting that any part of reveries will be part of the author's plan to whom I allude. If, however, the learned Gentleman should incorporate any part of my notions, I shall esteem it no small honour to have contributed to so great a desideratum in our biographical history.

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The "History and Biography of Fools” is certainly an undertaking which, to answer its title, must be very voluminous. It will be im. possible to exclude many of the heroes who have figured in political history; and, indeed, the mass of a neighbouring nation come so exactly under one of the classes of this work, that I know not what excuse can be made for omitting them, unless the failure of paper-mills and printing-presses. But even if we do exclude political history, and confine ourselves to domestic biography, the extent of the work must be very great. In the single article of persons of fashion," there is scope for introducing the domestic history of some of the most

considerable families in the kingdom; and the writer, whoever he be, will not be perplexed with those endless, or rather beginning-less genealogies which have perplexed former biographers. Marriages now are conducted with so much more respect to quantity than to quality, that in a century hence few men of fashion will be very anxious to know who were their grandmothers.

Another very copious article may be derived from the gaming-table, and its collateral branches, the turf and the lottery. Some of the most eminent fools in our time have owed their sole distinction to their eagerness in these pursuits, and the number of vicissitudes to which they are exposed will render their "Lives" very interesting, while their deaths may be illustrated by the diplomas of lunacy so frequently and so good-naturedly conferred upon them by the College of Coroners. Great care, indeed, must be taken in this department, not to confound this species with another, to which they are often closely allied, I mean the rogues. And here I must once for all observe, that the distinction between rogue and fool is in danger of being totally lost. The mutual approaches of the two characters have been of late years so rapid and congenial, that it is not possible to

discriminate between them with any tolerable accuracy. Whether this may be accounted for by the doctrine of attraction, or by any of the chemical affinities, I shall not inquire: it is highly probable, however, that there are certain occult qualities in them which incline to a junction; but whether this be the effect of innate propensity, or of external impulse, must depend upon a higher knowledge than I can pretend to have of the nature and properties of the precious metals by which they are chiefly influenced. To enter into a chemical solution of such questions would perplex myself without proving very edifying to my readers. All we certainly know is, that the proportions of rogue and fool are so nicely adjusted in some men, and so intimately mixed, and confounded, as to render it almost impossible to say which is the predominant quality, or in what class we ought to place the object. Doubtless, when such characters come in the way of the learned Gentleman whose great undertaking has given rise to this paper, he will attempt to analyze them in such a manner as to preserve distinctness of classification in his work. This will certainly be difficult, but in proportion to the difficulty will be the praise due to the progress he makes, For my own part, referring to the particular

must say,

class with which I began this paragraph, I I never yet beheld a gamester without being extremely puzzled to know whether he was most rogue or fool.

Leaving this distinction to be attempted by a superior hand, I may farther intimate that, in the progress of such a work as we are now considering, many questions of a general nature will arise, which, if mixed with the biographical part, may pass with less observation than they deserve, or may be, for want of room, and to prevent interruptions, noticed very slightly. These, therefore, I would propose to throw into the form of "Preliminary Dissertations," or "Prolegomena." In this way, the " Origin of Folly" may be investigated with a true antiquarian spirit, and a very able dissertation may be prefixed, on the age of fools. In nothing are we more perplexed than this. We hear much of young fools and of old fools, but the exact boundaries of these have never been clearly ascertained. If it be true that there is "no fool like an old fool," the species must be distinct, and merits a very particular description. Much information on this head may be gleaned from marriage registers, surveyors' bills, and not a little from the company which frequent the box-lobbies of our theatres. Men who, at

the age of seventy or upwards, take to the amusements of matrimony, law-suits, or building, or who are the first in every public pleasure that presents itself, may contribute no small degree of information.

Another subject proper for a separate dissertation would be the "Education of Fools." They are usually said to be taught by Experience; but as far as as my observation goes, their schoolmaster either neglects his duty, or they have acquired such a degree of contempt for him that they pay no regard to his instructions. The number, therefore, educated in this school will not, I am afraid, be so great as to diminish the size of the work intended. I have been assured by a very eminent broker, that the business of the Stock Exchange has been more than tripled since it became the fashion to pay no respect to Experience; and he commissions me to add, that he will be very happy to assist the Author of the "History and Biography of Fools" by submitting to his inspection sundry curious MSS. in his possession, in the shape of memorandum-books. I take this opportunity, therefore, of announcing this assistance, because on a slight inspection of some of my friend's MSS. I am convinced that the learned Author above-mentioned will find them a most