has lately told us that from him is derived all the science of the modern adjutant and quarter-master-general; all the knowledge of tactics which we now possess, and that Xenophon, Epaminondas, Philip, and Alexander, owed all their warlike reputation to Homer!

To return to pleasanter follies. Des Fontaines, the journalist, who had wit and malice, inserted the fragment of a letter in which the poet Rousseau wrote to the younger Racine whilst he was at the Hague. These were the words: "I enjoy the conversation within these few days of my associates in Parnassus. Mr. Piron is an excellent antidote against melancholy; but"-&c. Des Fontaines maliciously stopped at this but. In the letter of Rousseau it was, "but unfortunately he departs soon." Piron was very sensibly affected at this equivocal but, and resolved to revenge himself by composing one hundred epigrams against the malignant critic. He had written sixty before Des Fontaines died: but of these only two attracted any notice.

Towards the conclusion of the fifteenth century, Antonio Cornezano wrote a hundred different sonnets on one subject; and what subject?—“ the eyes of his mistress!" Not inferior to this ingenious trifler is Nicholas Franco, well known in Italian Literature, who employed himself in writing two hundred and eighteen satiric sonnets, chiefly on the famous Peter Aretin. This lampooner had the honour of being executed at Rome for his defamatory publications. In

the same class are to be placed two other writers. Brebeuf, who wrote one hundred and fifty epigrams against a painted lady. Another wit desirous of emulating him, and for a literary bravado, continued the same subject, and pointed at this unfortunate fair three hundred more, without once repeating the thoughts of Brebeuf! There is a collection of poems called " La PUCE des grand jours de Poitiers." The FLEA of the carnival of Poitiers. These poems were all written by the learned Pasquier upon a FLEA which he found one morning in the bosom of the famous Catherine des Roches!

Gildon in his "Laws of Poetry," commenting on this line of the Duke of Buckingham's "Essay on Poetry,"

"Nature's chief master-piece is writing well :"

very profoundly informs his readers "That what is here said has not the least regard to the penmanship, that is, to the fairness or badness of the handwriting, &c." In this manner he proceeds throughout a whole page, inserting a panegyric on a fine hand-writing! Pope's character of Gildon is not exaggerated: he held as heavy a pen of lead as any of the children of dulness. Littleton, the author of the Latin and English Dictionary, was notoriously addicted to punning, and he has been so absurd as to indulge his favorite propensity so far as even to introduce a pun in the

grave and elaborate work of a Lexicon. Dr. Monsey, late of Chelsea College, whose wit and eccentricities were well known, mentioned this passage to the late Duke of Leeds, who, believing the circumstance to be impossible, offered to bet any sum with the doctor, notwithstanding the latter posi tively asserted that he had read it. A trifling wager was the consequence, and the Duke used after to advert to the matter as an egregious instance of literary folly. The following is the article alluded "CONCURRO, to run with others; to run together; to come together; to fall foul on one another; to CoNcur, to CoNdog."

to.

Two singular literary follies have been practised on Milton. There is a prose version of his "Paradise Lost," which is translated from the French version of his Epic! One Green published a specimen of a new version of the "Paradise Lost" into blank verse! For this purpose he has utterly ruined the harmony of Milton's cadences, by whathe conceived to be "bringing that amazing work somewhat nearer the summit of perfection."

A French author when his book had been received by the French Academy, had the portrait of Cardinal Richelieu engraved on his title-page, encircled by a crown of forty rays, in each of which was written the name of the celebrated forty Academicians.

The self-exultations of authors (frequently employed by injudicious writers) place them in very C

VOL. II.

ridiculous attitudes. A writer of a bad dictionary, which he intended for a Cyclopædia, formed such an opinion of its extensive sale, that he put on the title-page the words "first edition," a hint to the gentle reader that it would not be the last. Desmarests was so delighted with his " Clovis," an Epic Poem, that he solemnly concludes his preface with 'a thanksgiving prayer to God, to whom he attriButes all its glory. This is like that conceited member of a French parliament, who was overheard after his tedious harangue, muttering most devoutly to himself, "Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam."—" Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to thy name be all the glory."

Baillet informs us of several works which have been produced through some odd coincidence with the name of their authors. Thus Du Saussay has written a folio volume, consisting of Panegyrics of persons of eminence, whose christian names were Andrew; because Andrew was his own name. Two Jesuits made a similar collection of illustrious men whose christian names were Theophilus and Philip, being their own. Anthony Sanderus has also composed a treatise of illustrious Anthonies! And we 'have one Buchanan who has written the lives of those persons who were so fortunate as to have been his namesakes.

Several forgotten writers have frequently been intruded on the public eye, merely through such

trifling coincidences as being members of some particular society, or natives of some particular country. Cordeliers have stood forward to revive the writings of Duns Scotus because he had been a Cordelier; and a Jesuit compiled a folio on the antiquities of a counry, merely from the circumstance that the founder of his order, Ignatius Loyola, had been born there. Several of the classics are violently extolled above others, merely for the accidental circumstance of their editors having collected some notes which they resolved to discharge on the public. County histories have been frequently compiled, and provincial writers have received a temporary existence, from the accident of some obscure individual being an inhabitant of some obscure town.

On such literary follies Mallebranche has made this refined observation. The Critics being somewhat allied to the author, their self-love inspires them, and abundantly furnishes eulogiums which the author never merited, that they may thus obliquely reflect some praise on themselves. This is made so adroitly, so delicately, and so concealed, that it is not perceived.

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LITERARY CONTROVERSY.

IN the article MILTON, of the preceding volume, I had occasion to give, some strictures on the asperity of literary controversy: the specimens I