Gronovius was so malevolent a critic, that he was distinguished by the title of "Grammatical Cur."

When critics venture to attack the person as well as the performance of an author, I recommend the salutary proceedings of Huberus, the writer of an esteemed Universal History. He had been so roughly handled by Perizonius, that he obliged him to make the amende honorable in a court of justice.

Certain authors may be distinguished by the title of LITERARY BOBADILS, or fighting authors. It is said of one of our own celebrated writers, that he drew his sword on a reviewer; and another, when his farce was condemned, offered to fight any one of the audience who hissed. Scudery, brother of the celebrated Mademoiselle Scudery, was a true Parnassian bully. The first publication which brought him into notice, was his edition of the works of his friend Theophile. He concludes the preface with these singular expressions-" I do not hesitate to declare, that, amongst all the dead, and all the living, three is no person who has any thing to shew that approaches the force of this vigorous genius; but if amongst the latter, any one were so extravagant as to consider that I detract from his imaginary glory, to

shew him, that I fear as little as I esteem him, this is to inform him, that my name is

DE SCUDERY."

A similar rhodomontade is that of Claude Trellon, a poetical soldier: He begins his poems by informing the critics, that if any one attempts to censure him, he will only condescend to answer sword in hand.

ANTI, prefixed to the name of the person attacked, was once a favourite title to books of literary controversy. With a critical review of such books, Baillet has filled a quarto volume; yet, such was the abundant harvest, that he left considerable gleanings for posterior industry.

Anti-Gronovius was a book published against Grovonius, by Kuster. Perizonius, another pugilist of literature, entered into this dispute on the subject of the Æs grave of the ancients, to which Kuster had just adverted at the close of his volume. What was the consequence? Dreadful!Answers and rejoinders from both, in which they bespattered each other with the foulest abuse. A journalist pleasantly blames this acrimonious controversy. He says, "To read the pamphlets of a Perizonius and a Kuster on the Es grave of the ancients, who would not renounce all commerce with antiquity? It seems as if an Agamemnon and an Achilles were railing at each other.

Who can refrain from laughter, when one of these commentators even points his attacks at the very name of his adversary? According to Kuster, the name of Perizonius signifies a certain part of the human body. How is it possible, that with such a name he could be right concerning the Æs grave? But does that of Kuster promise a better thing, since it signifies a beadle; a man who drives dogs out of churches?-What madness is this!"

Corneille, like our Dryden, felt the acrimony of literary irritation. To the critical strictures of D'Aubignac it is acknowledged he paid the greatest attention, for after this critic's Pratique du Theatre appeared, his tragedies were more artfully conducted. But instead of mentioning the critic with due praise, he preserved an ungrateful silence. This occasioned a quarrel between the poet and the critic, in which the former exhaled his bile in several abusive epigrams, which have, fortunately for his credit, not been preserved in his works.

The lively Voltaire could not resist the charm of abusing his adversaries. We may smile when he calls a blockhead, a blockhead; a dotard, a dotard; but when he attacks, for a difference of opinion, the morals of another man, our sensibility is alarmed. A higher tribunal than that of criticism is to decide on the actions of men.

There is a certain disguised malice, which some writers have most unfairly employed, in characterising a cotemporary. Burnet called Prior one Prior. In Bishop Parker's history of his own times, an innocent reader may start at seeing the celebrated Marvell, described as an outcast of society; an infamous libeller; and one whose talents were even more despicable than his person. To such lengths did the hatred of party united with personal rancour carry this bishop who was himself the worst of time-servers. He was however amply repaid by the keen wit of Marvell in "The Rehearsal Transposed," which may still be read with delight, as an admirable effusion of banter, wit, and satire. Le Clerc, a cool ponderous greek critic, quarrelled with Boileau about a passage in Longinus, and several years afterwards, in revising Moreri's dictionary gave a short sarcastic notice of the poet's brother; in which he calls him the elder brother of him who has written the book, entitled Satires of Mr. Boileau D'Espreaux !"-the works of the modern Horace, which were then delighting Europe, he calls with simple impudence, a book, entitled Satires!

The works of Homer produced a controversy both long and virulent, amongst the wits of France. This literary quarrel is of some note in the annals of literature, since it has produced two valuable books; La Motte's "Reflexions sur la

Critique," and Madame Dacier's "Des Causes de la Corruption de Gout." Of the rival works it has been said that La Mothe wrote with feminine delicacy, and Madame Dacier like an University pedant. "At length," as the author of Querelles Litteraires informs us, 66 by the efforts of Valincour, the friend of art, of artists, and of peace, the contest was terminated." Both parties were formidable in number, and to each he made remonstrances, and applied reproaches. La Mothe and Madame Dacier, the opposite leaders, were convinced by his arguments, made reciprocal concessions, and concluded a peace. The treaty was formally ratified at a dinner given on the occasion by the celebrated Madame De Stael, who represented "Neutrality." Libations were poured to the memory of old Homer, and the parties were reconciled.

LITERARY BLUNDers.

WHEN Dante published his " Inferno," the simplicity of the age accepted it as a true narrative of his descent into hell.

When the Utopia of Sir Thomas More was first published, it occasioned a pleasant mistake. This political romance represents a perfect, but visionary republic, in an island supposed to have been newly-discovered in America. "As this was the age of discovery (says Granger) the learned