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science of jurifprudence with pleasure, and would not have declined the application of its principles, as a member of the legiflature, he felt no great inclination to load his memory with the rules of our municipal law, or to occupy himself in applying them to the uninterefting difputes of individuals; and, though he neither wanted a tafte for the art, nor a paffion for the glory of a soldier, he was full as little difpofed to carry a pair of colours at a review, or to line the streets in a proceffion. Nor were his objections to other plans of bettering his fortune, either at home or abroad, lefs unfurmountable.

In fhort, after deliberating on the propofitions of his friends, and comparing them with his own feelings, Mr. Umphraville concluded, that, as he could not enter into the world in a way suited to his inclination and temper, the quiet and retirement of a country-life, though with a narrow fortune, would be more conducive to his happiness than the pursuit of occupations to which he felt an averfion, even should they be attended with a greater degree of fuccefs than, from that circumftance, be judged to be probable.

Agree

Agreeably to this opinion he took his refoJution; and, notwithstanding the oppofition of his friends, retired, a few months after his father's death, to his eftate in the country, where he has lived upwards of forty years; his family, fince the death of his mother, a lady of uncommon fenfe and virtue, who furvived her husband fome time, having confifted only of himself, and an unmarried fifter, of a difpofition fimilar to his own.

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Neither his circumftances nor inclination led Mr. Umphraville to partake much of the jollity. of his neighbours. His farm has never exceeded what he found abfolutely neceffary for the convenience of his little family; and tho' he employed himself for a few years in extending his plantations over the neighbouring grounds, even that branch of industry he foon laid afide, from a habit of indolence, which has daily grown upon him; and fince it has. been dropped, his books, and fometimes his gun, with the converfation of his fifter, and a few friends, who now and then visit him, entirely occupy his time.

In this fituation, Mr. Umphraville has natu-. rally contracted feveral peculiarities, both of

manner

manner and opinion. They are, however, of a kind which neither leffen the original politenefs of the one, nor weaken the natural force and spirit of the other. In a word, though he has contracted ruft, it is the ruft of a great mind, which, while it throws a certain melancholy reverence around its poffeffor, rather enhances than detracts from the native beauty and dignity of his character.

These particulars will fuffice for introducing this gentleman to my readers; and I may afterwards take occafion to gratify such of them as wish to know fomewhat more of a life and opinions with which I have long been intimately acquainted.

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N° 7.

TUESDAY, February 16, 1779.

Indocilis privata loqui.

Luc.

I

To the AUTHOR of the MIRROR.

SIR,

AM a fort of retainer to the mufes; and,

though I cannot boast of much familiarity with themselves, hold a fubordinate intimacy with feveral branches of their family. I never made verses, but I can repeat feveral thoufands. Though I am not a writer, I am reckoned a very ready expounder of enigmas and I have given many good hints towards the compofition of some favourite rebuses and charades. I have alfo a very competent share of claffical learning; I can conftrue Latin when there is an English verfion on the oppofite column, and read the Greek character with tolerable facility; I fpeak a little French, and can make shift to understand the fubject of an Italian opera.

With these qualifications, Sir, I am held in confiderable estimation by the wits of both fexes. I am sometimes allowed to clap first at a play

a play, and pronounce a firm encore after a fashionable fong. I am confulted by feveral ladies before they ftick their pin into the catalogue of the circulating library; and have tranflated to fome polite companies all the mottoes of your paper, except the laft, which, being fomewhat crabbed, I did not chufe to rifk my credit by attempting. I have at last ventured to put myself into print in the MIRROR; and fend you information of a scheme I have formed for making my talents ferviceable to the republic of letters.

Every one must have obferved the utility of a proper felection of names to a play or a novel. The bare founds of Monimia or Imoinda fet a tender-hearted young lady a-crying; and a letter from Edward to Maria contains a fentiment in the very title.

Were I to illuftrate this by an appofite example, as fchool mafters give exercises of bad Latin, the truth of my affertion would appear in a still stronger light.

Suppofe, Sir, one had a mind to write a very pathetic story of the difaftrous loves of a young lady and a young gentleman, the firft of whom was called Gubbins, and the latter Gubblestones, two very respectable names in

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