with the mere perception of external objects, as with the general influences of their union and correfpondence. It is not that particular tree, or that cavern, or that cascade, which affords them all their enjoyment; they derive their chief pleasure from the united effect of the tree, the cavern, and the cafcade. A perfon of fenfibility will be lefs able, perhaps, than another, to give an exact account of the different parts of an exquifite landscape, of its length, width, and the number of objects it contains. Yet the general effect poffeffes him altogether, and produces in his mind very uncommon fenfations. The impulfe, however, is tender, and cannot be defcribed. Indeed, it is the power of producing these fenfations that gives the ftamp of genuine excellence, in particular, to the works of the poet. Verfes may be polifhed, and may glow with excellent imagery; but unless, like the poems of Parnel, or the leffer poems of Milton, they please by their enchanting influence on the heart and, by exciting feelings that are confistent, or of a fimilar tendency, they are never truly delightful. Horace, I think, expreffes this fentiment, when he fays, in the words of my motto,

Non fatis eft pulchra esse poemata; dulcia funto;

and

and an attention to this circumftance is fo important, that, along with some other exertions, it enables the poet and painter, at least, to rival the works of Nature.

N° 25.

TUESDAY, April 20, 1779.

To the AUTHOR of the MIRROR.

SIR,

OME time ago I troubled you with a letter,

SOME

giving an account of a particular fort of grievance felt by the families of men of fmall fortunes, from their acquaintance with thofe of great ones. I am emboldened by the favourable reception of my first letter to write you a fecond upon the same subject.

You will remember, Sir, my account of a vifit which my daughters paid to a great lady in our neighbourhood, and of the effects which that vifit had upon them. I was beginning to hope that time, and the fobriety of manners which home exhibited, would reftore them to their former fituation, when, unfortunately, a circumftance happened, ftill more fatal to me than their expedition to

This, Sir, was the honour of a visit from the great lady in return.

I was just returning from the fuperintendence of my plows in a field I have lately inclofed, when I was met, on the green before VOL. I.

K

my

my door, by a gentleman (for fuch I took him to be) mounted upon a very handsome gelding, who asked me, by the appellation of honest friend, if this was not Mr. Homespun's; and, in the fame breath, whether the ladies were at home? I told him, my name was Homefpun, the house was mine, and my wife and daughters were, I believed, within. Upon this, the young man, pulling off his hat, and begging my pardon for calling me honest, faid, he was difpatched by Lady with her compliments to Mrs. and Miffes Homefpun, and that, if convenient, fhe intended herfelf the honour of dining with them, on her return from B park (the feat of another great

and rich lady in our neighbourhood).

I confefs, Mr. MIRROR, I was ftruck fomewhat of a heap with the meffage; and it would not, in all probability, have received an immediate answer, had it not been overheard by my eldest daughter, who had come to the window on the appearance of a ftranger. " Mr. "Papillot," faid the immediately, "I rejoice "to fee you; I hope your Lady, and all the "family, are well." "Very much at your fer"vice, Ma'am," he replied, with a low bow; my Lady fent me before, with the offer of

"her

"her beft compliments, and that, if conve"nient"-and fo forth, repeating his words to me. "She does us infinite honour," faid my young Madam; "let her ladyship know "how happy her vifit will make us; but, "in the mean time, Mr. Papillot, give your "horfe to one of the fervants, and come in "and have a glafs of fomething after your "ride." "I am afraid," anfwered he (pulling out his right-hand watch, for, would you believe it, Sir? the fellow had one in each fob), "I fhall hardly have time to meet my "Lady at the place fhe appointed me." On a fecond invitation, however, he dismounted, and went into the house, leaving his horse to the care of the fervants; but the fervants, as my daughter very well knew, were all in the fields. at work; fo I, who have a liking for a good horfe, and cannot bear to fee him neglected, had the honour of putting Mr. Papillot's in the ftable myself.

After about an hour's ftay, for the gentleman feemed to forget his hurry within doors, Mr. Papillot departed. My daughters, I mean the two polite ones, obferved how hand fome he was; and added another obfervation, that it was only to particular friends my Lady fent