Command your servant.
I wait your commands.
You do me great honour.
Not so much ceremony, 1
beg.

Present my respects to the gentleman, or his lordship.

Βεβαιώσετε τον πῶς τὸν ἐνθυ- Assure him of my remem

brance.

Assure him of my friendship.

Καλὰ, καλά.

Δὲν εἶναι ἀληθινὸν.
Εἶναι ψευδές.

Δὲν εἶναι τίποτες ἀπὸ αὐτὸ.
Εἶναι ἕνα ψεῦδος μία ἀπάτη.

Well, well,

It is not true.

It is false.

it.

Τῇ ἀληθείᾳ.
Μὲ ἀρέσει κατὰ πολλὰ.
Συγκατανεύω εἰς τοῦτο.
Δίδω τὴν ψῆφον μου.
Δὲν ἀντιστέκομαι εἰς τοῦτο.
Εἶμαι σύμφωνος, ἐκ συμφάνου.
Ἐγὼ δὲν θέλω.

Ἐγὼ ἐναντιώνομαι εἰς τοῦτο.

I said it to laugh.
Indeed.

It pleases me much.

I agree with you.

I give my assent.

I do not oppose this. I agree.

I will not.

I object to this.

THE INSCRIPTIONS AT ORCHOMENUS FROM MELETIUS.

ΟΡΧΟΜΕΝΟΣ, κοινῶς Σκριποῦ, Πόλις ποτὲ πλουσιωτάτη καὶ ἰσχυρωτάτη, πρότερον καλουμένη Βοιωτικαὶ ̓Αθῆναι, εἰς τὴν ὁποίαν ἦτον ὁ Ναὸς τῶν Χαρίτων, εἰς τὸν ὁποῖον ἐπλήρωναν τέλη οἱ Θηβαῖοι, οὗτινος τὸ ἔδαφος ἀνεσκάφθε ποτὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ̓Ασπαλάγκων. Ἐπανηγύριζαν εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν Πόλιν τὰ Χαριτήσια, τοῦ ὁποίου ̓Αγώνος εὗρον ἐπιγραφὰς ἐν στήλαις ἔνδον τοῦ κτισθέντος Ναοῦ ἐπ ̓ ὀνόματι τῆς Θεοτόκου, ὑπὸ τοῦ Πρωτοσπαθαρίου Λέοντος, ἐπὶ τῶν Βασιλέων Βασιλείου, Λέοντος, καὶ Κωνσταντίνου, ἐχούσ σας οὕτως. Εν μὲν τῇ μιᾷ κοινῶς.

« Οἴδε ἐνίκων τὸν ἀγῶνα τῶν χαριτησίων. « Σαλπιστής.

« Μήνις ̓Απολλωνίου ̓Αντιοχεὺς ἀπὸ Μαιάνδρου.

σε 'Ανδρας Αὐλητάς. σε Διοκλῆς Καλλιμήδου Θηβαῖος. "Ανδρας ηγεμόνας.

« Ρόδιππος Ροδίππου Αργεῖος. Τραγωδός.

46

· Ιπποκράτης ̓Αριστομένους "Ρόδιος. σε κωμωδός.

Καλλίστρατος Εξακέστου Θηβαῖος.

« Τὰ ἐπινίκια.

Κωμωδιῶν Ποιητής.

4 ̓Αλέξανδρος Αριστίωνος ̓Αθηναῖος,

66

• Ἐν δὲ τῇ ἑτερᾷ δωρικώς.

4ο Μνασίνο ἄρχοντος ἀγωνοθετίοντος τὸν Χαριτείσιον, εὐαριόστω πάντων οἳ τυίδε ἐνικώσαν τὰ χαριτείτια.

66

46 Κωμαευδός.

· Νικόστρατος Φιλοστράτω Θείβειος.

« Τὰ ἐπινίκεια Κωμαευδές.

• Εύαρχος Ηροδότου Κορωνεύς.”

Ἐν ἄλλῳ Λίθῳ.

· Μύριχος Πολυκράτους Ιαρώνυμος διογίτωνος ἄνδρεσσι

χοραγείσαντες νικάσαντες διονύσου ἀνέθηκαν τίματος ἄρχοντος αὐλίοντος κλέος ᾄδοντος ἀλκισθένιος.

Εν ἑτέρῳ Λίθω.

θυνάρχω ἄρχοντος, μεινὸς θεολουθίω, άρχι

* Εὔβωλι ἀρχεδάμω φωκεῖα ......... ὃς ἀπεδωκα από τις σουγγραφῶ πέδα τῶν πολεμάρχων, κὴ τῶν κατόπτρων, ἀνελόμενος τὰς σουγγραφὼς τὰς κιμένας πὰρ εὐφρόνα, σε κὴ φιδίαν κὴ πασικλεῖν .......... κὴ τιμόμεινον φακείας, · κὴ δημοτελεῖν λυσιδάμω, κὴ διονυσον καφισοδίου χερι “ νεῖα κατ τὸ ψαφισμα το δάμω.

« λις τῶν ἐρχομενίων ἀργουρίω .............. τετταράκοντα Εὔβωλυ καθ ̓ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν, κὴ τόκον φερέτω δραχ ............ τας μνᾶς ἑκάστας κατὰ μεῖνα

64

46

46

“ Εὐρωπαϊκὸς Διαλέκτους μετεγλωττίσθη.” Καὶ ἐν ἑνὶ λόγῳ, οἱ Νεώτεροι, ἂν δὲν ἔπερναν δία ὁδηγοὺς τοὺς Προγό νους μας, ἤθελαν ἴσως περιφέρωνται ματαίως μέχρι τοῦ νῦν. Αὐτὰ δὲν εἶναι Λόγια ἐνθουσιασμένου διὰ τὸ φιλογενὲς Γραικοῦ, εἶναι δὲ φιλαλήθους Γερμανοῦ, ὅστις ἐμετάφρασε τὸν Νέον ̓Ανάχαρσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ Γαλλικοῦ εἰς τὸ Γερμανικὸν.

*Αν λοιπὸν καὶ ἡμεῖς θέλωμεν νὰ μεθέξωμεν τῆς γνώσεως τῶν λαμπρῶν κατορθωμάτων ὁποῦ ἔκαμαν οἱ θαυ μαστοὶ ἐκεῖνοι Προπάτορες ἡμῶν, ἂν ἐπιθυμῶμεν νὰ μάθωμεν τὴν πρόοδον καὶ αὔξησίν των εἰς τὰς Τέχνας καὶ Ἐπιστήμας καὶ εἰς κάθε ἄλλο εἶδος μαθήσεως, ἂν ἔχωμεν

ἑξῆς.”

ΟΣΟΙ εἰς βιβλία παντοδαπὰ ἐντρυφῶσιν, ἠξεύρουν πόσον εἶναι τὸ χρήσιμον τῆς Ἱστορίας, δι ̓ αὐτῆς γὰρ ἐξευρίσκεται η πλέον μεμακρυσμένη παλαιότης, καὶ θεωροῦνται ὡς ἐν κατόπτρῳ ἤθη, πράξεις καὶ διοικήσεις πολλῶν καὶ διαφόρων Εθνῶν καὶ Γενῶν ων τὴν μνήμην διεσώσατο καὶ δια σώσει ἡ ἱστορικὴ Διήγησις εἰς αἰῶνα τὸν ἅπαντα.

Μία τέτοια Επιστήμη εἶναι εὐαπόκτητος, καὶ ἐν ταυτῷ ὠφέλιμη, ἤ κρεῖττον εἰπεῖν ἀναγκαία· διατὶ λοιπὸν ἐμεῖς μόνοι νὰ τὴν ὑστερούμεθα, μὴ ἠξεύροντες οὔτε τὰς ἀρχὰς τῶν Προγόνων μας, πόθεν πότε καὶ πῶς εὑρέθησαν εἰς τὰς Πατρίδας μας, οὔτε τὰ ἤθη, τὰ κατορθώματα καὶ τὴν διοίκησίν των ; "Αν ἐρωτήσωμεν τοὺς ̓Αλλογενεῖς, ἐξεύρουν νὰ μᾶς δώσουν ὄχιμόνον ἱστορικῶς τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ τὴν πρόοδον τῶν προγόνων μας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοπογραφικῶς μᾶς δείχνουν τὰς θέσεις τῶν Πατρίδων μας, καὶ οἱονεὶ χειρα γωγοί γινόμενοι μὲ τοὺς γεωγραφικούς τῶν Πίνακας, μᾶς λέγουν, ἐδὼ εἶναι αἱ ̓Αθῆναι, ἐδὼ ἡ Σπάρτη, ἐκεῖ αἱ Θῆβαι, τόσα στάδια ἢ μίλια ἀπέχει ἡ μία Επαρχία ἀπὸ τὴν ή ἄλλην. Τοῦτος ᾠκοδόμησε τὴν μίαν πόλιν, ἐκεῖνος τὴν ἄλλην καὶ τξ. Προσέτι ἂν ἐρωτήσωμεν αὐτοὺς τοὺς μὴ ̔Ελα ληνας χειραγωγούς μας, πόθεν ἐπαρακινήθησαν νὰ ἐξερευνήσουν ἀρχὰς τόσον παλαιὰς, ἀνυποστόλως μᾶς ἀποκρίνονται μὲ αὐτοὺς τοὺς λόγους. “ Καθὼς ὁ ἐκ Σκυθίας Ανάχαρσις, · ἂν δὲν ἐπερείρχετο τὰ πανευφρόσυνα ἐκεῖνα Κλίματα. τῆς Ἑλλάδος, ἂν δὲν ἐμφορεῖτο τὰ ἀξιώματα, τὰ ἤθη καὶ τοὺς Νόμους τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ἤθελε μείνῃ Σκύθης καὶ τὸ ὄνομα καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα· οὕτω καὶ ὁ ἡμέτερος Ιατρὸς, “ ἂν δὲν ἐμάνθανε τὰ τοῦ Ιπποκράτους, δὲν ἐδύνατο νὰ προχωρήσῃ εἰς τὴν τέχνην τοῦ. ̓́Αν ὁ ἐν ἡμῖν Νομοθέτης · δὲν ἐξέταζε τὰ τοῦ Σόλωνος, Λυκούργου, καὶ Πιττακοῦ, · δὲν ἐδύνατο νὰ ῥυθμήσῃ καὶ νὰ καλιεργήσῃ τὰ ἤθη τῶν ‘Ομογενών του ἂν ὁ Ρήτωρ δὲν ἀπηνθίζετο τὰς εὐφραδείας “ καὶ τοὺς χαριεντισμοὺς τοῦ Δημοσθένους, δὲν ἐνεργοῦσεν ́ εἰς τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν ἀκροατῶν του. ̓́Αν ὁ Νέος Ανάχαρσις, ὁ Κύριος ̓Αββας Βαρθολομαῖος δὲν ἀνεγίνωσκε με μεγά“ λην ἐπιμονὴν καὶ σκέψιν τοὺς πλέον ἐγκρίτους σύγγρα. φεῖς τῶν ̔Ελλήνων, ἐξερευνῶν αὐτοὺς κατὰ βάθος ἐπὶ · τρίακοντα δύω ἔτη, δὲν ἤθελεν ἐξυφάνη τούτην τὴν περὶ “Ελλήνων Ιστορίαν του, ἥτις Περιήγησις τοῦ Νέου ̓Ανα

66

"

" χάρσεως παρ' αὐτοῦ προσωνομάσθη, καὶ εἰς ὅλας τὰς

θαυμαστοὺς καὶ μεγάλους ἄνδρας, εἰ καὶ προγόνους ἡμῶν, φεῦ, ἡμεῖς δὲν γνωρίζομεν, εἰς καιρὸν ὁποῦ οἱ ̓Αλλογενεῖς θαυμάζουσιν αὐτοὺς, καὶ ὡς πατέρας παντοιασοῦν μαθή σεως σέβονται, ἃς συνδράμωμεν ἅπαντες προθύμως εἰς τὴν ἔκδοσιν τοῦ θαυμασίου τούτου συγγράμματος του Νέου ̓Αναχάρσεως.

Ἡμεῖς οὖν οἱ ὑπογεγραμμένοι θέλομεν ἐκτελέσει προθύμως τὴν μετάφρασιν τοῦ Βιβλίου μὲ τὴν κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἡμῖν καλὴν φράσιν τῆς νῦν καθ ̓ ἡμᾶς ὁμιλίας, καὶ ἐκδόντες τοῦτο εἰς τύπον, θέλομεν τὸ καλλωπίσει μὲ τοὺς Γεωγρα φικοὺς Πίνακας μὲ ἁπλᾶς Ρωμαϊκὰς λέξεις ἐγκεχαραγμένους εἰς ἐδικάμας γράμματα, προστιθέντες ὅτι ἄλλο χρήσιμον καὶ ἁρμόδιον εἰς τὴν Ἱστορίαν.

Ολον τὸ σύγγραμμα θέλει γένει εἰς Τόμους δώδεκα κατὰ μίμησιν τῆς Ἰταλικῆς ἐκδόσεως. Ἡ τιμὴ ὅλου τοῦ

Συγγράμματος είναι φιορίνια δεκαέξη τῆς Βιέννης διὰ τὴν προσθήκην τῶν γεωγραφικῶν πινάκων. Ο φιλογενής οὖν Συνδρομητής πρέπει νὰ πληρώσῃ εἰς κάθε Τόμον φιορίνι ἕνα καὶ Καραντανία εἴκοσι τῆς Βιέννης, καὶ τοῦτο χωρὶς καμ μίαν πρόδοσιν, ἀλλ ̓ εὐθὺς ὁποῦ θέλει τῷ παραδοθῇ ὁ Τόμος τυπωμένος καὶ δεμένος.

Εῤῥωμένοι καὶ εὐδαίμονες διαβιώοιτε Ελλήνων Παῖδες.
Τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης ἐξηρτημένοι.

Ιωάννες Μαρμαροτούρης.
Δημήτριος Βενιέρης.
Σπυρίδων Πρεβέτος.

Ἐν Τριεστίῳ, τῇ πρώτη Ὀκτωβρίου, 1799.

THE LORD'S PRAYER IN ROMAIC.

Ω ΠΑΤΕΡΑΜΑΣ ὁ ποῦ εἶσαι εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, ἃς ἁγιασθῇ τὸ ὄνομά σου. Ας ἔλθῃ ἡ βασιλεία σου. Ας γένη τὸ θέλημά σου, καθὼς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, ἔτζη καὶ εἰς τὴν γῆν. Τὸ ψωμίμας τὸ καθημερινὸν, δός μας τὸ σήμερον. Καὶ συγχώρησέ μας τὰ χρέημας, καθῶς καὶ ἐμεῖς συγχωροῦμεν τοὺς κρεοφειλέτας μας. Καὶ μὴν μᾶς φέρεις πειρασμὸν, ἀλλὰ ἐλευθέρωσέ μας ἀπὸ τὸν πονηρόν. Ὅτι ἐδική σου εἶναι ἡ βασιλεία δὲ, ἡ δύναμις, καὶ ἡ δόξα, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ̓Αμήν.

IN GREEK.

ΠΑΤΕΡ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου. Ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου· γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου, ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιού στον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον. Καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν. Καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκης ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμὸν, ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ. Ὅτι σοῦ ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία, καὶ ἡ δύναμις, καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ̓Αμήν.

As a believer in the church of England-to say nothing of the State-I have been an occasional reader and great admirer of, though not a subscriber to, your Review, which is rather expensive. But I do not know that any part of its contents ever gave me much surprise till the eleventh article of your twenty-seventh number made its appearance. You have there most vigorously refuted a calumnious accusation of bribery and corruption, the credence of which in the public mind might not only have damaged your reputation as a clergyman 2 and an editor, but, what would have been still worse, have injured the circulation of your journal; which, I regret to hear, is not so extensive as the " purity" (as you well observe)" of its, &c. &c." and the present taste for propriety, would induce us to expect. The charge itself is of a solemn nature, and, although in verse, is couched in terms of such circumstantial gravity, as to induce a belief little short of that generally accorded to the thirty-nine articles, to which you so frankly subscribed on taking your degrees. It is a charge the most revolting to the heart of man from its frequent occurrence; to the mind of a statesman, from its occasional truth; and to the soul of an editor, from its moral impossibility. You are charged then in the last line of one octave stanza, and the whole eight lines of the next, viz. 209th and 210th of the first canto of that "pestilent poem " Don Juan, with receiving, and still more foolishly acknowledging the receipt of, certain monies, to eulogise the unknown author, who by this account must be known to you, if to nobody else. An impeachment of this nature so seriously made, there is but one way of refuting; and it is my firm persuasion, that whether you did or did not (and I believe that you did not) receive the said monies, of which I wish that he had specified the sum, you are quite right in denying all knowledge of the transaction. If charges of this nefarious description are to go forth, sanctioned by all the solemnity of circumstance, and guaranteed by the veracity of verse (as Counsellor Phillips 3 would say), what is to become of readers hitherto implicitly confident in the not less veracious prose of our critical journals? what is to become of the reviews? And, if the reviews fail, what is to become of the editors? It is common cause, and you have done well to sound the alarm. I myself, in my humble sphere, will be one of your echoes. In the words of the tragedian, Liston, "I love a row," and you seem justly determined to make

one.

It is barely possible, certainly improbable, that the writer might have been in jest; but this only aggravates his crime. A joke, the proverb says, "breaks no bones;" but it may break a bookseller, or it may be the cause of bones being broken. The jest is but a bad one at the best for the author, and might have been a still worse one for you, if your copious contradiction did not certify to all whom it may concern your own indignant innocence, and the immaculate purity of the British Review. I do not doubt your word, my dear Roberts; yet I cannot help wishing that, in a case of such vital importance, it had assumed the more substantial shape

1 ["Bologna, Aug. 25. 1819. I send you a letter to Roberts, signed Wortley Clutterbuck,' which you may publish in what form you please, in answer to his article. I have had many proofs of men's absurdity, but he beats all in folly. Why, the wolf in sheep's clothing has tumbled into the very trap!"- Lord Byron to Mr. Murray.]

2 Mr. Roberts is not, as Lord Byron seems to have supposed, a clergyman, but a barrister at law. In 1792, he established a paper called "The

of an affidavit sworn before the Lord Mayor Atkins, who readily receives any deposition; and doubtless would have brought it in some way as evidence of the designs of the Reformers to set fire to London, at the same time that he himself meditates the same good office towards the river Thames.

I am sure, my dear Roberts, that you will take these observations of mine in good part: they are written in a spirit of friendship not less pure than your own editorial integrity. I have always admired you; and, not knowing any shape which friendship and admiration can assume more agreeable and useful than that of good advice, I shall continue my lucubrations, mixed with here and there a monitory hint as to what I conceive to be the line you should pursue, in case you should ever again be assailed with bribes, or accused of taking them. By the way, you don't say much about the poem, except that it is " flagitious." This is a pity—you should have cut it up; because, to say the truth, in not doing so, you somewhat assist any notions which the malignant might entertain on the score of the anonymous asseveration which has made you so angry.

You say no bookseller" was willing to take upon himself the publication, though most of them disgrace themselves by selling it." Now, my dear friend, though we all know that those fellows will do any thing for money, methinks the disgrace is more with the purchasers: and some such, doubtless, there are; for there can be no very extensive selling (as you will perceive by that of the British Review) without buying. You then add, “ What can the critic say?" I am sure I don't know; at present he says very little, and that not much to the purpose. Then comes "for praise as far as regards the poetry, many passages might be exhibited: for condemnation, as far as regards the morality, all." Now, my dear good Mr. Roberts, I feel for you, and for your repatation: my heart bleeds for both; and I do ask you, whether or not such language does not come positively under the description of " the puff collusive," for which see Sheridan's farce of" The Critic," (by the way, a little more facetious than your own farce under the same title,) towards the close of scene second, act the first.

The poem is, it seems, sold as the work of Lord Byron; but you feel yourself" at liberty to suppose it not Lord B.'s composition." Why did you ever suppose that it was? I approve of your indignation - I applaud it - I feel as angry as you can; but perhaps your virtuous wrath carries you a little too far, when you say that “no misdemeanour, not even that of sending into the world obscene and blasphemous poetry, the product of studious lewdness and laboured impiety, appears to you in so detestable a light as the acceptance of a present by the editor of a review, as the condition of praising an author." The devil it does n't!Think a little. This is being critical overmuch. In point of Gentile benevolence or Christian charity, it were surely less criminal to praise for a bribe, than to abuse a fellowcreature for nothing; and as to the assertion of the comparative innocence of blasphemy and obscenity, confronted with an editor's "acceptance of a present," I shall merely observe, that as an Editor you say very well, but, as a Christian divise, I would not recommend you to transpose this sentence inte

a sermon.

And yet you say," the miserable man (for miserable he is, as having a soul of which he cannot get rid)" But here I I must pause again, and inquire what is the meaning of this parenthesis? We have heard of “little soul,” or of “ne ¦ soul at all," but never till now of "the misery of having a soul of which we cannot get rid; "a misery under which you are possibly no great sufferer, having got rid apparently af some of the intellectual part of your own when you penned this pretty piece of eloquence.

Looker-on," which has since been admitted into the collection of Prish Essayists; and he is known, in his profession, for a treatise on the bas Fraudulent Bankruptcy. In 1834, he also published the Mects of Hannah More.]

3 [Charles Phillips, Barrister, was in those days celebrated for almo Irish eloquence. See the Edinburgh Review, No. [vi]

But to continue. You call upon Lord Byron, always supposing him not the author, to disclaim “with all gentlemanly haste," &c. &c. I am told that Lord B. is in a foreign country, some thousand miles off it may be; so that it will be difficult for him to hurry to your wishes. In the meantime, perhaps you yourself have set an example of more haste than gentility; but the more haste the worse speed."

Let us now look at the charge itself, my dear Roberts, which appears to me to be in some degree not quite explicitly worded:

"I bribed my Grandmother's Review, the British."

I recollect hearing, soon after the publication, this subject discussed at the tea-table of Mr. Sotheby the poet, who expressed himself, I remember, a good deal surprised that you had never reviewed his epic poem of "Saul," nor any of his six tragedies; of which, in one instance, the bad taste of the pit, and, in all the rest, the barbarous repugnance of the principal actors, prevented the performance. Mrs. and the Misses S. being in a corner of the room, perusing the proof sheets of Mr. S.'s poems in Italy, or on Italy, as he says, ( 1 wish, by the by, Mrs. S. would make the tea a little stronger,) the male part of the conversazione were at liberty to make a few observations on the poem and passage in question; and there was a difference of opinion. Some thought the allusion was to the "British Critic 1;" others, that by the expression, "My Grandmother's Review," it was intimated that " my grandmother was not the reader of the review, but actually the writer; thereby insinuating, my dear Ro'serts, that you were an old woman; because, as people often say, "Jeffrey's Review," "Gifford's Review," in lieu of Edinburgh and Quarterly so "my Grandmother's Review" and Roberts's might be almost synonymous. Now, whatever colour this insinuation might derive from the circumstance of your wearing a gown, as well as from your time of life, your general style, and various passages of your writings, I will take upon myself to exculpate you from all suspicion of the kind, and assert, without calling Mrs. Roberts in testimony, that if ever you should be chosen Pope, you will pass through all the previous ceremonies with as much credit as any pontiff since the parturition of Joan. It is very unfair to judge of sex from writings, particularly from those of the British Review. We are all liable to be deceived; and it is an indisputable fact, that many of the best articles in your journal, which were attributed to a veteran female, were actually written by you yourself; and yet to this day there are people who could never find out the difference. But let us return to the more immediate question.

I agree with you, that it is impossible Lord Byron should be the author, not only because, as a British peer and a British poet, it would be impracticable for him to have recourse to such facetious fiction, but for some other reasons which you have omitted to state. In the first place, his Lordship has no grandmother. Now, the author-and we may believe him in this-doth expressly state that the "British" is his "Grandmother's Review;" and if, as I think I have distinctly proved, this was not a mere figurative allusion to your supposed intellectual age and sex, my dear friend, it follows, whether you be she or no, that there is such an elderly lady still extant. And I can the more readily credit this, having a sexagenary aunt of my own, who perused you constantly, till unfortunately falling asleep over the leading article of your last number, her spectacles fell off and were broken against the fender, after a faithful service of fifteen years, and she has never been able to fit her eyes since; so that I have been forced to read you aloud to her; and this is in fact the way in which I became acquainted with the subject of my present letter, and thus determined to become your public correspondent.

In the next place, Lord B.'s destiny seems in some sort like that of Hercules of old, who became the author of all

1" Whether it be the British Critic, or the British Review, against which the nol de lord prefers so grave a charge, or rather so facetious an accusation, we are at a loss to determine. The latter has thought it worth

unappropriated prodigies. Lord B. has been supposed the author of the " Vampire," of a " Pilgrimage to Jerusalem," "To the Dead Sea," of " Death upon the Pale Horse," of odes to "La Valette," to " Saint Helena," to the "Land of the Gaul," and to a sucking child. Now, he turned out to have written none of these things. Besides, you say, he knows in what a spirit of, &c. you criticise:- Are you sure he' knows all this? that he has read you like my poor dear aunt? They tell me he is a queer sort of a man; and I would not be too sure, if I were you, either of what he has read or of what he has written. I thought his style had been the serious and terrible. As to his sending you money, this is the first time that ever I heard of his paying his reviewers in that coin; I thought it was rather in their own, to judge from some of his earlier productions. Besides, though he may not be profuse in his expenditure, I should conjecture that his reviewer's bill is not so long as his tailor's.

Shall I give you what I think a prudent opinion? I don't mean to insinuate, God forbid! but if, by any accident, there should have been such a correspondence between you and the unknown author, whoever he may be, send him back his money: I dare say he will be very glad to have it again; it can't be much, considering the value of the article and the circulation of the journal; and you are too modest to rate your praise beyond its real worth.-Don't be angry, I know you won't, at this appraisement of your powers of eulogy; for on the other hand, my dear friend, depend upon it your abuse is worth, not its own weight,- that's a feather, - but your weight in gold. So don't spare it: if he has bargained for that, give it handsomely, and depend upon your doing him a friendly office.

But I only speak in case of possibility; for, as I said before, I cannot believe, in the first instance, that you would receive a bribe to praise any person whatever; and still less can I believe that your praise could ever produce such an offer. You are a good creature, my dear Roberts, and a clever fellow; else I could almost suspect that you had fallen into the very trap set for you in verse by this anonymous wag, who will certainly be but too happy to see you saving him the trouble of making you ridiculous. The fact is, that the solemnity of your eleventh article does make you look a little more absurd than you ever yet looked, in all probability, and at the same time does no good; for if any body believed before in the octave stanzas, they will believe still, and you will find it not less difficult to prove your negative, than the learned Partridge found it to demonstrate his not being dead, to the satisfaction of the readers of almanacs.

What the motives of this writer may have been for (as you magnificently translate his quizzing you)" stating, with the particularity which belongs to fact, the forgery of a groundless fiction," (do pray, my dear R., talk a little less "in King Cambyses' vein,") I cannot pretend to say; perhaps to laugh at you, but that is no reason for your benevolently making all the world laugh also. I approve of your being angry; I tell you I am angry too; but you should not have shown it so outrageously. Your solemn "if somebody personating the Editor of the, &c. &c. has received from Lord B.,or from any other person," reminds me of Charley Incledon's usual exordium when people came into the tavern to hear him sing without paying their share of the reckoning-" if a maun, or ony maun, or ony other maun," &c. &c. ; you have both the same redundant eloquence. But why should you think any body would personate you? Nobody would dream of such a prank who ever read your compositions, and perhaps not many who have heard your conversation. But I have been inoculated with a little of your prolixity. The fact is, my dear Roberts, that somebody has tried to make a fool of you, and what he did not succeed in doing, you have done for him and for yourself.

With regard to the poem itself, or the author, whom I cannot find out, (can you?) I have nothing to say; my business

its while, in a public paper, to make a serious reply. As we are not so seriously inclined, we shall leave our share of this accusation to its fate."Brit. Critic.]

CHOTHE