and one, advancing through your College at any future period, you would infinitely, oblige me, were you to persuade your fellow citizens to let me pass quietly by; and if my wife wishes me to wear pink silk stockings, why shouldn't I? And why should a poor unfortunate man be subject to all the opprobriums due to a scoundrel, merely because he does not sport a dashing set-out, or because he resides beyond the western boundaries of the metropolis?

I remain, dear Mr. Solomon,

Your faithful humble Servant
To command,

SIMON PATTYPAN.

Having received the above petition, I thought the more probable way of effecting my correspondent's request, was to present my fellow-citizens with the letter untouched, except having made a few corrections of orthography and the occasional alteration of a phrase, or having restored the "v" where the "w" had usurped its place, and vice versà, little inaccuracies which had arisen, as I presume, from some hurry in the composition of the epistle, or perhaps customers might have been pressing in the shop, while my friend was writing in the back parlour; and in his case we must all allow, that atten

tions to the main chance, fairly claim a superiority over literature.

In the time of my worthy predecessor, Gregory Griffin, we find that Etonian ridicule was chiefly aimed at a set of beings perfectly harmless, but who happened to have the title Quiz written in pretty legible characters on their brows. What the Quiz has got rid of has been transferred to the Cockney, and I must own in some cases rather more deservedly, as he very often takes pains to render himself ridiculous without being so by nature, and thereby becomes a much fairer object for the attacks of Satire than he who is ridiculous because he cannot help it.

For instance, if any celebrated leader of Fashion has appeared on the Sunday preceding, in Kensington-gardens, arrayed in a treble tier of capes to as many waistcoats; on the Sunday following, Windsor may reasonably expect an importation from the eastern side of London, shining in at least a double quantity, with the capes rising up above each other in stupendous array, and of every colour in the rainbow.

My correspondent however seems to be entire ly free from any affectation of this nature, and

therefore has a right to expect the reception he requests.

From depreciating the exercise of ridicule or quizzing, for the sake of an individual, I am naturally led on to say a few words respecting the baneful, but approved system of quizzing in general, so early and universally engrafted upon almost every young mind, either in a smaller or greater degree: for who is there amongst my numerous fellow-citizens, that has not at some time or other attempted to display his abilities at the expence of another, and if he has succeeded so far as to make the unfortunate object of his satire feel uncomfortable, or according to vulgar phraseology, look foolish, did not feel a sensible degree of satisfaction at this certain proof of his own wit and genius?

I must allow that a Quizzer will in many cases find ample encouragement, and when that essence of satire, strong bohea, has diffused its influence over a select circle, I have witnessed the murder of a reputation, and the ridicule of the best characters by witlings infinitely their inferiors, excite general applause among the younger and lighter part of the society, and even a smile of approbation on the count,

enances of the more seriously disposed. But he who sets out with the resolution of continually playing this part through life must expect to be generally dreaded; as every company that he enters will naturally conclude, while he is amusing them at the expence of their neighbours, that they themselves will at another moment become the subject of ridicule and mirth to some different party; perhaps, even to those very persons at whom they had been laughing on the preceding evening.

Moreover a Quizzer must be very cautious before whom he displays his talents, and will never be quite at his ease with respect to this particular; and yet if the habit is once suffered to gain strength, whatever scrapes he may fall into, he will never be able to break himself of it entirely,

Amongst my numerous acquaintance I may reckon Satyricus, who has already established his character in the line I have been descanting upon, so far as to be cautiously and generally avoided, and to have repeatedly brought himself into the most awkward predicaments and unpleasant situations. The history of his adventures during the course of one tea party, may furnish

I am naturally a lover of classics, and a partaker, with pleasure at least of their beauties; but surely my host robs learning of its charms, and presents to a young mind a loathsome and disgusting object; and so far from recommending study to a novice, he must create an antipathy to it by his useless affectation. This method of behaviour, independent of its disagreeable tendency discovers little else than the narrow spiritedness and ignorance of a mind incapable through weakness to retain what it has been crammed with to no purpose. Nor do I see that pedantry is related in any degree to learning except by

contrast.

The Bond-street pedant, the city pedant, the country pedant are liable to the same censure, as they fall into the same error. But still the learned lies under the greatest objections, as his conscious superiority diffuses a solemn stupidity and a surly moroseness to his manner, which can only be relieved by a violent discharge of incongruous literary matter, which must naturally affect with the most disgusting notions any one newly entering upon the paths of science.

But in how different a light do we view the character of Philomusus who though far advanced in the vale of declining years, stands unimpaired