daily cargo of learning; and ingeniously recommended a Newspaper in a state of complete political opposition to the former, and a Review conducted on pinciples quite contrary to the one which had previously determined his opinions. Papirius was completely staggered by his new directors: One moment he is taught to believe the kingdom threatened wtih immediate and unavoidable destruction; the next that it is in the most glorious state of permament prosperity. His party sentiments fail him, and he is confused, perplexed and distracted. His infallible monitor in literature no longer convinces him; another, as far as he knows, equally true, contradicts and combats the assertions of the former. As his judgement is not strong enough to determine the merits of the case, like the ass between the two bundles of hay, he is in a constant state of stupefaction. His former antagonists enjoy a triumph at his expence. Should he agree with them, his former directors fly before his face; should he disagree with them, the arguments his new intelligencers disarm his force. As he is always of opinion with the one that he read last, he is totally unable to discard either of them; till which event takes place, he will never resume his original spirits and vehemence; but will remain a silent, penfive, discontented man, of T. THE MINIATURE, NUMB. XIX. MONDAY, October 29, 1804. Si rarò scribes, ut toto non quater anno Membranam poscas, scriptorum quæque retexens, Iratus tibi, quod vini somnique benignus Nil dignum sermone canas: quid fiet? Dic aliquid dignum promissis," HORACE, Sat. 2, 3.. If hardly once a quarter of a year, If angry with yourself that sleep and wine Sing something worthy of the promised strain.”— IF my vanity and self-importance have not deceived me, many and various have been the conjectures concerning my sudden and unex 1 pected disappearance. The beginning of each week, since the cessation of my labours, has furnished an infinite number of surmises, which at any other time might have proved conducive to my amusement; but under existing circumstances have been the source of a continued and increasing anxiety. But it would be an inconsiderable relief and consolation to me, if I could with reason flatter myself, that the public anxiety had borne the slightest proportion to my own. It was confidently asserted that after the example of many wiser and better men, poor SOLOMON GRILDRIG had submitted to the will of the fates and breathed his last on Monday Sept. 24, and that his Manes had quietly descended to the regions of eternal dulness and oblivion. Among the numerous conjectures relative to the cause of his untimely dissolution; some have supposed that a severe paralytic affection, accompanied by a fatal lethargy had irrevocably closed the period of his life; and that the strongest symptoms of the disorder undeniably existed, when he last appeared in public. Others on the contrary were assured that he had been treacherously poisoned by malignity and detraction; the corrosive effects of which were too strong to have been counteracted by any antidote which either fame or reputation could have administered. A report has likewise been disseminated, that owing to the chilling frigidity of the atmosphere around him, a cold caught through the frost of neglect had brought on a gradual but fatal mortification. The thermometer of the publisher will be fully sufficient to contradict the truth of such a report. Nor has it been without suspicion, that upon taking too profound a dive into the Bathos he was entangled in some weeds and unfortunately drowned. Another party has conjectured that he laboured under a species of the King's evil, and that the Royal touch alone would dispel his humours, revivify his imagination, and diffuse an instantaneous vigour through his subsequent efforts. How far these may deviate from the truth, L shall not from my own words attempt to prove; but from the testimony of an attendant, upon. whose veracity and integrity both myself and the public may with safety rely, About the middle of the last Summer a certain distemper previously unknown to the faculty made its appearance, and was introduced into this country from the East Indies by the home-bound fleet. It was supposed that the universities and public schools 1 would have peculiarly felt its influence, which did not however answer to the general expectation. It was one of those diseases which attack the strongest bodies alone; while the weaker from poorness of blood and deficiency of spirit have not vigour sufficient for its reception. SOLOMON GRILDRIG fell one of the first victims of its contagion Immediately after (or as some will confidently assert before) his last appearance, he was seized with a violent shivering and palpitation of the heart, accompanied by no small portion of fever. In a few days he became totally delirious, and shewed incontestible symptoms of the prevalent Bengal fever. Amidst his incoherent ravings he was heard repeatedly and with great energy to exclaim the words " φῶς γενέσθω;” in so much that his attendant conceived them to be the name of some evil spirit, who had lately bewitched the whole land of Lilliput. During the height of his phrenzy he would fancy himself bathing in the waters of the Ganges, and would without intermission mutter between his teeth "Bramins"-" Bengal"-Royal College"-and such like unintelligible nonsense. One evening during a consultation held on his case, in the violence of his distraction he discharged several |