78. Modern historiography-A specimen of it, exhibiting the life of George Barrington- Simple language recommended-Milton's admirable use of common words ...... 79. Modern biography - Sheet omitted in B's Life of Dr. Johnson-Rope-danc- ing the noblest of all professions-Letter from Cross Curricle on the diffusion of oaths-Letter from 'squire Wealthy's coachman, with some account of a young man of figure-Political advantages to be drawn from the practice of swearing, sug- gested in a letter from the Projector 80. Autumn-Impressions of this season on the 81. Old age-What it robs us of, and how it re- pays us- -Poem on its miseries-Duties of old age-Passage from Juvenal- Plea- sures of old age- Lucian's account of Demonax-School of second childhood 82. Revealed religion farther defended on the ground of analogy - Considered as a scheme, and a scheme imperfectly com- prehended-Shown to be of a piece with natural religion and the course and con- 83. Letter from Prince Lee Boo to his father, containing his genuine feelings and sen- timents on the amusements of this coun- try-Modern archery-Milton's descrip- tion of the Parthian bowmen parodied ... 122 84. Eulogy on female literature-Due homage No. Page lence-Spirit of modern novels-Strik- 85. Causes of melancholy investigated-Trace- able to moral circumstances - The cure of our national melancholy to be ex- pected only from more rational plans of education As public liberty has a ten- dency to engender it, so does domestic discipline supply the best remedy for it- Two little poems-Dialogue on the plea- 86. The more dreadful shapes of melancholy 87. An immortal poem by a tailor, on the mys- tical incorporation of nine of these anoma- lous beings in the composition of one in- tegral man--A criticism after the best 88. The danger of indulging illicit hopes 89. Female friendship-Letter illustrative of it-List of abrupt dissolutions of it-A THE LOOKER-ON. N° 73. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1793. Navibus atque Quadrigis petimus bene vivere. HORAT. We think we must advance by travelling far: As, in a paper or two ago, I offered to my readers some observations on travelling, I should have said nothing more on that subject, had it not been revived in my mind by an occurrence which took place on Thursday night. A gentleman who has visited almost all parts of the globe, has lately taken a house at about a mile's distance from our town. Having heard that our Society was composed of many persons of parts and erudition, it was not long before he signified a strong inclination to become one of our members; and as there happened to be a vacancy at that time amongst us, we could not refuse him the customary trial. On the morning before our meeting, a foreign servant, in a kind of hussar dress, brought me from this gentleman several parch ment rolls, which, on examination, I found to contain the certificates of his election to a great number of different societies abroad, which his servant was commissioned to interpret, as they were written in a variety of languages. To these dazzling testimonies of merit, the modest request was subjoined, that, as president of this Honourable Academy, as he termed it, I would be pleased, with the assistance of his interpreter, to make known the contents to the members in full assembly, for which purpose I was expected to consecrate the evening of that day. I saw plainly that our candidate was possessed of a very imperfect idea of the nature and objects of our institution; but as the character of our meeting is not long in explaining itself, I thought it best to leave his mistake to a practical correction at the meeting itself. We met accordingly at our usual hour, and the greater part of us had taken our seats, when some very loud voices on the stairs announced an extraordinary visit. Nothing is more discernible than the approach of a new candidate; for such is the decorous restraint to which we are exercised, that an old member never enters the room with a speech in his mouth, for fear of interrupting the conversation with which the company are supposed to be pre-occupied. As our travelled gentleman was mounting the stairs, which, to be sure, were somewhat steep, we could distinctly hear the mention of the Janiculan Hill, and the Theme of Caracalla, which last name was repeated by the echo the moment he entered the room. After his introduction by Mr. Shapely, our master of the ceremonies, which was not finished without a profusion of bows, he sat himself down, and, throwing some very anxious looks towards me, seemed to be expecting when I should put on my |