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THE

MINIATURE.

NUMB. I.

MONDAY, April 23, 1804.

Præcepta canam, celabitur auctor.

My precepts I fhall willingly reveal,
And fing my doctrines, but my name conceal.
FRANCIS.

A YOUNG actor making his début upon the ftage, especially if endeavouring to support any celebrated and admired character, feels the most painful fenfations of embarrassment, and uneafinefs he indeed hopes for, but cannot expect a favourable reception; he pants for fame, but fears to hazard the attempt; he wishes to avoid an appearance of boldness, and at the fame time to overcome diffidence; in fhort, he throws himself upon the mercy of his audience. Thus a youthful, and unexperienced author must be affected by the fame emotions, difcouraged by fimilar fears, and tremble through the apprehenfion of not

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giving fatisfaction, when he confiders the boldnefs of his defign, the number of his judges, and that he is about to fubmit himself, his fentiments, and his abilities to the fevere, and fcrutinizing eye of criticism; when he remembers the world to be his theatre. Were he to throw off every fhadow of modesty, and to intrude himself upon the public patience, with all the freedom and confidence of an acknowledged Genius, fuch behaviour might juftly be deemed impertinent: if on the contrary he were to come forward with a thousand apologies, and to proteft that he conceived his capacity unequal to the task which he had imposed upon himself, he might be rejected as an infufficient blockhead, unqualified for his character, and deftitute of the smalleft pretenfions to notice or favour. If this be true, a confideration naturally arifes which path it may be safer to pursue; but I confess myself inclined to follow neither; I will not affume an air of importance; I will not promife a fumptuous entertainment. Let thofe, whom it may please, come to my table; I only engage to amuse them to the extent of my ability.

Some one may perhaps inquire the reafon of this intrufion, and with what view I have dared to enter the lifts of literary fame. The degene

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racy (if I may fo express myself) of Eton has long been the subject of conversation, and its present ftate, perhaps unjustly, depreciated. Without prefumption, therefore, it fhall be my endeavour to wipe away this reproach, without vanity to hope for fuccefs. Should the following writings be honored with the public approbation, the point is proved; fhould they fail, oblivion only is intreated.

I confider myself as one who takes a picture from real life, who attempts to catch the refemblance, or pourtray the features of exifting objects, fo that the reprefentation may impartially, and exactly defcribe the perfections or defects, beauties or deformities of the original. It is not for me to attempt the bolder ftrokes, and nervous outlines which the pencil of Raphael exhibit, nor can I expect that my portraits fhould glow with the vivid colouring which a Titian might exprefs. My attempts will follow the ftyle of a MINIATURE, and while the touches are lefs daring, while less force, and richness of imagination may be confpicuous in the following sketches, they may perhaps derive fome merit in an humbler scale, from correctness of defign, and accuracy of reprefentation. This ftyle indeed will be the more appropriate, as it is in the

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