the premises; or in other words, to speak in the language of the definition, where the relation of cause and effect, antecedent and confequent, is diftant and fanciful. This kind of wit is chiefly to be met with in epigram, and the variations in those pieces which are promifcuously ranged under this title, will very well serve to point out the circumftances by which a thought becomes ingenious and witty.

THE original Greek epigram was merely, as its name imports, an infcription, containing a fingle thought, fimply turned and expreffed. It was generally fome moral fentence, or fome plain fact relating to the particular fubject of the infcription; and its fole merit confifted in propriety of expreffion, and harmony of verfification. In fhort, let critics as much as they please affect to admire the fimplicity of the Greek epigram, it was certainly a very infipid

piece of compofition. Martial, first of any writer whofe works are defcended to our time, changed the nature of the epigram, by introducing unusual thoughts, and artificial turns of fentiment. Some of his epigrams exactly anfwer the idea of fine writing before given; consisting of natural, but uncommon thoughts, and exciting rather a calm admiration and applause, than a fudden furprize. To these, the term of ingenious, may, I think, be properly applied. The following examples are tranflated from him.

When all the blandishments of life are gone, The coward creeps to death; the brave lives on.

I offer love, but thou respect wilt have; Take, Sextus, all thy pride and folly crave, But know I can be no man's friend and flave.

He's

He's grave and fober-well, what's that to me? Such let my flave, not my companion be.

Add this of Prior,

Bleft be the princes who have fought
For pompous names, or wide dominion;
Since by their error we are taught
That happiness is but opinion.

IF with these the following inftances be carefully compared, it will perhaps go nearer than abstract definitions can do, to give a just notion of the gradation from fine writing and ingenuity, to wit.

The golden hair that Galla wears,

Is hers; who would have thought it? She fwears 'tis hers, and true fhe swears, For I know where the bought it.

Whilft in the dark on thy foft hand I hung, And heard the tempting Syren in thy tongue, What flames, what darts, what anguish Iendur'd! But when the candle enter'd, I was cur'd.

Cinna cries out, I am not worth a groat; And is, plague on him!what he would be thought,

On his death-bed poor Lubin lies,
His spouse is in despair,

With frequent fobs, and mutual cries,
They both exprefs their care.

A diff'rent cause, fays parfon Sly,
The fame effect may give;

Poor Lubin fears that he fhall die;

His wife, that he may live.

On

On a LADY'S PATCH.

That envious fpeck upon your face
Had been a foil on one lefs fair,
On it hides a charming grace,

you

And you, in mercy, placed it there.

She gazes all around her,

And wins a thousand hearts;
But Cupid cannot wound her,
For fhe has all his darts.

In all these, an unexpected conclufion from the premises, or accounting for effects by fanciful caufes, excites that fudden emotion of furprize, which is the fureft mark of a witty conception.

I HAVE purposely felected fome ludicrous and fome ferious inftances, to show that in this branch of wit, as well as in N 2 that