the having it in my power to make life more comfortable to those whom nature has made dear to me, I shall ever regard your countenance, your patronage, your friendly good offices, as the most valued consequence of my late success in life. No. 49. EXTRACT OF A LETTER. TO MRS. DUNLOP. Mauchline, 4th May, 1788. MADAM, DRYDEN'S Virgil has delighted me.— I do not know whether the critics will agree with me, but the Georgics are to me by far the best of Virgil. It is indeed a species of writing entirely new to me; and has filled my head with a thousand fancies of emulation: but alas! when I read the Georgics, and then survey my own powers, 'tis like the idea of a Shetland poney, drawn up by the side of a thorough-bred hunter, to start for the plate. I own I am disappointed in the Æneid. Faultless correctness may please, and does highly please the lettered critic; but to that awful character I have not the most distant pretensions. I do not know whether I do not hazard my pretensions to be a critic of any kind, when I say that I think Virgil, in many instances, a servile copier of Homer. If I had the Odyssey by me, I could parallel many passages where Virgil has evidently copied, but by no means improved Homer. Nor can I think there is any thing of this owing to the translators; for, from every thing I have seen of Dryden, I think him in genius, and fluency of language, Pope's master. I have not perused Tasso enough to form an opinion: in some future letter you shall have my ideas of him; though I am conscious my criticisms must be very inaccurate and imperfect, as there I have ever felt and lamented my want of learning most. No. 50. TO THE SAME. 27th May, 1788. MADAM, I HAVE been torturing my philosophy to no purpose, to account for that kind partiality yours, which unlike of * has followed me in my return to the shade of life, with assiduous benevolence. Often did I regret, in the fleeting hours of my late will-wisp appearance, that 'here I had no continuing city; and, but for the consolation of a few solid guineas, could almost lament the time that a momentary acquaintance with wealth and splendour, put me so much out of conceit with the sworn companions of my road through life, insignificance and poverty. There are few circumstances relating to the unequal distribution of the good things of this life, that give me more vexation (I mean in what I see around me) than the importance the opulent bestow on their trifling family affairs, compared with the very same things on the contracted scale of a cottage. Last afternoon I had the honour to spend an hour or two at a good woman's fire side, where the planks that composed the floor were decorated with a splendid carpet, and the gay table sparkled with silver and china. "Tis now about term day, and there has been a revolution among those creatures, who, though in appearance, partakers and equally noble partakers of the same nature with Madame; are from time to time, their nerves, their sinews, their health, strength, wisdom, experience, genius, time, nay a good part of their very thoughts, sold for months and * not years, only to the necessities, the conveniences, but the caprices of the important few. We talked of the insignificant creatures; nay, notwithstanding their general stupidity and rascality, did some of the poor devils the honour to commend them. But light be the turf upon his breast who taught, Reverence thyself.' We looked down on the unpolished wretches, their impertinent wives and clouterly brats, as the lordly bull does on the little dirty ant-hill, whose puny inhabitants he crushes in the carelessness of his ramble, or tosses in air in the wantonness of his pride. Servants, in Scotland, are hired from term to term, i, e. from Whitsunday to Martinmas, &c. No. 51. TO THE SAME. AT MR. DUNLOP'S HADDINGTON. Ellisland, 13th June, 1788. Where'er I roam, whatever realms I see, ་་ . Goldsmith. I THIS is the second day, my honoured friend, that I have been on my farm. A solitary inmate of an old, smoky Spence; far from every object I love, or by whom I am beloved; nor any acquaintance older than yesterday, except Jenny Geddes, the old mare I ride on; while uncouth cares, and novel plans, hourly insult my awkward ignorance and bashful inexperience. There is a foggy atmosphere native to my soul in the hour of care, consequently the dreary objects seem larger than life. Extreme sensibility, irritated and prejudiced on the gloomy side by a series of misfortunes and disappointments, at that period of my existence when the soul is laying in her cargo of ideas for the voyage of life, is, I believe, the principal cause of this unhappy frame of mind. The Parlour. 'The valiant, in himself, what can he suffer? Your surmise, madam, is just; I am indeed a husband. I found a once much-loved and still much-loved female, literally, and truly cast out to the mercy of the naked elements, but as I enabled her to purchase a shelter; and there is no sporting with a fellow-creature's happiness or misery. The most placid good-nature and sweetness of disposition; a warm heart, gratefully devoted with all its powers to love me; vigorous health and sprightly cheerfulness, set off to the best advantage, by a more than common handsome figure; these, I think in a woman, may make a good wife, though she should never have read a page, but the Scriptures of the Old and new Testament, nor have danced in a brighter assembly than a penny-pay wedding. I SHALL say nothing at all to your mad present-you have so long and often been of important service to me, and I suppose you mean to go on conferring obligations until I shall not be able to lift up my face before you. 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