iament-men, we know already who would carry it. But though they made
the greatest appearance in the field, and cried the loudest, the best of
it is they are but a sort of French Huguenots, or Dutch boors, brought
over in herds, but not naturalised: who have not lands of two pounds per
annum in Parnassus, and therefore are not privileged to poll. Their
authors are of the same level, fit to represent them on a mountebank's
stage, or to be masters of the ceremonies in a bear-garden; yet these are
they who have the most admirers. But it often happens, to their
mortification, that as their readers improve their stock of sense, as
they may by reading better books, and by conversation with men of
judgment, they soon forsake them."

I must not dismiss this subject without observing that, as Mr. Locke, in
the passage above-mentioned, has discovered the most fruitful source of
wit, so there is another of a quite contrary nature to it, which does
likewise branch itself into several kinds. For not only the resemblance,
but the opposition of ideas does very often produce wit, as I could show
in several little points, turns, and antitheses that I may possibly
enlarge upon in some future speculation.

Sixth Paper.

_Humano capiti cervicem pictor equinam_
_Jungere si velit_, _et varias inducere plumas_,
_Undique collatis membris_, _ut turpiter atrum_
_Desinat in piscem mulier formosa superne_;
_Spectatum admissi risum teneatis_, _amici_?
_Credite_, _Pisones_, _isti tabulae_, _fore librum_
_Persimilem_, _cujus_, _velut aegri somnia_, _vanae_
_Fingentur species_.

HOR., _Ars Poet._ 1.

If in a picture, Piso, you should see
A handsome woman with a fish's tail,
Or a man's head upon a horse's neck,
Or limbs of beasts, of the most different kinds,
Cover'd with feathers of all sorts of birds,--
Would you not laugh, and think the painter mad?
Trust me, that book is as ridiculous
Whose incoherent style, like sick men's dreams,
Varies all shapes, and mixes all extremes.

ROSCOMMON.

It is very hard for the mind to disengage itself from a subject in which
it has been long employed. The thoughts will be rising of themselves
from time to time, though we give them no encouragement: as the tossings
and fluctuations of the sea continue several hours after the winds are
laid.

It is to this that I impute my last night's dream or vision, which formed
into one continued al