e setting all to rights: and our
Poet, in the management of his _moral_, is certainly superior to his
great ancient predecessors. The moral of their fables, if any they have,
is so interwoven with the main body of their work, that in endeavouring
to unravel it, we should tear the whole. _Our Author_ has very properly
preserved his whole and entire for the _end_ of his poem, where he
completes his _main design_, the _Reformation_ of his Hero, thus,

"And vow'd he'd steal no more."

Having in the course of his work, shewn the bad effects arising from
theft, he evidently means this last moral reflection, to operate with
his readers as a gentle and polite dissuasive from stealing.

"The Knave of Hearts
"Brought back those Tarts,
"And vow'd he'd steal no more!"

Thus have I industriously gone through the several parts of this
wonderful Work; and clearly proved it, in every one of these parts, and
in all of them together, to be a _due and proper Epic Poem_; and to have
as good a right to that title, from its adherence to prescribed rules,
as any of the celebrated master-pieces of antiquity. And here I cannot
help again lamenting, that, by not knowing the name of the Author, I am
unable to twine our laurels together; and to transmit to posterity the
mingled praises of Genius, and Judgment; of the Poet, and his
commentator.

Having some space left in this paper, I will now, with the permission of
my readers of the _great world_, address myself more particularly to my
fellow-citizens.

To them, the essay which I have here presented, will, I flatter myself,
be peculiarly serviceable at this time; and I would earnestly recommend
an attentive perusal of it, to all of them whose muses are engaged in
compositions of the Epic kind.--I am very much afraid that I may run
into the error, which I have myself pointed out, of becoming too
_local_,--but where it is evidently intended for the good of my fellow
citizens, it may, I hope, be now and then pardonable. At the present
juncture, as many have applied for my assistance, I cannot find in my
heart to refuse it them. Were I to attempt fully explaining, why, at the
_present juncture_, I fear it would be vain. Would it not seem
incredible to the Ladies, were I to tell them, that the period
approaches, when upwards of a hundred _Epic Poems_ will be exposed to
public view, most of them nearly of equal length, and many of them
nearly of equal merit, with the one which I h