Panegyric on Demonax; but which I do not remember well enough to quote. The resemblance which a passage of Menander in Hirelius bears to the Scriptural commandments, is remarkable, and is certainly not to be ascribed to imitation, but to the breadth, compass, and univerfality of the thoughts, as well as the home appeal they make to the moral sense and our general nature.—“ If any one, O Pamphilus, think "that, by merely offering a facrifice, he can arrive "at the favour of God, he has an unworthy "opinion of him, and will find himself mistaken. "He must become a man of virtue, beneficial to "fociety; muft not pollute virgins, nor commit "adultery, nor fteal, nor murder; and the wife, "houfe, horfe, youths and maids of another, he "must not covet them.-Sacrifice therefore to "God with juftice and benevolence; let your purity be in your hearts, rather than in your "garments." It is altogether the operation of a nice judgment to difcern the true marks of imitation. Upon the reconfideration of a paffage which at first wore a fufpicious fufpicious appearance, we often difcover that there was a train of thought in the writer's mind which led neceffarily to it, and that to have avoided the resemblance would have been really an effort of study, and an injuftice to himself. Truth and fact too, and the fame track of obfervation, will often force two writers upon the fame adoptions; and, by facrificing too much to a delicate scrupulofity,' an author may fubmit to a cruel defalcation of his principal idea. Would any man have chofen that the Author of the Reflections on the Revolution in France, fhould have given up the following tranfcendent paffage, because part of the thought, or rather the fact on which it is grounded, occurs in Buffon or in Virgil? "Our political fyftem is placed in a just correfpondence and symmetry with the order of the "world, and with the mode of existence decreed "to a permanent body compofed of transitory parts; "wherein, by the disposition of a ftupendous wif “dom, moulding together the great mysterious "incorporation of the human race, the whole at "one time is never old, or middle-aged, or young, "but, in a condition of unchangeable conftancy, 66 moves VOL. II. L moves on through the varied tenour of perpetual decay, fall, renovation, and progres "fion." BURKE'S Reflections. "Nevertheless, however admirable this work cc appears, it is not the individuals that are the "moft wonderful, but the whole under which these "individuals are in perpetual fluctuation—it is in "the fucceffion, reproduction, and duration of "fpecies, that nature becomes inconceivable. "This mysterious faculty of reproduction which "refides alone in animals and vegetables-this "kind of unity in diverfity, always fubfifting, and "feemingly eternal-this procreative power which 66 perpetually exercises itself, without being de"stroyed-is a fecret, the depth of which we are "unable to fathom." BUFFON, Nat. Hift. Anim. Ergo ipfas quamvis angufti terminus ævi VIRGIL, Georg. IV. I am forry that my limits allow me to fay no more on this head of imitation, as I am perfuaded of its importance to the general objects of literature. To fufpect it every where, and on infufficient grounds, or on the other hand to be dupes to its artifices, are extremes that tend equally to betray our judgments. No 41. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16. "Round him much embryo, much abortion lay." POPE. IN revolving the general cast and spirit of such of my lucubrations as have been committed to the world, I cannot help fecretly accufing myself of treating the votaries of fashion with too little indulgence. So much has this lain upon my confcience, that I determined, a few days ago, upon making them fome reparation; and accordingly wrote with great urgency to my friend the Projector to turn the course of his labours as far as poffible into a channel that might produce fome advantages to fashionable life. He has accordingly exerted him self with his usual vigour and alacrity, and has fent me feveral draughts and plans defigned for the cafe and benefit of the world of fashion. The first produce of his lucubrations is a fyftem of economy, by which the Great will be enabled at once to abridge their expence of time, of pocket, and of study. His conceptions are given to me almost in the following words: "To perfons whofe lives are full of bufinefs, and ❝ of great concern to themselves and their fellowcreatures, as is undoubtedly the cafe with people ❝ of fashion, no gift is fo worthy of being cherished "as Time:-to œconomife and preferve which, "I propofe the following rules: "Ift. No time to be expended on thought, as "nothing comes of it among men of fashion. “ 2dly. The wear and tear of time, by constant use, "to be avoided, as fo precious an article ought "to be employed sparingly. "3dly. Time often to be protracted by long and "wearifome lounges, by way of making the "most of it. « 4thly. When time is heavy with laffitude, and "dull with inoccupation, be tender of ufing |