teresting and striking Essays, Letters, &c. which appeared in the St. James's Chronicle for 1761. To which is added, a Diary of the most remarkable events: the whole serving as A Complete Register of the Politics, News, Literature, &c. of that period." This was handsomely printed in an octavo volume, but notwithstanding the convenience of the plan, and the popularity of the contents, it did not succeed so well as to encourage a continuation.

About this time our author had it in contemplation to treat with Mr. RICH for the patent of Covent-garden theatre, but the negotiation proved abortive. He had, however, now given up all thoughts of the employment to which he was bred, and became an author by profession, and a general satyrist, nor was it with his pen only that he exercised his humour. He projected an Exhibition of Sign Paintings, a scheme which at first appeared preposterous beyond all hopes of encouragement, but which actually took place at his house in Bow-street, Covent-garden. To this collection of daubings, HOGARTH contributed a few touches in chalk, and finding, among the heads of distinguished personages, those of the king of Prussia and the empress of Hungary, he changed the cast of their eyes so as to make them leer significantly at each other.*

Of this strange exhibition a contemporary writer gives the following character. "The Original Paintings, &c. a Catalogue of which now lies before us, are the project of a well known gen

* Nichols's Biographical Anecdotes of Hogarth, p. iii. 3d Edit.

tleman, who has in several instances displayed a most uncommon vein of humour. His Burlesque Ode on St. Cecilia's Day, his labours in the Drury-lane Journal, and other papers, all possess that singular turn of imagination, so peculiar to himself. This gentleman is perhaps the only person in England (Mr. Hogarth excepted) who could have projected, or have carried tolerably into execution this scheme of a Grand exhibition. There is a whimsical drollery in all his plans, and a comical originality in his manner, that never fail to distinguish and recommend all his undertakings. To exercise his wit and humour in an innocent laugh, and to raise that innocent laugh in others, seems to have been his chief aim in the present spectacle. The ridicule on Exhibitions, if it must be accounted so, is pleasant without malevolence, and the general strokes on the common topics of satire are given with the most apparent good humour."

The wit of this singular exhibition will perhaps be better understood by a few specimens from the Catalogue, than by any general character. The Catalogue was intended to convey the projector's meaning, where he had any, and among its numerous articles we have- "No. 9, The Irish Arms, by Patrick O'Blaney. N. B. Captain Terence O'Cutter stood for them." These arms were a pair of extremely thick legs in white stockings, and black garters. "No. 16, A Man," nine taylors at work. “ No. 35, A Man in his Element, a Sign for an Eating House;" a cook roasted on a spit at a kitchen fire, and

basted by the devil. "No. 36, A Man out of his Element," a sailor fallen off his horse, with his scull lighting against the ten mile stone from Portsmouth. "No. 64, View of the Road to Paddington: with a presentation of the Deadly Never Green, that bears Fruit all the year round. The Fruit at full length, By Hogarty," Tyburn with three felons on the gallows. The critics deemed this piece remarkable for the execution. "No. 71, Shave for a Penny, Let Blood for Nothing" a man under the hands of a barbersurgeon, who shaves and lets blood at the same time, by cutting at every stroke of his razor. Some humour was also intended in the juxta-position of some of the signs, as "The Three Apothecaries' Gallipots," and "The Three Coffins, its Companion," &c. &c. The names of the artists, as Masmore, Lester, Ward, Fishbourne, &c. were in fact the names of the journeymen printers in Mr. BALDWIN'S office. But perhaps enough has been said of this attempt to amuse thelovers of fun," which for a short time had considerable success. It was one of those odd schemes which could not be expected to last, or to be repeated, and which the public, at a less good-humoured period, might in all probability be disposed to consider as an insult.

The Ode for St. Cecilia's day above mentioned was another effort of the burlesque kind, from Mr. THORNTON's sportive muse, and afforded much entertainment. The sternest muscles must relax where it is read. It was professedly adapted to "the ancient British Music," viz. the salt

box, the Jew's harp, the marrow-bones and cleavers, the hum-strum or hurdy-gurdy, &c. Dr. JOHNSON praised its humour, and seemed much diverted with it, nor could it be less diverting to hear him repeat the following passage, which he frequently did :

"In strains more exalted the salt-box shall join,
And clattering and battering and clapping combine;
With a rap and a tap, while the hollow side sounds,
Up and down leaps the flap, and with rattling rebounds."

In such compositions Mr. THORNTON'S imagination was particularly original and fertile, and so various that no writer has ever excelled in so many species of wit, both of the superior and inferior kinds, although his inclination and sometimes his subjects led him more frequently to the latter. What reputation this might have conferred, however, has been in a great measure lost from his writing anonymously, and upon subjects that had no permanent interest with the public, and from no collection having been made of his pieces when they could be ascertained, and attributed to the proper author. Mr. COLMAN once announced to his friends a design to collect all his partner's works, but neglected it

* BOSWELL'S Life of JOHNSON. In a note on the last edition of this work (1807.) Dr. BURNEY informs us that he set this piece to Music. It was performed at Ranelagh in masks, to a very crowded audience. BEARD sung the salt. box song, which was admirably accompanied on that instrument by BRENT the Fencing master, and father of Miss BRENT the celebrated singer: Skeggs, on the broom-stiek, as bassoon; and a remarkable performer on the Jew's harp. Cleavers were cast in bell metal for this entertainment. All the performers of the Old Woman's Oratory employed by Foote, were employed at Ranelagh on this occasion.

until it became impracticable amidst his more urgent engagements, as manager of the Haymarket Theatre.

In 1766, encouraged, as he says, by the success of his friend COLMAN's translation of Terence, he published two volumes of a translation of Plautus in blank verse, proposing to complete the whole if that specimen should be approved. These volumes contain seven plays, of which "The Captive" was translated by Mr. WARNER,* who afterwards completed all that THORNTON had left unfinished; and "The Mercator," by COLMAN. The remaining five are the "Amphytrion, The Braggart Captain, The Treasure, The Miser, and The Shipwreck." This work was not very successful, yet WARBURTON said of it, that "he never read so just a translation, in so pure and elegant a style." In 1767, our author published "The Battle of the Wigs," as an additional Canto to GARTH'S Dispensary, the subject of which was the disputes then subsisting between the Fellows and Licentiates of the College of Physicians. His "City Latin" in ridicule of the inscription on Blackfriar's Bridge is still remembered. This edifice indeed afforded scope for the talents of many authors at that time, among whom Dr. JOHNSON distinguished himself by contending for a particular species of arch,

Besides these publications, he is said to have written the papers in the ADVENTURER marked A. This has been already adverted to in the pre

* The reader will find some curious memoirs of this gentleman in Nichols' Life of Bowyer, p. 409 and 596.