has successfully holden the pen and realised a handsome support. Still more charming is it to see her votaries giving proofs of the strongest friendship. Holcroft and Godwin are firm friends. A striking likeness of the former, by Northcote, is in the dining room.

Dr. Wolcott, in appearance, is a genuine John Bull, and until he opens his mouth, you would little suspect his relationship to the poet of Thebes. He is a portly man, rather unwieldy, and I believe not in haste to leave his chair when he is pleased with his seat. He is hastening to old age, and seems disposed to make the most of life he can. There is little similarity of character between Wolcott and Godwin. They are both constant in mental exertion; but the one prefers to sit on a silver cloud, and be wafted through the four quarters of the world, looking down on all the varieties of nature, and the follies of man. The other, possessed of the nicest moral feelings, loves to envelope himself in darkness and abstraction, in order to contemplate whatever is just, fit or useful. The one, laughing, dressed in the gaiety of spring, enters society with the pruning hook; the other, more serious, labours with the ploughshare. Holcroft, who never began to think until his reasoning powers had come to maturity, owing to a neglect of education, embarrassed by no

system, follows the dictates of his own mind, and if he is sometimes erroneous, the error is all his own, it is never a borrowed error. Hence, his conversation, embellished by the variety of life which he has seen, is rendered rich, brilliant, original and impressive.

It is singular, but I believe old age is more disposed to egotism, and more open to flattery, than youth. I can account for it only from their fondness for the past, and a certain kind of jealousy natural to old age. But a man like Wolcott, and a poet too, whose society has been courted as much as his works have been read, will naturally, in the company of friends frequently find in himself a subject for conversation; nor is this in the least displeasing. Those are always the greatest egotists who are most offended with the egotism of others. Wolcott seemed delighted with the following anecdote respecting certain of his works. He said the ministry had it in contemplation to prosecute him for a libel; and when the good policy of the prosecution was questioned, the gracious Lord Thurlow, to whom he owed great obligation, rose, and asked his fellows, If they were sure the jury would condemn him? and on the surmise of a mere doubt, Thurlow said, He would be d....d then, if it was expedient to prosecute. But I was struck with surprise and horror,

when Mr. Godwin informed me, the ministry once had it on the carpet to prosecute the Political Justice. I took occasion on this to ask him how long he had devoted himself to literature before he was known to the world? He replied, It was ten years before he was known as an author. This ought to inspire the persevering with new ardour.

Wolcott, like most men of genius, has a contempt for mere scholars, who, walking on the stilts of pedantry, imagine themselves a head taller, than other folks. The talents of a certain famous man being questioned, Wolcott observed, He was not a man of genius, but a man of great capacity, and said, if we would attend to him, he would distinguish between the learned man, the man of capacity, and the man of genius." Here," said he, "we will suppose a quantity of coins, ducats, pistoles, dollars, guineas, on this table. The learned man will be able, after thumbing his dictionaries for half an hour, to tell you the names of these coins in all languages. The man of capacity will go further and tell you the value of each, and the amount of the whole together, with every thing relative to their use, difference of exchange and origin. But who invented these coins? The man of genius." This gave general satisfaction. However, it was replied, and I thought very justly, That unless the man of genius should acquire ca

pacity, his genius without capacity would be less useful, than capacity without genius. For, the exertion of genius is rare. God does not every day create a world: and although genius may claim a higher prerogative, than capacity, they are mutually indebted to each other. If genius gives employ to capacity, not unfrequently does capacity give direction and result to genius.

LETTER XXIX.

LONDON, MAY 24th.

I AM conscious how much I hazard in the present letter; but the preceding notices on the English character, which I have offered, will dispose you to consider this, a commentary, rather than a dictate of my own authority.

Those various prerogatives, which the English claim to themselves, above all other people, might induce a stranger to suppose, they would fling themselves back in their easy chairs, and either deride, or despise all those, who were not self-dependent, self-supported, and regardless of the opinions of every body. Yet these self poised characters, I am inclined to believe, sacrifice more to their foolish passions, than any other people. This can only be illustrated by instances taken from real life.

It is obvious that, in proportion as a country is free, its people will discover a variety of passions; while the ease and safety, with which they may be indulged, will lead many to most preposterous lengths; and while the man is ruining himself, his obstinacy of perseverance will increase to the last : D d