out the trouble of loading their memories with dead languages, to taste all their beauties through the medium of translations.

To those who affirm, that an admiration of the ancients is founded on prejudice, it is sufficient to reply, that the unanimous applause of whole nations, for many ages, cannot, with the appearance of reason, be attributed to implicit attachment, or ignorant wonder.

As for those who condemn the Greek and Latin authors, because they will not take the pains to understand them, they are to be censured for their indolence, and despised for their artifice: and they who read a Horace, or a Virgil in an English translation, however well performed, must be told, that they will form no better idea of the inexpressible graces of these poets, than they would receive of the masterpieces of a Raphael or a Guido, from the daubing of a mere copyist. In the transfusion from one language to another, as it has been frequently remarked, the spirit evaporates, and seldom any thing remains but a caput mortuum.

The matter may be preserved, the ideas justly exhibited, the historical part accurately represented; but the manner, the style, the beauties of diction, which constitute more than half the excellence of the classics, can seldom be transferred to a modern language. They who read Translations only are like those who view the figures of a beautiful piece of tapestry on the wrong side.

I must then earnestly recommend it to you, if you wish to taste the genuine sweets of the classic streams, to drink at the fountain.

No. CLXX.

On the Retirement of a Country Town. In a
Letter.

SIR,

My father had a lucrative place in the Customs; but as his family was large, he was unable to leave us fortunes, and contented himself with placing us in such situations in the world, as would give us an opportunity of acquiring a decent provision, if we should not be wanting to ourselves. It was my lot, after having received a tincture of classical education, to be put apprentice to a genteel business at the west end of the town. As soon as I was out of my time I set up for myself; and though I cannot boast that I was ever in a very great way, yet, by attention and frugality, I had accumulated, at the age of forty, a sum sufficient to enable me to live in a comfortable manner, without the anxiety and confinement of trade. A handsome legacy from a relation of my wife at once determined me, in my long meditated intention, to sell off at prime cost, and retire.

I had always entertained a great idea of the happiness of living in the country. It was, indeed, natural in one who had dwelt near forty years in a dusty warehouse, amidst the dirt, smoke, and noise of the Strand; and who has seldom made an excursion beyond the cakehouse at Hoxton, or the bowling-green at Hackney.

One morning, while I was revolving in my mind the idea of retirement, I happened to cast my eye

on an advertisement in the newspaper, in which a house, garden, and grounds, in a market town, about five and thirty miles from London, were announced to be let at fifty pounds a year. This appeared to me too advantageous a bargain to be neglected; for, you must know, I gave a hundred a year for my shop, the area of which was no more than three yards by four; and here were twenty acres of land, and a mansion that would contain my house ten times over, to be let for half the There was, no time to be lost: I shut up shop, took family down, and settled immediately.

money.

my wife and

As I did not go into the country on an economical plan, I was resolved to launch out a little, and live, as I could very well afford it, in a moderately genteel style. I set up a postchaise, kept several horses, and two livery servants. This appearance placed me on a level with the best families in the neighbourhood, and accordingly I was visited by all who claimed the rank of gentlefolks.

But, alas! I found not in this place that happiness which I expected. I have been convinced by experience, that a market town is not a proper situation for the retirement of those who wish to taste the pleasures of rural life, and to pass the evening of their days in a state of tranquillity. That you may judge of the impropriety of such a retreat, I shall give you an account of my reception in it, and of several circumstances, which render it less fit for the enjoyments of those peaceful and domestic pleasures, which every one who retires from business expects, than the noisiest street in the metropolis of the empire.

The first visits were paid us from motives of curiosity, under the pretence of politeness. Our persons, our address, our characters, were examined with all the severity of criticism, but without the

candour of benevolence. The various remarks that were made furnished, with improvements and embellishments, an inexhaustible fund of conversation for the next three months; and I have had an opportunity of procuring the literal reports of one or two of our examiners, which, as they have entertained me, I shall communicate for your amusement.

In the morning, after her first visit, the squire's wife set out to ease her mind of the burden of intelligence under which it laboured; which she did, in every house she entered, in nearly the following words:

"Well, have you seen the new-comers? Pray how do you like Mrs. Townsend! Oh! I have a charming little anecdote concerning her. You must know, I have learned who she was before she was married. I thought as much-do you know, her father was a cheesemonger in Thames Street-but he broke, you must know, and so Miss was taken from boarding school, and in process of time arrived at the high dignity of upper maid to alderman Portsoken's lady. But, being vastly pretty, you must know, and having had a prodigious fine education, Mr. Townsend the common councilman fell in love with her, and married her. This is all fact, you may depend upon it; for our Sally heard it this very morning at the shop,-Can't stay; but thought I would call and let you know. You see how high some people hold up their heads, but you'll understand how to look upon 'em now. I have a little hundred places to call at-so good morning.

Miss Prue, a maiden lady of irreproachable character, set off on the same expedition, as soon as she had put on her morning cap. Brimful of news, she could hardly contain herself till she arrived (as Foote describes it) at the lawyer's brass knocker and ma

hogany coloured door. No sooner was she seated than out it flew.

66

Well, Mrs. Leasum, we were at the newcomers' last night; and such a night! Why they know no more of cards than if they had not been used to play above five or six times a week in their lives. As to the father and mother, one should not expect much from persons, who, I suppose, got all their money in Houndsditch; but really I pity the poor girls. They sat silent half an hour; and then asked me, Lord help 'em! if I had read the last new thing that came out. Pray what do you think of their persons?-Some people say the younger is handsome; and indeed she does seem very good natured. But as to beauty!-all I shall say isshe does not please me. To be sure, they are both fair enough too-their features pretty regular, and some think their eyes very fine-but, Lord! so awkward, so modest, and yet, at the same time, so much of the city air about them, that they are absolutely intolerable. In short, I don't choose to speak out— I am always tender of the subject of characters— but I have heard something-" Here she concluded with a whisper, and in a great hurry withdrew.

The next house she called in at was the apothecary's. The apothecary was glad of a mouthful of news for his patients. His patients swallowed it eagerly, and soon afterwards evacuated themselves on all their visitors, who went home, in great spirits, to spread what they had picked up among their families and friends; and thus, in the space of twentyfour hours, it was communicated over the whole parish.

With respect to myself, at the first weekly club after our arrival, the squire, the attorney, the apothecary, and two or three gentlemen sots, who lived