til four, when I am dressed in a transparent fuit of cloths with a filver cap, and put to fland round a maypole with five or fix people of known tafte, clad in like manner, but of various properties and difpofitions. The firft is a Mr. Muftard, who, though efteemed rather thick and clumfy, and fomewhat difficult of accefs, is neverthelefs a fharp pungent fort of fellow at bottom, fo much fo, that he has been known to take people by the nose who were not well-bread to it. One day, on his return from the dinner-table, he prefumed to bung up feven or eight of my eyes with the dirt of his coat, upon which I fneezed in his face, and mustered up courage, and challenged him to box (for I was then at all in the ring); but he thought fit to fend an apology the next morning by the fpoon. The latter is one of his chief leaders, and his mother's name was Pearl. The next to him is a Mr. Vinegar, a fharp crabbed fellow; I with he was mum. The next is a gentleman I know little about, though I hear he is connected with my family, as well as that of the latter gentle

man.

He poffeffes two very extraordinary qualities, that of being hot and chilly at the fame time. The next is a Mr. Sugar-cafter (not Pollux), a hypocritical coxcomb, having a powdered head, with his eyes placed on the top, and generally bowing to ladies and children; of an apparently fweet difpofition, but in reality acid at bottom, and one who, vinegar-like, fometimes creates inteftine divifions.

Mifs Oil, the laft in rotation, is of a quiet gentle difpofition, and no ways related to the family of the Caftors, being derived from a branch of the Olives, who I wish were bet97

ter known in Europe. Thus, my dear Sal, have I endeavoured to defcribe to you my fituation; and cannot help admiring you, who are reforted to by all perfons of tafte, and without whofe affiftance every thing is infipid. To be fure, the tax laid upon you lately was rather a partial and Pitti-ful measure; but you may be affured that it will only ferve to make you more dear to the farmer as well as the public in general. Adieu, my once cryftalized love! I hope we fhall foon mingle over the blade-bone of a fhoulder of mutton, and, making a devil of the cares of this life, crackle many an hour, together on the gridiron of felicity. Mr. Black and Mr. Cayenne fent their redhot loves; and I remain yours, with the greatest warmth, and at all seasons,

Pepper-box.

The Univerfality of Genius; from the St. James's Chronicle, Feb. 11.

Mr. Editor,

HOW

we

OW fortunate muft it be, that, furrounded as we are by and rumours of wars,' wars have leifure to contemplate the vast increafe of genius, which is obvious in every company and fociety with which we may happen to mix. For my own part, I am almost tired of feeing to many geniuses, and heartily with we had a peace on the continent, that I might retire to fome quarter where I could meet with a few plain, dull fellows like myself, and not run the risk of being knocked down by a genius in every turning.

It was but the other day that I happened to call at my fhoemaker's for a pair of lift fhoes, to preferve my old bones. Pray," fays I,

6.6 Mr.

Mr. Solem, what do you intend to do with your fon there? He is old enough now for fome bufinefs." Why, mafter, I means to bind him to my own trade, for he has a great genus for it."

I have likewife the honour to employ a carpenter, who was recommended to me as a great genius in fitting up a room; and he very naturally introduced a painter, another prodigious genius at a varnish.

Do we look at the fine arts, how immenfe the concourfe for geniufes at one exhibition of paintings! The papers, indeed, do not treat them all with equal refpect; but what does that fignify? If a boy can daub fomething like a blue boar, or a red cow, or a golden lion, do not all his friends fet him down for a genius; and does he not commence gentleman on the ftrength?-As to mufic, the whole nation may be deemed geniufes, from the blind fiddler at the corner of the street, up to Cramer. What immenfe numbers of geniules may be heard piping, fiddling, and fluting, every night, in hopes that one day or other, they may prefide* at their own benefit with tickets ten fillings and fixpence each! I have a neighbour who had the honour of two mufical fons, both eminent vocal performers; the one took his degrees in mufic at the Horfefhoe, and the other at the Goose and Gridiron. Flattered by the encouragement of fuch reputable academies, and having received diplomas from the Odd Fellows, the Free and Eafy, and the Jolly Friers," they commenced their career as geniufes,

and undoubtedly would have rifen to envied ftations in our most fashionable orchestra's, had not the eldest been murdered one morning, as he was stepping out of Mr. Kirby's houfe, in the Old Bailey, by a gang of twelve fellows, who had confpired together for that purpofe; and the youngest, I know not why, went twice over to America, where he remained on the firft vifit feven years, and on the fecond fourteen; after which, his parents received no tidings of this genius.

If we proceed to the fifter art, poetry, I am certain we fhall find the proportion confiderably increafed, efpecially as it unfortunately happens, that it is much easier to handle the pen than the bow or the brush, as poets are a kind of a people who do not wait until others call them geniuses, but confider themselves in that light from the moment they have tagged two lines together.

I heartily with that fomething could be done to reduce the num ber of geniufes, otherwife we fhall certainly be very foon in want of artificers and handicraftsmen of all defcriptions. It is wonderful how much genius ftands in the way of trade. I am obliged to fend three or four streets off for my rolls in a morning, because my baker has a genius for agriculture; and I feldom get a fuit of clothes from my tailor, without perceiving that he has been employing his genius upon metaphyfics. My worthy oppofite neighbour, an eminent merchant, is perpetually complaining of having an enlightened counting-house.—

"I have not a clerk," fays he, "who is not fit for every thing but what I employ him on. I am in perpetual danger of having my invoices written in rhyme; my anfwers to foreign correfpondents would do credit to the Univerfity of Oxford; my book-keeper enters a room as if he were to fpeak a prologue; and I have a clever young dog, who collects bills, but who is fo intent upon your answers to correfpondents, that I can feldom get any to mine."

And lastly, Mr. Editor, even in