let him know, that as I have likewise been a dab bler in Latin poetry, I have two things that I would, if he desires it, submit, not to his judgment, but to his amusement; the one, a translation of Christ's kirk o' the green, printed at Aberdeen some years ago; the other Batrachomyomachia

We began in the world wi' naething, O,
And we've jogg'd on, and toil'd for the ae thing, O;
We made use of what we had,

And our thankful hearts were glad, When we got the bit meat and the elaething, O.

We have liv'd all our lifetime contented, O,
Since the day we became first acquainted, O.;
It's true we've been but poor,

And we are so to this hour,

Yet we never repin'd nor lamented, O.

We ne'er thought of schemes to be wealthy, O, By ways that were cunning or stealthy, O,

But we always had the bliss,

And what further could we wiss To be pleas'd wi' ourselves, and be healthy, O.

What tho' we canna boast of our guineas, O;
We have plenty of Jockies and Jeanies, O,
And these, I'm certain, are
More desirable by far,

Than a pock full of poor yellow sleenies, O.

We have seen many wonder and ferlie, O,
Of changes that almost are yearly, O,

Among rich folks up and down,

Both in country and in town,

Who now live but serimply, and barely, O.

Then why should people brag of prosperity? 0: A straiten'd life we see is no rarity, O;

Indeed we've been in want,

And our living been but scant, Yet we never were reduc'd to need charity, O.

Homeri latinis vestita cum additamentis, given in lately to Chalmers, to print if he pleases. Mr. C. will know Seria non semper delectant, non joca semper. Semper delectant seria mixta jocis.

I have just room to repeat compliments and good wishes from,

Sir, your humble servant,

JOHN SKINNER.

Sir,

No. XLVII.

To Professor DUGALD STEWART.

Mauchline, 3d May, 1789. I inclose you one or two more of my bagatelles. If the fervent wishes of honest gratitude have any influence with that great, unknown Being, who frames the chain of causes and events; prosperity and happiness will attend your visit to the continent, and return you safe to your native shore.

Wherever I am, allow me, sir, to claim it as my privilege, to acquaint you with my progress in my

In this house we first came together, O,
Where we've long been a father and mither, O,
And tho' not of stone and lime,

It will last us a' our time,

And, I hope, we shall never need anither, O.

And when we leave this habitation, O,
We'll depart with a good commendation, O,
We'll go hand in hand, I wiss,
To a better house than this,

To make room for the next generation, O.

Then why should old age so much wound us? O, There is nothing in it all to confound us, O; For how happy now am I,

With my old wife sitting by,

And our bairns and our oys all around us, O.

trade of rhymes; as I am sure I could say it with truth, that, next to my little fame, and the having it in my power to make life more comfortable to those, whom nature has made dear to me, I shall ever regard your countenance, your patronage, your friendly good offices, as the most valued consequence of my late success in life.

Madam,

No. XLVIII.

Extract of a letter

To Mrs. DUNLOP.

Mauchline, 4th May, 1788. Dryden's Virgil has delighted me. I do not know whether the crities will agree with me, but the Georgics are to me by far the best of Virgil. It is indeed a species of writing entirely new to me; and has filled my head with a thousand fancies of emulation but, alas! when I read the Georgics, and then survey my own powers, 'tis like the idea. of a Shetland poney, drawn up by the side of a thorough-bred hunter, to start for the plate. I own I am disappointed in the Eneid. Faultless cor rectness may please, and does highly please the lettered critic: but to that awful character I have not the most distant pretensions. I do not know whether I do not hazard my pretensions to be a eritic of any kind, when I say that I think Virgil, in many instances, a servile copier of Homer. If I had the Odyssey by me, I could parallel many passages where Virgil has evidently copied, but by no means improved, Homer. Nor can I think there is. any thing of this owing to the translators; for, from every thing I have seen of Dryden, I think him, in genius and fluency of language, Pope's master. I have not perused Tasso enough to form an opinion in some future letter, you shall have my ideas of him; though I am conscious my criti

cisms must be very inaccurate, and imperfect, as there I have ever felt and lamented my want of learning most.

No. XLIX.

To THE SAME.

27th May, 1788.

Madam, I have been torturing my philosophy to no purpose, to account for that kind partiality of yours, which unlike

has followed me in my return to the shade of life, with assiduous benevolence. Often did I regret in the fleeting hours of my late will-o-wisp appear ance, that "here I had no continuing city;" and, but for the consolation of a few solid guineas, could almost lament the time, that a momentary acquaintance with wealth and splendor put me so much out of conceit with the sworn companions of my road through life, insignificance and poverty.

There are few circumstances relating to the unequal distribution of the good things of this life, that give me more vexation (I mean in what I see around me) than the importance the opulent be stow on their trißing family affairs, compared with the very same things on the contracted scale of a cottage. Last afternoon I had the honour to spend an hour or two at a good woman's fire-side, where the planks, that composed the floor, were decorated with a splendid earpet, and the gay table sparkled with silver and china. 'Tis now about termday, and there has been a revolution among those creatures, who, though, in appearance, partakers, and equally noble partakers of the same nature with madame, are from time to time, their nerves, their sinews, their health, strength, wisdom, expe

rience, genius, time, nay a good part of their very thoughts, sold for months and years,

not only to the necessi ties, the conveniencies, but the caprices of the important few". We talked of the insignificant creatures; nay, notwithstanding their general stupidity and rascality, did some of the poor devils the honour to commend them. But light be the turf upon his breast, who taught, "Reverence thyself." We looked down on the unpolished wretches, their impertinent wives and clouterly brats, as the lordly bull does on the little dirty ant-hill, whose puny inhabitants he crushes in the carelessness of his ramble, or tosses in air in the wantonness of his pride.

"Where'er I roam, whatever realms I see,
My heart, untravell'd, fondly turns to thee;
Still to my friend it turns with ceaseless pain,
And drags at each remove a lengthen'd chain."
Goldsmith.

This is the second day, my honoured friend, that I have been on my farm: a solitary inmate of an old, smoky spence; far from every object I love, or by whom I am beloved; nor any acquaintance

Servants, in Scotland, are hired from term to term, i. e. from Whitsunday to Martinmas, &c.

E.