like mackerel a week after the season. No man has more nicely
observed our climate than the bookseller who bought the copy of this
work. He knows to a tittle what subjects will best go off in a dry
year, and which it is proper to expose foremost when the weather-
glass is fallen to much rain. When he had seen this treatise and
consulted his almanac upon it, he gave me to understand that he had
manifestly considered the two principal things, which were the bulk
and the subject, and found it would never take but after a long
vacation, and then only in case it should happen to be a hard year
for turnips. Upon which I desired to know, considering my urgent
necessities, what he thought might be acceptable this month. He
looked westward and said, "I doubt we shall have a bit of bad
weather. However, if you could prepare some pretty little banter
(but not in verse), or a small treatise upon the it would run like
wildfire. But if it hold up, I have already hired an author to
write something against Dr. Bentley, which I am sure will turn to
account."

At length we agreed upon this expedient, that when a customer comes
for one of these, and desires in confidence to know the author, he
will tell him very privately as a friend, naming whichever of the
wits shall happen to be that week in the vogue, and if Durfey's last
play should be in course, I had as lieve he may be the person as
Congreve. This I mention, because I am wonderfully well acquainted
with the present relish of courteous readers, and have often
observed, with singular pleasure, that a fly driven from a honey-pot
will immediately, with very good appetite, alight and finish his
meal on an excrement.

I have one word to say upon the subject of profound writers, who are