Nonpareils, and the hoarfe Coughings of phthificky old Women, joined with the Puphony of the Orcheftray, made up an out-of-the way, comical fort of Conceit.

I never go to any Entertainment without a Defign of benefiting my Readers by it. The different Modulations of the Inftruments, which I had heard before at Ogle's, and which now filled up the Intermiffion of the Play, made me reflect on the near Affinity between the Actors and the Music, and gave me the Hint of drawing a new Parallel between them. The Play began anew: others were observing the expreffive Action of the Performers, and impatiently wa.ting the Cataftrophe of the Piece: I was only attentive to their different Tones of Voice, and comparing them with the Sounds I had just heard from the Wind and String Inftruments.

Mr. Garrick, (for I carried my Reflection equally to both Houfes,) I confidered as a double-keyed Harpsichord ftruck by the nice Finger of an Handel ; now raifing us to the alarming Bafs of Terror, now finking us down to the melting Treble of Pity: Sometimes fixing our ferious Thoughts to a flow Tragical penferojo, at other Times tickling our enlivened Faculties to a brifk Comedy andante, or a light farcical Jig. All the Powers of Harmony are included, and the whole Energy of Compofition exerted, in this various and delightful Inftrument.

I mean not to derogate from the Merits of Mr. Barry by the Similitude, when I liken him to the Italian Violin; which, if it cannot take in the whole Compafs and Contrariety of Notes (expreffive of every Paffion) that the Harpfichord is equal to, yet it draws out fuch a Sweetness of Tone, fuch a calm Melody of Sound, that the correct Ear discovers exquifite Force in its Simplicity. Sometimes too it hakes the Soul with its Rapidity, and the fympathizing Senfes are enraptured with the Graces capable

to

to be expreffed on it by the masterly Execution of a Giardini

Mr. Moop, though a very promifing Actor, does not as yet, afpire to the Expreffion of Mr. Garrick whom I compared to the Harpfichord, or the Delicacy of Mr. Barry whom I confidered as a Violin. Ifhall therefore place him on the Stage nearly in the fame Rank that the Violoncello holds in the Orchestra. His Elocution to the vulgar: Part of the Audience may, found harsh and fomewhat grating: but there is a noble Dignity in it; and, like the Inftrument just mentioned, at the fame Time it is Strong, Loud, and Full, is Delectable, Juft, and Melodious,

I may be cenfured perhaps for faying, that the Hautboy is no bad Refemblance of Mr. Rofs; neither remarkable for its Sweetnefs or Variety, and rather pleafing than furprising, more useful in a Concerto, when accompaind with better-toned Inftruments, than it is efficacious when playing a Solo.

And here Mr. Quin among the Reft must not be forgotten, as we have fo often heretofore admired him, when he fmote the General Ear, and fhook Pit, Box, and Gallery with his Thunder. But I know not whether we may better trace him in the rough Rumbling of the Baffoon, the loud Roaring of the Kettle-Drum, the full Cadence of the Horn, or the deep and ftrong Unifon of the DoubleBafs.

Mrs. Gibber's foft eafy Pipe aptly enough brought to my Remembrance the Mellownefs of a German Flute, when inspired by the almost speaking Breath of a Burk Thumoth. The Plaintiveness of her Accents are expreffive of the liquid Melody peculiar to this Inftrument, whofe Sounds are adapted to the Languilhings of Love, and melt us with extatic Mildness: not but that sometimes they are raised to a higher Pitch, and startle us with the wild Fury of extravagant Defpair. I could with indeed Mrs. Cibber's

Stops

Stops were regulated with the Judgment of a Pritchard, that we might not be fo often tired with a conftant and unaltered Monotony.

But oh! the Mifs Bellamy,the fine, the charming, the every-thing Mifs Bellamy,-fhe, whom I affirm to be the best Actress, and the handsomest Woman in the World,-fhe, in whom all the Combination of harmonius Utterance are united; whenever the rich Mufic of her Tongue sweetens the Air, (as Romeo calls it,)-O what fingle Inftrument can come up to her Expreffion!-Ihould do her Injuftice even to compare her with the new-invented Lyrichord of Plenius; where the Softness of the Flagellet, the Mellowness of the Flute, and the Fullness of the Hautboy, are, by the Vibrations of the feveral Chords artfully difpofed, all of them curioufly blended together.-Mifs Bellamy in my Opinion is an Organ playing with a vast Variety of Stops, and makes in herself a complete Concert,

In the Theatres there are feveral meaner-founding Inftruments, neither commanding for their Grace, nor affecting for their Energy-yet they ferve well enough to fill up the Band; and if inelegant, or of diffonant Mood, they pafs off, as without particular Diftinction, fo without particular Diflike; while their unmeaning ill-timed Difcordancy is happily loft and drowned in the general Harmony,

*This is defigned as a Companion to my former (before never heard of) Parallel between Painting and Playing.

I know not what to think of the following: found it in my Pocket Yesterday: Nor can I guess how it came thither: 'Twas after my Return from feeing the curious Creature, in whofe

whole Character it is written: I remember I careffed him with much Fondness; and once, I believe, hinted I would do him Justice in Print. Others more credulous may think fomething miraculous in it: I can only fay, the little dumb Animal feemed to me to fhew more Ingenuity than many two-legged Puppies of my Acquaintance, that pretended to Rationality.

HISTORY of the MOST AMAZING and SAGACIOUS ENGLISH DOG.

Written by HIMSELF.

Were I to reveal the Secret how I have been able to write at all, it would too much stagger human Belief: let it fuffice that I have really done it; and from the incredible Feats People daily fee me perform, a conjectural Argument may be fairly deduced, that it was poffible for me to have written this.

The Learned very well know the Tenets of Pythagoras He maintained the Principles of Tranfmigration that the Bodies of Men were animated by Souls paffing from Brutes, and of Brutes by Souls paffing from Men. This Doctrine has been long exploded but may it not be true? The Earth was once thought to be immoveable; and it was prónounced an Herefy, doomed to the Faggot, to affirm the Contrary. Des Carte's Syftem of Philosophy had once as many Supporters, as Sir Ifaac's has at prefent: Many Opinions have been refumed, that before had been difcarded:-Multa renafcentur, que jam cecidere And why not this of Transmigration? VOL. III.

G

I my

I myself, I folemnly declare, was an Intimate and Fellow-Soldier with Euphorbus, who was afterwards Pythagoras himself: and who knows but those bluff English Mastiffs, who now amicably ferve together at the fame Shambles, may inherit, not the Names. only, but the very Souls of those rival Heroes, Pompey and Cæfar.

But it were prefumptuous in a fimple Dog, as I am, a mere Brute endued, as 'tis faid, only with Instinct, to enter into physical Difquifitions: Yet, I affure you, I have a Memory, not only of what has happened to me in my prefent Shape, but through all my Tranfactions. A few Incidents I fhall felect of my canine State of Life, to which, by a fad Fatality, I have been chiefly confined.

First then, it is neceffary to inform you, that I was once the glorious Dog-Star, elevated to the blissful Regions of the Skies. I there enjoyed a tranquil Felicity, till, by my Barking, I imprudently difturbed the Sovereign Jupiter in an Amour with a certain Goddefs. For this Offence I was banished the Heavens, and, as I could not be wholly divested of Immortality, condemned to inhabit material Beings here on Earth, and do a fhameful Pennance in grofs Flesh and Blood.

Tis not worth while to mention how long I have thus fuffered; or in what different Forms: I was one of thofe Dogs that encompassed Scylla, fo renowned in poetical Story: I was one of thofe Dogs, that helped to devour their Mafter Ataon; whofe Soul Diana commanded inftantly to enter the dead Body of a Stag newly killed, that he might not be able to blab of her Nakednefs.-(Ovid tells the Story otherwife, but this is the Fact.)-I was Ulyffes's faithful Argos, who discovered my Mafter after twenty Years Abfence, when his Wife, his Son, and all. his Family, could not know him.

Among