came on the natives once a week, to which we are bound to fubmit,in spite of every argument falutary and feftive.

I know but one wedded fair one who is a happy contradiction to this weekly rule of conduct-which is Bellaflora; who never is difturbed by the washing; who always hath the fame table covered, and the fame temper to grace it; who never confiders cleanlinefs further than as conducive to decency and health; and then embraces fuch opportunities, that the very cat of the family fhall not be under the diftrefs of wetting her feet. The morning, early, is ufed to adjust thefe matters-the night, late or abfent hours, which fall to the portion of every family. I would not wish the Scotch days of Cromwell to return amongst us, when houses in the city of Glafgow were only cleanfed on family deaths and christenings; which filth Oliver in fome refpects removed, by command to fhovel out the dirt daily. But tho' cleanlinefs may be carried to a fault, yet I would rather have it, with all its inconveniencies, than Scotch filth.

in our own language; and unless you, or fome other popular writer as univerfally read, will interpofe in its favour, this old member of the alphabet will perhaps foon be entirely cut off. Your good offices, however, are not much to be expected; for tho' we formerly heard of fuch a refpectable fabftantive as the Publick, we daily fee you rejecting this old fervant, and giving us a Paper entitled The Public Advertijer.

To reconcile orthography to ftrict pronunciation is fantastical, ridiculous, and illiterate. It originally relished of etymology, and in written Speech fome etymological traces ever fhould remain. Honeft K has long ftood in our language as a memorial of its origin; and as the Greek x is reprefented in English by the letters ch, fo the final que of the French was formerly fignified by the English k. But fashion, fearful of pedantry, gives no quarter to etymology. The Public are invited, by your advertisements, to performances Tragic and Comic, and concerts of Mufic; and, to our utter aftonishment, a modern dramatic poet has announced The ChoN. ERIC Man, under the aufpices of Mr. Garric, whofe Gallick genealogy and Gallick Patronymick are

To the Printer of the Public Adver- univerfally known, and who has

SIR,

tifer.

IN my boyish days I remember reading in Bufby's English Grammar of the Latin Tongue, that "K was out of fashion." That poor, unfortunate letter is now almost equally unfafliionable

him felf fo largely contributed to render immortal the name of Garricque.

Tamely to follow fashions is poor and fervile: to run before them argues a great and lively genius. Content not yourself therefore, Mr. Woodfall, with the prefent partial detruncation of the final k, but boldly lop it off from

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every

POETRY.

RETALIATION: a POEM.

By Doctor GOLDSMITH.

THE title and nature of this POEM, fhew that it owed its birth to fome preceding circumftances of feftive merriment, which, from the wit of the company, and the very ingenious Author's peculiar oddities, were probably enlivened by fome poignant ftrokes of humour. This piece was only intended for the Doctor's private amufement, and that of the particular friends who were its jubject; and he unfortunately did not live to rewife, or even finish it, in the manner which he intended. The Public have, however, already fhewn, bow much they were pleased with its appearance, even in its present form. The Notes, which we have made use of, are taken from the 5th edition, publifhed by Kearsley.

Ο

F old, when Scarron his companions invited,

Each gueft brought his dish, and the feast was united;
Ifour (a) landlord fupplies us with beef, and with fish,
Let each guest bring himself, and he brings the best dish :
Our (6) Dean fhall be venison, just fresh from the plains;
Our (c) Burke fhall be tongue, with a garnish of brains;
Our (d) Will shall be wild fowl, of excellent flavour,

And (e) Dick with his pepper, fhall heighten their favour:

(a) The mafter of the St. James's coffee-house, where the Doctor, and the friends he has characterized in this Poem, held an occafional club.

(6) Doctor Barnard, Dean of Derry in Ireland, author of many ingenious pieces.

(c) Mr. Edmund Burke, member for Wendover, and one of the greatest orators in this kingdom.

(d) Mr. Williamn Burke, late Secretary to General Conway, and member for Bedwin.

(e) Mr. Richard Burke, Collector of Granada, no lefs remarkable in the walks of wit and humour than his brother Edmund Burke is justly distinguished in all the branches of useful and polite literature.

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Our

Our (f) Cumberland's fweet-bread its place fhall obtain,
And (g) Douglas is pudding, fubftantial and plain:
Our (b) Garrick's a fallad, for in him we see
Oil, vinegar, fugar, and faltnefs agree:

To make out the dinner, full certain I am,

That (i) Ridge is anchovy, and (4) Reynolds is lamb;
That (1) Hickey's a capon; and, by the fame rule,
Magnanimous Goldfmith, a goofberry fool:
At a dinner fo various, at fuch a repast,

Who'd not be a glutton, and stick to the last:
Here, waiter, more wine, let me fit while I'm able,
'Till all my companions fink under the table;
Then with chaos and blunders encircling my head,
Let me ponder, and tell what I think of the dead.
Here lies the good Dean, re-united to earth,
Who mixt reason with pleasure, and wisdom with mirth:
If he had any faults, he has left us in doubt,
At least, in fix weeks, I could not find 'em out ;
Yet fome have declar'd, and it can't be denied 'em,
That fly-boots was curfedly cunning to hide 'em.

Here lies our good Edmund, whofe genius was fuch,
We scarcely can praise it, or blame it too much;
Who, born for the Universe, narrow'd his mind,
And to party gave up, what was meant for mankind.
Tho' fraught with all learning, yet training his throat,
To perfuade (m) Tommy Townsend to lend him a vote;
Who, too deep for his hearers, ftill went on refining,
And thought of convincing, while they thought of dining;
Tho' equal to all things, for all things unfit,
Too nice for a ftatefman, too proud for a wit:
For a patriot too cool; for a drudge, difobedient,
And too fond of the right to purfue the expedient.
In fhort, 'twas his fate, unemploy'd, or in place, Sir,
To eat mutton cold, and cut blocks with a razor.

(f) Author of the Weft-Indian, Fashionable Lover, the Brothers, and other dramatic pieces.

(g) Doctor Douglas, Canon of Windfor, an ingenious Scotch gentleman, which has no lefs diftinguished himself as a Citizen of the World, than a found Critic, in detecting feveral literary mistakes, or rather forgeries, of his country. men; particularly Lauder on Milton, and Bower's History of the Popes.

(b) David Garrick, Efq; joint Patentee and acting Manager of the TheatreRoyal, Drury-Lane.

(i) Counsellor John Ridge, a gentleman belonging to the Irish bar, the relish of whofe agreeable and pointed converfation is admitted, by all his acquaintance, to be very properly compared to the above fauce.

(k) Sir Joshua Reynolds, Prefident of the Royal Academy.

(1) An eminent Attorney.

(m) Mr. T. Townsend, Member for Whitchurch.

Here