would sit a whole evening with order and decorum, unless they were under
the check of some established authority; and this inconvenience having
been foreseen, they had elected a president, vested with full power to
silence any member or members that should attempt to disturb the harmony
and subordination of the whole. The sage, who at this time possessed the
chair, was a person in years, whose countenance was a lively portraiture
of that rancorous discontent which follows repeated damnation. He had
been extremely unfortunate in his theatrical productions, and was, to
use the words of a profane wag, who assisted at the condemnation of his
last play, by this time d--d beyond redemption. Nevertheless, he still
tarried about the skirts of Parnassus, translating some of the classics,
and writing miscellanies, and by dint of an invincible assurance,
supercilious insolence, the most undaunted virulence of tongue, and some
knowledge of life, he made shift to acquire and maintain the character
of a man of learning and wit, in the opinion of people who had neither;
that is, thirty-nine in forty of those with whom he associated himself.
He was even looked upon in this light by some few of the college; though
the major part of those who favoured his election, were such as dreaded
his malice, respected his experience and seniority, or hated his
competitor, who was the epic poet.

The chief end of this society, as I have already hinted, was to assist
and support each other in their productions, which they mutually
recommended to sale, with all their art and influence, not only in
private conversation, but also in occasional epigrams, criticisms, and
advertisements, inserted in the public papers. This science, which is
known by the vulgar appellation of puffing, they carried to such a pitch
of finesse, that an author very often wrote an abusive answer to his own
performance, in order to inflame the curiosity of the town, by which
it had been overlooked. Notwithstanding this general unanimity in the
college, a private animosity had long subsisted between the two rivals
I have mentioned, on account of precedence, to which both laid claim,
though, by a majority of votes, it had been decided in favour of the
present chairman. The grudge indeed never proceeded to any degree of
outrage or defiance, but manifested itself at every meeting, in attempts
to eclipse each other in smart sayings and pregnant repartee; so that
there was always a deli