enerously
made a present of it to his own country. He desired him to produce a
collection equal to that in the temple of Delphos, mentioned in the
"Ion" of Euripides; where Hercules and his companion Iolaus, are
represented in the act of killing the Lernaean hydra with golden
sickles, kruseais harpais, where Bellerophon appears on his winged
steed, vanquishing the fire-breathing chimera, tan puripneousan; and the
war of the giants is described. Here Jupiter stands wielding the red-hot
thunderbolts, keraunon amphipuron; there Pallas, dreadful to the view,
Gorgopon, brandishes her spear against the huge Euceladus; and Bacchus,
with slender ivy rods, defeats and slays the ges teknon, or the mighty
son of earth.

The painter was astonished and confounded at this rhapsody of names and
instances, which was uttered with surprising eagerness and rapidity,
suspecting at first that the whole was the creation of his own brain;
but when Pickle, with a view of flattering the doctor's self-conceit,
espoused his side of the question, and confirmed the truth of everything
he advanced, Mr. Pallet changed his opinion, and in emphatic silence
adored the immensity of his friend's understanding. In short, Peregrine
easily perceived that they were false enthusiasts, without the smallest
pretensions to taste and sensibility; and pretended to be in raptures
with they knew not what; the one thinking it was incumbent upon him
to express transports on seeing the works of those who had been most
eminent in their profession, whether they did or did not really raise
his admiration; and the other as a scholar deeming it his duty to
magnify the ancients above all competition, with an affected fervour,
which the knowledge of their excellencies never inspired. Indeed, our
young gentleman so successfully accommodated himself to the disposition
of each, that long before their review was finished, he was become a
particular favourite with both.

From the Palais Royal he accompanied them to the cloisters of the
Carthusian's, where they considered the History of St. Bruno, by Le
Sueur, whose name being utterly unknown to the painter, he gave judgment
against the whole composition, as pitiful and paltry; though, in the
opinion of all good judges, it is a most masterly performance.

Having satisfied their curiosity in this place, Peregrine asked them
to favour him with their company at dinner; but whether out of caution
against the insinuations of one whose