Was the eye silent? Did you narrowly look?--I look'd only at the
stop-watch, my lord.--Excellent observer!

And what of this new book the whole world makes such a rout about?--Oh!
'tis out of all plumb, my lord,--quite an irregular thing!--not one of
the angles at the four corners was a right angle.--I had my rule and
compasses, &c. my lord, in my pocket.--Excellent critick!

--And for the epick poem your lordship bid me look at--upon taking the
length, breadth, height, and depth of it, and trying them at home
upon an exact scale of Bossu's--'tis out, my lord, in every one of its
dimensions.--Admirable connoisseur!

--And did you step in, to take a look at the grand picture in your way
back?--'Tis a melancholy daub! my lord; not one principle of the pyramid
in any one group!--and what a price!--for there is nothing of the
colouring of Titian--the expression of Rubens--the grace of Raphael--the
purity of Dominichino--the corregiescity of Corregio--the learning of
Poussin--the airs of Guido--the taste of the Carrachis--or the grand
contour of Angelo.--Grant me patience, just Heaven!--Of all the cants
which are canted in this canting world--though the cant of hypocrites
may be the worst--the cant of criticism is the most tormenting!

I would go fifty miles on foot, for I have not a horse worth riding on,
to kiss the hand of that man whose generous heart will give up the reins
of his imagination into his author's hands--be pleased he knows not why,
and cares not wherefore.

Great Apollo! if thou art in a giving humour--give me--I ask no more,
but one stroke of native humour, with a single spark of thy own fire
along with it--and send Mercury, with the rules and compasses, if he can
be spared, with my compliments to--no matter.

Now to any one else I will undertake to prove, that all the oaths and
imprecations which we have been puffing off upon the world for these
two hundred and fifty years last past as originals--except St. Paul's
thumb--God's flesh and God's fish, which were oaths monarchical, and,
considering who made them, not much amiss; and as kings oaths, 'tis not
much matter whether they were fish or flesh;--else I say, there is not
an oath, or at least a curse amongst them, which has not been copied
over and over again out of Ernulphus a thousand times: but, like all
other copies, how infinitely short of the force and spirit of the
original!--it is thought to be no bad oath--and by itself passes very
well--'