n style, so skilfully shall the whole be disguised."

Our professor proceeds to reveal the manner of managing the whole
economy of the piece which is to be copied or disguised; and which
consists in giving a new order to the parts, changing the phrases, the
words, &c. An orator, for instance, having said that a plenipotentiary
should possess three qualities,--_probity_, _capacity_, and _courage_;
the plagiarist, on the contrary, may employ, _courage_, _capacity_, and
_probity_. This is only for a general rule, for it is too simple to
practise frequently. To render the part perfect we must make it more
complex, by changing the whole of the expressions. The plagiarist in
place of _courage_, will put _force_, _constancy_, or _vigour_. For
_probity_ he may say _religion_, _virtue_, or _sincerity_. Instead of
_capacity_, he may substitute _erudition_, _ability_, or _science_. Or
he may disguise the whole by saying, that the _plenipotentiary should be
firm, virtuous_, and _able_.

The rest of this uncommon work is composed of passages extracted from
celebrated writers, which are turned into the new manner of the
plagiarist; their beauties, however, are never improved by their dress.
Several celebrated writers when young, particularly the famous Flechier,
who addressed verses to him, frequented the lectures of this professor!

Richesource became so zealous in this course of literature, that he
published a volume, entitled, "The Art of Writing and Speaking; or, a
Method of composing all sorts of Letters, and holding a polite
Conversation." He concludes his preface by advertising his readers, that
authors who may be in want of essays, sermons, letters of all kinds,
written pleadings and verses, may be accommodated on application to him.

Our professor was extremely fond of copious title-pages, which I suppose
to be very attractive to certain readers; for it is a custom which the
Richesources of the day fail not to employ. Are there persons who value
_books_ by the length of their titles, as formerly the ability of a
physician was judged by the dimensions of his wig?

To this article may be added an account of another singular school,
where the professor taught _obscurity_ in literary composition!

I do not believe that those who are unintelligible are very
intelligent. Quintilian has justly observed, that the obscurity of a
writer is generally in proportion to his incapacity. However, as there
is hardly a defect which does