egions, has often been resorted to as the _roost of genius_; and why
should I, of the most slender, if any, literary pretensions, complain?
And yet my writings, scattered amongst the various fugitive periodical
publications of this and our sister island, if collected together, would
form a very voluminous compilation."

"I have always understood," said Bob, "that the quality, not the
quantum, constituted the fame of an author's productions."

"True, Sir," answered the Poet; "and I meant not the vanity of
arrogating to myself any merit from my writings, with reference either
to quantum or quality. I alluded to the former, as merely proving the
inefficacy of mental labour in realizing the necessaries of life to an
author whom celebrity declines acknowledging. Similarly situated, it
would appear was the Dutchman mentioned by the late Doctor Walcot,

"My Broder is te poet, look,
As all te world must please,
For he heb wrote, py Got, a book
So big as all this cheese!"

"On the other hand, Collins, Hammond, and Gray, wrote each of them but
little, yet their names will descend to posterity!--And had Gray, of his
poems the _Bard_, and the _Elegy in a Country Church Yard_, written
only one, and written nothing else, he had required no other or better
passport to immortality!"{1}

1 Of that great and multitudinous writer, Doctor Samuel
Johnson, the following anecdote is told: "Being one morning
in the library at Buckingham House honoured with the
presence of Royalty, the King, his late Majesty, inquired
why he, (Mr. Johnson) did not continue to write. "May it
please your Majesty," answered the Doctor, "I think I have
written enough."--"I should have thought so too," his
Majesty replied, "if, Doctor Johnson, you had not written so
well."

~348~~ In this opinion the visitants, who were both well conversant with
our native literature, readily acquiesced.

"Have you never," asked Dashall, "thought of publishing a volume by
subscription?"

"I meditated such intention," answered the Poet, "not long ago; drew
up the necessary Prospectus, with a specimen of the Poetry, and
perambulated the Metropolis in search of patronage. In some few
instances I was successful, and, though limited the number, yet the high
respectability of my few Subscribers gave me inexpressible satisfaction;
several of our nobility honoured me with their names, and othe