reftored, and the doors of our play-houses, taverns, and brothels, would be closed and fealed as the hatchways of the devil.

Another argument, which ought to be urged to the fober part of mankind, is the excefs, to which our revels and amours might impel us, were we free from this falutary restraint. this day, in the wildeft orgies of our Bacchanals, decency, (I do not mean in the relation of intrigues, &c. &c. but towards each other,) gives an air of gentility to the liberality of indulgence. "Mr. A." and "Mr. B." and "I beg your pardon," and "your humble fervant, Sir," and all the nameless congees of politeness evidence the prevalence of fome good principle among us. Though the vulgar may impute it to cowardice, and fneer at his native decency, who is the echo of all the blafphemy and obfcenity of the town, we know it springs from a regard to the rigid rules of honour. In our amours too, it produces a regard to the respective claims of parties, and operates as a fuccedaneum to the principle of juftice. Not a favourite of our Creole Jezabel but will acknowledge the truth of this affertion, and who has not tested its influence by a relative propriety of de

meanor.

The difadvantage, under which we should faint in our intercourse with the world, and in defence of our rights, is another weighty objection againft this measure. By our habits of life we are too much emaciated to bear a game at fifty-cuffs with the brawny deacons of the age. The good fellow, who has brimmed his glass till morn, and fleeps till noon, is no match for one of our early rifers, fed on Spartan black broth. Hence without the resource of duelling, we must abandon our importance, or our revels; and perhaps even in sober life, we fhould be compelled to yield to the doctrine of paffive obedience, and fweat in the crowd of the canaille, like Falstaff in a buckbasket.

Nor is the lofs of entertainment, which would accrue, a trifling reafon against the abolition of this heroic cuftom. Why do we run over the obituary with as much ardour, as an old maid over marriage-lifts, but to learn the fate of fome true sportsmen? How often have we chalked out, on our reeling board, the true distance, and ftationed the combatants, and fought their battles over again, as deeply interested, as the antiquarian, who

runs to Afia to define the walls of Troy, or the Grecian camp; or as uncle Toby, when he raised his ramparts, while Trim fought his campaigns. Our fociety will also lofe all its charms, when an affair of honour is wanting for a subject; as it is no fhame to confefs our dulnefs on topics of morality, which we have left to our parfons; or of science, which we have configned to the pedants. The clubroom itself would become as folemn, as a christening; and we might exclaim with Burke, in fober sadness, "alas! the age of chivalry is gone!"

Befides the pleasure of talking, we should also lose the dearer pleasure of being talked of by this barbarous innovation. What is more elating, than to be pointed at, like Georgian Jackson, as a dreadnought? The girls prefer a man of spirit to a milkfop, and are charmed, like Defdemona, at the recital of hair-breadth escapes from shot and fword. But we then must exclaim, "Othello's occupation is gone ;" and for the heroifm of the Captain, we must substitute the frippery of Fribble, as our stars deftine us to be fools, or fops.

I can here urge an objection, which will be repeated by many, that the abolition of duelling would deprive me of half of the fruits of my education. I have practifed the art of fhooting, till I can split my bullet on a razor; and have studied the philofophy of colours fo much, as to know that BLACK is the fafeft dress to be fhot at. My whole knowledge of the tactics of a gentleman would lie on hand, like the lumber of German divinity, and its difplay prove as ridiculous, as the helmet of Don Quixotte. It would leave me as poor a bankrupt in the world, as Robinson Crufoe with his gold, on the desert island. Who then can suppose, that we shall patiently submit to a revolution, which not only takes away our patent of nobility, but our whole intellectual domains, and leaves us, like a hero in a tower, with only the fullen remembrance of former greatness?

I fay nothing of the horrid chafm the abolishing of duels would make in our theatrical entertainments; of the pride and pleasure refulting from the tender anxiety of our friends, lest we should commit some act of rafhness; of the amufement we

fhould lofe in the stupid filence of our preachers, or the injury they would fuffer from the want of a favourite theme. When thefe, and other confequences, that might follow, are confidered, it appears to me one of the boldest experiments of the age. Prophecy cannot ken the extent of its evil; and it forebodes, to the eye of fancy, more than Sidrophel forefaw in the Lantern of the Kite.

With these ideas, I rejoiced, when I faw your genius engaged in maturing fome plan for the fupport and continuance of a custom, venerable by antiquity, and honourable by descent. Your projet however favours a little too much of harmless sport. I propofe the following amendment, which I think will not exeite much ferment in the public mind, and which was suggested by the rules of war, established by Meffrs. Swartout and Clinton; and that is, that no gentleman shall take aim above his antagonist's knees; and then, only at the calf-of the leg. I am thus particular, left fome quibbling punfter might confider the laft clause as contradictory to the firft, and including the whole body. Under this restriction the parties may fire, and we shall then have the voice, as well as face of war. Befides, from the delicacy of our frames, this expofes us but to little danger, and even should an amputation, or a hitch in the gait be the confequence, it would ticket us to fame. This expedient has another recommendation, as it has been often reforted to; and in our Oxford Campaign one of my brother officers cheerfully loft a great toe to gain the title of a bravo. With gratitude for your past services, and a hope of pardon for my prefumption, I remain your humble fervant,

HUGH TREVOR.

P.S. Another prudential confideration fully maintains the propriety of continuing the practice of duelling, even to the extent of fashion, which is, that by this mean many of those, whe are too much engaged in amusements for enterprise, or industry, will thus be honourably provided for, before they are a great burden to friends, or become a town charge.

H.T.

Strictures on the Literary Exhibitions of the Students in Harvard College.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MONTHLY ANTHOLOGY.

SIR,

HAPPENING not long fince to attend an Exhibition at Har

vard University, I was highly gratified with the ingenious, correct, and manly performances of several students. Their elocution was appropriate and graceful, confidering they have there no established Profeffer of Oratory. Their compofitions were, for the most part, neat and elegant, neither overloaded with ornament, nor deficient in imagination. They greatly exceeded the style of writing in any other American college, with which I am acquainted. In moft other places it is usual to abound in figurative language, and in attempts at wit. Here there were no unnatural efforts after the latter; and the former was managed with accuracy and taste. The writers appeared to confider imagery as the ornament, and not the effence of compofition. Indeed from the fpecimens exhibited, I was not unwilling to acknowledge, that this Univerfity bears the first rank in refpectability, as well as age, among her fifter feminaries in this country.

But I cannot forbear to remark, that there was one trait in the performances, which excited difguft. The orator and poet feemed to confpire, which fhould moft ingenioufly ridicule the want of genius. As far as fuch language is calculated to expose the neglect or abuse of talents, it cannot be juftly condemned. But, when it equally tends to pour contempt on thofe, who are induftrious, though unfuccefsful in their literary purfuits, it argues both confummate pride, and unfeeling cruelty. It is proud; because the speaker implicitly glories in his own confcious fuperiority. It is cruel; because he wantonly sports with the feelings of thofe, whom he efteems his inferiors.

But what appeared to me the most exceptionable was, the contracted notions they entertained of genius. They would allow none to poffefs it, who had not precifely the fame talte with themfelves. Hence let a student make ever fo great proficiency. Vol. I. No. 2.

H

in mathematical or metaphyfical fciences, if he be not paffionately fond of the belles-lettres, if he have not the talent of writting fine orations and pretty poems, it seemed a fair inference from their remarks, that he must be deftitute of genius.

This led me to inquire into the true meaning of the term. Examining Johnson's dictionary I found one of its fignifications to be, "a man endowed with fuperior faculties." According to Dr. Blair," it fignifies that talent or aptitude, which we receive from nature, in order to excel in any one thing whatever." As an illustration he proceeds to remark, "a man is faid to have a genius for mathematics as well, as a genius for poetry." I should, therefore, be glad to know, by what right these young gentlemen are fuch literary monopolifts. Do they hope, by undervaluing other sciences, to raise the reputation of their own? Or do they rather act upon the principle of the crafty animal in the fable, who affected to defpife what he could not attain ?

I should not have made these remarks, had I not reason to believe that these performers are neither the firft nor the laft, who have delivered fimilar fentiments. A friend of mine, who is in the habit of attending exhibitions, informs me, that it has for feveral years been fashionable to decry almost every fpecies of genius; and that an oration or poem, in every other respect excellent, let the fubject be what it may, is esteemed dry, if not feafoned with invectives against the admirers of Newton and of Locke.

It may be alleged, that these are the mere hyperbolical effufions of youthful imagination, and are intended only to affert the vaft fuperiority of the belles-lettres to the other fciences. But this presents a topic too contested to justify such unequivocal and dogmatical affertions. It may not require great logical talents to fhow, that the learned world is more indebted for utility, if not for enjoyment, to mathematicians and metaphyficians, than to orators and poets. However this fubject may be decided, it is furely opposed to every juft definition of genius, to limit it to a few in the large circle of arts and sciences. Who will prefume to deny, that Sir Ifaac Newton poffeffed this faculty to an eminent degree? yet we may readily conceive his awkwardness at a popular harangue. Or who will not allow to the celebrated Mr. Locke, a distinguished genius in metaphy