on with all his persuasion, with no view, however, as he said, but to oblige the young gentleman; nor, to say the truth, did Sir Sidney want a relish for such fun, when every thing was kept within proper decorum.
It did not signify what the joke was, their argument upon it produced all the amusement. Charles very often set the poet down to a literary contention with Emma, who, being skilled in authorities, generally conquered him; for really dates and facts are very good materials for criticism, and method will very often be too hard for genius. Upon these occasions the poet was thrust further into a corner by the satiric painter, and consoled by the accommodating musician. One afternoon, however, she gained so complete a triumph, that he was obliged, for a long time, to own himself conquered.
The reader remembers that Emma had a very great predelection for Dr. JOHNSON, and Charles entreated the poet to attack the lexicographer. This he did not fail to do, but kept, for a long time, to general accusations. Emma desired he would give her some opportunity of answering him.
'Any

man,' said she, 'may be made to look contemptible. ARISTOPHANES contrived this of SOCRATES, who, because he was a man of inoffensive manners, and therefore naturally decried the licentious writings and conduct of the comic poets, provoked the fury of this satirist:—but even though this is true, and though Madame DACIER was so charmed with this author that she translated—and, not content with that, read two hundred times, and every time with fresh pleasure, the very piece that was written to render this great philosopher ridiculous—yet it proved nothing, because general assertion is a blunt arrow that falls without inflicting a wound.'

'Well, what do you say to this?' cried Figgins, who stood by.
'Say!' cried the poet, 'If she wants proofs of what I have asserted, she shall have them; I am the man for adducing proofs. And first of all, has he not written a severe satire on himself, when he says of SWIFT "that on all common occasions he habitually affects a style of arrogance, and dictates rather than persuades?" In another place, "he predominated over his companions with a very high ascendency, and probably would bear none over whom he could not so predominate." Now does not Mrs. THRALE, after a confession that she had surfeited herself with an

abject and indefatigable attention to him for a number of years, such as no man who