PREFACE..

ONCE on a time, a painter of some celebrity, with brush in hand, attacked a large piece of canvass, whereon he represented a conversation-piece consisting of an Owl, a Bear, a Monkey, and an Ass. The Owl, during the intervals of discourse, was peeping into a pewter pot of porter; the Bear amused himself by dancing round a stake; the Monkey chattered, and grinned, and played with his tail; and the Ass brayed most hideously with all his might.

The painting was seen and admired by many; it met with the applause and homage, which suce cessful exertions of genius and labour seldom fail to extort, even, from the ignorant, the prejudiced,

and the dull. So far all was well; but an unlucky wa happened to hint, that the Painter meant this respectable group of gentry as a libel upon his friends and acquaintance. No sooner was this unfortunate insinuation made, than every one saw what, two minutes before, was visible to nobody.-Immediately, four of Brush's neighbours. went to him in a body, to demand satisfaction; first, a drunken Parson waddled up to him, and attacked him thus: "Look ye, Mr. Brush, I am not so dim-sighted as you may imagine; I know very well all your tricks; but you shall not sneer at me for nothing, Sirrah; what! cannot I look into a pot of porter, but you must, directly, write me down Owl?

The painter was about to reply, when up rolled in the true clownish swing of carcase, a country 'Squire." Holloa, you rascal," roared out this polished animal, "I'll teach you to put me down Bear in your d-m-d canvass: don't go for to think of denying it, like a liar as you are; I ana

not so blind but I can see a pretty strong likeness of my own countenance in Master Bruin's face."

The user of colours wished now to answer his friend the 'Squire, when up frisked and skipped a be-lavendered and be-essenced Captain in the Guards; who thus broke silence:" Fore-gad, sink me, Brush, but you are an impudent scoundrel; cannot I powder my hair, clean my teeth, and wear a white waistcoat, but you must clap Monkey under my tail?"

Scarcely had the Soldier finished his harangue, before up stalked, with stiff and solemn demeanour, and dull, heavy pace, a worthy Senator, who was delivered, not without difficulty, of the following speech." Mr. a, a, a, what is your name? You, a, a, paultry dauber of canvass, what do you mean by this flagrant breach of privilege? Are you not amazed at your own audacity in daring to tell all the world, that a Member of the British Imperial Parliament is an Ass?”

The painter, at length, found an opportunity of slipping in a word edgeways, and proceeded to defend himself from the heavy charges brought

against him. Really, gentlemen, upon the faith of a handler of pallets, I declare and vow, that by painting an Owl, a Bear, a Monkey, and an Ass, I only intended to represent an Ass, a Monkey, a Bear, and an Owl.-Little, indeed, did I think, you, respectable and grave men as you are, would claim as your own portraits, what was meant for gentlemen, whom, 'till now, I always, understood were in a different class of society, from that which you hold. But, pray, gentlemen, do not make such a noise, for if any one should chance to hear what is now going on, you will expose yourselves to the whole town."

Bigotted Ignorance and conscious Folly, however, bore down honest Brush and the simple Truth; the painter's worthy friends were too much blinded by rage to see his innocence and their own stupidity; wherefore, they continued to gabble and to clamour, 'till some of the neighbours over