But perhaps he who has told us that "_St. Paul's_ hand was once _improperly_ placed before the wife of _Felix_" should not have suffered more glaring insults on decency to pass without a censure. On this occasion, though I may be found to differ from Mr. _Walpole_, I am ready to confess how much regard is due to the opinions of a gentleman whose mind has been long exercised on a subject which is almost new to me; especially when I recollect that my present researches would have had no guide, but for the lights held out in the last volume of the Anecdotes of Painting in _England_. _Hogarth_ boasted that he could draw a Serjeant with his pike, going into an alehouse, and his Dog following him, with only three strokes;--which he executed thus: [Illustration: see below] A B | \ | \ | \ | \| | | | | C | ʅ| | | A. The perspective line of the door. B. The end of the Serjeant's pike, who is gone in. C. The end of the Dog's tail, who is following him. There are similar whims of the _Caracci_. A specimen of _Hogarth's_ propensity to merriment, on the most trivial occasions, is observable in one of his cards requesting the company of Dr. _Arnold King_ to dine with him at the _Mitre_.[46] Within a circle, to which a knife and fork are the supporters, the written part is contained. In the center is drawn a pye, with a _mitre_ on the top of it; and the invitation of our artist concludes with the following sport on three of the _Greek_ letters--to _Eta Beta Pi_.[47] The rest of the inscription is not very accurately spelt. A quibble by _Hogarth_ is surely as respectable as a conundrum by _Swift_.