is very useful to young writers. The finest geniuses have always affectionately attached themselves to some particular author of congenial disposition. Pope, in his version of Homer, kept a constant eye on his master Dryden; Corneille's favourite authors were the brilliant Tacitus, the heroic Livy, and the lofty Lucan: the influence of their characters may be traced in his best tragedies. The great Clarendon, when employed in writing his history, read over very carefully Tacitus and Livy, to give dignity to his style; Tacitus did not surpass him in his portraits, though Clarendon never equalled Livy in his narrative. The mode of literary composition adopted by that admirable student Sir William Jones, is well deserving our attention. After having fixed on his subjects, he always added the _model_ of the composition; and thus boldly wrestled with the great authors of antiquity. On board the frigate which was carrying him to India, he projected the following works, and noted them in this manner:-- 1. Elements of the Laws of England. _Model_--The Essay on Bailments. ARISTOTLE. 2. The History of the American War. _Model_--THUCYDIDES and POLYBIUS. 3. Britain Discovered, an Epic Poem. Machinery--Hindu Gods. _Model_--HOMER. 4. Speeches, Political and Forensic. _Model_--DEMOSTHENES. 5. Dialogues, Philosophical and Historical. _Model_--PLATO. And of favourite authors there are also favourite works, which we love to be familiarised with. Bartholinus has a dissertation on reading books, in which he points out the superior performances of different writers. Of St. Austin, his City of God; of Hippocrates, _Coacæ Prænotiones_; of Cicero, _De Officiis_; of Aristotle, _De Animalibus_; of Catullus, _Coma Berenices_; of Virgil, the sixth book of the Æneid, &c. Such judgments are indeed not to be our guides; but such a mode of reading is useful, by condensing our studies.