On the poetical compliments lately passed between Mess. G. and A. _When mincing masters, met with misses, Pay mutual compliments for kisses; Miss Polly sings no doubt divinely, And master Jacky spouts as finely. But, how I hate such odious greeting, When two old stagers have a meeting Foh! out upon the filthy pother! What!_ men _beslobber one another!_ Tho' humble HIFFERNAN in pay, I keep, Still my fast friend, when he is fast asleep; Tho' long the Hodmandod my friend hath been, With the land-tortoise earth'd at Turnham-Green:[20] Tho' HARRY WOODFALL, BALDWIN, EVANS, SAY,[21] My puffs in fairest order full display; NOTES. [20] Two amphibious monsters, well known in the republic of letters as editors of the Critical and Monthly Reviews. The latter seems to be compared by the poet to a land-tortoise buried in the earth, on account of the slowness of its motion and the clouds of dust and dullness with which it is surrounded: the former hath been long known by the above appellation from the following humorous description. LUSUS NATURÆ TYPOGRAPHUS. Monstrum horrendum informe ingens cui lumen ademptum. VIRG. I thought some of Nature's journeymen had made men, and not made them well; they imitated humanity so abominably SHAKESPEARE. _In Nature's workshop, on a day, Her journeymen inclin'd to play, Half drunk 'twixt cup and can, Took up a clod, which she with care Was modelling a huge sea bear, And swore they'd make't a man._ _They tried, but, handling ill their tools, Formed, like a pack of bungling fools, A thing so gross and odd; That, when it roll'd about the dish, They knew not if 'twere flesh or fish, A man or Hodmandod._ _Yet, to compleat their piece of fun, They christen'd it Arch Hamilton; "But what can this thing do?" Kick it down stairs; the devil's in't If it won't do to write and print The Critical Review._ KENRICK. [21] Editors and printers of news-papers, well known to the public for their impartiality in regard to ROSCIUS. Impartially insert each friendly PRO, Suppressing ever CON of every foe;[22] For well I ween, they wot that _cons_ and _pros_ Will tend my faults and follies to expose: Tho' mighty TOM doth still my champion prove, And LOCKYER's gauntlet be a chicken glove. NOTES. [22] A recent instance of this must not pass unnoticed. In the Public Advertiser appeared lately the following quaint panegyric, suggested probably to ROSCIUS himself by his brother GEORGE the attorney. Nature } against } Notice of Process. G---- }