[Footnote 5: In his essay "Of Poetry," Sir William Temple, writing of dramatic poetry, says: "Yet I am deceived, if our English has not in some kind excelled both the modern and the ancient, which has been by force of a vein natural perhaps to our country, and which with us is called humour, a word peculiar to our language too, and hard to be expressed in any other;" etc.--"Works," vol. i., p. 247 (1720). [T.S.]] [Footnote 6: "Le Théâtre Italian, ou le Recueil de toutes les Comédies et Scènes Françoises, qui out été jouées sur le Théâtre Italian." The collection was edited by Evariste Gherardi, and published in 1695. Two further volumes were issued in 1698, the third containing complete plays. The collection was afterwards extended to six volumes. [T.S.]] [Footnote 7: A modern writer says of it: "It bristles with keen, well-pointed satire on the corrupt and venal politicians and courtiers of the day" (W.H. Husk in Grove's "Dict. of Music").[T.S.]] [Footnote 8: In the character of Robin of Bagshot Gay intended Sir Robert Walpole.[T.S.]] [Footnote 9: Gay's "Fables" was first published in 1727, with a dedication "To his Highness William Duke of Cumberland." The Fables are said to have been "invented for his amusement." Cumberland was the second son of George, Prince of Wales, and was afterwards known as "the butcher."[T.S.]] [Footnote 10: Dr. Thomas Herring, preacher at Lincoln's Inn, and afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, preached a sermon against "The Beggar's Opera" in March, 1727-8. It is referred to in a letter to the "Whitehall Evening Post," dated March 30th, 1728, reprinted in the Appendix to "Letters from Dr. T. Herring to W. Duncombe," 1777. As Archbishop of York, Herring interested himself greatly, during the rebellion of 1745, in forming an association for the defence of the liberties of the people and the constitution of the country. Writing to Swift, under date May 16th, 1728, Gay remarks: "I suppose you must have heard, that I had the honour to have had a sermon preached against my works by a court-chaplain, which I look upon as no small addition to my fame" (Scott, xvii. 194). [T.S.]] [Footnote 11: The edition of 1729 has "those common robbers of the public." [T.S.]] [Footnote 12: Peachum says: "Can it be expected that we should hang our acquaintance for nothing, when our betters will hardly save theirs without being paid for it?"--Act II., sc. x. [T.S.]] [Footnote 13: The rivalry between Handel and the Italian composers had then been keen for nearly twenty years. [T.S.]] [Footnote 14: The edition of 1729 has "the fore-runner." [T.S.]] THE INTELLIGENCER, NUMB. XIX[1]. _Having on the 12th of October last, received a letter signed_ ANDREW DEALER, _and_ PATRICK PENNYLESS; _I believe the following_ PAPER, _just come to my hands, will be a sufficient answer to it[2]._ _Sic vos non vobis vellera fertis oves._ VlRG.[3] SIR,