“Rowland’s Doctor Merryman. No date.” “Taylor’s Wit and Mirth. 1629.” “Humourous Tracts, in a large quarto Volume. From 1629 to 1691.” “Flecknoe’s Characters of all Sorts. 1658.” The motive for inserting the titles of the above books, was the probability that others might be induced to prosecute what the Sexagenarian contemplated. I saw him put down the other day with an ordinary fool, that has no more brain than a stone. Look you now, he’s out of his guard already; unless you laugh and minister occasion to him, he is gagged. Bonos dies.—For as the old hermit of Prague, that never saw her wink, very wittily said to a niece of King Gorboduc, _That, that is, is_; so I being Master Parson, am Master Parson, for what is that but that, and is, but is. CHAPTER XXVI. THE MODERN PARSON ADAMS. It has generally been believed, that the prototype of Parson Adams, as delineated by Fielding in his Joseph Andrews, was Dr. Young, the author of the Night Thoughts. The picture has been considered as outrageously caricatured, and indeed it can hardly be conceived that such intellectual qualities and attainments could possibly be accompanied by such total ignorance of society, and such extreme and almost ridiculous simplicity of mind and manners. Yet from some detached and irregular memoranda in our manuscript, it should seem that our Sexagenarian actually met with, and had frequent and familiar communication with, a character, resembling in many of its features and distinctions, the admirable portrait of the novelist. Of his origin, or earlier life, nothing is remembered, nor is it material. It appears, however, that having been educated at one of the city public schools, Merchant Taylors’, or St. Paul’s, he removed from thence to the University. He was nearly cotemporary with Porson, and being of the same college, and with similar studious propensities, a sort of intimacy took place between them. Their attainments, however, differed very materially, both in quality and extent. Porson’s were exercised on very various ramifications of knowledge; the individual, here alluded to, confined his investigations, and employed all his talents, on one object only, the Greek language, in which he was certainly and eminently skilful. It might be said to him, Græcum te Albuti quam Romanum atque Sabinum Municipem Ponti, Titi, Anni, centurio num Præclarorum hominum, ac primum signiferumque Maluisti dici. Soon after his leaving the University, he married, but never was wight more remarkably unqualified for the superintendence of a family, and the regulation of a limited income. The consequence may be easily imagined; and in no long interval, he found himself so overwhelmed with pecuniary obligations and perplexities, that ruin stared him in the face.