MISCELLANIES. THE CLOWN'S REPLY. John Trott was desir'd by two witty peers, To tell them the reason why asses had ears; PROLOGUE, WRITTEN AND SPOKEN BY THE POET LABERIUS, A ROMAN Preserved by Macrobius.† WHAT! no way left to shun th' inglorious stage, * [This is the only effusion preserved of several, which Goldsmith is said to have written while a student at Edinburgh.] + [This translation was first printed in "The Present State of Polite Learning," in 1759; but was omitted in the second edition, which appeared in 1774. Decimus Laberius was made a Roman knight by Julius Cæsar. For a long period he maintained the first character as a farce writer; but Publius Syrus at last became his rival, and carried off the applause of the theatre See Aulus Gellius, l. iii., c. 7; and Hor. Sat. lib. i sat. x.) Scarce half alive, oppress'd with many a year, THE LOGICIANS REFUTED. In imitation of Dean Swift.* Logicians have but ill defin'd As rational the human mind; [First printed in the "Busy Body," 1759; to draw attention to which ⚫ublication it was announced as the production of the Dean of St. Patrick. It was included in the Dublin edition of his works, and is continued by Sir Walter Scott, who had doubtless forgotten its position in the works of Goldsmith. See Life, ch. ix. Reason, they say, belongs to man, By ratiocinations specious, Have strove to prove with great precision, Homo est ratione preditum ; But for my soul I cannot credit 'em; Than reason, boasting mortals' pride; Deus est anima brutorum. Who ever knew an honest brute At law his neighbor prosecute, Bring action for assault and battery, Or friend beguile with lies and flattery? No politics disturb their mind; They eat their meals and take their sport, They never to the levee go To treat as dearest friend, a foe; They never importune his Grace, Nor ever cringe to men in place; 1 Nor undertake a dirty job, Nor draw the quill to write for Bob:* [Sir Robert Walpole the object of so much vituperation by Sw Fraught with invective they ne'er go At court, the porters, lacqueys, waiters, |