hitherto been only the records of what men have been daily a-doing, I propose to publish a newspaper of a different kind, which shall contain the daily intelligence of all such things as are not done.

For the benefit of such as chuse to encourage my undertaking, I send you a specimen of the work, which I can safely promise, and hereby engage, shall contain more in quantity than any other periodical register whatever.

Saturday last, being the festival of Christmas, a day which the late worthy Sir Thomas W

used to commemorate by giving a warm dinner to all the poor of the parish, the same was celebrated by his son, the present Sir Thomas, with no solemnity whatever.'

Yesterday George P, Esq; who, by the death of an uncle, succeeded lately to an estate of £.4000 per annum, gave no answer to five charityletters from the natural children of his deceased relation, and their mother, who works hard for their 'maintenance.'

In the course of last week four poor people died in the streets-owing to the great inclemency of the • season.'

On Friday the 24th ult. the Duke of

visited the Royal Infirmary of this city, and, after perusing the list of contributions to that humane and useful foundation, was pleased to give a

pinch of snuff to the gentleman that stood next

• him.'

It was confidently reported some days ago, that • C——————— W———————, Esq. had paid his father's debts; 'but this, we are assured, is without foundation.'

In the action lately brought by E. L. a pauper, against her son-in-law Lord. -- for an alimony, 'several eminent counsel being applied to in behalf

of the plaintiff, refused to take any concern in so shameful a prosecution.'

W. P. Esq; who lately sustained a considerable loss by play, has not, as was asserted, sold his hunters and pack of harriers. He has only dismissed his chaplain, and cut off the allowance of some su'perannuated domestics, on whom his father bestow. ed annual pensions.'

Whereas it has been reported, that R. V. Esq; who sometime ago made a composition with his 'creditors of five shillings in the pound, has of late given several entertainments of three courses, we are desired to inform the public, from the best authority, viz. his butler, that the said gentleman never gives more than two courses and a desert.'

Last night, between the hours of nine and ten, a fire broke out in the kitchen of R. H. Esq; which, after burning with some violence, for two hours, was happily extinguished. It did no farther damage than the consuming of about 20 lb, of coals. It is surprising how very few such accicidents have happened of late years.'

Such, Mr. MIRROR, is the nature of the paper which I propose shall daily give intelligence of whatever is omitted to be done in this city and its environs. Besides the recommendation of novelty, its general usefulness must be so apparent, that I can have very little doubt of its extensive circulation.

I am, Sir,

Your most obedient servant,

INTEGER.

I have been favoured, by an ingenious Correspondent, with the following observations on Pastoral Poetry.

No species of poetry has given occasion to more observation and criticism than what is called pas toral; though I am still inclined to suspect that the nature of this composition has not, after all, been properly ascertained. The critics have prescribed a great number of rules upon that subject, but without attempting to point out any principle in nature upon which they are founded; expecting perhaps, that, like receipts, they should be implicitly followed upon the mere authority of the persons by whom they are delivered. Thus we are informed that an eclogue, or pastoral, is an imitation of the action of a shepherd, or of one considered under that character; and that those who have introduced reapers, or fishermen, into this sort of composition, have acted improperly. Although an eclogue, however, ought to represent the manners of a shepherd, we are told that those manners should be painted, not as they are found in nature, but according to an ideal standard of perfection in what is called the golden age, where mankind live a life of simplicity untainted by vice, and maintain a serenity and tranquillity of mind undisturbed by avarice or ambition. In short, the actions of a shepherd, exibited in this sort of writing, ought to have little resemblance to such as exist at present among that class of people, or probably ever did exist in any period of the world.

Is there not something mighty whimsical and arbitrary in these critical tenets? May we not be permitted to ask why a species of poetry should be appropriated to one particular profession or occupation, in contradistinction to all others? What is there in the life of a shepherd to distinguish it from that of the other inhabitants of a country, and to mark the peculiar style and character of those verses which are employed in describing it?

A pastoral ought, in my opinion, to be distinguished from any other poem, not so much by the class of people whom it proposes to exhibit, as by the kind of sentiments which it is designed to express. Love and friendship give rise to sentiments which are apt to engross the whole imagination, and to have an extensive influence upon the disposition and temper. The sensibility and delicacy produced in a mind where these affections are prevalent, is liable to be disgusted with the ordinary commerce of society, to feel an aversion to the cares and bustle of an active life, and a high relish for the ease and indolent enjoyments connected with rural retire

ment.

And Wisdom's self

Oft seeks the sweet retired solitude,

Where, with her best nurse Contemplation,
She plumes her feathers, and lets grow her wings,
That in the bustling hurry of resort,

Were all too ruffled, and sometimes impair'd.

As these dispositions and sentiments have a peculiar tone and character, that poetry in which they are expressed is, with propriety, considered as dis tinct from every other; being obviously different from that which is employed in describing great and heroic actions, or from that which is intended to call forth sympathy by scenes of distress, or from that

which is calculated to excite laughter by exhibiting objects of folly and ridicule.

In a poem expressive of tender sentiments, it secms necessary that the scene should be laid at a distance from places of business and public resort, and should be filled with a description of rural objects and amusements. Shepherds, therefore being the earliest inhabitants of the country, enjoying ease and happiness, were naturally pitched upon as the only persons who could, with probability, be represented in compositions of this nature. Hence it seems to have arisen, that the readers of such poems, and even critics, attending more to the sensible objects that were exhibited, than to the end which the poet had in view, have considered that as primary which was merely an accidental circumstance; and have regarded the employment of tending flocks as essential in the perfons represented. It is in consequence of this that the name of pastoral is now commonly appropriated to that sort of composition, which has been substituted in place of Eclogues, Idyllia, Sylva, and several others used by ancient authors. No reason, however, occurs for adhering to those early ideas in the present state of the world, where the situation of things is totally changed. Many people at present may, with probability, be supposed to live in the country, whose situation in life has no connection with that of shepherds, and yet whose character is equally suitable to the sentiments which ought to prevail in that species of writing.

It may even be doubted whether the represen tation of sentiments belonging to the real inhabitants of the country, who are strangers to all refinement, or those entertained by a person of an elegant and cultivated mind, who, from choice, retires into the country, with a view of enjoying those pleasures which it affords, is calculated to produce a