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his manner; the correspondent simplicity and energy of his style; the close and logi cal connection of his thoughts; and the easy gradations by which she opens his sight on the attentive minds of his hearers. The audience are never permitted to pause for a moment. There is no stopping to weave garlands of flowers, to hang in festoons, around a favourite argument. On the contrary, every sentence is progressive-every idea sheds new light on the subject-the lis tener is kept perpetually in that sweetly pleasurable vibration, with which the mind of man always receives new truths-the dawn advances in easy but unremitting pace-the subject opens gradually on the view-until, rising, in high relief, in all its native colours and proportions, the argument is consummated by the conviction of the delighted hearer.

The success of this gentleman has rendered it doubtful with several literary characters in this country, whether a high fancy be of real use or advantage to any one but a poet. They contend, that although the most beautiful flights of the happiest fancy, interspersed through an argument, may give an audience the momentary, delightful swell of admiration, the transient thrill of the divinest rapture; yet that they produce no lasting effect in forwarding the purpose of the speaker: On the contrary that they break the unity and disperse the force of an argument, which otherwise advancing in close array,

like the phalanx of Sparta, would carry every thing before it. They give an instance in the celebrated Curran and pretend that his fine fancy, although it fires, dissolves and even transports his audience to a momentary frenzy, is a real and a fatal misfortune to his clients;bas it calls off the attention of the jurors from the intrinsick and essential merits of the defence; eclipses the justice of the client's cause in the blaze of the advocate's talents; induces a suspicion of the guilt, which requires such a glorious display of refulgence to divert the inquiry and substitutes a fruitless short lived extacy, in the place of permanent and substantial, conviction. Hence, they say, that the client of Mr. Curran is invariably the victim of the prosecution which that able and eloquent advocate is employed to resist. The doctrine, in the abstract, may be true, or, as Doc Doctor 3 Doubty says, it may not be true; for the present, I will not trouble you, with the expression of my opinion. I fear, however - my dear S*******, that Mr. Currans's fail Oures, may be traced to a cause very different 0 from any fault, either in the style or execuOvation of his enchanting defences: a causebut I am forgetting that this letter has yet to cross the Atlantick.*

The sentiment which is suppressed, seems to wear livery of Bedford, Moira and the Prince of Wales.

the of Motvorens dored! S

"the *****

To return to of the United States. His political adversaries alledge that he is a mere lawyer; that his mind has been so long trammelled by judicial precedent, so long habituated to the quart and tierce of forensick digladiation (as Doct. Johnson would probably have called it) as to be unequal to the discussion of a great question of state. Mr. Currán in his defence of Rowan, seems to have sanctioned the probability of such an effect from such a cause, when he complains of his own mind as having been narrowed and circumscribed by a strict and technical adherence to established forms; but in the next breath, an astonishing burst of the grandest thought and a power of comprehension to which there seems to be no earthly limit, proves that his complaint, as it relates to himself, is entirely without foundation. Indeed, if the objection to the ***** ***** mean any thing more, than that he has not had the same illumination and exercise in matters of state as if he had devoted his life to them, I am unwilling to admit it. The force of a cannon is the same, whether pointed at a rampart or a man of war, although practice may have made the engineer more expert in the one case than in the other. So it is clear that practice may give a man a greater command over one class of subjects than another; but the inherent energy of his mind remains the

same, whithersoever it may be directed. From this impression, I have never seen any cause to wonder at what is called an universal genius; it proves only that the man has applied a powerful mind to the consideration of a great variety of subjects, and pays a compliment rather to his superiour intellect.. I am very certain that the gentleman of whom we are speaking possesses acumen which might constitute him an universal genius, according to the usual acceptation of the phrase. But if he be the truant which his warmest friends represent him to be, there is very little probability that he will ever reach this distinction.

Think you my dear S*******, that the two gentlemen whom I have attempted to pourtray to you, were, according to the notion of Helvetius, born with equal minds,and that accident or education have produced the striking difference which we perceive to exist between them? I wish it were the case; and that the ***** ******* would be pleased to reveal to us by what accident or what system of education he has acquired his peculiar sagacity and promptitude. Until this shall be done, I fear I must consider the hypothesis of Helvetius as a splendid and flattering dream. But I tire you :-adieu, for the prescut, friend and guardian of my youth.

FINIS

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