musty almanacs, some plain prose manuals to advise them. They could never have waited to learn from an epic poem that
the coughing pest
From their green pastures sweeps whole flocks away,
or that
Sheep also pleurisies and dropsies know,
or that
The infectious scab, arising from extremes
Of want or surfeit, is by water cured
Of lime, or sodden stave-acre, or oil
Dispersive of Norwegian tar.
Did the British woolen-drapers of the period require to be told in verse about
Cheyney, and bayse, and serge, and alepine,
Tammy, and crape, and the long countless list
Of woolen webs.
Surely they knew more about their own dry-goods than did Mr. Dyer. Is it possible that British parsons read Mr. Polwhele's "English Orator" for the sake of his somewhat confused advice to preachers?—
Meantime thy Style familiar, that alludes
With pleasing Retrospect to recent Scenes
Or Incidents amidst thy Flock, fresh graved
On Memory, shall recall their scattered Thoughts,
