ADVICE FOR JUDGING OF POETRY.

Cardinal de Retz desired Menage to favour him with a few lectures on

poetry; “for,” said he, “such quantities of verses are brought to me

every day, that I ought to seem, at least, to be somewhat of a

judge.”--“It would,” replied Menage, “be difficult to give your eminence

many rudiments of criticism, without taking up too much of your time.

But I would advise you, in general, to look over the first page or two,

and then to exclaim, _Sad stuff! wretched poetaster! miserable verses!_

Ninety-nine times in a hundred you will be sure you are right.”

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