Those who sat on each
side, nearest the president, were generally distinguished by venerable
ties, the foretops of which exhibited a surprising diversity; some
of them rose slanting backwards, like the glacis of a fortification;
some were elevated in two distinct eminences, like the hills Helicon
and Parnassus; and others were curled and reflected, as the horns
of Jupiter Ammon. Next to these, the majors took place, many of
which were mere succedanea, made by the application of an occasional
rose to the tail of a lank bob; and in the lower form appeared
masses of hair, which would admit of no description.
Their clothes were tolerably well suited to the furniture of their
heads, the apparel of the upper bench being decent and clean, while
that of the second class was threadbare and soiled; and at the
lower end of the room, he perceived divers efforts made to conceal
their rent breeches and dirty linen; nay, he could distinguish
by their countenances the different kinds of poetry in which they
exercised the muse. He saw Tragedy conspicuous in a grave solemnity
of regard; Satire louring in a frown of envy and discontent; Elegy
whining in a funeral aspect; Pastoral dozing in a most insipid
languor of face; Ode-writing delineated in a distracted stare; and
Epigram squinting with a pert sneer.
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