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JUGGLERS.

in)policy of encouraging jugglers, or that description ofpeople generally recognised as such; but really there seemsinuch to be said in their behalf.

Jugglers then, properly so called, and generally under-stood, should comprehend all those who, for the sake ofmoney, perform tricks by quick and artful motion of theirhands, arms, body, and limbs, to delude the senses, or de-ceive perception in an agreeable manner; or which includesthose who practice deception on spectators, so they thinkthey see and hear, and sometimes feel, what they really donot either hear, see, or feel. In either sense, the practiceappears to be of the most remote antiquity, nearly coevalwith the species. It is, therefore, in vain to look for theera of its invention. Instances might be adduced to prove,that nearly the whole history of man is composed of the feats°f jugglers, cousistiug of religious and political, and legaldeceptions; but, at present, our time and paper is too valu-able to be wasted in such researches. It may, notwith-standing, be worth while to inquire into the antiquity ofthose occupations which have been held to be unprofitableto the public, and which form the favourite amusement ofthe populace. Believing, trusting, and hoping, that somegood may be the result, more than what meets a vulgar eye,we proceed, regardless of the sneers of the critic, or theexceptions of the fastidious: no; we have seen too muchjuggling, to regard either seriously.

There are arts which are of real utility, and those werethe earliest introduced into society; which were conduciveto individual comfort and to general happiness: but a periodarrived when those were ail invented, and when there w r eremore hands brought into the world than could be employedin all those useful arts; what was then to be done?—thosesupernumerary hands must be maintained,—they must beemployed. It was soon discovered that man, after hehad fatigued himself with labour, and also many who hadno share in this labour, whose time hung heavy on theirhands, and for want of mental or corporeal employment,felt most miserable. Those additional and apparently uselessbands, therefore, devised means to participate of the goodstheir various fellow creatures had been labouring for, orwhich some enjoyed in superfluity, by amusing them: theproposal was made, to which the others assented; thereforethere is no appearance of injustice. Hence arose tribes ofauthors, artists, tragedians, comedians, divines, and evenpoliticians, and last of all, though not least, JUGGLERS,properly so called. All these amuse the senses of generalsociety, in one way or other; some exercise the patience,