Note 49 — HOGARTH.

When this ample, nay, redundant, apology by Dr. Joseph Warton first made its appearance, Hogarth was highly delighted with as much of it as he understood. But, not knowing the import of the word ΗθΟΣ [Greek: Ethos], he hastened to his friends for information. All, in their turn, sported with his want of skill in the learned languages; first telling him it was Greek for one strange thing, and then for another, so that his mind remained in a state of suspence; as, for aught he knew to the contrary, some such meaning might lie under these crooked letters, as would overset the compliments paid him in the former parts of the paragraph. No short time, therefore, had passed before he could determine whether he ought to retract or continue his charge against his adversary: but it was at last obliterated. For several months afterwards, however, poor Hogarth never praised his provision or his wine, without being asked what proportion of the ΗθΟΣ [Greek: Ethos] he supposed to be in either.