and resolved at once to baptize the impostor
—for such he had now, in his own mind,
established him to be. It may be here
mentioned that he had arrived at this fact by
a stratagem. He had asked  Psalmanaazaar
to write a passage of Cicero twice in the
Formosan language, and he noticed some
considerable variations in the respective
renderings. He advised the adventurer with
some significance to be more prepared for the
future—a warning of which Psalmanaazaar
took advantage by perfecting his alphabet
and general system, and producing in fact an
entirely new language. He subsequently
accompanied Innes to England, where he
attracted considerable attention amongst the
learned. When a version of the catechism
was made into the pretended Formosan
language, it was pronounced by some of the
first men of the day to be grammatical, and a
real language, from the simple circumstance
that it resembled no other. Next appeared
the Historical and Geographical Description
of Formosa, with accounts of the Religion,
Customs, and Manners of the Inhabitants,
by George Psalmanaazaar, a native of that
Isle, 1704; which contained, besides the
descriptive matter, pictorial illustrations of
their dress, religious ceremonies, their tabernacle,
and altars to the sun, moon, and the
ten stars! their architecture, royal and
domestic habitations, &c. This fabulous
history seems to have been projected by
Innes, who lent Varenius to Psalmanaazaar
to assist him in his task. In the meantime
he trumpeted forth the Formosan and his
work in every possible direction—to such an
extent indeed that the booksellers scarcely
allowed the author two months for the
production of his wonderful volume. The fame
of the work spread far and near. The first
edition was sold at once; but it was not long
before doubts were expressed as to its veracity;
and in the second edition the author
was fain to publish a vindication. The fact was,
he had fallen into some awkward blunders.
He stated, for instance, that the Formosans
sacrificed eighteen thousand male infants
annually; and though this was proved to be
an impossibility in so small an island without
occasioning depopulation, he persisted in not
lessening the number. A lively controversy
upon the subject was kept up for some
years, but eventually the author repented of
his imposture, and made a full confession,
which he left to be printed after his death.
The latter years of his life were passed in
useful literary pursuits, notwithstanding that
he was guilty of a minor imposture in
connexion with his great one—nothing less than
fathering the invention of a white composition
called Formosan japan —which speculation
proved a decided failure. Psalmanaazaar was
a favourite in contemporary literary circles,
where he was recommended by his powers
as a conversationalist. Dr. Johnson took
pleasure in his society, and speaks of him
with respect. He fared better than his patron
Innes, who, in consequence of another
nefarious transaction in which he was engaged,
lost his character, and was generally avoided.
Psalmanaazaar died in May, 1763.

While the author of this startling and
masterly imposture was making amends in
mature age for the failings of his youth, the
representative of a lower class of dishonesty—
a person of inferior abilities and meaner
moral character—was proceeding in a stealthy,
secret manner to undermine the reputation
of one of our greatest English poets. Lauder
was a professional critic of some talent, in a
limited sphere. He contributed to the then
flourishing Gentleman's Magazine; and in
the pages of that periodical attracted
attention by a series of articles, in which he
brought charges of plagiarism against Milton.
The public were not therefore unprepared for
the appearance, in 1750, of a work called " An
Essay on Milton's Use and Imitation of the
Moderns in his Paradise Lost." In the
preface to this work, Lauder says, in reference
to the origin of the poem:

"It is related by steady and uncontroverted
tradition, that Paradise Lost was at first a
tragedy; and, therefore, amongst tragedies
the first hint is properly to be sought. In a
manuscript published from Milton's own
hand, among a great many subjects for
tragedy, is 'Adam Unparadised, or Adam in
Exile;' and this, therefore, may justly be
supposed the embryo of the great poem. When,
therefore, I observed that Adam in exile was
named amongst them, I doubted not but in
finding the original of that tragedy, I should
disclose the genuine source of Paradise Lost.
Nor was my expectation disappointed; for
having found the 'Adamus Exsul' of
Grotius, I found, or imagined myself to find, the
prima stamina of this wonderful poem." The
ingenious critic rendered the admirers of
Milton very uncomfortable, until the appearance
of a pamphlet by Mr. John Douglas;
who had a very simple but very convincing
story to tell. In the year 1690, it appears
there was printed in London a Latin
translation of the Paradise Lost, Paradise
Regained, and Samson Agonistes, by one
Hogæus, as he called himself on the title
page, or Hogg, as he was probably known by
his personal friends. And further, it was
very plainly proved that the greater portion
of the passages cited by Mr. Lauder were
not quotations from Masenius, Grotius, and
the rest, but from the very intelligent translation,
by Hogæus, of Milton himself! The
striking, and frequently literal resemblance
between these quotations and passages in
Milton's works may thus be easily conceived.
In cases where Mr. Lauder had not availed
himself of Hogæus, he had not scrupled to
interpolate, and manufacture whole passages,
which never had any existence in the writings of
the authors from whom he pretended to quote.

Whatever doubt might exist after Mr.