custom, that people are drawn in postures they | paration for your dinner. Soon after your meal would not for half they are worth be surprised in. The unparalleled fierceness of some rural esquires drawn in red, or in armour, who never dreamed to destroy any thing above a fox, is a common and ordinary offence of this kind. But I shall give an account of our whole gallery on another occasion. I DID myself the honour this day to make a visit to a lady of quality, who is one of those that are ever railing at the vices of the age, but mean only one vice, because it is the only vice they are not guilty of. She went so far as to fall foul on a young woman, who has had imputations; but whether they were just or not, no one knows but herself. However that is, she is in her present behaviour modest, humble, pious and discreet. I thought it became me to bring this censorious lady to reason, and let her see she was a much more vicious woman than the person she spoke of. 4 you make visits, and the whole world that belongs to you speaks all the ill of you which you are repeating of others. You see, madam, whatever way you go, all about you are in a very broad one. The morality of these people it is your proper business to inquire into; and until you reform them, you had best let your equals alone; otherwise, if I allow you, you are not vicious, you must allow me you are not virtuous.' I took my leave, and received at my coming home the following letter: MR. BICKERSTAFF,-I have lived a pure and undefiled virgin these twenty-seven years; and I assure you, it is with great grief and sorrow of heart I tell you, that I become weary and impatient of the derision of the gigglers of our sex; who call me old maid, and tell me, I shall lead apes. If you are truly a patron of the distressed, and an adept in astrology, you will advise whether I shall, or ought to be prevailed upon by the impertinences of my own sex, to give way to the importunities of yours. sure you, I am surrounded with both, though at present a forlorn. I am, &c." I as Madam,' said I, 'you are very severe to this poor young woman, for a trespass which I be. I must defer my answer to this lady out of a lieve Heaven has forgiven her, and for which point of chronology. She says, she has been you see, she is for ever out of countenance.' twenty-seven years a maid; but I fear, accordNay, Mr. Bickerstaff,' she interrupted, if you ing to a common error, she dates her virginity at this time of day contradict people of virtue, from her birth, which is a very erroneous meand stand up for ill women'No, no, madam,' thod; for a woman of twenty is no more to be said I, not so fast; she is reclaimed, and I fear thought chaste so many years, than a man of you never will be. Nay, nay, madam, do not that age can be said to have been so long valiant. be in a passion; but let me tell you what you We must not allow people the favour of a virtue, are. You are indeed as good as your neighbours; until they have been under the temptation to but that is being very bad. You are a woman the contrary. A woman is not a maid until her at the head of a family, and lead a perfect town-birth-day, as we call it, of her fifteenth year. lady's life. You go on your own way, and consult nothing but your glass. What imperfections indeed you see there, you immediately mend as fast as you can. You may do the same by the faults I tell you of; for they are much more in your power to correct. 'You are to know, then, that you visiting ladies that carry your virtue from house to house with so much prattle in each other's applause, and triumph over other people's faults, I grant you, have but the speculation of vice in your own conversations; but promote the practice of it in all others you have to do with. My plaintiff is therefore desired to inform me whether she is at present in her twenty-eighth or forty-third year, and she shall be despatched accordingly. St. James's Coffee-house, August 11. A merchant came hither this morning, and read a letter from a correspondent of his at Milan. It was dated the 7th instant, N. S. The following is an abstract of it: On the 25thof the last month, five thousand men were on their march in the Lampourdan, under the command of general Wesell, having received 'As for you, madam, your time passes away orders from his catholic majesty to join him in in dressing, eating, sleeping, and praying.his camp with all possible expedition. The When you rise in a morning, I grant you an hour spent very well; but you come out to dress in so froward a humour, that the poor girl who attends you, curses her very being in that she is your servant, for the peevish things you say to her. When this poor creature is put into a way, that good or evil are regarded but as they relieve her from the hours she has and must pass with you; the next you have to do with is your coachman and footmen. They convey your ladyship to church. While you are praying there they are cursing, swearing, and drinking in an ale-house. During the time also which your ladyship sets apart for heaven, you are to know, that your cook is sweating and fretting in pre duke of Anjou soon had intelligence of their motion, and took a resolution to decamp, in order to intercept them within a day's march of our ariny. The king of Spain was apprehensive the enemy might make such a movement, and commanded general Stanhope with a body of horse, consisting of fourteen squadrons, to observe their course, and prevent their passage over the rivers Segra and Noguera, between Lerida and Balaguer. It happened to be the first day that officer had appeared abroad after a dangerous and violent fever; but he received the king's commands on this occasion with a joy which surmounted his present weakness, and on the twenty-seventh of last month came Sunday, August 13. up with the enemy on the plains of Balaguer. The duke of Anjou's rear-guard, consisting of If there were no other consequences of it, twenty-six squadrons, that general sent intelligence of their posture to the king, and desired but barely that human creatures on this day ashis majesty's orders to attack them. During semble themselves before their Creator, without the time which he waited for his instructions, regard to their usual employments, their minds he made his disposition for the charge, which at leisure from the cares of this life, and their was to divide themselves into three bodies; one bodies adorned with the best attire they can be. to be commanded by himself in the centre, a stow on them; I say, were this mere outward body on the right by count Maurice of Nassau, celebration of a sabbath all that is expected from and the third on the left by the earl of Roch- men, even that were a laudable distinction, and ford. Upon the receipt of his majesty's di- a purpose worthy the human nature. But when rection to attack the enemy, the general him- there is added to it the sublime pleasure of deself charged with the utmost vigour and reso-votion, our being is exalted above itself; and he lution, while the earl of Rochford and count who spends a seventh day in the contemplation Maurice extended themselves on his right and of the next life, will not easily fall into the corleft, to prevent the advantage the enemy might ruptions of this in the other six. They, who make of the superiority of their numbers. never admit thoughts of this kind into their imaWhat appears to have misled the enemy's gen than can be raised by any other entertainment. ginations, lose higher and sweeter satisfactions eral in this affair was, that it was not supposed The most illiterate man who is touched with practicable that the confederates would attack him till they had received a reinforcement. devotion, and uses frequent exercises of it, conFor this reason, he pursued his march without tracts a certain greatness of mind, mingled with facing about till we were actually coming on of the same condition; and there is an indelible a noble simplicity, that raises him above those to engagement. General Stanhope's disposition made it impracticable to do it at that time; mark of goodness in those who sincerely possess count Maurice and the earl of Rochford at it. It is hardly possible it should be otherwise; tacking them in the instant in which they for the fervours of a pious mind will naturally were forming themselves. The charge was made with the greatest gallantry, and the enemy very soon put into so great disorder, that their whole cavalry were commanded to sup port their rear-guard. Upon the advance of this reinforcement, all the horse of the king of Spain were come up to sustain general Stanhope, insomuch, that the battle improved to a general engagement of the cavalry of both armies. After a warm dispute for some time, it ended in the utter defeat of all the duke of Anjou's horse. Upon the despatch of these advices, that prince was retiring towards Lerida. We have no account of any considerable loss on our side, except that both these heroic youths, the earl of Rochford and count Nassau, fell in this action. They were, you know, both sons of persons who had a great place in the confidence of your late king William; and I doubt not but their deaths will endear their families, which were enobled by him, in your nation. General Stanhope has been reported by the enemy dead of his wounds; but he received only a slight contusion on the shoulder. contract such an earnestness and attention towards a better being, as will make the ordinary passages of life go off with a becoming indifferwill not appear mean, or, in the most splendid ence. By this, a man in the lowest condition, fortune, insolent. der which men are ordinarily entangled with the utmost sorrow and passion, one who is devoted to heaven, when he falls into such difficulties, is led by a clue through a labyrinth. As to this world, he does not pretend to skill in the mazes of it; but fixes his thoughts upon one certainty, that he shall soon be out of it. And we may ask very boldly, what can be a more sure consolation than to have a hope in death? When men are arrived at thinking of their very dissolution with pleasure, how few things are there that can be terrible to them! Certainly, nothing can be dreadful to such spirits, but what would make death terrible to them, falsehood towards man, or impiety towards heaven. To such as these, as there are certainly many such, the gratification of innocent pleasures are doubled, even with reflections upon their imperfection. The disappointments which naturally attend the great promises we make ourselves in expected enjoyments, strike no damp upon such. men, but only quicken their hopes of soon knowing joys which are too pure to admit of allay or satiety. As to all the intricacies and vicissitudes, un It is thought, among the politer sort of mankind, an imperfection to want a relish of any of those things which refine our lives. This is the foundation of the acceptance which eloquence, music, and poetry make in the world; and I know not why devotion, considered merely as an exaltation of our happiness, should not at least be so far regarded as to be considered. It is possible the very inquiry would lead men into such thoughts and gratifications as they did not expect to meet with in this place. Many a good acquaintance has been lost from a general prepossession in his disfavour, and a severe aspect has often hid under it a very agreeable companion. There are no distinguishing qualities among men to which there are not false pretenders; but though none is more pretended to than that of devotion, there are perhaps fewer successful impostors in this kind than any other. There is something so natively great and good in a person that is truly devout, that an awkward man may as well pretend to be genteel, as a hypocrite to be pious. The constraint in words and actions are equally visible in both cases; and any thing set up in their room, does but remove the endeavourers farther off from their pretensions. But, however the sense of true piety is abated, there is no other motive of action that can carry us through all the vicissitudes of life with alacrity and resolution. But piety, like philosophy, when it is superficial, does but make men appear the worse for it; and a principle that is but half received, docs but distract, instead of guiding our behaviour. When I reflect upon the unequal conduct of Lotius, I see many things that run directly counter to his interest; therefore I cannot attribute his labours for the public good, to ambition. When I consider his disregard to his fortune, I cannot esteem him covetous. How then can I reconcile his neglect of himself, and his zeal for others? I have long suspected him to be a 'little pious: but no man ever hid his vice with greater caution than he does his virtue. It was the praise of a great Roman, that he had rather be, than appear good.' But such is the weakness of Lotius, that I dare say, he had rather be esteemed irreligious than devout. By I know not what impatience of raillery, he is wonderfully fearful of being thought too great a believer. A hundred little devices are made use of to hide a time of private devotion; and he will allow you any suspicion of his being ill employed, so you do not tax him with being well. But alas! how mean is such a behaviour? To boast of virtue, is a most ridiculous way of disappointing the merit of it, but not so pitiful as that of being ashamed of it. How unhappy is the wretch, who makes the most absolute and independent motive of action the cause of perplexity and in. constancy! How different å figure does Cali. colo make with all who know him! His great and superior mind, frequently exalted by the raptures of heavenly meditation, is to all his friends of the same use, as if an angel were to appear at the decision of their disputes. They very well understand, he is as much disinterested and unbiassed as such a being. He considers all applications made to him, as those addresses will affect his own application to heaven. All his determinations are delivered with a beautiful humility; and he pronounces his decisions with the air of one who is more frequently a supplicant than a judge. This appears to be one of Steele's political papers, in which his principal design seems to have been, to conford, the treasurer then in office, with that of lord Go dolphin, who was his lordship's immediate predecessor, trast the character of Mr. Harley, afterwards lord Ox Thus humble, and thus great, is the man who is moved by piety, and exalted by devotion. But behold this recommended by the masterly hand of a great divine I have heretofore made bold with. It is such a pleasure as can never cloy or overwork the mind; a delight that grows and improves under thought and reflection; and while it exercises, does also endear itself to the mind. All pleasures that affect the body must needs weary, because they transport; and all transportation is a violence; and no violence can be lasting; but determines upon the falling of the spirits, which are not able to keep up that height of motion that the pleasure of the senses raises them to. And therefore how inevitably does an immoderate laughter end in a sigh, which is only nature's recovering itself after a force done to it: but the religious pleasure of a well-disposed mind moves gently, and therefore constantly. It does not affect by rupture and ecstacy, but is like the pleasure of health, greater and stronger than those that call up the senses with grosser and more affecting impressions. No man's body is as strong as his appetites; but Heaven has corrected the boundlessness of his voluptuous desires by stinting his strength, and contracting his capacitics.-The pleasure of the religious man is an easy and a portable pleasure, such a one as he carries about in his bosom, without alarming either the eye or the envy of the world. A man putting all his pleasures into this one, is like a traveller putting all his goods into one jewel; the value is the same, and the convenience greater.' I think the lady's brother has given us a very good idea of that elegant expression; it being the greatest beauty of speech to be close and intelligible. To this end, nothing is to be more carefully consulted than plainness. In a lady's attire, this is the single excellence; for to be, what some people call, fine, is the same vice in that case, as to be florid, is in writing or speaking. I have studied and writ on this important subject, until I almost despair of making a reformation in the females of this island; where we have more beauty than in any spot in the universe, if we did not disguise it by false garniture, and detract from it by impertinent im. provements. I have by me a treatise concerning pinners, which, I have some hopes, will contribute to the amendment of the present head. dresses, to which I have solid and unanswerable each other, the spark, to my greater surprise, set them a galloping. I bethought myself of objections. But most of the errors in that, and other particulars of adorning the head, are crept into the world from the ignorance of modern tirewomen; for it is come to that pass, that an awkward creature in the first year of her apprenticeship, that can hardly stick a pin, shall take upon her to dress a woman of the first qual-gar, who delights to fright innocent people, and ity. However, it is certain, that there requires in a good tirewoman, a perfect skill in optics; for all the force of ornament is to contribute to the intention of the eyes. Thus she, who has a mind to look killing, must arm her face accordingly, and not leave her eyes and cheeks undressed. There is Araminta, who is so sensible of this, that she never will see even her own husband, without a hood* on. Can any one living bear to see Miss Gruel, lean as she is, with her hair tied back after the modern way? But such is the folly of our ladies, that because one who is a beauty, out of ostentation of her being such, takes care to wear something that she knows cannot be of any consequence to her complexion; I say, our women run on so heedlessly in the fashion, that though it is the interest of some to hide as much of their faces as possible, yet because a leading toast appeared with a backward head-dress, the rest shall follow the mode, without observing that the author of the fashion assumed it because it could become no one but herself. Flavia is ever well-dressed, and always the genteelest woman you meet: but the make of her mind very much contributes to the ornament of her body. She has the greatest simplicity of manners of any of her sex. This makes every thing look native about her, and her clothes are so exactly fitted, that they appear, as it were, part of her person. Every one that sees her knows her to be of quality; but her distinction is owing to her manner, and not to her habit. Her beauty is full of attraction, but not of allurement. There is such a composure in her looks, and propriety in her dress, that you would think it impossible she should change the garb, you one day see her in, for any thing so becoming, until you next day see her in another. There is no other mystery in this, but that however she is apparelled, she is herself the same; for there is so immediate a relation between our thoughts and gestures, that a woman must think well to look well. But this weighty subject I must put off for some other matters, in which my correspondents are urgent for answers; which I shall do where I can, and appeal to the judgment of others where I cannot. August 15, 1710. MR. BICKER STAFF,-Taking the air the other day on horseback in the green lane that leads to Southgate, I discovered coming towards me a person well mounted in a mask; and I accordingly expected, as any one would, to have been robbed. But when we came up with *Hoods of various kinds began to come into fashion in the latter part of the reign of Charles II. † In the process of a few succeeding years, so much injury was done in various ways, by disorderly persons fisguised with masks, crapes, and blackened faces, that 'SIR,-The gentleman begs your pardon, and frighted you out of fear of frighting you; for he is just come out of the small pox.' 'MR. BICKERSTAFF,-Your distinction con. cerning the time of commencing virgins is allowed to be just. I write you my thanks for it, in the twenty-eighth year of my life, and twelfth of my virginity. But I am to ask you another question; may a woman be said to live any more years a maid, than she continues to be courted? I am, &c.' August 15, 1710. 'SIR,-I observe that the Postman of Saturday last, giving an account of the action in Spain, has this elegant turn of expression; general Stanhope, who in the whole action expressed as much bravery as conduct, received a contusion in his right shoulder. I should be glad to know, whether this cautious politician means to commend or to rally him, by saying, He expressed as much bravery as conduct?' If you can explain this dubious phrase, it will inform the public, and oblige, Sir, No. 213.] . Your humble servant, &c.' Saturday, August 19, 1710. Sheer-lane, August 18. THERE has of late crept in among the downright English a mighty spirit of dissimulation. But, before we discourse of this vice, it will be necessary to observe, that the learned make a difference between simulation and dissimulation. Simulation is a pretence of what is not, and dissimulation is a concealment of what is. The latter is our present affair. When you look round you in public places in this island, you see the generality of mankind carry in it was thought necessary to pass the law which is called The Black Act. Stat. 9 Geo. I. c. 22. The ladies at this time rode in masks. See Swift's 'Works, Vol. XXII. p. 269. To give you an opportunity of making us some reparation, I desire you would tell, your own way, the following instance of heroic love in the city. You are to remember, that somewhere in your writings for enlarging the territories of virtue and honour, you have multiplied the opportunities of attaining to heroic virtue; and have hinted, that in whatever state of life a man is, if he does things above what is ordinarily performed by men of his rank, he is in those instances a hero. their countenance an air of challenge or defi- | subject on which a man is more beholden to ance; and there is no such man to be found nature for his eloquence, than to the instruction among us, who naturally strives to do greater of the schools, or my lady's woman. From the honours and civilities than he receives. This two latter your scholar and page must have innate sullenness or stubbornness of complexion reaped all their advantage above him.-I know is hardly to be conquered by any of our islanders. by this time you have pronounced me a trader. For which reason, however they may pretend I acknowledge it; but cannot bear the excluto choose one another, they make but very sion from any pretence of speaking agreeably to awkward rogues; and their dislike to each other a fine woman, or from any degree of generosity is seldom so well dissembled, but it is suspected. that way. You have among us citizens many When once it is so, it had as good be professed. well-wishers; but it is for the justice of your A man who dissembles well must have none of representations, which we, perhaps, are better what we call stomach, otherwise he will be cold judges of than you (by the account you give of in his professions of good will where he hates; your nephew) seem to allow. an imperfection of the last ill consequence in business. This fierceness in our natures is apparent from the conduct of our young fellows, who are not got into the schemes and arts of life which the children of the world walk by. One would think that, of course, when a man of any consequence for his figure, his mien, or his gravity, passes by a youth, he should certainly have the first advances of salutation; but he is, you may observe, treated in a quite different manner; it being the very characteristic of an English temper to defy. As I am an English- Tom Trueman, a young gentleman of eigh man, I find it a very hard matter to bring my teen years of age, fell passionately in love with self to pull off the hat first; but it is the only the beauteous Almira, daughter to his master. way to be upon any good terms with those we Her regard for him was no less tender. Truemeet with. Therefore the first advance is of man was better acquainted with his master's high moment. Men judge of others by them-affairs than his daughter; and secretly lamentselves; and he that will command with used that each day brought him, by many mismust condescend. It moves one's spleen very agreeably, to see fellows pretend to be dissemblers without this lesson. They are so reservedly complaisant, until they have learned to resign their natural passions, that all the steps they make towards gaining those whom they would be well with, are but so many marks of what they really are, and not of what they would appear. The rough Britons, when they pretend to be artful towards one another, are ridiculous enough; but when they set up for vices they have not, and dissemble their good with an affectation of ill, they are insupportable. I know two men in this town who make as good figures as any in it, that manage their credit so well as to be thought atheists, and yet say their prayers morning and evening. Tom Springly, the other day, pretended to go to an assignment with a married woman at Rosamond's Pond, and was seen soon after reading the responses with great gravity at six o'clock prayers. Sheer-lane, August 17. Though the following epistle bears a just accusation of myself, yet in regard it is a more advantageous piece of justice to another, I insert it at large. carriages, nearer bankruptcy than the former. This unhappy posture of their affairs the youth suspected, was owing to the ill management of a factor in whom his master had an entire confidence. Trueman took a proper occasion, when his master was ruminating on his decaying fortune, to address him for leave to spend the remainder of his time with his foreign correspondent. During three years stay in that employment, he became acquainted with all that concerned his master, and by his great address in the management of that knowledge, saved him ten thousand pounds. Soon after this accident, Trueman's uncle left him a considerable estate. Upon receiving that advice, he returned to England, and demanded Almira of her father. The father, overjoyed at the match, offered him the ten thousand pounds he had saved him, with the further proposal of resigning to him all his business. Trueman refused both; and retired into the country with his bride, contented with his own fortune, though perfectly skilled in all the methods of improving it. It is to be noted, that Trueman refused twenty thousand pounds with another young lady; so that reckoning both his self-denials, he is to have in your court the merit of having given thirty thousand pounds for the woman he loved. This gentleman I claim your justice to; and hope you will be convinced that some of us have larger views than only Cash Debtor, per contra Creditor.-Yours, RICHARD TRAFFICK.' Garraway's Coffee-house, August 10. 'MR. BICKERSTAFF,-I have lately read your paper, wherein you represent a conversation between a young lady, your three nephews, and yourself; and am not a little offended at the figure you give your young merchant in the tered among the heroes of domestic life. presence of a beauty. The topic of love is a 'Mr. Thomas Trueman of Lime-strect is en CHARLES LILLIE. |