plaufible ftory, that I laughed at their contrivance, and agreed to do whatever they fhould require of me. They immediately began to fwaddle me up in my night-gown with long pieces of linen, which they folded about me till they had wrapt me in above an hundred yards of fwathe: My arms were prefied to my fides, and my legs clofed together by fo many wrappers one over another, that I looked like an Egyptian mummy. As I ftood bolt upright upon one end in this antique figure, one of the ladies • burst out a laughing. "And now, Pontignan, fays the, we intend to perform the promife that we find you "have extorted from each of us. You have often afked "the favour of us, and I dare fay you are a better bred cavalier than to refufe to go to bed to two "ladies, that defire it of you." After having stood · a fit of laughter, I begged them to uncafe me, and do with me what they pleafed. No, no, faid they, we like you very well as you are; and upon that • ordered me to be carried to one of their houfes, and put to bed in all my fwaddles. The room was lighted up on all fides and I was laid very decently between a pair of fleets, with my head (which was indeed the only part I could move) upon a very high pillow: This was no fooner done, but my two female friends came into bed to me in their fineft night-clothes, You may easily guefs at the condition of a man that faw a couple of the most beautiful women in the world undrest and a bed with him, without being able to ftir hand or foot. I begged them to releafe me, and ftruggled all I could to get loofe, which I did with fo much violence, that about midnight they both leaped out of the bed, crying out they were ⚫ undone. But feeing me fafe, they took their pofts again, and renewed their raillery. Finding all my prayers and endeavours were loft, I compofed myself as well as I could, and told them, that if they would not unbind me, I would fall afleep between them, and by that means difgrace them for ever: But alas ! this was impoffible; could I have been difpofed to it, they would have prevented me by feveral little illnatured caresses and endearments which they bestowed upon · upon me. As much devoted as I am to womankind, I would not pass fuch another night to be mafter of the whole fex. My reader will doubtless be curious to ⚫ know what became of me the next morning: Why truly my bed-fellows left me about an hour before day, and told me, if I would be good and lie ftill, they would fend fome body to take me up as foon as it was time for me to rife: Accordingly about nine 'o'clock in the morning an old woman came to un• fwathe me. I bore all this very patiently, being refolved to take my revenge of my tormenters, and to keep no measures with them as foon as I was at liberty; but upon asking my old woman what was ⚫ become of the two ladies, the told me the believed they were by that time within fight of Paris, for that they went away in a coach and fix before five o'clock in the morning. L N° 91 Thursday, June 14. In furias ignemque ruunt, amor omnibus idem. Virg. Georg. 3. v. 244 They rush into the flame; For love is lord of all, and is in all the fame. T DRYDEN. HO' the fubject I am now going upon would be much more properly the foundation of a comedy, I cannot forbear inferting the circumstances which pleased me in the account a young lady gave me of the loves of a family in town, which fhall be namelefs; or rather for the better found and elevation of the history, instead of Mr. and Mrs. fuch-a-one, I fhall call them by feigned names. Without further preface, you are to know, that within the liberties of the city of Westminster lives the Lady Honoria, a widow about the age of forty, of a healthy conftitution, a gay temper, and elegant perfon. She dreffes a little too much Jike a girl, affects a childish fondnefs in the tone of her voice, fometimes a pretty fullennefs in the leaning of her head, and now and then a down-caft of her eyes on her fan: Neither her imagination nor her health would ever give her to know that fhe is turned of twenty; but that in the midst of these pretty foftneffes, and airs of delicacy and attraction, fhe has a tall daughter within a fortnight of fifteen, who impertinently comes into the room, and towers fo much towards woman, that her mother is always checked by her prefence, and every charm of Honoria droops at the entrance of Flavia. The agreeable Flavia would be what he is not, as well as her mother Honoria; but all their beholders are more partial to an affectation of what a perfon is growing up to, than of what has been already enjoyed, and is gone for ever. It is therefore allowed to Flavia to look forward, but not to Hanoria to look back. Flavia is no way dependent on her mother with relation to her fortune, for which reafon they live almost upon an equality in converfation; and as Honoria has given Flavia to understand, that it is ill-bred to be always calling mother, Flavia is as well pleafed never to be called a child. It happens by this means, that these ladies are generally rivals in all places where they appear; and the words mother and daughter never pass between them but out of fpite. Flavia one night at a play obferving Honoria draw the eyes of feveral in the pit, called to a lady who fat by her, and bid her ask her mother to lend her her fnuffbox for one moment. Another time, when a lover of Honoria was on his knees befeeching the favour to kifs her hand, Flavia rufhing into the room, kneeled down by him and afked bleffing. Several of thefe contradictory acts of duty have raised between them fuch a coldness, that they generally converfe when they are in mixed company by way of talking at one another, and not to one another. Honoria is ever complaining of a certain fufficiency in the young women of this age, who affume to themfelves an authority of carrying all things before them, as if they were poffeffors of the efteem of mankind, and all, who were but a year before them in the world, were neglected or deceased. Flavia, upon fuch a provocation, is fure to observe, that there are people who can refign nothing, and know not how to give up what they know they cannot hold ; that there are thofe who will not allow youth their follies, not because they are themselves past them, but because they love to continue in them. Thefe beauties rival each other on all occafions, not that they have always had the fame lovers, but each has kept up a vanity to fhew the other the charms of her lover. Dick Craftin and Tom Tulip, among many others, have of late been pretenders in this family: Dick to Honoria, Tom to Flavia. Dick is the only furviving beau of the last age, and Tom almoft the only one that keeps up that order of men in this. I wish I could repeat the little circumftances of a converfation of the four lovers with the spirit in which the young lady, I had my account from, reprefented it at a vifit where I had the honour to be present ; but it feems Dick Craftin, the admirer of Honoria, and Tom Tulip the pretender to Flavia, were purposely admitted together by the ladies, that each might fhew the other that her lover had the fuperiority in the accomplishments of that fort of creature whom the fillier part of women call a fine gentleman. As this age has a much more grofs tafte in courtship, as well as in every thing elfe, than the last had, these gentle men are inftances of it in their different manner of application. Tulip is ever making allufions to the vigour of his perfon, the finewy force of his make ; while Craftin profeffes a wary obfervation of the turns of his mistress's mind. Tulip gives himself the air of a refiftlefs ravifher, Craftin practifes that of a skilful lover. Poetry is the infeparable property of every man in love; and as men of wit write verfes on those occafions, the rest of the world repeat the verses of others. Thefe fervants of the ladies were used to imitate their manner of converfation, and allude to one another, rather than interchange difcourfe in what they faid when they met. Tulip the other day feized his miftrefs's hand, and repeated out of Ovid's Art of Love, 'Tis I can in foft battles pafs the night, } Upon hearing this, Craftin, with an air of deference, played Honoria's fan, and repeated, Sedley has that prevailing gentle art, 'Till the poor vanquish'd maid diffolves away. } When Craftin had utter'd thefe verfes with a tendernefs which at once fpoke paffion and refpect, Honoria caft a triumphant glance at Flavia, as exulting in the elegance of Craftin's courtship, and upbraiding her with the homeliness of Tulip's. Tulip understood the reproach, and in return began to applaud the wifdom of old amorous gentlemen, who turned their mistress's imagination as far as poffible from what they had long themselves forgot, and ended his difcourfe with a fly commendation of the doctrine of Platonick love; at the fame time he ran over, with a laughing eye, Craftin's thin legs, meagre looks, and fpare body. The old gentleman immediately left the room with fome diforder, and the converfation fell upon untim paffion, after-love, and unfeafonable youth. Tulip fung danced, moved before the glass, led his mistress half a minuet, hummed Celia the fair, in the bloom of fifteen ; when there came a fervant with a letter to him, which was as follows. SIR, I Understand very well what you meant by your mention of Platonick love. I fhall be glad to meet you immediately in Hyde Park, or behind Montague-Houfe, or attend you to Barn-Elms, or any other |