brats; where there are none, fhe cannot bear a place without fome cheerfulnefs and rattle. If many fervants are kept in a houfe, fhe never fails to tell how Lord Lavish was ruined by a numerous retinue; if few, the relates the ftory of a mifer that made his company wait on themfelves. She quarrelled with one family, because she had an unpleafant view from their windows; with another, because the squirrel leaped within two yards of her; and with a third, because the could not bear the noife of the parrot.

Of milliners and mantua-makers fhe is the proverbial torment. She compels them to alter their work, then to unmake it, and contrive it after another fashion; then changes her mind, and likes it better as it was at firft; then will have a small improvement. Thus she proceeds till no profit can recompenfe the vexation; they at last leave the clothes at her houfe, and refuse to serve her. Her maid, the only being that can endure her tyranny, profeffes to take her own course, and hear her mistress talk.

Such is the confequence of peevifhnefs; it can be borne only when it is defpifed.

It fometimes happens that too close an attention to minute exactnefs, or a too rigorous habit of examining every thing by the ftandard of perfection, vitiates the temper, rather than improves the understanding, and teaches the mind to difcern faults with unhappy penetration. It is incident likewife to men of vigorous imagination to please themfelves too much with futurities, and to fret becaufe thofe expectations are disappointed which should never have been formed. Knowledge and genius are often enemies to quiet, by fuggefting ideas of excellence, which men and the performances of men cannot attain. But let no man rafhly determine, that his unwillingness to be pleafed is a proof of understanding, unless his fuperiority appears from lefs doubtful evidence; for though peevishnefs may foinetimes jutly boaft it's defcent from learning or from wit, it is much oftener of base extraction, the child of vanity, and nurfling of ignorance.

BIR,

TO THE RAMBLER.

THE diligence with which you en

deavour to cultivate the knowledge of nature, manners, and life, will perhaps incline you to pay fome regard to the obfervations of one who has been taught to know mankind by unwelcome information, and whofe opinions are the refult, not of folitary conjectures, but of practice and experience.

I was born to a large fortune, and bred to the knowledge of thofe arts which are fupposed to accomplish the mind, and adorn the perfon of a woman. To these attainments, which cuftom and education almost forced upon me, I added fome voluntary acquifitions by the ufe of books, and the converfation of that

OVID.

MISS A. W.

fpecies of men whom the ladies gene rally mention with terror and averfion under the name of Scholars, but whom I have found a harmless and inoffenfive order of beings, not fo much wifer than ourfelves, but that they may receive as well as communicate knowledge, and more inclined to degrade their own character by cowardly fubmiffion, than to overbear or opprefs us with their learning or their wit.

From these men, however, if they are by kind treatment encouraged to talk, fomething may be gained, which, embellifhed with elegancy, and foftened by modefty, will always add dignity and value to female converfation; and from my acquaintance with the bookish part of the world I derived many principles of judgment and maxins of prudence, Y

by

nefs is intended; I will, therefore, so far maintain my antiquated claim to politenefs, as to venture the establishment of this rule, that no one ought to remind another of misfortunes of which the fufferer does not complain, and which there are no means propofed of alleviating. You have no right to excite thoughts which neceffarily give pain whenever they return, and which perhaps might not have revived but by abfurd and unfeafonable compaffion.

My endless train of lovers immediately withdrew, without raifing any, emotions. The greater part had indeed always profeffed to court, as it is termed, upon the fquare, had enquired my fortune, and offered fettlements; thefe had undoubtedly a right to retire without cenfure, fince they had openly treated for money, as neceflary to their happinefs, and who can tell how little they wanted any other portion? I have always thought the clamours of women unreafonable, who imagine themselves injured because the men who followed them upon the fuppofition of a greater fortune, reject them when they are difcovered to have lefs. I have never known any lady who did not think wealth a title to fome ftipulations in her favour; and furely what is claimed by the poffeffion of money is juftly forfeited by it's lofs. She that has once demanded a fettlement has allowed the importance of fortune; and when the cannot fhew pecuniary merit, why should she think her cheapener obliged to purchase?

My lovers were not all contented with filent defertion. Some of them revenged the neglect which they had formerly endured by wanton and fuperfluous in fults, and endeavoured to mortify me, by paying, in my prefence, thofe civilities to other ladies which were once devoted only to me. But, as it had been my rule to treat men according to the rank of their intellect, I had never fuffered any one to walte his life in fufpenfe, who could have employed it to better purpofe, and had therefore no etinies but coxcombs, whofe refent

ment and respect were equally below my confideration.

The only pain which I have felt from degradation, is the lofs of that influence which I had always exerted on the fide of virtue, in the defence of innocence, and the affertion of truth. I now find my opinions flighted, my fentiments criticiied, and my arguments oppofed by thofe that ufed to liften to me without reply, and struggle to be first in exprefing their conviction.

The female difputants have wholly thrown off my authority; and if I endeavour to enforce my reafons by an appeal to the fcholars that happen to be prefent, the wretches are certain to pay their court by facrificing me and my fyftem to a finer gown, and I am every hour infulted with contradiction by cowards, who could never find till lately that Meliffa was liable to error.

There are two perfons only whom I cannot charge with having changed their conduct with my change of fortune. One is an old curate that has pafled his life in the duties of his profeffion, with great reputation for his knowledge and piety; the other is a lieutenant of dragoons. The parfon made no difficulty in the height of my elevation to check me when I was pert, and inftruct me when I blundered; and if there is any alteration, he is now more timorous leit his freedom should be thought rudcness. The foldier never paid me any particular addrefles, but very rigidly obferved all the rules of politenefs, which he is now fo far from relaxing, that whenever he ferves the tea, he obtinately carries me the firft difh, in defiance of the frowns and whispers of the table.

This, Mr. Rambler, is to fee the world. It is impoffible for thofe that have only known affluence and profperity, to judge rightly of themselves or others, The rich and the powerful live in a perpe tual mafquerade, in which all about them wear borrowed characters; and we only difcover in what ettimation we are held, when we can no longer give hopes or fears, I am, &c,

MELISSA,

himfelf by his refemblance to others, is ready to try fome other expedient, and to enquire what will rife to his advantage from oppofition and diffimilitude. He cafily finds fome faults in every human being, which he weighs against his own, and easily makes them preponderate while he keeps the balance in his own hand, and throws in or takes out at his pleasure, circumftances that make them heavier or lighter. He then triumphs in his comparative purity, and fets himfelf at eafe, not because he can refute the charges advanced againft him, but because he can cenfure his accufers with equal justice; and no longer fears the arrows of reproach, when he has ftored his magazine of malice with weapons equally sharp and equally envenomed.

This practice, though never juft, is yet fpecious and artful, when the cenfure is directed againft deviations to the contrary extreme. The man who is branded with cowardice may, with fome appearance of propriety, turn all his force of argument against a ftupid contempt of life, and rath precipitation into unneceffary danger. Every receflion from temerity is an approach towards cowardice; and though it be confeffed that bravery, like other virtues, ftands between faults on either hand, yet the place of the middle point may always be difputed; he may, therefore, often impofe upon careless understandings, by turning the attention wholly from himfelf, and keeping it fixed invariably on the oppofite fault; and by fhewing how many evils are avoided by his behaviour, he may conceal for a time thofe which are incurred.

But vice has not always opportunities or addrefs for fuch artful fubterfuges; men often extenuate their own guilt,

only by vague and general charges upon others, or endeavour to gain reft to themfelves by pointing fome other prey to the purfuit of cenfure.

Every whisper of infamy is induftrioufly circulated, every hint of fufpicion eagerly improved, and every failure of conduct joyfully publifhed, by thofe whofe intereft it is that the eye and voice of the publick fhould be employed on any rather than on themfelves.

All these artifices, and a thoufand others equally vain and equally defpicable, are incited by that conviction of the deformity of wickednefs, from which none can fet himfelf free; and by an abfurd defire to feparate the caufe from the effects, and to enjoy the profit of crimes without fuffering the fhame. Men are willing to try all methods of reconciling guilt and quiet, and when their understandings are stubborn and uncomplying, raise their passions against them, and hope to overpower their own knowledge.

It is generally not fo much the defire of men, funk into depravity, to deceive the world as themfelves; for when no particular circumftances make them dependant on others, infamy difturbs them little, but as it revives their remorse, and is echoed to them from their own hearts. The fentence mott dreaded is that of reafon and confcience, which they would engage on their fide at any price but the labours of duty and the forrows of repentance. For this purpose every feducerent and fallacy is fought, the hopes ftill reft upon fome new experiment till life is at an end; and the laft hour steals on unperceived, while the faculties are engaged in refifting reafon, and repreffing the fenfe of the Divine difapprobation.

PRUDENT.

AMONG thofe whofe hopes of dif

tinction, or riches, arife from an opinion of their intellectual attainments,

F. LEWIS,

it has been, from age to age, an established cuftom to complain of the ingratitude of mankind to their inftructors, and the difcourage