Sparrows and Chaffinches at the Hay• Market fly as yet very irregularly over the Stage; and instead of perching on the Trees, and performing their C Parts, these young Actors either get into the Galleries, or put out the • Candles; whereas Mr. Powell has fo well difciplined his Pig, that in the 'firft Scene he and Punch dance a Minuet together. I am informed however, that Mr. Powell refolves to excell his Adverfaries in their own Way; and introduce Larks in his next Opera of Sufanna, or Innocence betrayed, which will be exhibited next Week with a Pair of new Elders.

THE Moral of Mr. Powell's Drama is violated, I confefs, by Punch's • national Reflections on the French, and King Harry's laying his Leg upon the Queen's Lap in too ludicrous a • Manner before fo great an Affembly. 'AS to the Mechanism and Scenary, every thing indeed was uniform and of a Piece, and the Scenes were managed very dexteroufly; which calls on me to take Notice, that at the Hay-Market the Undertakers forgetting to change their Side-Scenes, we were presented with a Profpect of the * Ocean

Ocean in the midft of a delightful • Grove; and tho' the Gentlemen on the Stage had very much contributed to the Beauty of the Grove, by walking up and down between the Trees, I must own I was not a little astonished to fee a well-dreffed young Fellow, in a full-bottomed Whig, appear in the midft of the Sea, and without any visible Concern taking Snuff.

R

I fhall only obferve one thing further, in which both Dramas agree; which is, that by the Squeak of their Voices the Heroes of each are Eunuchs; and as the Wit in both Pieces are equal, I must prefer the Performance of Mr. Powell, because it is in our own Language.

I am, &c.

Satur

W

HEN I was in France, I

ufed to gaze with great Aftonishment at the Splendid Equipages, and Partycoloured Habits, of that Fantaftick Nation. I was one Day in particular contemplating a Lady, that fate in a Coach adorned with gilded Cupids, and finely painted with the Loves of Venus and Adonis. The Coach was drawn by fix Milk-white Horfes, and loaden behind with the fame Number of powdered Footmen. Juft before the Lady were a Couple of beautiful Pages, that were stuck among the Harnefs, and, by their gay Dreffes and fmiling Fea tures, looked like the elder Brothers of the little Boys that were carved and painted in every Corner of the Coach. THE Lady was the unfortunate Cleanthe, who afterwards gave an Occafion to a pretty melancholy Novel. VOL. I

F

She

She had, for feveral Years, received the Addreffes of a Gentleman, whom after a long and intimate Acquaintance the forfook, upon the Account of this fhining Equipage, which had been offered to her by one of Great Riches, but a Crazy Constitution. The Cir

cumstances in which I saw her, were, it seems, the Disguises only of a broken Heart, and a kind of Pageantry to cover Diftrefs; for in two Months after fhe was carried to her Grave with the fame Pomp and Magnificence; being fent thither partly by the Lofs of one Lover, and partly by the Poffeffion of

another.

I have often reflected with my felf on this unaccountable Humour in Women-kind, of being fmitten with every thing that is fhowy and fuperficial; and on the numberless Evils that befal the Sex, from this light, fantastical Difpofition. I my felf remember a young Lady, that was very warmly follicited by a Couple of importunate Rivals, who, for feveral Months together, did all they could to recommend themselves, by Complacency of Behaviour, and Agreeableness of Converfation. At length, when the Competition was doubtful,

and

and the Lady undetermined in her Choice, one of the young Lovers very luckily bethought himself of adding a fupernumerary Lace to his Liveries, which had fo good an Effect, that he married her the very Week after.

THE ufual Converfation of ordinary Women very much cherishes this natural Weakness of being taken with Out-fide and Appearance. Talk of a new-married Couple, and you immediately hear whether they keep their Coach and fix, or eat in Plate: Mention the Name of an abfent Lady, and it is ten to one but you learn fomething of her Gown and Petticoat. A Ball is a great Help to Difcourse, and a BirthDay furnishes Converfation for a Twelvemonth after. A Furbelow of precious Stones, an Hat buttoned with a Diamond, a Brocade Waitecoat or Petticoat, are ftanding Topicks. In fhort, they confider only the Drapery of the Species, and never caft away a Thought on thofe Ornaments of the Mind, that make Perfons Illuftrious in themselves, and Useful to others. When Women are thus perpetually dazling one anothers Imaginations, and filling their Heads with nothing but Colours, it is no wonder that they are more attenF2 tive