folate, and discover'd only a few thatch'd Cottages, which feem'd to be the poor Remains of a general Ravage. This miferable Carriage mov'd very flowly, being drawn by two Animals, that had hardly the Appearance of Horfes; but represented, in a more lively Manner, Debility and Sickness. Care, almost stiff and motionlefs, fupplied the Place of a Driver; and Patience, bearing an Anvil, with a Heart upon it, which feem'd to be torn with Hooks of Iron, together with Servitude in Chains, were the wretched Companions of this doleful Figure. THIS melancholy Scene was no fooner at an End, than a more agreable one appear'd, in which I discover'd a Woman of a ftaid, ferene Countenance, fiting on a very low but decent Vehicle, which moved but just above the Surface of the Earth. In one Hand, fhe held a broken Heart, and, in the other, a Shepherd's Crook. Every Circumstance gave me to understand, that this Figure could be no other than that of Humility; efpecially as fhe was accompanied by Faith, Hope and Charity, the latter having a Child at her Breast, and leading two more by the Hand. This humble Vehicle was drawn by Meckness and Sobriety, led by Timoroufness. The Landscape, as I have before obferv'd, was more agreable, than that of the preceeding Scene; but with what Satisfaction did I fee it, in an Inftant, changed into one of the most beautiful and noble Views, I had ever feen; upon the Appearance of a lovely Nymph, seated in a coftly Char, which, as well as her Perfon, was embellifh'd with every Thing that could please the Eye and the Imagination. I concluded, without any Hefitation, that this pleafing Figure must be the Goddess of Peace, and with that amiable Denomination it was my Friend diftinguished her. Concord and Public Good, guided by Love, drove the Char; and Truth, Juftice, Diligence and Liberty accom accompanied it. At the Goddess's Feet lay all Manner of Mathematical, Mechanical and Mufical Inftruments, together with a Cornucopia; and looking more narrowly, I obferved, in the Char with her, the little Figure, which, at the Beginning, I had difcovered, with the Help of my Glafs, to be the Goddess of Riches. I was juft going to make fome Reflections, on thefe Things, when, upon a Signal given, the Curtain drop'd, the Candles burn'd again, of their own Accord, and my Friend ask'd me, how I liked this Representation of the Inftability and Viciffitude of the Tranfactions of this World, which were in a continual Rotation, and fucceeded each other, much in the fame Manner, as I had obferved in this little Theater. I told him I could not enough admire, as well the Invention as the Execution of it; but this I would venture to affirm, that the excellent Moral, which was hidden under it, far exceeded either. I added that there wanted nothing more to make it an inimitable Copy, but the Invention of a perpetuum Mobile, to keep that Rotation in a continued Revolution; which I did not doubt, but he, or fome one or other of his learned Correfpondents, would, foon or late, bring to bear. As I exprefs'd a Satisfaction in what I had feen, my Friend gave me a Paper with about a Dozen German Verfes upon it, in which he told me I fhould find the Content of the whole briefly exprefs'd, and would ferve me as a Memorandum of thefe Representations. I did not look upon them then; but upon perufing them, after I was retir'd to my Chamber, they put me in Mind of fome homely, but expreffive Lines, which I have feen at the Top of fome of our Sheet-Almanacks, and, if my Memory does not fail me, are as follows: War War begets Poverty, Peace maketh Riches flow, The World goes round.. As it is a double Satisfaction to me, to fee any Thing curious, that feems to have had its Rife from our Country, I could not but please myfelf with the Imagination, that my Friend's Verfes, as well as the Invention of his Laterna Magica were originally taken from thefe Lines of one of our Philomaths: Tho' I must confefs he has beautifully augmented the Genealogy, with two very proper Characters; Envy and Humility; and not improperly made fome Alteration in the Order: For, according to my Friend, Riches begets Pride; Pride, Envy; Envy, War; War, Poverty; Poverty, Humility; (tho' this is not always the Cafe, because Pride is often the Daughter of Poverty, tho illegitimate) Humility begets Peace; and Peace, with the Affiftance of Arts and Sciences, Liberty and Trade, begets Riches again. However, all thefe Changes are not capable of making any Alteration in the Efteem with which I profefs to be, &c. LET TER SIR, LETTER XXXV. HAMBURG. AVING, fince my last, been confin'd, for two or three Days, to my Chamber, by a flight Indifpofition, I spent Part of that Time in perufing a Manuscript communicated to me by an Acquaintance, and containing the Life, private Hiftory, Adventures, and fatal Catastrophe of the agreable and fam'd Corinna, one of the most arrant and deceitful Coquettes this Age has bred; and in making an abridg'd Tranflation of it, for your Amusement. The Original, which would make feveral printed Sheets, defcends into the most minute Circumftances of this abandon'd Creature's Life and Intriegues, and relates many Particulars in fo grofs a Manner, as I am fenfible, could not but be offenfive to a Perfon of your profefs'd Rigidity of Manners: I have, therefore, caftrated all fuch Paffages as might give Offence to your Modefty; and confin'd myself to a general Account of this unhappy Perfon's Life and Converfation. "CORINNA was the only Daughter of an "eminent Ph-----n of N-------, whofe Parents both ་་ dying while fhe was young, left her an Estate as "well real as perfonal, fufficient to have fcreen'd "her from the adverfe Fortune, fhe afterwards fell a Victim to: But her Father (as is the Fate of "moft who defer making their laft Difpofition, " 'till the Agonies of Death render them incapable of forming a true Judgment of Perfons or Things) "Things) placing an entire Confidence in Philau"tus, a falfe Sycophant, to whom he had en"truited too great a Share of his Eftate during his Life-Time, made him his fole Executor, " and, together with his whole Substance, in Trust "for his Daughter, then but twelve Years of Age, left both that and her to be difpos'd of, as he "thought most expedient, without any Controul. "Philautus was a Bachelor, turn'd of fifty, of "abandon'd Principles, who tho' he cover'd all "his Actions in public, with the Larve of Sanctity, in private gave himself up to all Manner "of Vice and Debauchery; and tho' he had no "Eftate of his own, knew fo well how to play "the Hypocrite, and to form Projects for the im 66 ་་ proving thofe of others, that he was never with"out confiderable Sums in his Difpofition; for " which, tho' he had no farther Employ for them, "than as they adminiftred to his fecret Pleasures, "he regularly paid a more than common Intereft, "and often, to fupport his Credit, would pay off "the Principal to fome by Mony borrow'd, under "the fame fpecious Pretences, of others: So that, tho' he was confiderably worse than nothing, " he had the Appearance of a Man of Substance, " and liv'd in great Credit. In thefe Circum"ftances, it is eafy to imagine, Philautus was "overjoy'd to find himself in the abfolute Poffef"fion of fo large a Fortune, without any Con"troul in his Management of it. He now gave "a loose to his natural Bent, and wallow'd in Delight, fparing no Expence to gratify his vicious "Inclinations, tho' he ftill took Care to maintain "his Character of a fober difcreet Man. At the "the fame Time, he indulg'd Corinna, in what"ever was becoming her Station; but as he pro"bably, foon after fhe was in his Power, laid "the Scheme he afterwards put in Execution, he 66 not |
