fair young maid, whom I understood to be called Elizabeth Preston, daughter of the keeper of the garden, with a glafs of water; whom I imagined might have been, for form's fake, the general reprefentative of the lady fought for, and from her beauty the proper Amaryllis on thefe occafions. It would have ran better in the challenge, I James Miller, ferjeant, who have travelled parts abroad, and came last from the frontiers of Portugal, for the love of Elizabeth Preston, do affert, that the faid Elizabeth is the faireft of women.' Then the anfwer Timothy Buck, who have stayed in Great Britain during all the war in foreign parts, for the fake of Sufanna Page, do deny that Elizabeth Preston is fo fair as the faid Sufanna Page. Let Sufanna Page look on, and I defire of James Miller no favour.' 6 ་ This would give the battle quite another turn; and a proper ftation for the ladies, whofe complexion was difputed by the fword, would animate the difputants with a more gallant incentive than the expectation of money from the fpectators; though I would not have that neglected, but thrown to that fair one, whofe lover was approved by the donor. Yet, confidering the thing wants fuch amendments, it was carried with great order James Miller came on firft; preceded by two difabled drummers, to fhew, I fuppofe, that the profpect of maimed bodies did not in the leaft deter him. There afcended with the daring Miller a gentleman, whofe name I could not learn, with a dogged air, as unfatisfied that he was not principal. This fon of anger lowered at the whole affembly, and weighing himfelf as he arched around from fide to fide, with a ftiff knee and fhoulder, he gave intimations of the purpose he fmothered until he faw the iffue of this encounter. Miller had a blue ribbon tied round the fword arm; which ornament I conceive to be the remain of that custom of wearing a miftrefs's favour on fuch occafions of old. Miller is a man of fix foot eight inches height, of a kind but bold afpect, well fashioned, and ready of his lin.bs; and fuch a readiness as fpoke bis eafe in then, was obtained from a habit of motion in military exercise. The expectation of the fpectators was now almost at its height, and the croud preffing in, feveral active perfons thought they were placed rather according to their fortune than their merit, and took it in their heads to prefer themfelves from the open area or pit, to the galleries. This dispute between defert and property brought many to the ground, and raifed others in proportion to the highest feats by turns, for the space of ten minutes, until Timothy Buck came on, and the whole affembly giving up their difputes, turned their eyes upon the champions. Then it was that every man's affection turned to one or the other irrefiftibly. A judicious gentleman near me faid, I could methinks be Miller's fecond, but I had rather have Buck for mine.' Miller had an audacious look, that took the eye: Buck a perfect compofure, that engaged the judgment. Buck came on in a plain coat, and kept all his air until the inftant of engaging; at which time he undreffed to his fhirt, his arm adorned with a bandage of red ribbon. No one can defcribe the fudden concern in the whole affembly; the most tumultuous croud in nature was as ftill and as much engaged, as if all their lives depended on the firft blow. The combatants met in the middle of the ftage, and fhaking hands as removing all malice, they retired with much grace to the extremities of it; from whence they immediately faced about, and approached each other, Miller with an heart full of refolution, Buck with a watchful untroubled countenance; Buck regarding principally his own defence; Miller chiefly thoughtful of annoying his opponent. It is not eafy to defcribe the many efcapes and imperceptible defences between two men of quick eyes and ready limbs; but Miller's heat laid him open to the rebuke of the calm Buck, by a large cut on the forehead. Much effufion of blood covered his eyes in a moment, and the huzzas of the croud undoubtedly quickened the anguish. The afferbly was divided into parties upon their different ways of fighting; while a poor nymph in one of the gallerics apparently fuffered for Miller, and burit into a flood of tears. As foon as his wound was wrapped up, he came on again with a little rage, which ftill disabled him further. But what brave man can be wounded into more patience and caution? The next was a warm eager onfet, which ended in a decifive ftroke on the left leg of Miller. The lady in the gallery, during this fecond ftrife, covered her face; and for my part, I could not keep my thoughts from being moftly employed on the confiderations of her unhappy circumftance that moment, hearing the clafh of fwords, and apprehending life or victory concerned her lover in every blow, but not daring to fatisfy herfelf on whom they fell. The wound was expofed to the view of all who could delight in it, and fewed up on the stage. The furly fecond of Miller declared at this time, that he would that day fortnight fight Mr. Buck at the fame weapons, declaring himself the master of the renowned Gorman ; but Buck denied him the honour of that courageous difciple, and afferting that he himself had taught that champion, accepted the challenge. There is fomething, in nature very unaccountable on fuch occafions, when we fee the people take a certain painful gratification in beholding thefe encounters. Is it cruelty that adminifters this fort of delight? Or is it a pleasure which is taken in the exercife of pity? It was methought pretty remarkable, that the bufinefs of the day being a trial of fkill, the popularity did not run fo high as one would have expected on the fide of Buck. Is it that people's paffions have their rife in felf-love, and thought themselves (in fpite of all the courage they had) liable to the fate of Miller, but could not fo eafily, think themfelves qualified like Buck? Tully fpeaks of this cuftom with lefs horror than one would expect, though he confeffefs it was much abused in his time, and feems directly to approve of it under its firft regulations, when criminals only fought before the people. Credule gladiatorum fpectaculum & inbumanum nonnullis videri folet ; & haud fcio annon ita fit ut · nunc fit; cùm verò fontes ferro depugnabant, auribus fortaffe multa, oculis quidem nulla, poterat effe fortior contra dolorem & mortem difciplina. The fhows of gladiators may be thought barbarous and inhumane, and I know not but it is fo as it is now practifed; but in those times when only criminals were combatants, the ear 6 6 perhaps might receive many better inftructions, but it is in poffible that any thing which affects our eyes fhould fortify us fo well against pain and death.' T. N° 437. Tuesday, July 22. Tune impunè bæc facias? Tune hic homines adolefcentulos, TER. And. A&t. 5. Sc. 4. Shall you efcape with impunity; you who lay fnares for young men, of a liberal education, but unacquainted with the world, and, by force of importunity and promifes, draw them in to marry harlots? THE other day paffed by me in her chariot a lady with that pale and wan complexion, which we fome times fee in young people, who are fallen into forrow, and private anxiety of mind, which antedate age and fickness. It is not three years ago, fince the was gay, airy, and a little towards libertine in her carriage; but, methought, I eafily forgave her that little infolence which the fo feverely pays for in her prefent condition. Flavilla, of whom I am speaking, is married to a fullen fool with wealth: her beauty and merit are oft upon the dolt, who is infenfible of perfection in any thing. Their hours together are either painful or infipid: the minutes fhe has to herfelf in his abfence are not fufficient to give vent at her eyes to the grief and torment of his laft converfation. This poor creature was facrificed with a temper, which, under the cultivation of a man of fenfe, would have made the most agreeable companion, into the arms of this loathfome yoke-fellow by Sempronia. Sempronia is a good lady, who fupports herfelf in an affluent condition, by contracting friendfhip with rich young widows, and maids of plentiful 1 fortunes at their own difpofal, and beftowing her friends upon worthlefs indigent fellows; on the other fide, fhe infnares inconfiderate and rafh youths of great eftates into the arms of vicious women. For this purpose, fhe is accomplished in all the arts which can make her acceptable at impertinent vifits; fhe knows all that paffes in every quarter, and is well acquainted with all the favourite fervants, bufy-bodies, dependants, and poor relations of all perfons of condition in the whole town. At the price of a good fum of money, Sempronia, by the infligation of Flavilla's mother, brought about the match for the daughter, and the reputation of this, which is apparently, in point of fortune, more than Flavilla could expect, has gained her the vifits and frequent attendance of the croud of mothers, who had rather fee their children miferable in great wealth, than the happiest of the race of mankind in a lefs confpicuous ftate of life. When Sempronia is fo well acquainted with a woman's temper and circumftance, that the believes marriage would be acceptable to her, and advantageous to the man who fhall get her, her next ftep is to look out for fome one, whofe condition has fome fecret wound in it, and wants a fum, yet, in the eye of the world, not unfuitabie to her. If fuch is not eafily had, the immediately adorns a worthless fellow with what eftate fhe thinks convenient, and adds as great a fhare of good humour and fobriety as is requifite: after this is fettled, no importunities, arts, and devices are omitted, to haften the lady to her happiness. In the general indeed she is a perfon of fo ftrict juftice, that he marries a poor gallant to a rich wench, and a moneyless girl to a man of fortune. But then he has no manner of confcience in the difparity, when he has a mind to impofe a poor rogue for one of an eftate: fhe has no remorse in add· ing to it, that he is illiterate, ignorant, and unfafhioned; but makes thofe imperfections arguments of the truth of his wealth, and will, on fuch an occafion, with a very grave face, charge the people of condition with negligence in the education of their children. Exception being made the other day against an ignorant booby of her own clothing, whom she was |