till you come to the region of the bleffed, where happiness, like a refreshing stream, flows from heart to heart in an endless circulation, and is preferved fweet and untainted by the motion. It is old advice, if you have a favour to request of any one, to obferve the fofteft times of addrefs, when the foul, in a flush of good humour, takes a pleasure to fhew itself pleased. Perfons confcious of their own integrity, fatisfied with themselves, and their condition, and full of confidence in a fupreme Being, and the hope of immortality, furvey all about them with a flow of goodwill. As trees which like their foil, they fhoot out in expreffions of kindness, and bend beneath their own precious load, to the hand of the gatherer. Now, if the mind be not thus eafy, it is an infallible fign that it is not in its natural state: place the mind in its right posture, it will immediately discover its innate propenfion to beneficence.

N° 602.

Monday, October 4.

-Facit hoc illos hyacinthos. Juv. fat. 6. v. 110.

This makes them hyacinths.

T

HE following letter comes from a gentleman, who, I find, is very diligent in making his obfervations, which I think too material not to be communicated to the public.

SIR,

"N order to execute the office of Love-cafuift to

Great Britain, with which I take myself to be invested by your paper of September 8th, I fhall make fome further obfervations upon the two fexes in general, beginning with that which always ought to have the upper hand. After having obferved with much curiofity the accomplishments which are apt to captivate fernale hearts, I find that there is no perfon fo irrefiftible as one who is a man of importance, provided it be

One who makes himself

⚫ in matters of no confequence. talked of, though it be for the particular cock of his hat, or for pratting aloud in the boxes at a play, is in a fair way of being a favourite. I have known a young

fellow make his fortune by knocking down a constable; and may venture to fay, though it may feem a paradox, that many a fair one has died by a duel in which both the combatants have furvived.

ABOUT three winters ago I took notice of a young lady at the theatre, who conceived a paffion for a noto⚫rious rake that headed a party of cat-calls; and am credibly informed, that the emperor of the Mohocks married a rich widow within three weeks after having rendered himself formidable in the cities of London and Westminster. Scouring and breaking of windows have done frequent execution upon the fex. But there is no fet of thefe male charmers who make their way more fuccefsfully, than those who have gained themselves a name for intrigue, and have ruined the greatest number ⚫ of reputations. There is a strange curiofity in the fe'male world to be acquainted with the dear man who has 'been loved by others, and to know what it is that makes ⚫ him fo agreeable. His reputation does more than half ⚫ his business. Every one that is ambitious of being a woman of fashion, looks out for opportunities of being in his company; fo that, to use the old proverb, When his name is up he may lie a-bed.

"

'I was very fenfible of the great advantage of being a man of importance upon thefe occafions on the day of the king's entry, when I was feated in a balcony ⚫ behind a cluster of very pretty country ladies, who had one of these showy gentlemen in the midft of them. The first trick I caught him at was bowing to feveral perfons of quality whom he did not know; nay, he had the impudence to hem at a blue garter who had a finer equipage than ordinary, and feemed a little con'cerned at the impertinent huzzas of the mob, that hindered his friend from taking notice of him. There was indeed one who pulled off his hat to him, and I upon the ladies afking who it was, he told them, it was a foreign minifter that he had been very merry with

the

the night before; whereas in truth it was the city com· mon hunt.

He was never at a lofs when he was asked any perfon's name, though he feldom knew any one under a peer. He found dukes and earls among the aldermen, very good-natured fellows among the privy-counfellors, with two or three agreeable old rakes among the bishops ⚫ and judges.

IN fhort, I collected from his whole difcourfe, that he was acquainted with every body, and knew no body. At the fame time, I am mistaken if he did not that day • make more advances in the affections of his mistress, who fat near him, than he could have done in half a year's courtship.

OVID has finely touched this method of making love, which I shall here give my reader in Mr Dryden's ⚫ tranflation.

Page the Eleventh,

Thus love in theatres did first improve,
And theatres are ftill the fcenes of love:
Nor fhun the chariots, and the courfer's race;
The circus is no inconvenient place.

Nor need is there of talking on the hand,
Nor nods, nor figns, which lovers understand;
But boldly next the fair your feat provide,
Clofe as you can to hers, and fide by fide:
Pleas'd or unpleas'd, no matter; crouding fit;
For fo the laws of public fhows permit.
Then find occafion to begin difcourfe,

Inquire whofe chariot this, and whofe that horse;
To whatfoever fide she is inclin'd,

Suit all your inclinations to her mind;

Like what he likes; from thence your court begin,
And whom he favours, wish that he may win.

Again, Page the Sixteenth.

O when will come the day, by Heav'n defign'd, When thou, the beft and faireft of mankind, Drawn by white horfes, fhalt in triumph ride, With conquer'd flaves attending on thy fide;

Slaves,

Slaves, that no longer can be fafe in flight,
O glorious object! O furprising fight!

O day of public joy, too good to end in night!
On fuch a day, if thou, and next to thee
Some beauty fits, the fpectacle to fee;

If fhe inquire the names of conquer'd kings,
Of mountains, rivers, and their hidden springs;
Anfwer to all thou know'ft; and, if need be,
Of things unknown feem to speak knowingly :
This is Euphrates, crown'd with reeds; and there
Flows the fwift Tigris, with his fea-green hair.
Invent new names of things unknown before;
Call this Armenia; that, the Caspian Shore:
Call this a Mede, and that a Parthian youth;
Talk probably; no matter for the truth.

N° 603.

Wednesday, October 6.

Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, ducite Daphnim.

-Reftore, my charms,

Virg. Ecl. 8. v. 68.

Dryden.

My ling'ring Daphnis to my longing arms.

IE following copy of verfes comes from one of my correfpondents, and has fomething in it fo original, that I do not much doubt but it will divert my readers.

I.

MY time, O ye mufes, was happily spent,

When Phebe went with me where-ever I went ;
Ten thoufand fweet pleafures I felt in my breaft:
Sure never fond Shepherd like Colin was bleft!
But now he is gone, and has left me behind,
What a marvellous change on a fudden I find?
When things were as fine as could possibly be,
I thought 'twas the spring; but, alas! it was fhe.

II.

With fuch a companion, to tend a few sheep, To rife up and play, or to lie down and fleep:

I was fo goed-humour'd, fo chearful and gay,
My heart was as light as a feather all day.
But now I fo cross and fo peevish am grown,
So ftrangely uneafy as never was known,
My fair one is gone, and my joys are all drown'd,
And my heart—I am fure it weighs more than a pound.
III.

The fountain that wont to run fweetly along,
And dance to foft murmurs the pebbles among,
Thou know'ft, little Cupid, if Phebe was there,
'Twas
was pleasure to look at, 'twas mufic to hear:
But now he is abfent, I walk by its fide,

And fill as it murmurs do nothing but chide;
Muft you be fo chearful, while I go in pain?
Peace there with your bubbling, and hear me complain.

IV.

When my lambkins around me would oftentimes play, And when Phebe and I were as joyful as they, How pleafant their sporting, how happy the time, When fpring, love, and beauty, were all in their prime ? But now in their frolics when by me they pass, I fling at their fleeces un handful of grass; Be ftill then, I cry, for it makes me quite mad, Fo fee you fo merry, while I am fo fad.

V.

My dog I was ever well pleafed to fee
Come wagging his tail to my fair one and me;
And Phebe was pleas'd too, and to my dog faid,
Come hither, poor fellow; and patted his head.
But now when he's fawning, I with a four look
Cry, Sirrah; and give him a blow with my crook :
And I'll give him another; for why should not Tray
Be as dull as his mafter, when Phebe's away?

VI.

When walking with Phebe, what fights have I feen? How fair was the flow'r, how fresh was the green? What a lovely appearance the trees and the fhade, The cornfields and hedges, and ev'ry thing made? But now he has left me, though all are ftill there, They none of them now fo delightful appear:

'Twas