such strange things in metzo-tinto.

But this project,

may rest till our number is complete; and this being our election night, give me leave to propose Mr. SPECTATOR. You see his inclinations, and perhaps we may not have his fellow."

'I found most of them (as is usual in all such cases) were prepared; but one of the senators (whom by the bye Mr. President had taken all this pains to bring over) sat still, and cocking his chin, which seemed only to be levelled at his nose, very gravely declared, "That in case he had had sufficient knowledge of you, no man should have been more willing to have served you; but that he, for his part, had always had regard to his own conscience, as well as other people's merit; and he did not know but that you might be a handsome fellow; for, as for your own certificate, it was every body's business to speak for themselves." Mr. President immediately reported, "A handsome fellow! why he is a wit, Sir, and you know the proverb;" and to ease the old gentleman of his scruples, cried, "That for matter of merit it was all one, you might wear a mask." This threw him into a pause, and he looked desirous of three days to consider on it; but Mr. President improved the thought, and followed him up with an old story, "That wits were privileged to wear what masks they pleased, in all ages; and that a vizard had been the constant crown of their labours, which was generally presented them by the hand of some satyr, and sometimes of APOLLO himself:" For the truth of which, he appealed to the frontispiece of several books, and particularly to the English JUVENAL, to which he referred him; and only added, "That such authors were the Larvati or Larva donati of the ancients." This cleared, up all, and in the conclusion you were chose Probationer; and Mr. President put round your health as such, protesting, "That though indeed he talked of a vizard, he did not believe all the while you had any more occasion for it than the cat-a-mountain;" so that

all

all you have to do now is to pay your fees, which here are very reasonable, if you are not imposed upon; and you may stile yourself Informis Societatis Socius: which I am desired to acquaint you with, and upon the same I beg you to accept of the congratulation of,

A FRIEND of mine has two daughters, whom I will call LÆTITIA and DAPHNE; the former is one of the greatest beauties of the age in which she lives, the latter no way remarkable for any charms in her person. Upon this one circumstance of their outward form, the good

and

and ill of their lives seem to turn. LETITIA has not, from her very childhood, heard any thing else but commendations of her features and complexion, by which means she is no other than nature made her, a very beautiful outside. The consciousness of her charms has rendered her insupportably vain and insolent towards all who have to do with her. DAPHNE, who was almost twenty before one civil thing had ever been said to her, found herself obliged to acquire some accomplishments to make up for the want of those attractions which she saw in her sister. Poor DAPHNE was seldom submitted to in a debate wherein she was concerned; her discourse had nothing to recommend it but the good sense of it, and she was always under a necessity to have very well considered what she was to say before she uttered it; while LETITIA was listened to with partiality, and approbation sat in the countenances of those she conversed with, before she communicated what she had to say. These causes have produced suitable effects, and LETITIA is as insipid a companion, as DAPHNE is an agreeable one. LETITIA, confident of favour, has studied no arts to please; DAPHNE, despairing of any inclination towards her person, has depended only on her merit. LÆTITIA has always something in her air that is sullen, grave, and disconsolate. DAPHNE has a countenance that appears chearful, open, and unconcerned. A young gentleman saw LETITIA this Winter at a play, and became her captive. His fortune was such, that he wanted very little introduction to speak his sentiments to her father. The lover was admitted with the utmost freedom into the family, where a constrained behaviour, severe looks, and distant civilities, were the highest favours he could obtain of LÆTITIA; whilę DAPHNE used him with the good humour, familiarity, and innocence of a sister:insomuch that he would often say to her, "Dear DAPHNE, wert thou but "as handsome as LETITIA." She received such language with that ingenuous and pleasing mirth, which is natural to a woman without design. He still sighed

VOL. II.

B

sighed in vain for LETITIA, but found certain relief in the agreeable conversation of DAPHNE. At length, heartily tired with the haughty impertinence of LÆTITIA, and charmed with the repeated instances of goodhumour he had observed in DAPHNE, he one day told the latter, that he had something to say to her he hoped she would be pleased with-" Faith, DAPHNE," continued he, "I am in love with thee, and "despise thy sister sincerely." The manner of his declaring himself gave his mistress occasion for a very hearty laughter.--"Nay," says he, "I knew you would laugh at me, but I will ask your father." He did so; the father received his intelligence with no less joy than surprise, and was very glad he had now no care left but for his beauty, which he thought he could carry to market at his leisure. I do not know any thing that has pleased me so much a great while, as this conquest of my friend DAPHNE'S. All her acquaintance congratulated her upon her chance-medley, and laugh at that premeditating murderer her sister. As it is an argument of a light mind, to think the worse of ourselves for the imperfections of our persons, it is equally below us to value ourselves upon the advantages of them. The female world seem to be almost incorrigibly gone astray in this particular; for which reason I shall recommend the following extract out of a friend's letter,* *to the professed beauties, who are a people almost as unsufferable as the professed wits.

'MONSIEUR ST. EVREMOND has concluded one of his Essays with affirming, that the last sighs of a handsome woman are not so much for the loss of her life, as of her beauty. Perhaps this raillery is pursued too far, yet it is turned upon a very obvious remark, that woman's strongest passion is for her own beauty, and that she values it as her favourite distinction. From hence

*Mr. JOHN HUGHES,

it is that all arts, which pretend to improve it or preserve it, meet with so general a reception among the sex. To say nothing of many false helps and contraband wares of beauty, which are daily vended in this great mart, there is not a maiden gentlewoman of a good family, in any county of South Britain, who has not heard of the virtues of May-dew, or is unfurnished with some receipt or other in favour of her complexion; and I have known a physician of learning and sense, after eight years study in the university, and a course of travels into most countries of Europe, owe the first raising of his fortunes to a cosmetic wash.

This has given me occasion to consider how so universal a disposition in womankind, which springs from a laudable motive, the desire of pleasing, and proceeds upon an opinion, not altogether groundless, that nature may be helped by art, may be turned to their advantage. And, methinks, it would be an acceptable service to take them out of the hands of quacks and pretenders, and to prevent their imposing upon themselves, by discovering to them the true secret and art of improving beauty.

In order to this, before I touch upon it directly, it will be necessary to lay down a few preliminary maxims, viz.

"That no woman can be handsome by the force of features alone, any more than she can be witty only by the help of speech:

That pride destroys all symmetry and grace, and affectation is a more terrible enemy to fine faces than the small-pox:

'That no woman is capable of being beautiful, who is not incapable of being false:

And, That what would be odious in a friend, is deformity in a mistress.

From these few principles, thus laid down, it will be easy to prove, that the true art of assisting beauty consists in embellishing the whole person by the pro