circumstances: a continual refi

dence in a town, may demand that attention to drefs, which, in the country, would be totally unne

ceffary; I mean in a certain clafs of

people, whose business it is to engage respect, and to conciliate esteem; with a gentleman it can make no difference: he will always be well dreffed; but when he makes even a fplendid appearance, it will be without a single article that goes towards conftituting a beau.

A man of this ftamp is incapable of love; and Erneftus M. knows fo little of it, that he cannot even affume a paffion, which, we are

VOL. II.

E

told,

told, all can feign, but few can feel." A total neglect of felf, is a common confequence of real affec tion for another; but this kind of gentry no fooner. conceive a penchant, as they term it-beaux always fpeak French, you know than they endeavour to fhew it by a particular attention to their own perfons; as if, like the fun, they were determined to melt one by the glare of their appearance. And this is the cafe with Erneftus M. who came here fo outrageously genteel, that Therefa affected not to know him, and his introductory compliments, of course, being loft, I never faw

any

any body look fo foolish, and could scarcely refrain laughing.

How odious is affectation! Ta fee this man now, incapable of any one generous idea, destitute of all those nice distinctions, that delicacy of fentiment, and elegance of accomplishment, which are requifite to excite even attention in fuch a mind as Therefa's: to see fuch a man, tricked out in the tinfel fripof a town beau, come on a ferious embaffy to Therefa W!affecting to fhew his attachment by ogling with eyes, in which no expreffion is to be found, but that of felf-complacency; by fmiles E 2 which

pery

which degenerate into a grinning, expreffive of confummate felicity for the poffeffion of fome rare qualities, invifible to every one but himfelf!-To fee all this, is enough to exhaust the patience of a ftoic: "But to be the object of fuch addreffes," Therefa fays, "is furely a punishment for fin, and a warning fent from heaven, to guard one against the horrible crimes of hypocrify and affectation!"

"And why," faid I, "of hypocrify?-perhaps the man loves you, though he has a mighty filly way of fhewing it."-"It is impoffible;" replied Therefa," he may, indeed,

have fome real regard to what little fortune I poffefs; but if he is capable of any friendly attachment, which, however, I do not allow, it is already in the poffeffion of another lady: a lady previously attached to a gentleman of a quite oppofite character. His name is Antonine; her's Adelaide. Erneftus was introduced to Adelaide as the friend of her lover, and, like the ferpent in Paradife, he determined on the feduction of Adelaide, and fo far fucceded, that Antonine presently discovered he had loft

both his miftrefs and his friend.

Nothing," added Therefa, "could

equal