to be free with a man. Acetus ought to be banished human fociety, because he raises his mirth upon giving pain to the perfon upon whom he is plea fant. Nothing but the malevolence, which is too general towards those who excel, could make his company tolerated; but they, with whom he converfes, are fure to fee fome man facrificed wherever he is admitted, and all the credit he has for wit is owing to the gratification it gives to other mens ill-nature.

Minutius has a wit that conciliates a man's love at the fame time that it is exerted against his faults. He has an art in keeping the perfon he rallies in countenar.ce by infinuating that he himself is guilty of the fame imperfection. This he does with fo much address, that he feems rather to bewail himself, than fall upon his friend.

It is really monstrous to fee how unaccountably it prevails among men, to take the liberty of difpleafing each other. One would think fometimes that the contention is, who fhall be moft difagreeable. Allufions to paft follies, hints which revive what a man has a mind to forget for ever, and defires that all the rest of the world fhould, are commonly brought forth even in company of men of diftinction. They do not thruft with the fkill of fencers, but cut up with the barbarity of butchers. It is, methinks, below the character of men of humanity and good manners, to be capable of mirth while there is any one of the company in pain and diforder. They who have the true taste of converfation, enjoy themselves in a communication of each other's excellencies, and not in a triumph over their imperfections. Fortius would have been reckoned a wit, if there had never been a fool in the world; he wants not foils to be a beauty, but has that natural pleasure in obferving perfection in others, that his own faults are overlooked out of gratitude by all his acquaintance.

After thef feveral characters of men who fucceed or fail in raillery, it may not be amifs to reflect a little further what one takes to be the most agreeable kind of it; and that to me appears when the fatire is directed against vice, with an air of contempt of the fault, but no ill-will to the criminal. Mr. Congreve's Doris is a

mafter-piece in this kind. It is the character of a woman utterly abandoned, but her impudence by the fineft piece of raillery is made only generofity.

• Peculiar therefore is her way,
• Whether by nature taught,
'I fhall not undertake to fay,
Or by experience bought;

For who o'er night obtain'd her grace,
She can next day difown,

And ftare upon the strange man's face,
As one she ne'er had known.

I Look upon myself as a kind of guardian to the fair,

and am always watchful to obferve any thing which concerns their intereft. The prefent paper shall be employed in the fervice of a very fine young woman; and the admonitions I give her, may not be unufeful to the rest of her fex. Gloriana fhall be the name of the heroine in to-day's entertainment; and when I have told you that he is rich, witty, young, and beautiful, you

will believe fhe does not want admirers. She has had fince the came to town about twenty-five of thofe lovers, who make their addreffes by way of jointure and fettlement. These come and go with great indifference on both fides; and as beauteous as fhe is, a line in a deed has had exception enough againft it, to outweigh the luftre of her eyes, the readiness of her understanding, and the merit of her general character. But among the croud of fuch cool adorers, he has two who are very affiduous in their attendance. There is fomething fo extraordinary and artful in their manner of application, that I think it but common juftice to alarm her in it. I have done it in the following

letter.

MADAM,

I HAVE for fome time taken notice of two gentlemen who attend you in all public places, both of ⚫ whom have alfo eafy access to you at your own houfe: but the matter is adjusted between them, and Da'mon, who fo paffionately addreffes you, has no defign upon you; but Strephon, who feems to be indifferent to you is the man, who is, as they have fet:led it, to have you. The plot was laid over a bottle of wine; and Strephon, when he first thought of you, propofed to Damon to be his rival. The manner of his breaking of it to him, I was fo placed at a tavern, that I could not avoid hearing. Damon," faid he, with a deep figh, "I have long "languifhed for that miracle of beauty Gloriana, and "if you will be very steadfastly my rival, I fhall certainly "obtain her. Do not," continued he, “be offended at this overture; for I go upon the knowledge of "the temper of the woman, rather than any vanity "that I fhould profit by an oppofition of your preten"fions to thofe of your humble fervant. Gloriana has very good fenfe, a quick relish of the fatisfactions of "life, and will not give herfelf, as the croud of wo<< men do, to the arms of a man to whom he is "indifferent. As fhe is a fensible woman, expreffions "of rapture and adoration will not move her nei❝ther; but he that has her must be the object of

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"her defire, not her pity. The way to this end I take to be, that a man's general conduct should be agree"able, without addrelling in particular to the woman "he loves. Now,, fir, if you will be fo kind as to figh and die for Gloriana, I will carry it with great refpect towards her, but feem void of any thoughts as a lover. By this means I fhall be in the most "amiable light of which I am capable; I fhall be re"ceived with freedom, you with referve." Damon, who has himfelf no defigns of marriage at all, eafily fell into the fcheme; and you may obferve, that whereever you are, Damon appears alfo. You fee he carries on an unaffected exactness in his dress and manner, and ftrives always to be the very contrary of Strephon. They have already fucceeded fo far, that your eyes are ever in fearch of Strephon, and turn them⚫ felves of courfe from Damon. They meet and compare notes upon your carriage; and the letter which was brought to you the other day, was a contrivance to remark your refentment. When you faw the billet fubfcribed Damon, and turned away with a fcornful air, and cried impertinence! you gave hopes to him that fhuns you, without mortifying him that languishes for you.

What I am concerned for, madam, is, that in the difpofal of your heart, you should know what you are doing, and examine it before it is loft. Strephon • contradicts you in difcourfe with the civility of one who has a value for you, but gives up nothing like one that loves you. This feeming unconcern gives • his behaviour the advantage of fincerity, and infenfibly obtains your good opinion, by appearing difinterested in the purchase of it. If you watch these correfpondents hereafter, you will find that Strephon makes his vifit of civility immediately after Damon has tired you with one of love. Though you are very difcreet, you will find it no eafy matter to efcape the toils fo well laid, as when one ftudies to be difagreeable in paffion, the other to be pleafing without it. All the turns of your temper are carefully watched, and their quick and faithful intelligence, gives your lovers irrefiftible advantage. You

will please, madam, to be upon your guard, and take all the neceffary precautions against one who is amiable to you before you know he is enamoured.

Strephon makes great progrefs in this lady's good graces, for most women being actuated by fome little fpirit of pride and contradiction, he has the good effects of both thofe motives by this covert-way of courtship. He received a meffage yefterday from Damon in the following words, fuperfcribed With speed.'

·

ALL goes well; the is very angry with me, and I dare fay hates me in earneft. It is a good time to vifit.

'Yours.'

The comparison of Strephon's gaiety to Damon's languishment, ftrikes her imagination with a profpect of very agreeable hours with fuch a man as the former, and abhorrence of the infipid profpect with one like the latter. To know when a lady is difpleafed with another, is to know the best time of advancing yourself. This method of two perfons playing into each other's hand is fo dangerous, that I cannot tell how a woman could be able to withstand fuch a fiege. The condition of Gloriana, I am afraid, is irretrievable, for Strephon has had fo many opportunities of pleafing without fufpicion, that all which is left for her to do is to bring him, now fhe is advised, to an explanation of his paffion, and beginning again, if fhe can conquer the kind fentiments fhe has already conceived for him. When one fhews himself a creature to be avoided, the other proper to be fled to for fuccour, they have the whole woman between them, and can occafionally rebound her love and hatred from one to the other, in fuch a manner as to keep her at a distance from all the rest of the world, and caft lots for the conqueft.