fraud and dishonesty, to fupport extravagance, and fupply their loffes. As to the ladies who frequent thofe publick places, they are not afhamed to fhew their faces wherever men dare go, nor blush to try who fhall ftare most impudently, or who shall laugh loudeft on the publick walks. The men who would make good husbands, if they vifit thofe places, are frighted at wedlock, and refolve to live fingle, except they are bought at a very high price. They can be fpectators of all that paffes, and, if they pleafe, more than fpectators, at the expence of others. The companion of an evening, and the companion for life, require very different quali fications. Two thoufand pounds in the last age, with a domeftick wife, would go farther than ten thousand in this. Yet fettlements are expected, that often, to a mercantile man especially, fink a fortune into useleffness; and pin-money is ftipulated for, which makes a wife independent, and destroys love, by putting it out of a man's power to lay any obligation upon her, that might engage gratitude, and kindle affection. When to all this the card-tables are added, how can a prudent man think of marrying? And when the worthy men know not where to find wives, must not the fex be left to the foplings, the coxcombs, the libertines of the age, whom they help to make fuch? And need even these wretches marry to enjoy the converfation of those who render their company fo cheap? And what, after all, is the benefit which the gay coquette obtains by her flutters? As he is approach able able by every man without requiring, I will not fay incense or adoration, but even common complaisance, every fop treats her as upon the level, looks upon her light airs as invitations, and is on the watch to take the advantage: fhe has companions indeed, but no lovers; for love is refpectful, and timorous; and where among all her followers will fhe find a huf band? Set, dear Sir, before the youthful, the gay, the inconfiderate, the contempt as well as the danger to which they are expofed. At one time or other, women, not utterly thoughtless, will be convinced of the justice of your cenfure, and the charity of your inftruction. But should your expoftulations and reproofs have no effect upon those who are far gone in fashionable folly, they may be retailed from their mouths to their nieces (marriage will not often have entitled these to daughters), when they, the meteors of a day, find themselves elbowed off the ftage of vanity by other flutterers; for the most admired women cannot have many Tunbridge, many Bath feafons to blaze in; fince even fine faces, often feen, are lefs regarded than new faces, the proper punishment of fhowy girls, for rendering themselves fo impolitickly cheap. I am, SIR, Your fincere admirer, &c. NUMB. 98. SATURDAY, February 23, 1751. Que nec Sarmentus iniquas Cæfaris ad menfas, nec vilis Gabba tulisset. Which not Sarmentus brook'd at Cafar's board, Juv. ELPHINSTON. To the AUTHOR of the RAMBLER. Mr. RAMBLERr, OU have often endeavoured to impress upon You your readers an obfervation of more truth than novelty, that life paffes, for the most part, in petty tranfactions; that our hours glide away in trifling amusements and flight gratifications; and that there very feldom emerges any occafion that can call forth great virtue or great abilities. A It very commonly happens that speculation has no influence on conduct. Juft conclufions, and cogent arguments, formed by laborious ftudy, and diligent inquiry, are often repofited in the treafuries of memory, as gold in the mifer's cheft, ufelefs alike to others and himfelf. As fome are not richer for the extent of their poffeffions, others are not wifer for the multitude of their ideas. You have truly described the state of human beings, but it may be doubted whether you have accommodated your precepts to your description; whether you have not generally confidered your readers readers as influenced by the tragick paffions, and susceptible of pain or pleasure only from powerful agents, and from great events. To an author who writes not for the improvement of a fingle art, or the establishment of a controverted doctrine, but equally intends the advantage and equally courts the perufal of all the claffes of mankind, nothing can juftly feem unworthy of regard, by which the pleasure of conversation may be increased, and the daily fatisfactions of familiar life fecured from interruption and disgust. For this reason you would not have injured your reputation, if you had fometimes defcended to the minuter duties of focial beings, and enforced the obfervance of thofe little civilities and ceremonious delicacies, which, inconfiderable as they may appear to the man of fcience, and difficult as they may prove to be detailed with dignity, yet contribute to the regulation of the world, by facilitating the intercourse between one man and another, and of which the French have fufficiently teftified their efteem, by terming the knowledge and practice of them Sçavoir vivre, the art of living. Politenefs is one of those advantages which we never estimate rightly but by the inconvenience of its lofs. Its influence upon the manners is constant and uniform, so that, like an equal motion, it escapes perception. The circumftances of every action are fo adjusted to each other, that we do not fee where any error could have been committed, and rather acquiefce in its propriety than admire its exactness. But as fickness fhews us the value of ease, a little familiarity with those who were never taught to en deavour deavour the gratification of others, but regulate their behaviour merely by their own will, will foon evince the neceffity of established modes and formalities to the happiness and quiet of common life. Wisdom and virtue are by no means fufficient, without the fupplemental laws of good-breeding, to fecure freedom from degenerating to rudeness, or felf-esteem from fwelling into infolence; a thousand incivilities may be committed, and a thousand offices neglected, without any remorse of confcience, or reproach from reason. The true effect of genuine politenefs feems to be rather eafe than pleasure. The power of delighting must be conferred by nature, and cannot be delivered by precept, or obtained by imitation; but though it be the privilege of a very small number to ravish and to charm, every man may hope by rules and caution not to give pain, and may, therefore, by the help of good-breeding, enjoy the kindness of mankind, though he fhould have no claim to higher diftinctions. The univerfal axiom in which all complaifance is included, and from which flow all the formalities which custom has established in civilifed nations, is, That no man shall give any preference to himself. A rule fo comprehensive and certain, that, perhaps, it is not easy for the mind to image an incivility, without fuppofing it to be broken. There are, indeed, in every place some particular modes of the ceremonial part of good-breeding, which, being arbitrary and accidental, can be learned only by habitude and converfation; fuch are the forms of falutation, the different gradations of reve rence, |