Truth, though fhe was often woundad, always recovered in a fhort time; but it was common for the flightest hurt, received by Falfehood, to fpread it's malignity to the neighbouring parts, and to burst open again when it feemed

to have been cured.

Falfehood, in a fhort time, found by experience that her fuperiority confifted only in the celerity of her courfe, and the changes of her pofture. She therefore ordered Sufpicion to beat the ground before her, and avoided with great care to cross the way of Truth, who, as the never varied her point, but moved conftantly upon the fame line, was eatily efcaped by the oblique and defultory movements, the quick retreats and active doubles which Falfehood always practifed, when the enemy began to raise terror by her approach.

By this procedure Falfehood every hour encroached upon the world, and extended her empire through all climes and regions. Wherever the carried her victories fhe left the Paffions in full authority behind her; who were fo well pleafed with command, that they held out with great obftinacy when Truth came to feize their posts, and never failed to retard her progrefs, though they could not always ftop it: they yielded at laft with great reluctance, frequent rallies, and fullen fubmiffion; and always inclined to revolt when Truth ceafed to awe them by her immediate prefence.

Truth, who, when she first descended from the heavenly palaces, expected to have been received by univerfal acclamation, cherished with kindness, heard with obedience, and invited to fpread her inAuence from province to province, now found that, wherever she came, the must force her paffage. Every intellect was precluded by Prejudice, and every heart preoccupied by Paffion. She indeed advanced, but the advanced flowly; and often loft the conquefts which the left behind her, by fudden infurrections of

the appetites, that shook off their allegiance, and ranged themselves again under the banner of her enemy.

Truth, however, did not grow weaker by the ftruggle, for her vigour was unconquerable; yet fhe was provoked to fee herfelf thus baffled and impeded by an enemy, whom he looked on with contempt, and who had no advantage but fuch as the owed to inconftancy, weaknefs, and artifice: She therefore, in the anger of difappointment, called upon her father Jupiter to re-establish her in the skies, and leave mankind to the diforder and mifery which they de ferved, by fubmitting willingly to the ufurpation of Falfehood..

Jupiter compaffionated the world too much to grant her request, yet was willing to eafe her labours, and mitigate hér vexation. He commanded her to

confult the Mufes by what method the might obtain an eafier reception, and reign without the toil of inceffant war. It was then difcovered, that fhe obstructed her own progrefs by the feverity of her afpect, and the folemnity of her dictates; and that men would never willingly admit her, till they ceased to fear her, fince by giving themselves up to Falfehood they feldom made any facrifice of their eafe or pleasure, because she took the fhape that was most engaging, and always fuffered herself to be dreffed and painted by Defire. The Mufes wove, in the loom of Pallas, a loose and changeable robe, like that in which Falfehood captivated her admirers; with this they invested Truth, and named her Fiction. She now went out again to conquer with more fuccefs; for when she demanded entrance of the Paffions, they often mistook her for Falsehood, and delivered up their charge: but when the had once taken poffeffion, fhe was foon difrobed by Reafon, and fhone out, in her original form, with native effulgence and refiftless dignity.

Нок.

WHEN the Spectator was first pub

lifhed in fingle papers, it gave me fo much pleasure, that it is one of the favourite amufements of my age to recollect it; and when I reflect on the foibles of thofe times, as described in that ufeful work, and compare them with the vices now reigning among us, I cannot but with that you would oftener take cognizance of the manners of the better half of the human fpecies, that if your precepts and obfervations be carried down to pofterity, the Spectators may fhew to the rifing generation what were the fashionable follies of their grandmothers, the Rambler of their mothers, and that from both they may draw instruction and warning.

When I read thofe Spectators which tock notice of the misbehaviour of young women at church, by which they vainly hope to attract admirers, I ufed to pronounce fuch forward young women Seckers, in order to diftinguish them by a mark of infamy from thofe who had patience and decency to ftay till they were fought.

But I have lived to fee fuch a change in the manners of women, that I would now be willing to compound with them for that name, although I then thought it difgraceful enough, if they would deferve no worle; fince now they are too generally given up to negligence of domeftick bulinets, to idle amuiements, and

FRANCIS.

to wicked rackets, without fettled view at all but of squandering time.

In the time of the Spectator, excepting fometimes an appearance in the ring, fometimes at a good and chofen play, fometimes on a vifit at the houfe of a grave relation, the young ladies contented themfelves to be found employed in domeftick duties; for then routes, drums, balls, affemblies, and fuch like markets

for women, were not known.

Modefty and diffidence, gentleness and meeknefs, were looked upon as the appropriate virtues and characteristic graces of the fex. And if a forward fpirit pushed itself into notice, it was expofed in print as it deserved.

The churches were almoft the only places where fingle women were to be feen by strangers. Men went thither expecting to fee them, and perhaps too much for that only purpose.

But fome good often refulted, however improper might be their motives. Both fexes were in the way of their duty. The man must be abandoned indeed, who loves not goodness in another; nor were the young fellows of that age fo wholly loft to a fenfe of right, as pride and conceit has fince made them affect to be. When therefore they faw a fairone, whofe decent behaviour and cheerful piety fhewed her earnest in her firft duties, they had the lefs doubt, judging politically only, that he would have a confcientious regard to her fecond.

With what ardour have I feen watcired for, the rifing of a kneeling beauty; and what additional charms has devotion given to her recommunicated features?

The men were often the better for what they heard. Even a Saul was once found prophefying among the prophets whom he had fet out to destroy. To a man thus put in good-humour by a pleafing

object

object, religion itself looked more amiable. The Men Seekers of the Spectator's time loved the holy place for the object's fake, and loved the object for her fuitable behaviour in it.

Reverence mingled with their love; and they thought that a young lady of fuch good principles must be addreffed only by the man who at least made a thew of good principles, whether his heart was yet quite right or not.

Nor did the young lady's behaviour, at any time of the fervice, leffen this reverence. Her eyes were her own, her ears the preacher's. Women are always moft obferved when they seem themselves leait to obferve, or to lay out for obfervation. The eye of a refpectful lover loves rather to receive confidence from the withdrawn eye of the fair-one, than to find itfelf obliged to retreat.

When a young gentleman's affection was thus laudably engaged, he pursued it's natural dictates; keeping then was a raie, at least a fecret and fcandalous vice, and a wife was the fummit of his wishes. Rejection was now dreaded, and pre-engagement apprehended. A woman whom he loved, he was ready to think must be admired by all the world. His fears, his uncertainties, increased his love.

Every enquiry he made into the lady's domeftick excellence, which, when a wife is to be chofen, will furely not be neglected, confirmed him in his choice. He opens his heart to a common friend, and honeftly discovers the state of his fortune. His friend applies to thofe of the young lady, whofe parents, if they approve his propofals, difclose them to their daughter.

man.

She perhaps is not an abfolute ftranger to the paffion of the young gentleHis eyes, his affiduities, his conftant attendance at a church, whither, till of late, he used seldom to come, and a thousand little obfervances that he paid her, had very probably firft forced her to regard, and then inclined her to favour him.

That a young lady fhould be in love, and the love of the young gentleman undeclared, is an heterodoxy which prudence, and even policy, muft not allow. But thus applied to, fhe is all refignation to her parents. Charming refignation, which inclination oppofes not.

Her relations applaud her for her duty; friends meet; points are adjusted;

delightful perturbations, and hopes, and a few lover's fears, fill up the tedious space, till an interview is granted; for the young lady had not made herself cheap at publick places.

The time of interview arrives. She is modeftly reserved; he is not confident. He declares his paffion; the consciousness of her own worth, and his application to her parents, take from her any doubt of his fincerity; and the owns herself obliged to him for his good opinion. The enquiries of her friends into his character have taught her that his good opinion deferves to be valued.·

She tacitly allows of his future vifits he renews them; the regard of each for the other is confirmed; and when he preffes for the favour of her hand, he receives a declaration of an entire ac quiefcence with her duty, and a modest acknowledgment of efteem for him.

He applies to her parents, therefore, for a near day; and thinks himself under obligation to them for the cheerful and affectionate manner with which they receive his agreeable application.

With this profpect of future happinefs, the marriage is celebrated. Gratulations pour in from every quarter. Parents and relations on both fides, brought acquainted in the courfe of the courtship, can receive the happy couple with countenances illumined, and joyful hearts.

The brothers, the fifters, the friends of one family, are the brothers, the fifters, the friends of the other. Their two families thus made one, are the world to the young couple.

Their home is the place of their principal delight, nor do they ever occafionally quit it, but they find the pleasure of returning to it augmented in proportion to the time of their abfence from it.

Oh, Mr. Rambler! forgive the talkativenefs of an old man. When I courted and married my Lætitia, then a blooming beauty, every thing paffed just fo! But how is the cafe now? The ladies, maidens, wives, and widows, are engroffed by places of open refort and general entertainment, which fill every quarter of the metropolis, and being conftantly frequented, make home irkfome. Breakfafting-places, diningplaces, routes, drums, concerts, balls, plays, operas, mafquerades for the evening, and even for all night, and lately, publick fales of the goods of broken

houfe

houfe-keepers, which the general difiolutenefs of manners has contributed to make very frequent, come in as another feasonable relief to these modern timekillers.

In the fummer there are in every country-town affemblies; Tunbridge, Bath, Cheltenham, Scarborough! What expence of drefs and equipage is required to qualify the frequenters for fuch emulous appearance?

By the natural infection of example, the lowest people have places of fixpenny refort, and gaming-tables for pence. Thus fervants are now induced to fraud and difhonefty, to fupport extravagance, and fupply their loffes.

As to the ladies who frequent those publick places, they are not ashamed to Thew their faces wherever men dare go, nor blush to try who fhall ftare moft imprudently, or who shall laugh loudest on the publick walks.

The men who would make good hufbands, 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 please, more than fpectators, at the expence of others. The companion of an evening, and the companion for life, require very different qualifications.

Two thousand pounds in the laft age, with a domeftick wife, would go farther than ten thousand in this. Yet fettlements are expected, that offen, to a mercantile man efpecially, fink a fortune into ufelefsnefs; and pin-money is ftipulated for, which makes a wife independent, and deftroys 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 nor where to find wives, must not the sex be left to the foplings, the coxcombs, the libertines of the age, whom they help to make fuch? And need even thefe 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 Autters? As he is approachable by every man, without requiring, I will not fay incenfe 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 she find a hufband?

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 thoughtlefs, will be convinced of the juftice of your cenfure, and the charity of your inftruction.

But fhould 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 thefe to daughters) when they, the meteors of a day, find themfelves elbowed off the ftage of vanity by other flutterers; for the moft admired women cannot have many Tunbridge, many Bath feafons to blaze in; fince even fine faces, often feen, are less regarded than new faces, the proper punifhment of fhowy girls, for rendering themfelves fo impolitickly cheap. I am, Sir, Your fincere admirer, &c.

Juv.

TO THE AUTHOR OF THE RAMBLER.

MR. RAMBLER,

You

YOU have often endeavoured to imprefs upon your readers an obfervation of more truth than novelty, that

ELPHINSTON.

life paffes, for the most part, in petty tranfactions; that our hours glide away in trifling amufements and flight gratifications; and that there very feldom emerges any occafion that can call forthi great virtue or great abilities.