their nerves flackened, their hands shook, and the inftruments of Labour fell from their grafp.

Shocked with this horrid phantom,they reflected with regret on their eafy compliance with the folicitations of Labour, and began to with again for the golden hours which they remembered to have paffed under the reign of Reft, whom they refolved again to vifit, and to whom they intended to dedicate the remaining part of their lives. Reft had not left the world; they quickly found her; and, to atone for their former defertion, invited her to the enjoyment of thole acquifitions which Labour had procured

them.

Reft therefore took leave of the groves and vallies, which fhe had hitherto inhabited, and entered into palaces, repofed herself in alcoves, and flumbered awy the winter upon beds of down, and the fummer in artificial grottos with cafcales playing before her. There was indeed always fomething wanting to complete her felicity, and the could never full her returning fugitives to that ferenity which they knew before their engagements with Labour: nor was her dominion entirely without controul, for fhe was obliged to fhare it with Luxury, though he always looked upon her as a falle friend, by whom her influence was in reality destroyed while it seemed to be promoted.

The two foft affociates, however, reigned for fome time without visible difagreement, till at last Luxury betrayed her charge, and let in Difeafe to feize upon her worthippers. Reft then flew away, and left the place to the ufurpers; who employed all their arts to fortify themfelves in their poffeffion, and to ftrengthen the intereft of each other.

Reft had not always the fame enemy: in fome places the efcaped the incurfions of Difeafe; but had her refidence invaded by a more flow and fubtle intruder, for very frequently, when every thing was compofed and quiet; when there was neither pain within, nor danger with out; when every flower was in bloom, and every gale freighted with perfumes, Satiety would enter with a languishing and repining look, and throw herfelf upon the couch, placed and adorned

for the accommodation of Reit. No fooner was the feated, than a generel gloom fpread itself on every fide, the groves immediately loft their verdure, and their inhabitants defifted from their melody, the breeze funk in fighs, and the flowers contracted their leaves, and fhut up their odours. Nothing was feen on every fide but multitudes wandering about they knew not whither, in queft they know not of what; no voice was heard but of complaints that mentioned no pain, and murmurs that could tell of no misfortune..

Reft had now lot her authority. Her followers again began to treat her with contempt; fome of them united themfelves more clofely to Luxury, who promifed by her arts to drive Satiety away; and others, that were more wife, or had more fortitude, went back again to Labour, by whom they were indeed protected from Satiety, but delivered up in time to Laffitude, and forced by her to the bowers of Reft.

Thus Reft and Labour equally perceived their reign of thort duration and uncertain tenure; and their empire liable to inroads from thofe who were alike enemies to both. They each found their fubjects unfaithful, and ready to defert them upon every opportunity. Labour faw the riches which he had given always carried away as an offering to Reft, and Reft found her votaries in every exigence flying from her to beg help of Labour. They, therefore, at laft determined upon an interview, in which they agreed to divide the world between them; and govern it alternately, allotting the dominion of the day to one, and that of the night to the other, and promifed to guard the frontiers of each other; fo that, whenever hoftilities were attempted, Satiety fhould be intercepted by Labour, and Laffitude expelled by Reft. Thus the ancient quarrel was ap peafed; and as hatred is often fucceeded by it's contrary, Reft afterwards became pregnant by Labour, and was de. livered of Health, a benevolent goddefs, who confolidated the union of her parents, and contributed to the regular viclitudes of their reign, by difpenting her gifts to thofe only who shared their lives in juit proportions between Reftand Labour.

N° XXXIV.

I

Have been cenfured for having hitherto dedicated so few of my ipeculations to the ladies, and indeed the moralift whole inftructions are accommodated only to one half of the human fpecies, must be confeffed not fufficiently to have extended his views. Yet, it is to be confidered, that mafculine duties afford more room for counfels and obfervations, as they are lefs uniform, and connected with things more fubject to vicifiitude and accident; we therefore find that, in philofophical difcourfes which teach by precept, or historical narratives that inftruct by example, the peculiar virtues or faults of women fill but a fmall part; perhaps generally too timall; for fo much of our domestick happine's is in their hands, and their influence is fo great upon our earlieft years, that the univerfal intereft of the world requires them to be well inftructed in their province; nor can it be thought proper, that the quali ics by which to much pain or pleature may be given, should be left to the direction of chance.

I have, therefore, willingly given a place in my paper to a letter, which, perhaps, may not be wholly ufelefs to them whofe chief ambition is to pleafe, as it fhews how certainly the end is miffed by abfurd and injudicious endeavours at diftinction.

HoR.

ELPHINSTON.

laft was perfuaded to vifit Anthes, an heirefs, whofe land lies contiguous to mine, and whole birth and beauty are without objection. Our friends declared that we were born for each other, all thofe on both fides who had no intereft in hindering our union contributed to promote it, and were confpiring to hurry us into matrimony, before we had an opportunity of knowing one another. I was, however, too old to be given away without my own confent; and having happened to pick up an opinion which to many of

my

relations feemed extreme

ly odd, that a man might be unhappy with a large eftate, determined to obtain a nearer knowledge of the perfon with whom I was to pafs the remainder of my time. To protract the courtship was by no means difficult, for Anthea had a wonderful facility of evading questions which I feldom repeated, and of barring approaches which I had no great cagernels to prefs.

Thus the time paffed away in vifits and civilities, without any ardent profeflions of love, or formal offers of fet-. tlements. I often attended her to publick places; in which, as is well known, all behaviour is fo much regulated by custom, that very little infight can be gained into the private character, and therefore I was not yet able to inform myfelf of her humour and inclinations.

At last I ventured to propofe to her to make one of a fimall party, and spend a day in viewing a feat and gardens a few miles diftant; and having, upon her compliance, collected the rest of the company, I brought at the hour a coach which I had borrowed from an acquaintance, having delayed to buy one myfelf, till I thould have an opportunity of taking the lady' opinion for whofe ufe it was intended. Anthea came down, but as the was going to step into the coach, ftarted back with great appearanceof terror, and told us that The durft not enter, for the fhocking colour of the lining had fo much the air

of

of the mourning-coach in which the followed her aunt's funeral three years before, that she should never have her poor dear aunt out of her head.

I knew that it was not for lovers to argue with their mistreffes; I therefore fent back the coach, and got another more gay. Into this we all entered, the coachman began to drive, and we were amufing ourfelves with the expectation of what we should fee, when, upon a small inclination of the carriage, Anthea fcreamed out, that we were overthrown. We were obliged to fix all our attention upon her, which the took care to keep up by renewing her outcries, at every corner where we had occafion to turn: at intervals the entertained us with fretful complaints of the uneafinefs of the coach, and obliged me to call feveral times on the coachman to take care and drive without jolting. The poor fellow endeavoured to please us, and therefore moved very flowly, till Anthea found out that this pace would only keep us longer on the ftones, and defired that I would order him to make more fpeed. He whipped his horfes, the coach jolted again, and Anthea very complaifantly told us how much the repented that the made one of

our company...

At last we got into the fmooth road, and began to think our difficulties at an end; when, on a fudden, Anthea faw a brook before us, which he could not venture to pals. We were, therefore, obliged to alight, that we might walk over the bridge; but when we came to it, we found it fo narrow, that Anthea durft not fet her foot upon it, and was content, after long confultation, to call the coach back; and with innumerable precautions, terrors, and lamentations, croffed the brook.

It was necessary after this delay to amend our pace, and directions were accordingly given to the coachman, when Anthea informed us, that it was common for the axle to catch fire with a quick motion, and begged of me to look cut every minute left we should all be confumed. I was forced to obey, and gave her from time to time the moft folemn declarations that all was fafe, and that I hoped we should reach the place without lofing our lives either by fire or water.

Thus we paffed on over ways foft and hard, with more or with lefs fpeed, but always with new viciffitudes of anxiety. If the ground was hard, we were jolted;

if foft, we were finking. If we went faft, we should be overturned; if flowly, we should never reach the place. At length fhe faw fomething which the called a cloud, and began to confider that at that time of the year it frequently thundered. This feemed to be the capital terror, for after that the coach was uffered to move on; and no danger was thought too dread.ul to be encountered, provided he could get into a house before the thunder.

Thus our whole converfation paffed in dangers, and cares, and fears, and confolations, and ftories of ladies dragged in the mire, forced to spend all the night on a heath, drowned in rivers, or burnt with lightning; and no fooner had a hair-breadth efcape fet us fice from one calamity, but we were threatened with another.

At length we reached the house where we intended to regale ourfelves; and I propofed to Anthea the choice of a great number of dishes, which the place, being well provide for entertainment, happened to afford. She made fome objection to every thing that was offered; one thing the hated at that time of the year; another the could not bear fince The had feen it fpoiled at Lady Feedwell's table; another fhe was fure they could not drefs at this houfe; and another the could not touch without French fauce. At lait the fixed her mind upon falmon, but there was no falmon in the house. It was however procured with great expedition; and when it came to the table, the found that her fright had taken away her ftomach, which indeed the thought no great lofs, for the could never believe that any thing at an inn could be cleanly got.

Dinner was now over, and the company propofed, for I was now paft the condition of making overtures, that we fhould purfue our original defign of vifit, ing the gardens. Anthea declared that fhe could not imagine what pleasure we expected from the fight of a few green trees and a little gravel, and two or three pits of clear water; that for her part fhe hated walking till the cool of the evening, and thought it very likely to rain; and again wifhed that he had ftaid at home. We then reconciled ourfelves to our difappointment, and began to talk on common fubjects, when Anthea told us that, fince we came to fee gardens, the would not hinder our fatis

L

faction.