wants greater than the wants of H met?' Rafchid repeated his defire, and pleafed himself with the mean appearance that Hamet would make in the prefence of the proprietor of the Ganges. The Genius then retired towards the river, and the two fhepherds ftood waiting the event. As Rafchid was looking with contempt upon his neighbour, on

a fudden was heard the roar of torrents, and they found by the mighty ftream that the mounds of the Ganges were broken. The flood rolled forward into the lands of Rafchid, his plantations were torn up, his flocks overwhelmed, he was fwept away before it, and a crocodile devoured him.

AUSONIUS.

continue in that state which is reafonably

paflion to medical writers, becaufe their conftitution of body is fuch, that every tate of life brings it's peculiar difeafes: they are placed, according to the proverb, between Scylla and Charybdis, with no other choice than of dangers equally formidable; and whether they embrace marriage, or determine upon a fingle life, are expofed, in confequence of their choice, to fickness, mifery, and death.

It were to be wished that fo great a degree of natural infelicity might not be increafed by adventitions and artificial niferies; and that beings whofe beauty we cannot behold without admiration, and whofe delicacy we cannot contemplate without tenderness, might be fuffered to enjoy every alleviation of their forrows. But, however it has happened, the custom of the world feems to have been formed in a kind of conspiracy against them, though it does not appear but they had themfelves an equal thare in it's eftablishment; and prefcriptions which, by whomfoever they were begun, are now of long continuance, and by confequence of great authority, feem to have almost excluded them from content, in whatfoever condition they fhall país their lives.

If they refuse the fociety of men, and

own power, they feldom give thofe that frequent their converfation any exalted notions of the bleffing of liberty; for whether it be that they are angry to fee with what inconfiderate eagernels other heedlefs females rufh into flavery, or with what abfurd vanity the married ladies boaft the change of their condition, and condemn the heroines who endeavour to affert the natural dignity of their fex; whether they are conicious that like barren countries they are fiee, only because they were never thought to deferve the trouble of a conqueit, or imagine that their fincerity is not always unlafpe&t= ed, when they declare their contempt of men; it is certain, that they generally appear to have fome grost and incant caufe of uncalineis, and that many of them have at last been perfdal, by powerful rhetoricians, to try the life which they had to long contemned, ant put on the bridal omaments at a time when they leaft became them.

What are the real caufis of the impatience which the ladies diícover in a virgin ftate, I fhall perhaps take Lane other occasion to examine. That it is not

to be envied for it's happines, apprars from the folicitude with which it is avoided; from the opinion univerfally prevalt

M 2

prevalent among the fex, that no woman continues long in it but because the is not invited to forfake it; from the difpofition always fhewn to treat old maids as the refufe of the world; and from the willingness with which it is often quitted at laft, by thofe whofe experience has enabled them to judge at leifure, and decide with authority.

Yet fuch is life, that whatever is propofed, it is much easier to find reasons for rejecting than embracing. Marriage, though a certain fecurity from the reproach and folitude of antiquated virginity, has yet, as it is ufually conducted, many difadvantages, that take away much from the pleafure which fociety promises, and might afford, if pleatures and pains were honeftly fhared, and mutual confidence inviolably preferved.

The miferies, indeed, which many ladies fuffer under conjugal vexations, are to be confidered with great pity, because their husbands are often not taken by them as objects of affection, but forced upon them by authority and violence, or by perfuafion and importunity, equally refiftlefs when urged by those whom they have been always accustomed to reverence and obey; and it very feldom appears, that thofe who are thus defpotick in the difpofal of their children, pay any regard to their domestick and perfonal felicity, or think it fo much to be enquired whether they will be happy, as whether they will be rich.

It may be urged, in extenuation of this crime, which parents, not in any other respect to be numbered with robbers and affaflins, frequently commit, that, in their eftimation, riches and happinefs are equivalent terms. They have paffed their lives with no other with than that of adding acre to acre, and filling one bag after another, and imagine the advantage of a daughter fufficiently confidered, when they have fecured her a large jointure, and given her reasonable expectations of living in the midst of thofe pleatures with which he had feen her father and mother folacing their age.

There is an economical oracle receivad among the prudential part of the world, which advifcs fathers to marry their daughters left they should marry themselves; by which I fuppofe it is implied, that women left to their own conduct, generally unite themfelves with fuch partners as can contribute very lit. the to their felicity. Who was the author

of this maxim, or with what intention it was originally uttered, I have not yet difcovered; but imagine that, however folemnly it may be tranfmitted, or how ever implicitly received, it can confer no authority which nature has denied; it cannot license Titius to be unjust, lest Caia fhould be imprudent; nor give right to imprifon for life, left liberty fhould be ill employed.

That the ladies have fometimes incurred imputations which might naturally produce edicts not much in their fa vour, must be confessed by their warmnest advocates; and I have indeed feldom obfèrved, that when the tenderness or virtue of their parents has preferved them from forced marriage, and left them at large to chufe their own path in the labyrinth of life, they have made any great advantage of their liberty: they commonly take the opportunity of independence to trifle away youth, and lose their bloom in a hurry of diverfions, recurring in a fucceffion too quick to leave room for any fettled reflection; they fee the world without gaining experience, and at last regulate their choice by motives trifling as thofe of a girl, or mercenary as thofe of a mittr.

Melanthia came to town upon the death of her father, with a very large fortune, and with the reputation of a much larger; the was therefore followed and careffed by many men of rank, and by fome of underftanding; but having an infatiable defire of pleasure, he was not at leifure, from the park, the gardens, the theatres, vifits, affemblies, and mafquerades, to attend feriously to any propofal, but was ftill impatient for a new Hatterer, and neglected marriage as always in her power; till in time her admirers fell away, wearied with expence, difgufted at her folly, or offended by her inconftancy; the heard of concerts to which fhe was not invited, and was more than once forced to fit ftill at an affembly for want of a partner. In this diftrefs, chance threw in her way Philotryphus, a man vain, glittering, and thoughtless as herself, who had spent a fmall fortune in equipage and drefs, and was thining in the laft fuit for which his tailor would give him credit. He had been long endeavouring to retrieve his extravagance by marriage, and therefore foon paid his court to Melanthia, who, after fome weeks of infenfibility, faw him at a ball, and was wholly overcome

by

by his performance in a minuet. They fmarried; but a man cannot always dance, and Philotryphus had no other method of pleafing: however, as neither was in any great degree vicious, they live together with no other unhappines than vacuity of mind, and that tastelelfnefs of life which proceeds from a fatiety of juvenile pleasures, and an utter inability to fill their place by nobler employments. As they have known the fashionable world at the fame time, they agree in their notions of all thofe fubfects on which they ever speak; and 'being able to add nothing to the ideas of each other, are not much inclined to converfation, but very often join in one with-That they could fleep more, and think lefs.'

Argyris, after having refufed a thoufand offers, at last confented to marry Cotylus, the younger brother of a duke, a man without elegance of mien, beauty of perfon, or force of understanding, who, while he courted her, could not always forbear allufions to her birth, and hints how cheaply the would purchafe an alliance to fo illuftrious a family. His conduct from the hour of his marriage has been infufferably tyrannical; nor has he any other regard to her than what arifes from his defire that her appearance may not difgrace him. Upon this priciple, however, he always orders that the fhould be gaily dreffed, and fplendidly attended; and the has, among all her mortifications, the happiness to take place of her eldest sister.

has been remarked, that authors very easily put out of temper; and that they feldom fail of giving proofs of their frafcibility upon the flighteft attack of criticifim, or the moft gentle or modeft offer of advice and information.

Writers being best acquainted with one another, have reprefented this character as prevailing among men of literature, which a more extenfive view of the world would have fhewn them to be diffuted through all human nature, to mingle itself with every fpecies of ambition and defire of praife, and to difcover it's effects with greater or lefs reftraint, and under difguifes more or less artful, in all places and all conditions.

The quarrels of writers, indeed, are more obferved, because they neceffarily appeal to the decifion of the publick. Their enmities are incited by applaufes from their parties, and prolonged by treacherous encouragement for general divertion; and when the contest happens

FRANCIS

to rife high between men of genius and

the fame reafon as it's vehemence was at firit promoted, because it gratifies the malevolence or curiosity of readers, and relieves the vacancies of life with amufement and laughter. The perfonal dif putes, therefore, of rivals in wit, are fometimes tranfmitted to pofterity, when the grudges and heart-burnings of men lef's confpicuous, though carried on with equal bitterness, and productive of greater evils, are expoled to the knowledge of thofe only whom they nearly affect, and fuffered to pass off and be forgotten among common and cafual tranfactions.

The refentment which the difcovery of a fault or folly produces, muft bear z certain proportion to our pride, and will regularly be more acrimonious, as pride is more immedia ely the principle of action. In whatever, therefore, we wifh or imagine ourselves to excel, we fhall always be difple: fed to have our claims to reputation dipured, and more dif

phated,