ened, their hands fhook, 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 wifh again for the golden hours which they remembered to have paffed under the reign of REST, whom they refolved again to vifit, and to whom they intended to dedicate the remaining part of their lives. REST had not left the world; they quickly found her, and to atone for their former defertion, invited her to the enjoyment of thofe acquifitions which LABOUR had procured them.

REST therefore took leave of the groves and vallies, which he had hitherto inhabited, and entered into palaces, repofed herself in alcoves, and flumbered away the winter upon beds of down, and the fummer in artificial grottos with cafcades playing before her. There was indeed always fomething wanting to complete her felicity, and fhe could never lull 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 share it with LUXURY, though the always looked upon her as a falfe friend, by whom her influence was in reality deftroyed, while it feemed to be promoted.

The two foft affociates, however, reigned for fome time without vifible difagreement, till at last LUXURY betrayed her charge, and let in DISEASE to feize upon her worfhippers. REST 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.

REST had not always the fame enemy: in fome places fhe efcaped the incurfions of DISEASE; but had her refidence invaded by a more flow and subtle intruder; for very frequently when every thing was compofed

compofed and quiet, when there was neither pain within, nor danger without, when every flower was in bloom, and every gale freighted with perfumes, SATIETY Would enter with a languifhing and repining look, and throw herself upon the couch placed and adorned for the accommodation of REST. No fooner was fhe feated than a general gloom spread 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 knew not of what; no voice was heard but of complaints that mentioned no pain, and murmurs that could tell of no misfortune.

REST had now lost her authority. Her followers again began to treat her with contempt; fome of them united them felves more clofely to LUXURY, who promised 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 LASSITUDE, and forced by her to the bowers of REST.

Thus REST and LABOUR equally perceived their reign of fhort duration and uncertain tenure, and their empire liable to inroads from those 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 REST, and REST 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

promised to guard the frontiers of each other, fo that, whenever hoftilities were attempted, SATIETY fhould be intercepted by LABOUR, and LASSITUDE expelled by REST. Thus the ancient quarrel was appeased, and as hatred is often fucceeded by its contrary, REST afterwards became pregnant by LABOUR, and was delivered of HEALTH, a benevolent goddess, who confolidated the union of her parents, and contributed to the regular viciffitudes of their reign, by difpenfing her gifts to thofe only who fhared their lives in just proportions between REST and LABOUR.

Have been cenfured for having hitherto dedicated

fo few of my fpeculations to the ladies; and indeed the moralift, whofe 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 masculine duties afford more room for counfels and obfervations, as they are less uniform, and connected with things more fubject to viciffitude and accident; we therefore find that in philofophical difcourfes which teach by precept, or hiftorical narratives that inftruct by example, the peculiar virtues or faults of women fill but a small part; perhaps generally too small, for fo much of our domeftick happiness is in their hands, and their influence is fo great upon our earliest 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 qualities by which fo much pain or pleasure may be given, fhould 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 please, as it fhews how certainly the end is miffed by abfurd and injudicious endeavours at diftinction.

SIR,

I AM

To the RAMBLER.

AM a young gentleman at my own difpofal, with a confiderable eftate; and having paffed a through the common forms of education, fpent fome time in foreign countries, and made myself diftinguished fince my return in the politeft company, I am now arrived at that part of life in which every man is expected to fettle, and provide for the continuation of his lineage. I withstood for fome time the folicitations and remonftrances of my aunts and uncles, but at laft was perfuaded to visit Anthea, an heirefs, whofe land lies contiguous to mine, and whose 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 any 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 seemed extremely 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

had a wonderful facility of evading questions which I seldom repeated, and of barring approaches which I had no great eagerness to prefs.

Thus the time paffed away in vifits and civilities, without any ardent profeffions of love, or formal offers of fettlements. 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 small party, and fpend a day in viewing a feat. and gardens a few miles diftant; and having, upon her compliance, collected the reft of the company, I brought, at the hour, a coach which I had borrowed from an acquaintance, having delayed to buy one myself, till I should have an opportunity of taking the lady's opinion for whofe ufe it was intended. Anthea came down, but as fhe was going to ftep into the coach, ftarted back with great appearance of terror, and told us that fhe durft not enter, for the fhocking colour of the lining had fo much the air of the mourning coach, in which she 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 ourselves with the expectation of what we fhould fee, when, upon a fmall inclination of the carriage, Anthea fcreamed out, that we were overthrown. were obliged to fix all our attention upon her, which fhe took care to keep up by renewing her outcries, at every corner where we had occafion to turn: at intervals fhe entertained us with fretful complaints of

We

the