to take notice of. But my mother coming home about a week ago, told me there was a scandal spread about town by my enemies, that would at once ruin me for ever for a beauty: I earneftly entreated her to know it; fhe refused me, but yesterday it discovered itself. Being in an affembly of gentlemen and ladies, one of ⚫ the gentlemen who had been very facetious to feveral of the ladies, at laft turning to me, And as for you, 'Madam, Prior has already given us your character, That air and harmony of shape exprefs, • I perceived immediately a malignant smile display it• felf in the countenance of fome of the ladies, which they feconded with a scornful flutter of the fan; till · one of them, unable any longer to contain, asked the gentleman if he did not remember what Congreve faid about Aurelia, for fhe thought it mighty pretty. He 'made no answer, but inftantly repeated the verses. The Mulcibers who in the Minories sweat, • This was no fooner over, but it was easily discernible • what an ill-natured fatisfaction most of the company took; and the more pleasure they showed by dwelling upon the two laft lines, the more they increased my trouble and confufion. And now, Sir, after this te'dious account, what would you advife me to? Is there no way to be cleared of thefe malicious calumnies? • What is beauty worth, that makes the poffeffor thus unhappy? Why was nature fo lavish of her gifts to me, as to make her kindness prove a cruelty? They tell me my shape is delicate, my eyes fparkling, my lips I know not what, my cheeks, forfooth, adorned ' with a juft mixture of the rofe and lily; but I with this face was barely not disagreeable, this voice harsh ' and unharmonious, thefe limbs only not deformed, ' and then perhaps I might live easy and unmolested, • and ⚫ and neither raife love and admiration in the men, nor ⚫ fcandal and hatred in the women. Your very humble fervant, CLARINA. The beft anfwer I can make my fair correfpondent, is, That the ought to comfort herself with this confideration, that thofe who talk thus of her know it is falfe, but wish they could make others believe it true. It is not they think you deformed, but are vexed that they themfelves were not as nicely framed. If you will take an old man's advice, laugh, and be not concerned at them : they have attained what they endeavoured if they make you uneafy; for it is envy, that has made them fo. I would not have you with your fhape one fixtieth part of an inch difproportioned, nor defire your face might be impoverished with the ruin of half a feature, tho' numbers of remaining beauties might make the lofs infenfible; but take courage, go into the brighteft affemblies, and the world will quickly confefs it to be fcandal. Thas Plato, hearing it was afferted by fome perfons that he was a very bad I fhall take care," faid he, "to man, "live fo, that no body will believe them." I fhall conclude this paper with a relation of matter of fact. A gay young gentleman in the country, not many years ago, fell defperately in love with a blooming fine creature, whom give me leave to call Melissa. After a pretty long delay, and frequent folicitations, fhe refufed feveral others of larger eftates, and confented to make him happy. But they had not been married much above a twelve-month, till it appeared too true what Juba fays, Beauty foon grows familiar to the lover, Fades in the eye, and palls upon the sense. Polydore (for that was his name) finding himself grow every day more uneafy, and unwilling the fhould difcover the caufe, for diverfion came up to town, and to avoid all fufpicions, brought Meliffa along with him. After fome ftay here, Polydore was one day informed, that that a fet of ladies over their tea-table, in the circle of fcandal, had touched upon Meliffa- -And was that the filly thing fo much talked of? How did fhe ever grow into a toaft? For their parts they had eyes, as well as the men, but could not discover where her beauties lay. Polydore upon hearing this, flew immediately home, and told Meliffa, with the utmoft tranfport, that he was now fully convinced how numberless were her charms, fince her own sex would not allow her any. Mr. IRONSIDE, I Button's Coffee-house. HAVE obferved that this day you make mention of Will's Coffee-house, as a place where people are too polite to hold a man in difcourfe by the button. Every body knows your honour frequents this houfe; therefore they will take an advantage against me, and fay, if my company was as civil as that at Will's, you would do fo: Therefore pray your honour do not be afraid of doing me juftice, because people ⚫ would think it may be a conceit below you on this ⚫ occafion to name the name of Your humble Servant, DANIEL BUTTON. The young poets are in the back room, and take their places as you directed.' FRIDA Y With fancy high, and bold and daring flights. SIR, T TO NESTOR IRONSIDE, Efq; CREECH. Oxford, June 16, 1713: HE claffical writers, according to your advice, are by no means neglected by me, while I purfue my ftudies in divinity. I am perfuaded that they are fountains of good fenfe and eloquence; and that it is abfolutely neceffary for a young mind to • form itself upon fuch models. For by a careful study of their stile and manner, we shall at least avoid those faults, into which a youthful imagination is apt to hurry us; fuch as luxuriance of fancy, licentiousness of stile, redundancy of thought, and falfe ornaments. As I have been flattered by my friends, that I have fome genius for poetry, I fometimes turn my thoughts that way; and with pleasure reflect, that I have got over that childish part of life, which delights in points and turns of wit; and that I can take a manly and rational fatisfaction in that which is ⚫ called painting in poetry. Whether it be, that in these ⚫ copyings of nature, the object is placed in fuch lights ⚫ and circumstances as ftrike the fancy agreeably; or ⚫ whether we are surprised to find objects, that are abfent, placed before our eyes; or whether it be our ad⚫ miration of the author's art and dexterity; or whether we amufe ourselves with comparing the picture and the original; or rather (which is moit probable) because all thefe reafons concur to affect us, we are wonderfully charmed with thefe drawings after the life, this 6 magick that raises apparitions in the fancy. • Land Landskips, or fill life, work much less upon us, than representations of the postures or paffions of living creatures. Again, thofe paffions or postures ftrike us more or less in proportion to the ease or violence ⚫ of their motions. An horse grazing moves us less than one stretching in a race, and a racer less than one in the fury of a battle. It is very difficult, I believe, to exprefs violent motions, which are fleeting and tranfitory, either in colours or words. In poetry it requires great fpirit in thought, and energy in ftile; which we find more of in the Eastern poetry, than either the Greek or Roman. The great Creator, ⚫ who accommodated himself to thofe he vouchfafed to fpeak to, hath put into the mouths of his prophets • fuch fublime fentiments and exalted language, as must abash the pride and wit of man. In the book of Job, the most ancient poem in the world, we have fuch paintings and defcriptions, as I have spoken of, in great variety. I fhall at prefent make fome remarks on the celebrated defcription of the horse in that holy book, and compare it with thofe drawn by Homer ⚫ and Virgil. Homer hath the following. fimilitude of an horfe ⚫ twice over in the Iliad, which Virgil hath copied from him; at least he hath deviated lefs from Homer, than • Mr. Dryden hath from him. Freed from his keepers, thus with broken reins, And o'er his fhoulders flows his waving mane; • Virgil's defcription is much fuller than the foregoing, which, as I faid, is only a fimile; whereas Virgil profeffes to treat of the nature of the horfe. It is thus • admirably translated. The |