whole day was fpent in expectation of an opportunity; but in many parts of it he had kind looks from a diftant window which was answered by a brandish of his whip, and a compass taken to drive round, and fhow his activity, 1 and readiness to convey her where the should command him. Upon the approach of the evening, a note was thrown into his coach by a porter, to acquaint him, that his mistress and her mother should take coach exactly at feven o'clock; but that the mother was to be fet down, and the daughter to go further; and call again. The happy minute came at laft, when our hack had the happiness to take in his expected fare, attended by her mother, and the young lady with whom he had first met her. The mother was fet down in the Strand, and her daughter, ordered to call on her when he came from her cousin's an hour afterwards. The mother was not fo unskilful as not to have instructed her daughter whom to fend for, and how to behave herself when her lover fhould urge her confent. We yet know no further par ticulars, but that my young mafter was married last night at Knightsbridge, in the prefence of his brother, and two or three other perfons; and that just before the ceremony he took his brother afide, and afked him to marry the other young woman. Now, Sir, I will not harangue upon this adventure: but only observe, that if the education of this compound creature had been more careful as to his rational part, the animal life in him had not, perhaps, been fo forward, but he might have waited longer before he was a husband. However, as the whole town will in a day or two know the names, perfons, and other circumstances, I think this properly lies before your guardianship to confider for the admonition of others; but my young mafter's fate is irrevocable.

SIR,

I am,

You man bumble fervant.

N° 15.

I

Saturday, March 28.

-fibi quivis

Speret idem, fudet multum, fruftraque laboret,
Aufus idem

Hor. Ars Poet. v. 240.

All men will try, and hope to write as well,
And (not without much pains ) be undeceived.

Rofcommon.

Came yefterday into the parlour, where I found Mrs Cornelia, my Lady's third daughter, all alone, reading a paper; which, as I afterwards found, contained a copy of verfes upon love and friendship. She, I believe, apprehended that I had glanced my eye upon the paper, and, by the order and difpofition of the lines, might diftinguish that they were poetry; and therefore, with an innocent confufion in her face, fhe told me, I might read them if I pleafed, and fo withdrew. By the hand at first fight, I could not guefs whether they came from a beau or a lady; but having put on my fpectacles, and perufed them carefully, I found, by fome peculiar modes in fpelling, and a certain negligence in grammar, that it was a female fonnet. I have fince learned, that the hath a correfpondent in the country who is as bookish as herfelf; that they write to one another by the names of Aftrea and Dorinda, and are mightily admired for their eafy lines. As I fhould be loth to have a poetefs in our family, and yet am unwilling harfhly to crofs the bent of a young lady's genius; f chofe rather to throw together fome thoughts upon that kind of poetry which is diftinguished by the name of easy, than to risk the fame of Mrs Cornelia's friend, by expofing her work to public view.

I have faid, in a foregoing paper, that every thought which is agreeable to nature, and expreffed in a language fuitable to it, is written with eafe; which I offered in answer to those who ask for ease in all kinds of poetry and it is fo far true, as it ftates the notion of eafy writing in general, as that is oppofed to what is

forced or affected. But as there is an eafy mein, and
eafy drefs, peculiarly fo called; fo there is an eafy fort
of poetry.
In order to write eafily, it is neceffary, in
the firft place, to think eafily. Now, according to dif
ferent fubjects, men think differently. Anger, fury, and
the rough paffions, awaken ftrong thoughts; glory,
grandeur, power, raife great thoughts; love, melan
choly, folitude, and whatever gently touches the foul,
infpires eafy thoughts.

Of the thoughts fuggefted by thefe gentle fubjects, there are fome which may be fet off by ftile and orna ment; others there are, which the more fimply they are conceived, and the more clearly they are expreffed, give the foul proportionably the more pleafing emo tions. The figures of Ityle added to them, ferve only to hide a beauty, however gracefully they are put on, and are thrown away like paint upon a fine complexion. But here not only livelinefs of fancy is requifite to exhibit a great variety of images, but alfo nicenefs of judgment to cull out thofe, which, without the advantage of foreign art, will fhine by their own intrinfic beauty. By these means, whatfoever feems to demand labour being rejected, that only which appears to be eafy and natural will come in; and fo art will be hid by art, which is the perfection of eafy writing.

I will fuppofe an author to be really poffeffed with the paffion which he writes upon, and then we shall fee how he would acquit himfelf. This I take to be the fafeft way to form a judgment of him: fince if he be not truly moved, he muft at leaft work up his imagination as near as poffible, to refemble reality. I chufe to inftance in love, which is obferved to have produced the most finished performances in this kind. A lover will be full of fincerity, that he may be believed by his miftrefs; he will therefore think fimply: he will exprefs himfelf promifcuoufly, that he may not perplex her; he will therefore write unaffectedly. Deep reflexions are made by a head undisturbed; and points of wit and fancy are the work of an heart at eafe. These two dangers, then, into which poets are apt to run, are effectual◄ ly removed out of the lover's way. The felecting proper circumftances, and placing them in agreeable lights,

are the fineft fecrets of all poetry: but the recollection of little circumftances, is the lover's fole meditation; and relating them pleasantly, the business of his life. Accordingly we find that the most celebrated authors of this rank excel in love-verses. Out of ten thoufand inftances I fhall name one, which I cate and tender I ever faw.

think the most deli

To myself I figh often, without knowing why;
And when abfent from Phyllis, methinks I could die.

A man who hath ever been in love, will be touched at the reading of thefe lines; and every one who now feels that paffion, actually feels that they are true.

From what I have advanced, it appears how difficult it is to write easy. But when eafy writings fall into the hands of an ordinary reader, they appear to him fo natural and unlaboured, that he immediately refolves to write; and fancies, that all he hath to do, is to take no pains. Thus he thinks indeed fimply; but the thoughts, not being chofen with judgment, are not beautiful. He, it is true, expreffes himself plainly; but flatly withal. Again, if a man of vivacity takes it in his head to write this way, what felf-denial must he undergo, when bright points of wit occur to his fancy? How difficult will he find it to reject florid phrafes, and pretty embellishments of ftyle? So true it is, that fimplicity of all things is the hardest to be copied, and eafe to be acquired with the greatest labour. Our family knows very well how ill lady Flame looked, when the imitated Mrs Jane in a plain black fuit. And I remember, when Frank Courtly was faying, the other day, that any man might write eafy; I only afked him, if he thought it poffible that 'Squire Hawthorn fhould ever come into room as he did? He made me a very handfome bow, and answered with a smile, 'Mr IRONSIDE, you have convinced me.”

I fhall conclude this paper by obferving, that paftoral poetry, which is the most confiderable kind of eafy writing, hath the oftenest been attempted with ill fuccefs of any fort whatsoever. I fhall therefore, in a little time, communicate my thoughts upon that fubject to the public.

Ne forte pudori

Monday, March 30.

Sit tibi mufa lyræ folers, et cantor Apollo.

Hor. Ars Poet. v. 406. Blush not to patronize the mufe's skill

T

WO mornings ago a gentleman came in to my Lady Lizard's tea-table, who is distinguished in town by the good tafte he is known to have in polite writings, efpecially fuch as relate to love and gallantry. The figure of the man had fomething odd and grotefque to in it, though his air and manner were genteel and easy, and his wit agreeable. The ladies, in complaifance to him, turned the difcourfe to poetry. This foon gave him an occafion of producing two new fongs to the company; which he said, he would venture to recom mend as compleat performances. The firft, continued he, is by a gentleman of an unrivaled reputation in every kind of writing; and the fecond by a lady who does me the honour to be in love with me, because I am not handsome. Mrs Annabella upon this (who never lets flip an occafion of doing fprightly things) gives a twitch to the paper with a finger and a thumb, and snatches it out of the gentleman's hands: then calling her eye over it with a feeming impatience, the read us the fongs; and, in a very obliging manner, defired the gentleman would let her have a copy of them, together with his judg ment upon fongs in general; that I may be able, faid fhe, to judge of gallantries of this nature, if ever it fhould be my fortune to have a poetical lover. gentleman complied; and accordingly Mrs Annabella the very next morning, when he was at her toilet, had the following packet delivered to her by a fpruce valet. de chambre.

The firft SONG,

I.

ON Belvidera's bofom lying,

Wishing, panting, fighing, dying,

The