towards her perfon, has depended only on her merit. Lætitia has always fomething in her air that is fullen, grave, and difconfolate. Daphne has a countenance that appears chearful, open, and unconcerned. A young gentleman faw Lætitia this winter at a play, and became her captive. His fortune was fuch, that he wanted very little introduction to fpeak his fentiments to her father. The lover was admitted with the utmoft freedom into the family, where a conftrained behaviour, fevere looks and diftant civilities, were the highest favours he could obtain of Lætitia; while Daphne ufed him with the good-humour, familiarity, and innocence of a fifter; infomuch that he would often fay to her Dear Daphne, wert thou but as handfome as Lætitia-' She received fuch language with that ingenuous and pleating mirth, which is natural to a woman without defign. He still fighed in vain for Lætitia, but found certain relief in the agreeable converfation of Daphne. At length, heartily tired with the haughty impertinence of Lætitia, and charmed with repeated in ftances of good-humour he had obferved in Daphne, he one day told the latter, that he had fomething to fay to her he hoped fhe would be pleafed with Faith, Daphne,' continued he, am in love with thee, and defpife thy fifter fincerely.' The manner of his declaring himself gave his mistress occafion for a very hearty laughter. Nay,' fays he, I knew you would laugh at · me, but I'll ask your father.' He did fo; the father received his intelligence with no lefs joy than furprize, and was very glad he had now no care left but for his beauty, which he thought he could carry to market at his leifure. I do not know any thing that has pleafed me fo much a great while, as this conquest of my friend Daphne's. All her acquaintance congratulate her upon her chance-medley, and laugh at that premeditating murderer her fifter. As it is an argument of a light mind, to think the worfe of ourfelves for the imperfections of our perfons, it is equally below us to value ourselves upon the advantages of them. The female world feem to be almoft incorrigibly gone aftray in this particular; for which reafon, I fhall recommend the following extract out of a friend's letter to the profeffed beauties, who are a people al❤

I

most as unfufferable as the profeffed wits.

MONSIEUR St. Evremond has

concluded one of his effays with affirming, that the last fighs of a handfome woman are not fo much for the lofs of her life as of her beauty. Perhaps this raillery is purfued too far, yet it is turned upon a very obvious remark, that a woman's ftrongeft paffion is for her own beauty, and that the values it as her favourite diftinction. From hence it is that all arts, which pretend to improve or preferve it, meet with fo general a reception among the fex. To fay nothing of many falfe helps, and contraband wares of beauty, which are daily vended in this great mart, there is not a maiden gentlewoman of a good family in any country of South Britain, who has not heard of the virtues of May-dew, or is unfurnished with fome receipt or other in favour of her complexion; and I have known a phyfician of learning and fenfe, after eight years study in the univerfity, and a course of travels into moft countries in Europe, owe the first raifing of his fortunes to a cofmetic wash.

This has given me occafion to confider how fo univerfal a difpofition in womankind, which fprings from a laudable motive, the defire of pleafing, and proceeds upon an opinion, not altoge ther groundless, that nature may be helped by art, may be turned to their advantage. And, methinks, it would be an acceptable fervice to take them out of the hands of quacks and pretenders, and to prevent their impofing upon themselves, by difcovering to them the true fecret and art of improving beauty.

In order to this, before I touch upon it directly, it will be neceffary to lay down a few preliminary maxims, viz.

That no woman can be handsome by the force of features alone, any more than the can be witty only by the help of speech.

That pride deftroys all fymmetry and grace, and affectation is a more terrible enemy to fine faces than the fmall-pox.

That no woman is capable of being beautiful, who is not incapable of being falfe.

And, that what would be odicus in a friend, is deformity in a mittrefs. From these few principles, thus laid

down,

down, it will be eafy to prove, that the true art of affisting beauty confifts in embellishing the whole perfon by the proper ornaments of virtuous and commendable qualities. By this help alone it is, that those who are the favourite work of nature, or, as Mr. Dryden expreffes it, the Porcelain clay of human kind,' become animated, and are in a capacity of exerting their charms; and those who seem to have been neglected by her, like models wrought in halte, are capable in a great measure of finifh ing what the has left imperfect.

It is, methinks, a low and degrading idea of that fex, which was created to refine the joys, and foften the cares of humanity, by the most agreeable participation, to confider them merely as objects of fight. This is abridging them of their natural extent of power, to put them upon a level with their pictures at Kneller's. How much nobler is the contemplation of beauty heightened by virtue, and commanding our esteem and love, while it draws our obfervation? How faint and fpiritlefs are the charms of a coquette, when compared with the real loveliness of Sophronia's innocence, piety, good-humour and truth; virtues which add a new softness to her fex, and even beautify her beauty! That agreeableness which must otherwife have appeared no longer in the modest virgin, is now preferved in the tender mother, the prudent friend, and the faithful

THE

wife. Colours artfully fpread upon canvas may entertain the eye, but not affect the heart; and fhe who takes no care to add to the natural graces of her perfon any excelling qualities, may be allowed till to amufe, as a picture, but not to triumph as a beauty.

When Adam is introduced by Milton, defcribing Eve in paradife, and relating to the angel the impreffions he felt upon feeing her at her firft creation, he does not reprefent her like a Grecian Venus, by her fhape or features, but by the luftre of her mind which fhone in them, and gave them their power of charming. Grace was in all her steps, Heav'n in her eye, In all her geftures dignity and love!

Without this irradiating power the proudest fair-one ought to know, whatever her glass may tell her to the contrary, that her most perfect features are uninformed and dead.

I cannot better close this moral, than by a fhort epitaph written by Ben Jonfon, with a fpirit which nothing could infpire but fuch an object as I have been defcribing

R. B.

Juv. SAT. xv. 159.

TATE.

prefent who will take care of their refpeftive interefts, that nothing may be written or publifhed to the prejudice or infringement of their juft rights and privileges.

I last night fat very late in company with this felect body of friends, who entertained me with feveral remark's which they and others had made upon thefe my fpeculations, as alfo with the various fuccefs which they had met with among their feveral ranks and degrees of readers, Will Honeycomb told ine, in the fofteft manner he could, that there were fome ladies ( But for your comfort,'

fays