this could not poffibly be the fplendid, much boafted Ranelagh; and fo, feeing not far from me a number of people entering a door, I followed them, in hopes either to get out again, or to vary the scene. But it is impoffible to defcribe, or indeed to conceive, the effect it had on me, when, coming out of the gloom of the garden, I fuddenly entered a round building, illuminated by many hundred lamps; the splendour and beauty of which furpaffed every thing of the kind I had ever feen before. Every thing feemed here to be round: above, there was a gallery divided into boxes; and in one part of it an organ with a beautiful choir, from which iffued both inftrumental and vocal mufic. All around, under this gallery, are handsome painted boxes for those who wish to take refreshments: the floor was covered with mats; in the middle of which are four high black pillars; within which there are neat fireplaces for preparing tea, coffee, and punch: and all around alfo there are placed tables, fet out with all kinds of refreshments. Within these four pillars, is a kind of magic rotundo, where all the beau-monde of London move perpetually round and round. I at first mixed with this immenfe concourfe of people, of all fexes, ages, countries, and characters: and I muft confefs, that the inceffant change of faces, the far greater number of which were ftrikingly beautiful, together with the illumination, the extent and majestic fplendour of the place, with the continued found of the mufic, makes an inconceivably delightful impreffion on the imagination. Being, however, at length tired of the crowd, and being tired alfo with always moving round and round in a circle, I fat down in one of the boxes, in order to take fome refreshment, and was now contemplating at my cafe this prodigious collection and crowd of a happy, cheerful world, who were here enjoying themfelves devoid of care, when a waiter very civily asked me what refreshments I wished to have, and in a few mo ments ments returned with what I afked for. To my aftonishment, he would accept no money for thefe refreshments; which I could not comprehend, till he told me every thing was included in the half-crown I had paid at the door; and that I had only to command, if I wifhed for any thing more; but that, if I pleased, I might give him as a prefent a trifling douceur. I now went up into the gallery, and feated myfelf in one of the boxes there; and from thence, becoming all at once a grave and moralizing fpectator, I locked down on the concourfe of people, who were still moving round and round in the fairy circle; and then I could eafily distinguish feveral ftars, and other orders of knighthood; French queues and bags contrafted with plain English heads of hair, or profeffional wigs; old age and youth, nobility and commonalty, all paffing each other in the motley fwarm. An Englishman, who joined me during this my reverie, pointed out to me, on my enquiring, princes and lords with their daz.. zling ftars, with which they eclipfed the lefs brilliant part of the company. Here fome moved round in an eternal circle, to fee and be feen; there a group of eager connoiffeurs had placed themfelves before the orchestra, and were feasting their ears, while others, at the well-fupplied tables, were regaling the parched roofs of their mouths, in a more fubftantial manner; and again, others like myfelf, were fitting alone, in the corner of a box in the gallery, making their remarks and reflections on fo interefting a scene. I now and then indulged myself in the pleasure of exchanging, for fome minutes, all this magnificence and fplendour, for the gloom of the garden, in order to renew the pleafing furprife I experienced on my first entering the building. Thus I Ipent here fome hours in the night, in a continual variation of entertainment; when the crowd now all at once began to leffen, and I alfo took a coach and drove home. EXTRACTS Gg 3 EXTRACTS FROM SIR PHILIP SIDNEY's ARCADIA. (Concluded from page 287.) FROM THE SECOND BOOK. Old wood inflamed doth yield the braveft fire, She went with fuch a battle in her thoughts, and fo deadly an overthrow given to her beft refolutions, that even her body, when the battle was fought, was withal oppreffed; making a languifhing fick nefs wait upon. the triumph of the paffion. Upon the fhoulders of friendship to lay the burden of forrow. They walked under a few palm-trees which, being loving in their own nature, feemed to give their fhadow the more willingly, because they held difcourfe of love. The beafts, like children of nature, inherit their bleffings quietly; but we, like bastards, are laid abroad as foundlings to be trained up by grief and forrow. The moon thought it no fcorn to be torch-bearer to fuch beauty. In the time that the wings of night do blow fleep moft willingly into mortal creatures. Mourn boldly my ink, for while fhe looks upon you, your blackness will fhine. Sleep came to bathe himself in her fair weeping eyes. The wind was like a fervant waiting behind them, fo juft, that they might fill the fails as they lifted. Το To confider the art of catching the wind prisoner for no other end than to run away with it. There arose a veil of dark clouds, which shortly (like ink poured into water) had blackened over all the face of heaven: preparing, as it were, a mournful stage for a tragedy to be played on. She fat, fwallowing of fleep with her open mouth, making fuch a noise withal as nobody could lay the ftealing of a nap to her charge. A RIVER. It run upon fo fine and delicate a ground, as one could not eafily judge, whether the river did more wash the gravel, or the gravel did purify the river: the river not running forth right, but almost continually winding, as if the lower ftreams would return to their fprings; or that the river had a delight to play with itfelf: the banks on either fide feeming arms of the loving earth, that fain would embrace it; and the river a wanton nymph, that ftill would flip from it: either fide of the bank being furnished with beautiful trees which refifted the fun's darts from over much piercing the natural coldness of the river, but among the reft a goodly cyprefs, who bowing her fair head over the water, it feemed as if fhe looked into it, and dreffed her green locks by that running mirror. They began to get the pure filver of their bodies out of the ore of their garments. 2 Her eyes in this unhappy be, Because themselves they cannot fee. Which, bleffed, ftill themfelves do kifs? The fine proportion of her glove fhewed well what dainty guest was wont there to be lodged. The water, with fome drops, feemed to weep that it should part from fuch a body. She She made the lute, in his language, fhew how glad it was to be touched by her fingers. With eyes, cheeks, and lips, whereof each fang their part, to make up the harmony of bashfulness. If it be true that the giants ever made war against heaven, this man would have been a fit enfign-bearer to that company. One whom fame was fo defirous to honour, that the borrowed all men's mouths to join with the found of her trumpet. Bacchus, the learned fay, was begot with thunder, and, I think, that made him ever fince fo full of ftirs and debate. The bird carries the fhell fish high, to break him the easier with a fall. Hymen had not then his faffron-coloured coat; for though the pretended love, she refolved upon his ruin. A picture receives greater life by the darkness of fhadows, than by more glittering colours. FROM THE THIRD BOOK. He was like one frozen with extremity of cold, overhaftily brought to a great fire, rather oppreffed than relieved by such a lightning of felicity. With fighs to blow all comfort out of his breaft, and wath away all cheerfulness with tears. About them, as about two poles, the sky of beauty was turned. If love be a fault, it is more fault in them to be lovely. They fate devifing how to give more feathers to the wings of time. More |