But without ascertaining all the proper Qualifications of a Critic, which I have touched on elsewhere, I think I may very boldly object to the Cenfures of any one past upon Works which he hath not himself read. Such Cenfurers as thefe, whether they fpeak from their own Guefs or Sufpicion, or from the Report and Opinion of others, may properly be faid to flander the Reputation of the Book they condemn.

Such may likewife be fufpected of deferving this Characters who without affigning any particular Faults, condemn the whole in general defamatory Terms; fuch as vile, dull, da-d Stuff,

cicand particularly by the Ufe of the Monofyllable Low; a Word which becomes the Mouth of no Critic who is not RIGHT HONOURABLE.

Again, tho there may be fome Faults juftly affigned in the Work; yet if those are not in the most effential Parts, or, if they are compenfated by greater Beauties, it will favour rather of the Malice of a Slanderer, than of the Judgment of a true Critic, to pafs a fevere Sentence upon the whole, merely on account of fome vicious Part. This is directly contrary to the Sentiments of Horace.

Verum ubi plura nitent in carmine, non ego paucis Offendor maculis, quas aut incuria fudit, - Aut humana parum cavit natura

But where the Beauties, more in Number, shine,

I am not angry, when a cafual Line

(That with fome trivial Faults unequal flows) A careless Hand, or human Frailty fhows.

Mr. FRANCIS.

For

For as Martial fays, Aliter non fit, Avite, Liber. No Book can be otherwife compofed. All Beauty of Character, as well as of Countenance, and indeed of every Thing human, is to be tried in this Manner. Cruel indeed would it be, if such a Work as this Hiftory, which hath em- ̈ ployed fome Thoufands of Hours in the compofing, fhould be liable to be condemned, because fome particular Chapter, or perhaps Chapters, may be obnoxious to very juft and fenfible Ob-. jections. And yet nothing is more common than the most rigorous Sentence upon Books fupported by fuch Objections, which, if they were rightly taken (and that they are not always) do by no Means go to the Merit of the whole. In the Theatre especially, a fingle Expreffion which doth not coincide with the Tafte of the Audience, or with any individual Critic of that Audience, is fure to be hiffed; and one Scene which fhould be difapproved, would hazard the whole Piece. To write within fuch fevere Rules as thefe, is as impoffible as to live up to fome fplenetic Opinions; and if we judge according to the Sentiments of fome Critics, and of fome Chriftians, no Author will be faved in this World, and no Man in the next.

CHA P. II.

r

The Adventures which Sophia met with, after her leaving Upton.

UR Hiftory, juft before it was obliged to turn about, and travel backwards, had mentioned the Departure of Sophia and her Maid from the Inn; we shall now therefore pursue the

Steps

Steps of that lovely Creature, and leave her unworthy Lover a little longer to bemoan his IllLuck, or rather his ill Conduct.

Sophia having directed her Guide to travel through Bye-Roads acrofs the Country, they now paffed the Severn, and had scarce got a Mile from the Inn, when the young Lady, looking behind her, faw feveral Horfes coming after on full Speed. This greatly alarmed her Fears, and she called to the Guide to put on as faft as poffible.

He immediately obeyed her, and away they rode a full Gallop. But the fafter they went, the fafter were they followed; and as the Horfes behind were fomewhat fwifter than those before, fo the former were at length overtaken. A happy Circumftance for poor Sophia; whofe Fears, joined to her Fatigue, had almoft overpowered her Spirits; but she was now inftantly relieved by a female Voice, that greeted her in the fofteft Manner, and with the utmoft Civility. This Greeting, Sophia, as foon as fhe could recover her Breath, with like Civility, and with the higheft Satisfaction to herfelf, returned.

their

The Travellers who joined Sophia, and who had given her fuch Terror, confifted, like her own Company, of two Females and a Guide. The two Parties proceeded three full Miles together before any one offered again to open Mouths; when our Heroine, having pretty well got the better of her Fear, (but yet being fomewhat furprized that the other ftill continued to attend her, as fhe pursued no great Road, and had already paffed through feveral Turnings) accofted the ftrange Lady in a moft obliging Tone'; and faid,She was very happy to find they were ⚫ both travelling the fame Way.' The other, who,

who, like a Ghoft, only wanted to be fpoke to, readily anfwered, That the Happiness was entirely hers; that fhe was a perfect Stranger in that Country, and was fo overjoyed at meeting a Companion of her own Sex, that fhe had perhaps been guilty of an Impertinence which required great Apology, in keeping Pace with her.' More Civilities paffed between these two Ladies; for Mrs. Honour had now given Place to the fine Habit of the Stranger, and had fallen into the Rear. But tho' Sophia had great Curiosity to know why the other Lady continued to travel on through the fame Bye-roads with herself, nay, tho' this gave her fome Uneafinefs; yet Fear, or Modefty, or fome other Confideration, reftrained her from afking the Question.

The ftrange Lady now laboured under a Difficulty which appears almoft below the Dignity of Hiftory to mention. Her Bonnet had been blown from her Head not lefs than five Times within the laft Mile; nor could fhe come at any Ribbon or Handkerchief to tye it under her Chin. When Sophia was informed of this, the immediately fupplied her with a Handkerchief for this Purpose; which while fhe was pulling from her Pocket, The perhaps too much neglected the Management of her Horfe, for the Beast now unluckily making a falfe Step, fell upon his Fore-Legs, and threw his fair Rider from his Back.

Tho' Sophia cameHead foremost to the Ground, The happily received not the leaft Damage; and the fame Circumftances which had perhaps contributed to her Fall, now preferved her from Confufion; for the Lane which they were then paffing, was narrow and very much over-grown with Trees, fo that the Moon could here afford very

!

A

little Light, and was moreover, at prefent, fo obfcured in a Cloud, that it was almoft perfectly dark. By thefe Means the young Lady's Modefty, which was extremely delicate, efcaped as free from Injury as her Limbs, and fhe was once more reinftated in her Saddle, having received no other Harm than a little Fright by her Fall.

Day-light at length appeared in its full Luftre; and now the two Ladies, who were riding over a Common Side by Side, looking ftedfastly at each other, at the fame Moment both their Eyes became fixed; both their Horses stopt, and both speaking together, with equal Joy pronounced, the one the Name of Sophia, the other that of Harriet.

"

This unexpected Encounter furprized the Ladies much more than I believe it will the fagacious Reader, who must have imagined that the ftrange Lady could be no other than Mrs. Fitzpatrick, the Coufin of Mifs Western, whom we before-mentioned to have fallied from the Inn a few Minutes after her.

So great was the Surprife and Joy which these two Coufins conceived at this Meeting (for they had formerly been moft intimate Acquaintance and Friends, and had long lived together with " their Aunt Western) that it is impoffible to recount half the Congratulations which paffed between them, before either afked a very natural Queftion of the other, namely, whither fhe was going..

This at laft, however, came firft from Mrs. Fitzpatrick; but eafy and natural as the Question may feem, Sophia found it difficult to give it at very ready and certain Anfwer. She begged her. Coufin therefore to fufpend all Curiofity till they arrived at fome Inn, which I fuppofe," fays' fhe,

can