fibly be, that in reality they know nothing of it. This is a knowledge unhappily not in the power of many authors to arrive at. Books will give us a very imperfect idea of it; nor will the stage a much better: the fine gentleman formed upon reading the former, will almost always turn out a pedant, and he who forms himself upon the latter, a coxcomb.

Nor are the characters drawn from these models better fupported. Vanbrugh and Congreve copied nature; but they who copy them draw as unlike the prefent age, as Hogarth would do if he was to paint a rout or a drum in the dreffes of Titian and of Vandyke. In fhort imitation here will not do the bufinefs. The picture must be after nature herself. A true knowledge of the world is gained only by converfation, and the manners of every rank must be feen in order to be known.

Now it happens that this higher order of mortals is not to be feen, like all the rest of the human fpecies, for nothing in the ftreets, fhops, and coffeehouses: nor are they fhewn, like the upper rank of animals, for fo much apiece. In fhort, this is a fight to which no perfons are admitted, without one or the other of thefe qualifications, viz. either birth or fortune; or what is equivalent to both, the honourable profeffion of a gamefter. And very unluckily for the world, perfons fo qualified very feldom care to take upon themselves the bad trade of writing, which is generally entered upon by the lower and poorer fort, as it is a trade which many think requires no kind of ftock to fet up with.

Hence thofe ftrange monfters in lace and embroidery, in filks and brocades, with vaft wigs and hoops; which, under the name of lords and ladies, ftrut the ftage, to the great delight of attorneys and their clerks in the pit, and of the citizens and their apprentices in the galleries; and which are no more to be found in real life, than the centaur, the chimera, or any other creature of mere fiction. But to let my reader into a secret, this knowledge of upper life, though very neceffary for preventing mistakes, is no very great refource to a writer whofe province is comedy, or that kind of novels which, like this I am wri ting, is of the comic clafs.

What Mr Pope fays of women is very applicable to

VOL. III.

F

moft in this ftation, who are, indeed, fo entirely made up of form and affectation, that they have no character at all, at least, none which appears. I will venture to say, the highest life is much the dulleft, and affords very little humour or entertainment. The various callings in lower spheres produce the great variety of humourous characters; whereas here, except among the few who are engaged in the pursuit of ambition, and the fewer ftill who have a relifh for pleasure, all is vanity and fervile imitation. Dreffing and cards, eating and drinking, bowing and curtefying, make up the bulinefs of their lives.

Some there are, however, of this rank, upon whom paffion exercises its tyranny, and hurries them far beyond the bounds which decorum prefcribes: of thefe, the ladies are as much diftinguished by their noble intrepidity, and a certain fuperior contempt of reputation, from the frail ones of meaner degree, as a virtuous woman of quality is, by the elegance and delicacy of her fentiments from the honeft wife of a yeoman or fhopkeeper. Lady Bellafton was of this intrepid character; but let not my country-readers conclude from her, that this is the general condnet of women of fafhion, or that we mean to represent them as fuch. They might as well fuppofe, that every clergyman was represented by Thwackum, or every foldier by Enfign Northerton.

Our

There is not, indeed, a greater error than that which univerfally prevails among the vulgar, who, borrowing their opinion from fome ignorant fatyrifts, have affixed the character of lewdnefs to thefe times. On the contrary, I am convinced there never was lefs of love-intrigue carried on among perfons of condition, than now. prefent women have been taught by their mothers to fix their thoughts only on ambition and vanity, and to depife the pleafures of love as unworthy their regard; and being afterwards, by the care of fuch mothers, married without having hufbands, they feem pretty well confirmed in the juftnefs of thofe fentiments; whence they content themfelves, for the dull remainder of life, with the purfuit of more innocent, but I am afraid, more childish amusements, the bare mention of which would ill fuit with the dignity of this history. In my humble opinion the true characteristic of the prefent Beau

Monde, is rather folly than vice, and the only epithet which it deferves is that of frivolous.

С НА Р., II.

Containing letters and other matters which attend amours»

J

ONES had not been long at home before he received the following letter.

I was never more furprised than when I found you was gone. When you left the room, I little imagined " you intended to have left the house without feeing me • again. Your behaviour is all of a piece, and convinces me how much I ought to despise a heart which can doat upon an idiot; though I know not whether I fhould not admire her cunning more than her fimplicity: wonderful both! for though the understood not a word of what paffed between us, yet fhe had the skill, the affurance, thewhat fhall I call it? to deny, to my face, that fhe knows you, or ever faw you before.

Was this a fcheme laid between you, and have you • been base enough to betray me?-O how I defpife her, you, and all the world, but chiefly myfelf! for--I dare not write what I fhould afterwards run mad to read; but remember, I can deteft as violently as I have loved.'

Jones had but little time given him to reflect on this letter, before a fecond was brought him from the fame hand; and this, likewise we shall fet down in the precife words.

• When you confider the hurry of spirits in which I must have writ, you cannot be surprised at any expreffions in my former note. -Yet, perhaps, on reflection, they were rather too warm. At least, I would, if poffible, think all owing to the odious playhouse, and to the impertinence of a fool, which detained me beyond my appointment. How eafy is it to think well of those we love!- -Perhaps you defire I should think fo. I have refolved to see you to-night; fo come to me <immediately.

• P. S. I have ordered to be at home to none but

your

P. S. Mr Jones will imagine I shall affift him in his defence: for I believe, he cannot defire to

impofe on me more than I defire to impofe on • myself.

P. S. Come immediately.'

To the men of intrigue I refer the determination, whether the angry or the tender letter gave the greatest uneafinefs to Jones. Certain it is, he had no violent inclination to pay any more vifits that evening, unless to one fingle perfon. However, he thought his honour engaged, and had not this been motive fufficient, he would not have ventured to blow the temper of Lady Bellafton into that fame of which he had reafon to think it fufceptible, and of which he feared the confequence might be a difcovery to Sophia, which he dreaded. After fome difcontented walks, therefore, about the room, he was preparing to depart, when the lady kindly prevented him, not by another letter, but by her own prefence. She entered the room very disordered in her drefs, and very difcompofed in her looks, and threw herself into a chair, where having recovered her breath, fhe faid,

6

You fee, Sir, when women have gone one length too far they will stop at none. If any perfon would have fworn this to me a week ago, I would not have believed it of myself. I hope, Madam,' faid Jones, my charming Lady Bellafton will be as difficult to believe any thing against one who is fo fenfible of the many obligations the hath conferred upon him.' • Indeed!' fays fhe, fenfible of obligations! did I expect to hear fuch cold language from Mr Jones ? Pardon me, dear angel,' faid he, if after the letters I have received, the terrors of your anger, though I know not how I have deferved it'And have I then,' fays Have L

my

fhe with a fmile, fo angry a countenance?

really brought a chiding face with me? If there. be honour in man,' faid he, • I have done nothing to merit your anger, You remember the appointment fent me, I went in purfuance.'• I beseech you,”

you

cried fhe, do not run through the odious recital.

• Answer me but one question, and I fhall be easy.

Have you not betrayed my honour to her?-Jones fell

I

upon his knees, and began to utter the most violent proteftation, when Partridge came dancing and capering into the room, like one drunk with joy, crying out, She's found, fhe's found?-Here, Sir, here, fhe's here, -Mrs Honour is upon the ftairs.' Stop her a moment,' cries Jones, Here Madam, ftep behind the bed, I have no other room nor clofet, nor place on earth to hide you in; fure never was fo damn'd an accident.'- Damn'd indeed!' faid the lady, as fhe went to her place of concealment; and prefently afterwards in came Mrs Honour. 6 Heyday!" fays fhe, Mr Jones, what's the matter?That impudent rascal, your fervant, would fcarce let me come up flairs. hope he hath not the fame reafon to keep me from you as he had at Upton.- I fuppofe you hardly expected to fee me; but you have certainly bewitched my lady. Poor dear young lady! To be fure, I loves her as tenderly as if he was my own fifter. Lord have mercy upon you, if you don't make her a good husband; and to be fure if you do not, nothing can be bad enough for you.' Jones begged her only to whisper, for that there was a lady dying in the next room. A lady!' cries fhe; ay, I fuppofe one of your ladies.• O, Mr Jones, there are too many of them in the world. I believe we are got into the house of one; for my Lady Bellafton, I darft to say, is no better than fhe fhould &be.'- Hufh, huh,' cries Jones, every word is overheard in the next room.' 6 I don't care a farthing," cries Honour, I speaks no scandal of any one; but to be fure the fervants make no fcruple of faying as how her ladyship meets men at another place--where the houfe goes under the name of a poor gentlewoman; but hey ladyship pays the rent, and mauy's the good thing ber fides, they fay, the hath of her.'--He Jones, after expreffing the utmost uncafinefs, offered to ftop her mouth.

.

6

Hey day! why fure, Mr Jones, you will let me fpeak, I fpeak no fcandal, for I only fays what I heard from others,———and thinks I to myfelf, much good may it do the gentlewoman with her riches, if the comes by it in fuch a wicked manner. To be fure it is better to be poor and honeft.' The fervants are vil