ed into the same armed vehicles. The People of Fascination then betook themselves to chairs; in which their exempt privileges being again invaded, I am informed that several ladies of quality have bespoke a kind of couch somewhat like the Lectica of the Romans; in which they are next winter to be carried through the streets upon men's shoulders.

The reader will be pleased to observe, that, beside the local circle which I have described above, there is an imaginary or figurative one, which is invaded by every imitation of the vulgar.

Thus those People of Fascination, or, if they like it better, of Fashion, who found it convenient to remain in coaches, observing that several of the enemy had lately exhibited arms on their vehicles, by which means those ornaments became vulgar and common, immediately ordered their own arms to be blotted out, and a cypher substituted in their room; perhaps cunningly contrived to represent themselves instead of their ancestors.

Numberless are the devices made use of by the People of Fashion of both sexes, to avoid the pursuit of the vulgar, and to preserve the purity of the circle. Sometimes the periwig covers the whole beau, and he peeps forth from the midst like an owl in an ivy-bush; at other times his ears stand up behind half-a-dozen hairs, and give you the idea of a different animal. Sometimes a large black bag, with wings spread as broad as a raven's, adorn his back; at other times a little lank silk appears like a dead blackbird in his neck. To-day he borrows the tail of a rat, and to-morrow that of a monkey; for he will transform himself into the likeness of the vilest animal, to avoid the resemblance of his own species.

Nor are the ladies less watchful of the enemy's motions, or less anxious to avoid them. What heads and hats, and caps and coifs, have fallen a sacrifice in this pursuit! Within my memory the ladies of the circle covered their lovely necks with a cloak; this being routed by the enemy, was exchanged for the mantle; this again was succeeded by the pelorine; the pelorine by the neckatee; the neckatee by the capuchine; which has now stood its ground a long time, but not without various changes of colour, shape, ornament, &c.

And here I must not pass by the many admira. ble arts made use of by these ladies, to deceive and dodge their imitators; when they are hunted out of any favourite mode, the method is to lay it by for a time, and then to resume it again all at once, when the enemy least expect it. Thus patches ap. pear and disappear several times in a season. I have myself seen the enemy in the pit, with faces all over spotted like the leopard, when the circle in the boxes have, with a conscious triumph, displayed their native alabaster, without a single blemish, though they had a few evenings before worn a thousand; within a month afterwards, the leopards have appeared in the boxes, to the great mortification of the fair faces in the pit.

Of all the articles of distinction the hoop hath stood the longest, and with the most obstinate resistance. Instead of giving way, this, the more it hath been pushed, hath increased the more; till the enemy hath been compelled to give over the pursuit from mere necessity; it being found im possible to convey seven yards of hoop into a hackney-coach, or to slide it behind a counter,

But as I have mentioned some of the arts of the circle, it would not be fair to be silent as to those

of the enemy, among whom a certain citizen's wife distinguished herself very remarkably, and appeared long in the very top of the mode. It was, at last, however, discovered, that she used a very unfair practice, and kept a private correspondence with one of those milliners who were intrusted with the secrets of the circle.

Be it known then, that the human species are divided into two sorts of people, to wit, high people and low people. As by high people I would not be understood to mean persons literally born higher in their dimensions than the rest of the species, nor metaphorically those of exalted characters or abilities; so by low people I cannot be construed to intend the reverse. High people signify no other than people of fashion, and low people those of no fashion. Now this word fashion hath by long use lost its original meaning, from which at present it gives us a very different idea; for I am deceived, if by persons of fashion we do not generally include a conception of birth and accomplishments superior to the herd of mankind; whereas in reality, nothing more was originally meant by a person of fashion, than a person who dressed himself in the fashion of the times; and the word really and truly signifies no more at this day. Now the world being thus divided into people of fashion and people of no fashion, a fierce contention arose between them; nor would those of one party, to avoid suspicion, be seen publicly to speak to those of the other, though they often held a very good correspondence in private. In this contention, it is difficult to say which party succeeded; for whilst the people of fashion seized several places to their own use, such as courts, assemblies,

operas, balls, &c.; the people of no fashion, besides one royal place, called his Majesty's Beargarden, have been in constant possession of all hops, fairs, revels, &c. Two places have been agreed to be divided between them, namely, the church and the play-house; where they segregate themselves from each other in a remarkable manner for as the people of fashion exalt themselves at church over the heads of the people of no fashion; so in the play-house they abase themselves in the same degree under their feet. This distinction I have never met with any one able to account for: it is sufficient, that so far from looking on each other as brethren in the Christian language, they seem scarce to regard each other as of the same species. This, the terms strange persons, people one does not know, the creatures, wretches, beasts, brutes, and many other appellations, evidently demonstrate; which Mrs. Slipslop having often heard her mistress use, thought she had also a right to use in her turn; and perhaps she was not mistaken; for these two parties, especially those bordering nearly on each other, to wit, the lowest of the high, and the highest of the low, often change their parties according to place and time; for those who are people of fashion in one place, are often people of no fashion in another. And with regard to time, it may not be unpleasant to survey the picture of dependence like a kind of ladder: as for instance; early in the morning arises the postilion, or some other boy, which great families, no more than great ships, are without, and falls to brushing the clothes and cleaning the shoes of John the footman; who being drest himself, applies his hands to the same labour for Mr. Second-hand, the 'squire's gentle. man; the gentleman in the like manner, a little

later in the day, attends the 'squire; the 'squire is no sooner equipped, than he attends the levee of my lord; which is no sooner over, than my lord himself is seen at the levee of the favourite, who, after the hour of homage is at an end, appears himself to pay homage to the levee of the sovereign. Nor is there, perhaps, in the whole ladder of dependence, any one step at a greater distance from the other than the first from the second; so that to a philosopher the question might only seem, whether you would choose to be a great man at six in the morning, or at two in the afternoon. And yet there are scarce two of these who do not think the least familiarity with the persons below them a condescension, and if they were to go one step further, a degradation.

FIELDING.

PEDANTRY.

A MAN who has been brought up among books, and is able to talk of nothing else, is a very indif. ferent companion, and what we call a pedant. But, methinks, we should enlarge the title, and give it to every one that does not know how to think out of his profession and particular way of life.

What is a greater pedant than a mere man of the town? Bar him the play-houses, a catalogue of the reigning beauties, and an account of a few fashionable distempers that have befallen him, and you strike him dumb. How many a pretty gentleman's knowledge lies all within the verge of the court! He will tell you the names of the principal favourites, repeat the shrewd sayings of a man of quality, whisper an intrigue that is not yet