brought a Bundle in her Hands, which, fhe faid, was delivered by a Porter for Mr. Jones. She added, that the Man ⚫ immediately went away, faying, it required ⚫ no Answer.' Jones expreffed fome Surprize on this Occafion, and declared it must be fome Miltake: But the Maid perfifting that she was certain of the Name, all the Women were defirous of having the Bundle immediately opened; which Operation was at length performed by little Betfy, with the Confent of Mr. Jones; and the Contents were found to be a Domino, a Mask, and a Masqueráde Ticket, Jones was now more pofitive than ever,. in afferting, that thefe Things must have been delivered by Miftake; and Mrs. Miller herself expreffed fome Doubt, and said, • fhe knew not what to think.' But when Mr. Nightingale was afked, he delivered a very different Opinion. All I can conclude from it, Sir,' faid he, is, that you are a very happy Man: For I make no doubt but these were fent you by fome Lady whom you will have the Happi• nefs of meeting at the Masquerade.' Jones Jones had not a fufficient Degree of Vanity to entertain any fuch flattering Imagination; nor did Mrs. Miller herself give much Affent to what Mr. Nightingale had faid, 'till Mifs Nancy having lifted up the Domino, a Card dropt from the Sleeve, in which was written as follows: To Mr. Jones. The Queen of the Fairies fends you this, Mrs. Miller and Mifs Nancy now both agreed with Mr. Nightingale; nay, Jones himself was almost perfuaded to be of the fame Opinion. And as no other Lady but Mrs. Fitzpatrick, he thought, knew his Lodging, he began to flatter himself with fome Hopes, that it came from her, and that he might poffibly fee his Sophia. These Hopes had furely very little Foundation; but as the Conduct of Mrs. Fitzpatrick, in not seeing him according to her Promife, and in quitting her Lodgings, had been very odd and unaccountable, he conceived fome faint Hopes, that the (of whom he had formerly heard a very whimsical Character) might poffibly intend to do him that Ser vice, vice, in a strange Manner, which fhe de clined doing by more ordinary Methods. To fay the Truth, as nothing certain could be concluded from fo odd and uncommon an Incident, he had the greater Latitude to draw what imaginary Conclufions from it he pleased. As his Temper therefore was naturally fanguine, he indulged it on this Occafion, and his Imagination worked up a thousand Conceits, to favour and fupport his Expectations of meeting his dear Sophia in the Evening. Reader, if thou haft any good Wishes towards me, I will fully repay them, by wishing thee to be poffeffed of this fanguine Difpofition of Mind: Since, after having read much, and confidered long on that Subject of Happiness which hath employed fo many great Pens, I am almost inclined to fix it in the Poffeffion of this Temper; which puts us, in a Manner, out of the Reach of Fortune, and makes us happy without her Affiftance. Indeed the Senfations of Pleasure it gives are much more conftant, as well as much keener than those which that blind Lady bestows; Nature having wifely contrived, that fome Satiety and Languor fhould be annexed to all our real Enjoyments, left we should be fo fo taken up by them, as to be stopt from further Pursuits. I make no Manner of doubt but that, in this Light, we may fee the imaginary future Chancellor juft called to the Bar, the Archbishop in Crape, and the Prime-Minister at the Tail of an Oppofition, more truly happy than those who are invested with all the Power and Profit of these respective Offices. Mr. Jones having now determined to go to the Masquerade that Evening, Mr. Nightingale offered to conduct him thither, The young Gentleman, at the fame Time, offered Tickets to Mifs Nancy and her Mother; but the good Woman would not accept them. She faid, She did not conceive the Harm which fome People imagined in a Masquerade; but that fuch extravagant Diverfions were only proper for Perfons of Quality and Fortune, and • not for young Women who were to get their Living, and could, at beft, hope to be married to a good Tradefinan.’· A • Tradefman!' cries Nightingale, you shan't undervalue my Nancy. There is not a • Nobleman upon Earth above her Merit.' O fie! Mr. Nightingale,' anfwered Mrs. Miller, you must not fill the Girl's Head with fuch Fancies: But if it was her good • Luck Luck (fays the Mother with a Simper) to find a Gentleman of your generous Way of thinking, I hope fhe would make a better Return to his Generofity, than to give her Mind up to extravagant • Pleasures. Indeed where young Ladies bring great Fortunes themselves, they have fome Right to infist on spending what is their own; and on that Account, I have heard theGentlemen fay, a Man has fometimes a better Bargain with a poor Wife, than with a rich one. -But let my Daughters marry whom they will, • I fhall endeavour to make them Bleffings to their Husbands:-I beg, therefore, I may hear of no more Mafquerades. Nancy is, I am certain, too good a Girl to defire to go; for fhe must remember when you carried her thither laft Year, it almost • turned her Head; and fhe did not return to herself, or to her Needle, in a • Month afterwards.' Though a gentle Sigh which stole from the Bofom of Nancy, feemed to argue fome fecret Difapprobation of thefe Sentiments, she did not dare openly to oppose them. For as this good Woman had all the Tenderness, fo fhe had preferved all the Authority of a Parent; and as her Indulgence to the |