" nothing was wanting but to recommend him" self to Apollo by a specimen of his accom"plishments in music and poetry. A band of " minstrels were summoned, who performed a "kind of prelude on their harps by way of "flourish before the master-artist began, when "Midas, starting from his feat as if with sudden " inspiration, seized his lyre, and struck up a "strain, which he accompanied with his voice, "whilst his felf-conceit inspired him to believe " he could rival Apollo himself in harmony, " and even provoke him to envy. "As foon as Midas laid down his lyre, the " gods rose up to depart; when instead of those " applauses which he looked for, and expected "as a tribute due to his art even from the im"mortals themselves, Jupiter, turning towards "him with a frown, which brought into his "countenance the inherent majesty of the thun"derer, thus accosted him - 'Had you enter"tained us, O Midas, in the manner I pre"scribed, and met the condescension of the " gods with the modesty that becomes a mortal, " we had left a blessing with our hoft, instead " of a reproof; But when you affected to dazzle " me, who am myself the dispenser of all mortal "attainments, with the vain display of your "wealth and wisdom; and when you rafhly "affailed " affailed the ears of Apollo himself, who pre" fides over music and poetry, with the barba"rous jingle of your lyre, and the hoarfe un"tuneable dissonance of your voice, you foolishly "forgot both yourself and us; and by talking " and finging without intermiffion, when you "should rather have liftened to us with atten"tion, you reverse the application of those fa"culties I have bestowed upon you, not confi"dering that when I gave to man two organs " of hearing, and only one of speech, I marked " out the use he was to make of those difpen"fations: To remind you therefore of my "design, and your duty, I shall curtail your "tongue, and lengthen your ears.'- Jupiter "ceased speaking, and whilst the deities re "afcended to Olympus, the ears of the monarch " sprouted up into the ears of an ass." The moral of the fable, and the perfonal application of it, were too obvious to be mistaken by any of the company. Vanessa's sensibility fuffered vifibly on the occafion; but she soon broke the painful filence, and addressing herself to the old gentleman-" I am obliged to you " for your fable," says the, "and shall edify by "the moral; but still I cannot help the weak" ness of a woman, and must feel a compaffion "for poor Midas, whose trespass, being of a "good"good-humoured fort, deserved more mercy " than it met with. I confess the art of being "agreeable, frequently miscarries through the " ambition which accompanies it. Wit, learn"ing, wisdom-what can more effectually con "duce to the profit and delight of society? "Yet I am sensible that a man may be too " invariably wife, learned, or witty to be agree"able: And I take the reason of this to be, " that pleasure cannot be bestowed by the " simple and unmixed exertion of any one fa"culty or accomplishment; if every word a " man speaks is to be wit or wisdom, if he is "never to relax either in look or utterance "from his fuperiority of character, society can" not endure it: The happy gift of being agree"able seems to consist not in one, but in an " assemblage of talents tending to communicate "delight; and how many are there, who by " easy manners, sweetness of temper, and a va"riety of other undefinable qualities, possess the "power of pleasing without any visible effort, " without the aids of wit, wisdom, or learning, "nay, as it should feem, in their defiance, and "this without appearing even to know that "they poffefs it? Whilst another, by labouring " to entertain us too well, entertains us as poor "Midas did his vifitor's." When Vanessa had done speaking, the hour reminded me that I ought to take my leave, which I did with regret, repeating to myself as I walked homewards-This lady should never be feen in a circle. A N° LXXI. SI was turning over a parcel of old papers some time ago, I discovered an original letter from Mr. Caswell, the mathematician, to the learned Dr. Bentley, when he was living in Bishop Stillingfleet's family, inclofing an account of an apparition taken from the mouth of a clergyman who faw it: In this account there are some curious particulars, and I shall therefore copy the whole narrative without any omiffion, except of the name of the deceased person who is supposed to have appeared, for reafons that will be obvious. "To the Rev. Mr. Richard Bentley, at my "Lord Bishop of Worcester's Houfe in Park "Street, in Westminster, London. "SIR, " When I was in London, April last, I fully "intended Π " intended to have waited upon you again, as "I faid, but a cold and lameness seized me next "day; the cold took away my voice, and "the other my power of walking, so I pre"sently took coach for Oxford. I am much your debtor, and in particular for your good "intentions in relation to Mr. D. though that, as it has proved, would not have turned to my "advantage: However, I am obliged to you "upon that and other accounts, and if I had " opportunity to shew it, you should find how " much I am your faithful servant. "I have sent you inclosed a relation of an "apparition'; the story I had from two persons, "who each had it from the author, and yet " their accounts somewhat varied, and paffing " through more mouths has varied much more, "therefore I got a friend to bring me to the "author at a chamber, where I wrote it down "from the author's mouth; after which I read "it to him, and gave him another copy; he "said he could swear to the truth of it, as far as he is concerned: He is the Curate of "Warblington, Batchelour of Arts of Trinity "College in Oxford, about fix years standing "in the University; I hear no ill report of his "behaviour here: He is now gone to his Cu 66 racy; he has promifed to fend up the hands " of |