character as an unrelenting father. One fuch monfter in an age, cried Ned, taking up the dif courfe, is one too many. When I overheard thefe words and noticed the effect, which they had upon him, combining it alfo with his emotion at certain times, when he examined the features of Conftantia with a fixed attention, a thought arofe in my mind of a romantic nature, which I kept to myfelf, that we might poffibly be then in company with the father of Mrs, Goodifon and that Ned's prophetic wishes were actually verified. When Fanny is difcovered to be a married woman at the clofe of the comedy, and the father in his fury cries out to her hufband-Lovewell, you fall leave my house directly, and you fall follow him, Madam-Ned could not refrain himfelf from exclaiming, Oh, the hardened monfter!-but whilft the words were on his lips, Lord Ogleby immediately replied to the father in the very words, which benevolence would have dictated-And if they do, I will receive them into mine, whereupon the whole theatre gave a loud applaufe, and Conftantia, whilft the tear of fenfibility and gratitude started in her eye, taking advantage of the general noife to addrefs herself to Ned without being overheard, remarked to him-That this was an effufion of generofity fhe could not fcruple to applaud, 10 fince

fince fhe had an example in her eye, which convinced her it was in nature.-Pardon me, replied Ned, I find nothing in the fentiment to call for my applaufe; every man would act as Lora Ogleby does, but there is only one father living, who would play the part of that brute Sterling, and I wifh old Goodifon was here at my elbow to fee the copy of his own hateful features. It was evident that the ftranger, who fat next to Ned, overheard this reply, for he gave a sudden ftart, which fhook his frame, and darting an angry glance fuddenly exclaimed-Sir !-and then as fuddenly recollecting himself, checked his fpeech and bit his lips in fudden filence. This had paffed without being obferved by Ned, who turning round at the word, which he conceived was addreffed to him, said in a mild tone -Did you fpeak to me, Sir? to which the old gentleman making no answer, the matter passed unnoticed, except by me.

As foon as the comedy was over, our box began to empty itself into the lobby, when the ftranger feeing the bench unoccupied behind me, left his place and planted himself at my back. I was now more than ever poffeffed with the idea of his being old Goodison, and wifhed to afcertain if poffible the certainty of my guefs; I therefore made a pretence to the

fwered Ned, that I have any thing to offer, which fuch excellence would condefcend to take: I could wish to tender her the best mansion I poffefs, but there is an encumbrance goes with it, which I defpair of reconciling to fo elegant a tafte as her's.-O love, faid I within myfelf, thou art a notable teacher of rhetoric! I glanced my eye round the table; Ned did the very reverfe of what a modern fine gentleman would have done at the clofe of fuch a fpeech, he never once ventured to lift up his eyes, or direct a look towards the object he had addressed; the fine countenance of Conftantia aflumed a hue, which I fufpect our dealers in Circaffian bloom have not yet been able to imitate, nor, if they could, to fhift fo fuddenly; for whilft my eye was paffing over it, her cheek underwent a change, which courtly cheeks, who purchase blushes, are not subject to: the whole was conducted by thofe moft genuine masters and beft colourifts of the human countenance, modefty and fenfibility, under the direction of nature, and though I am told the ingenious President of our Royal Academy has attempted fomething in art, which refembles it, yet I am hard to believe, that his carnations, however volatile, can quite keep pace with the changes of Conftantia's check. Wife and difcreet young ladies, who are

taught

taught to know the world by education and experience, have a better method of concealing their thoughts and a better reafon for concealing them; in fhort they manage this matter with more addrefs, and do not, like poor Conftantia

-Wear their hearts upon their fleeve

For daws to peck at.

When a fashionable lover affails his mistress with all that energy of action as well as utterance, which accompanies polite declarations of paffion, it would be highly indifcreet in her to fhew him how fupremely pleafed and flattered fhe is by his impudence; no, fhe puts a proper portion of fcorn into her features and with a ftern countenance tells him, fhe cannot stand his impertinence; if he will not take this fair warning and defift, she may indeed be overpowered through the weakness of her fex, but nobody can say it was her bashfulness that betrayed her, or that there was any prudent hypocrify spared in her defence.

Again, when a fashionable lady throws her fine arms round her husband's neck, and in the mournful tone of conjugal complaint fighs out -"And will my dearest leave his fond un"happy wife to bewail his abfençe, whilst he is following a vile filthy fox over hedge and "ditch

VOL. IV.

S

"ditch at the peril of his neck?"-would it not be a most unbred piece of fincerity were the to exprefs in her face what he feels in her heart-a cordial wifh that he may really break his neck, and that he is very much beholden. to those odious hounds, as he calls them, for taking him out of her fight? Certainly fuch an act of folly could not be put up with in an age and country fo enlightened as the prefent; and furely, when fo many ladies of diftinction. are turning acreffes in public to amufe their friends, it would be hard if they did not fet apart fome rehearsals in private to accommodate themselves.

N° CXXI.