continued an appearance of intimacy from the hour that my inclination changed, but to preserve her whom I was leaving from the fhock of abruptnefs, or the ignominy of contempt; that I always endeavoured to give the ladies an opportunity of feeming to difcard me; and that I never forfook a mistress for larger fortune, or brighter beauty, but because I discovered fome irregularity in her conduct, or fome depravity in her mind; not becaufe I was charmed by another, but because I was offended by herself. I was very early tired of that fucceffion of amusements by which the thoughts of most young men are diffipated, and had not long glittered in the splendour of an ample patrimony before I wished for the calm of domeftick happiness. Youth is naturally delighted with sprightliness and ardour, and therefore I breathed out the fighs of my first affection at the feet of the gay, the sparkling, the vivacious Ferocula. I fancied to myfelf a perpetual fource of happiness in wit never exhausted, and spirit never depreffed; looked with veneration on her readiness of expedients, contempt of difficulty, affurance of addrefs, and promptitude of reply; confidered her as exempt by fome prerogative of nature from the weakness and timidity of female minds; and congratulated myself upon a companion fuperior to all common troubles and embarraffments. I was, indeed, fomewhat difturbed by the unfhaken perfeverance with which the enforced her demands of an unreasonable fettlement; yet I fhould have confented to pafs my life in union with her, had not my my curiofity led me to a crowd gathered in the street, where I found Ferocula, in the prefence of hundreds, difputing for fix-pence with a chairman. I saw her in fo little need of affiftance, that it was no breach of the laws of chivalry to forbear interpofition, and I fpared myself the fhame of owning her acquainte I forgot fome point of ceremony at our next interview, and foon provoked her to forbid me her prefence, My next attempt was upon a lady of great eminence for learning and philofophy. I had frequently obferved the barrennefs and uniformity of connubial converfation, and therefore thought highly of my own prudence and difcernment, when I felected from a multitude of wealthy beauties, the deep-read Mifothea, who declared herself the inexorable enemy of ignorant pertnefs, and puerile levity; and fcarcely condefcended to make tea, but for the linguist, the geometrician, the aftronomer, or the poet. The queen of the Amazons was only to be gained by the hero who could conquer her in fingle combat, and Mijothea's heart was only to blefs the fcholar who could overpower her by difputation. Amidst the fondest tranfports of courtship fhe could call for a definition of terms, and treated every argument with contempt that could not be reduced to regular fyllogifm. You may eafily imagine, that I wifhed this courtship at an end; but when I defired her to fhorten my torments, and fix the day of my felicity, we were led into a long converfation, in which Mijethea endeavoured to demonftrate the folly of attributing choice and felf-direction to any human being, It was not difficult to discover the danger of committing myself for ever to the arms of one who might at any time mistake the dictates of paffion, or the calls of appetite, for the decree of fate; or confider cuckoldom as neceffary to the general fyftem, as a link in the everlasting chain of fucceffive caufes. I therefore told her, that destiny had ordained us to part, and that nothing fhould have torn me from her but the talons of neceffity. I then folicited the regard of the calm, the prudent, the economical Sophronia, a lady who confidered wit as dangerous, and learning as fuperfluous, and thought that the woman who kept her house clean, and her accounts exact, took receipts for every payment, and could find them at a fudden call, enquired nicely after the condition of the tenants, read the price of stocks once a week, and purchased every thing at the beft market, could want no accomplishments neceffary to the happiness of a wife man. She difcourfed with great folemnity on the care and vigilance which the fuperintendence of a family demands; obferved how many were ruined by confidence in fervants; and told me, that she never expected honesty but from a ftrong cheft, and that the best storekeeper was the mistress's eye. Many fuch oracles of generofity fhe uttered, and made every day new improvements in her fchemes for the regulation of her fervants, and the diftribution of her time. I was convinced, that whatever I might fuffer from Sophronia, I should escape poverty; and we therefore proceeded to adjust the fettlements according to her own rule, fair and foftly. But one morning her maid came to me in tears to intreat my in terest tereft for a reconciliation to her miftrefs, who had turned her out at night for breaking fix teeth in a tortoife-fhell comb: fhe had attended her lady from a diftant province, and having not lived long enoug to fave much money, was deftitute among ftrangers, and though of a good family, in danger of perithing in the streets, or of being compelled by hunger to prostitution. I made no fcruple of promifing to reftore her; but upon my first application to Sepbrenia, was answered with an air which called for approbation, that if the neglected her own affairs, I might fufpect her of neglecting mine; that the comb ftood her ia three half-crowns; that no fervant fhould wrong her twice; and that indeed fhe took the first opportunity of parting with Phillida, because, though fhe was honeft, her conftitution was bad, and she thought her very likely to fall fick. Of our conference I need not tell you the effect; it furely may be forgiven me, if on this occafion I forgot the decency of common forms. From two more ladies I was difengaged by finding, that they entertained my rivals at the fame time, and determined their choice by the liberality of our fettlements. Another I thought myself juftified in forfaking, becaufe fhe gave my attorney a bribe to favour her in the bargain; another because I could never foften her to tenderness, till the heard that most of my family had died young; and another, becaufe, to increafe her fortune by expectations, the reprefented her fifter as languishing and confumptive. I fhall in another letter give the remaining part of my history of courtship. I prefume that I fhould 6 hitherto hitherto have injured the majefty of female virtue, had I not hoped to transfer my affection to higher merit. I am, &c. HYMENÆUS, NUMB. 114. SATURDAY, April 20, 1751. Audi, Nulla unquam de morte hominis cun&tatio longa eft. Juv., P -When man's life is in debate, - DRYDEN. OWER and fuperiority are fo flattering and delightful, that, fraught with temptation and exposed to danger as they are, scarcely any virtue is fo cautious, or any prudence fo timorous, as to decline them. Even thofe that have moft reverence for the laws of right, are pleased with fhewing that not fear, but choice, regulates their behaviour; and would be thought to comply, rather than obey. We love to overlook the boundaries which we do not wish to pass; and, as the Roman fatirist remarks, he that has no defign to take the life of another, is yet glad to have it in his hands. From the fame principle, tending yet more to degeneracy and corruption, proceeds the defire of investing lawful authority with terror, and governing by force rather than perfuafion. Pride is unwilling to believe the neceffity of affigning any other reafon |