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Gallantry were not Things fo eafily renounc'd; but because the had fomething more to manage than before fhe was marry'd, fhe met with her Lover Incognito at his Houfe, 'till at last, Laurentia's Mother, by her Artifice, and extolling her Daughter's Charms, drew the Chevalier to confider them; he became falfe to his old Mistress, and, as 'tis fuppos'd, paid the Price for his new One. Then was the Girl feen in a Gold Watch, that had scarce before a Shoe to her Foot; thus was fhe introduc'd, 'till from one degree to another, fhe rose to the Honour of pleafing this Gentleman, who had one of the beft Eftates beneath the Nobility in Angela.

He parted with a very confiderable Employment, to get ready Money to put his Mistress into Repair; from a narrow Compafs, and poor Education, fhe is rifen to that height of Expence and Delicacy, nothing almost is nice enough to please either her Mother or her felf. The old One's Difcourfe trolls all upon Vertue, that her Daughter would fooner die than to do an ill Thing; we can answer for our Daughter's Honour. I wonder fome Macilente (when he hears her thus exclaim) does not ask, whence then are deriv'd thefe fine Lodgings, Wax-Lights, Card-Affemblies, nice Eating, and rich Cloaths? We live no longer in an Age when Fairy Kings and Queens brought Riches to Mortals: People are feldo feen to change into fuch Extremes,

without a visible Wherefore. The Spark, I think, does not pretend to diffemble, or elfe whence comes thofe paffionate Raptures? That he'll never love another Woman, if Laurentia will never fuffer another Man. They have made a reciprocal Vow, not to kifs, touch, or fcarce to come near any of the Sex but themfelves. Hence I fuppofe it is, that we find him reading in the Prado, for fear he fhould be thought to take a Pleafure in looking at any Woman but his Miftrefs.

That difagreeable Woman that whisks away next, is always dirty, ev'n when she's fet out with Jewels; fhe loves Cards better than any Thing but Money, and for the Sake of Money fhe loves Cards. Being firft upon the Place appointed, the Day that he was going (within the Year) to beftow her felf in fecond Marriage, fhe told the Gentleman, She hop'd 'twas lucky, for fo it happen'd with her other Husband, who fortunately dy'd firft, and left her very rich. One would have thought this Compliment would have diforder'd the Bridegroom; but he wanted nothing of her but her Money, and therefore made her this Repartee; the Omen was not lefs aufpicious to him, for exactly fo it happen'd with his other Wife, who more fortunately for him, dy'd firft, and left him the Poffibility and Honour of becoming her Husband.

She lets a Brother of hers want Bread, in a common Prifon; 'tis true, he has loft to

Games

Gamefters an incredible Sum of Money, and a very great Eftate; but ftill, let our Relations be never fo abandon'd, I think they ought to receive bare Subfiftance from fo near a one as a Sifter, especially when it is fo much in one's Power, as it is in hers. O let me ease my Spleen! I fhall burft with Laughter; thefe are profperous Times for Vice: D'ye fee that black Beau, (stuck up in a pert Chariot) thick-fet, his Eyes loft in his Head, hanging Eye-brows, broad Face, and tallow Complexion; I long to inform my self if the Coach be his own, he cannot yet fure pretend to that. He's call'd Monfieur le Ingrate, he fhapes his Manners to his Name, and is exquifitely fo in all he does; has an inexhauftible Fund of Diffimulation, and does not bely the Country he was born in, which is fam'd for Falsehood and Infincerity; has a World of Wit, and genteel Repartee: He's a Poet too, and was very favourably received by the Town, efpecially in his firft Performance, where, if you'll take my Opinion, he exhausted moft of his Stock; for what he has fince produc'd, feem but faint Copies of that agreeable Original. Tho' he's a moft incorrect Writer, he pleases in spight of the Faults we fee, and own. Whether Application might not burnifh the Defect, or if those very Defects were brightned, whether the genuine Spirit would not fly off, are Que ries not fo easily refolv❜d.

I remember him almoft t'other Day, but a wretched common Trooper: He had the Luck

Luck to write a small Poem, and dedicates it to a Perfon whom he never faw, a Lord that's fince Dead, who had a fparkling Genius, much of Humanity, loved the Muses, and was a very good Soldier. He encourag'd his Performance, took him into his Family, and gave him a Standard in his Regiment. The genteel Company that he was let into, affifted by his own Genius, wiped off the Ruft of Education; he began to polish his Manners, to refine his Converfation, and, in fhort, to fit himself for fomething better than what he had been us'd to. His Morals were loose, his Principles nothing but Pretence, and a firm Refolution of making his Fortune, at what rate foever; but because he was far from being at Eafe that way, he cover'd all by a moft profound Diffimulation, not in his Practice, but in his Words; not in his Actions, but his Pen; where he af fected to be extreme Religious, at the fame time when he had two different Creatures lying-in of bafe Children by him. The Perfon who had done fo much for him, not doing more, he thought all that he had done for him was below his Defert; he wanted to rife fafter than he did. There was a Perfon who pretended to the great Work, and he was fo vain as to believe the illiterate Fellow could produce the Philofopher's Stone, and would give it him. The Quack found him a Bubble to his Mind, one that had Wit, and was fanguine enough to cheat himfelf, and fave him abundance of Words

and

and Trouble in the purfuit. Well, a House is taken, and furnish'd, Furnaces built, and to Work they go; the young Soldier's little ready Money immediately flies off, his Credit is next ftak'd, which foon likewise vanishes into Smoak. The Operator tells him, 'Twas not from fuch fmall Sums as thofe he must expect Perfection; what he had feen hitherto was infignificant, or minute, as one Grain of Sand compar'd to the Sea fhore, in value of what he might affure himfelf of in the noble Pursuit of Nature; that he would carry him to wait upon a Gentleman very Ingenious, who had fpent more than ten times that Sum in the Hands of the Ignorant, yet convinc'd of the Foundation, was ready to join with him in the Experiment to go on with a new Attempt. Accordingly Monfieur is introduced to one, who was indeed a Friend to the Quack, but did not abfolutely confide in his Skill: Tho' he ftill believed there was fuch a Thing as the Philofopher's Stone; yet hearing how illiterate this pretended Operator was, he could not imagine he had attain'd that Secret in Nature, which was never purchas'd, (if ever purchas'd at all) but with great Charge and Experience. This Gentleman had an airy Wife, who pretended to be a fort of a Director in the Laws of Poetry, believed her felf to be a very good Judge of the Excellencies and De fects of Writing: She was mightily taken with Monfieur's Converfation, pray'd him often to favour her that way. Being inform

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