who, if we may judge of their Number, by the Time of their Appearance, are at least two Parts in three of that numerous Affembly. The Distance is not great, the Walk very agreeable. Oh behold that Coach! it makes a halt before us; I know well the Lady upon the Right! fhe has opportunely introduced her felf to furnish me with Matter of Entertainment till we reach the Divan. What is the Force of her Charms in your Excellency's Opinion? Or rather, Has the any? Is the not rather difagreeable? Yet has the been often beloved, and the fecond time marry'd, under all the Difadvantage of Character, of that of a Wife divided from her Lord for Unfaithfulnefs. Marry'd! to a very pretty Gentleman of good Eftate, good Senfe, and good Nature; which makes me conclude with La Bruyere, When an ugly Woman is beloved, it must certainly be very defperately; for either it must proceed from a strange Weakness in her Lover, or from fome more fecret and invincible Charm than that of Beauty. She is as much known by the Name of lanthe, as by her Title. Her first publick Amour was with a young Count, who never yet had any of his private. But what truly heightens the Horror of this! he was her Nephew! The young Gentleman, ftinted in his Allowance by his Mother, found his Aunt's generous, amorous Temper, extreamly commodious for the Neceffity he had of Money, and the Inclination he had for Intrigue. Ianthe is

clean

clean-limbed, well-fhaped, and, as her Lovers fay, one of the handfomeft Women in Atalantis, from the Chin downwards. But there has been a Remedy found out extreamly delicate, against the few Charms of her Face; where indeed there is not to be met all the Softnefs of Features we could defire. A Gauze-Handkerchief of Turkish Embroi dery, the has fuffered, by her nice well-contriving Lovers, to be caft over her Vifage, left fomething lefs charming than her Body, fhould pall their Ardors, and abate of their Excefs. Superlatively ingenious is this Oeconomy; for as it defends against the happy Lover's Difguft, the Sight being entertain'd with only the Shine of Gold and Silver, in a beautiful Mixture of Embroidery; fo the Tranfparency of the Vail, does not forbid her from enjoying the Pleasure of feeing all the Charms of her Adorers, in the height of their Perfection: An Article of very valuable Confideration, especially when the black Indian Favourite was in place, known by the Name of the Handfome Roman; as remarkable for his Beauty as the large Diamond he wears on his Finger, which lanthe once placed there, in the midst of all their Indearments.

She that was in the Coach with her, is one of the Widows of the New Cabal: what an Irregularity of Tafte is theirs? They do not in reality love Men, but doat on the Reprefentation of Men in Women. Hence it is that thofe Ladies are fo fond of the Dress

J

En Cavaliere: tho' it extreamly against my liking, I wou'd have the Sex diftnguithed as well by their Garb as by their Manner. That bewitching Modefty, which is fo becoming to the opening Vail, is against kind, in the confirmed, bold, and agreeable Air of the Hat, Feather, and Peruke. Ifin this Man's Dress you pretend to retain the Shame-facedness of the other Sex, you lofe the native Charm that recommends it. If you difmifs Modefty you difmifs the highest Beauty of the Female Sex: For without regard to that much-in-fafhion Vertue Affurance, next to real innate Modefty in Ladies (which indeed never fails of giving the Appearance) I think the outward Blush, and feeming Habitude of it, one of the greatest Ornaments they can wear.

But to return to my Widow of the Cabal She fell in Love with one of the Comedians, when she was acting the Part of a young Lover and a Libertine. The Widow fent for the Girl, and made her very confiderable Prefents, ordered her Picture in that Drefs to be taken at length, by one of the beft Hands, and carried her to remain with her, during the Seafon, at her Villa. The Comedian was dazzl'd at thofe Indearments and Advances from a Lady of Fortune, and did not know how to behave her felf in a Manner regular enough, (for her Converfation had been pretty much at large;) however the added her whole Endeavours, and by that means became tolerably uneafy

to

to her felf as not ing a Perfon abundantly us'd to Decoruth" and Conftraint. The Widow redoubled her Kindness and Careffes, affur'd her of her Tenderness and Amity; fhe even proceeded to gentle Squeezes and Embraces; nothing cou'd be more innocently indearing than her Transports! The Comedian was at a lofs not only to know how to merit fo many Favours, but of the meaning of them: She was alfo weary of the Solitude and Splendour of the Widow's Family, and wanted to return to the amorous Hurry and Theatrical Littleness she had been used to, and therefore received those Honours with no New-CabalAir. But as if rather difgufted at fuch amiable Proofs of Amity, told the Lady fhe did not like thofe Hugs and Indearments from her own Sex, they feem'd unnatural did they come from a Man, fhe fhou'd be able to guess at his Defign, but here fhe was at a lofs- -The Widow found her Companion not of a Tafte vertuous enough for the Myfteries of their Union: her Mind ran all upon what fhe had been too much us'd to, the other Sex. The Comedian had been vitiated by Amours! by abominable Intrigues with the filthy odious Men! and was not therefore worthy the Honour of being admitted into their Community. She withdrew thofe Airs of Fondness from a taftelefs undeferving Wretch, affumed more Coldness in her Behaviour to her whilft in the Country, and at her coming back, by little

L3

little and little drop'd her very Acquaintance. When fhe was returned to her Houfe in Town, to fhew the Lurkings of her Malice, or rather her Deteftation to Vice, tho' but in Effigy, the caus'd the Comedian's Picture to be let down, and with her own Hand cut out the Face; fo ftamp'd upon and abufed, fhe fent it back to her whom it reprefented, at the fame time causing her to be told, fhe had by her loofe Libertine Life, made it a Scandal to her House to have fuch a Picture feen in it. The poor Comedian fell a crying, and faid, fhe might have let her alone; fhe did not, for her part, feek nor covet the Acquaintance; the was no worse now than when 'twas first drawn; neither could her Life be a Secret to the vertuous Widow; fhe fhould have objected it to her then, before the gave her the trouble of fitting, and not to affront her Picture fo: But the guefs'd the Reafon of it, and would leave her Ladyfhip to be punished by the Reflection.

We are entring the Divan, 'tis fo called in Atalantis, having borrow'd the Appellation from the Turks their Neighbours, and at an Hour fo early, that we have it all to our felves; the Height of the Dome will secure the Perfons below from hearing my Voice; addreffing your Eminences, as I fhall take Care to do, in a proper Key. If by your Heaven-born Power, your Divinities wou'd be pleased to erect a Throne of condens'd Air, lofty as the Roof, you might at a due distance