understanding; but having an infatiable defire of pleasure, she was not at leifure, from the park, the gardens, the theatres, vifits, affemblies, and mafquerades, to attend ferioufly to any propofal, but was still impatient for a new flatterer, and neglected marriage as always in her power; till in time her admirers fell away, wearied with expence, difgufted at her folly, or offended by her inconftancy; fhe heard of concerts to which she was not invited, and was more than once forced to fit ftill at an affembly for want of a partner. In this diftrefs, chance threw in her way Philotryphus, a man vain, glittering, and thoughtless as herself, who had spent a fmall fortune in equipage and drefs, and was fhining in the last fuit for which his tailor would give him credit. He had been long endeavouring to retrieve his extravagance by marriage, and therefore foon paid his court to Melanthia, who after fome weeks of infenfibility faw him at a ball, and was wholly overcome by his performance in a minuet. They married; but a man connot always dance, and Philotryphus had no other method of pleasing: however, as neither was in any great degree vicious, they live together with no other unhappiness, than vacuity of mind, and that tasteleffnefs of life, which proceeds from a fatiety of juvenile pleasures, and an utter inability to fill their place by nobler employments. As they have known the fashionable world at the fame time, they agree in their notions of all those subjects on which they ever speak, and being able to add nothing to the ideas of each other, are not much inclined to converfation, but very often join in one wish, "That they could fleep more, and "think lefs." Argyris, Argyris, after having refused a thousand offers, at last confented to marry Cotylus, the younger brother of a duke, a man without elegance of mien, beauty of person, or force of understanding; who, while he courted her, could not always forbear allufions to her birth, and hints how cheaply fhe would purchase an alliance to fo illuftrious a family. His conduct from the hour of his marriage has been infufferably tyrannical, nor has he any other regard to her than what arifes from his defire that her appearance may not difgrace him. Upon this principle, however, he always orders that she should be gaily dreffed, and fplendidly attended; and she has, among all her mortifications, the happiness to take place of her eldest fifter. NUMB. 40. SATURDAY, August 4, 1750. IT Nec dicet, cur ego amicum Offendam in nugis? Ha nugæ feria ducent In mala derifum femel. Nor fay, for trifles why fhould I displease HOR. FRANCIS. T has been remarked, that authors are genus irritabile, a generation very easily put out of temper, and that they feldom fail of giving proofs of their irafcibility upon the flighteft attack of criticifm, or the most gentle or modeft offer of advice and information. Writers being beft acquainted with one another, have represented this character as prevailing among men of literature, which a more extenfive view of the world would have fhewn them to be diffused through all human nature, to mingle itself with every fpecies of ambition and defire of praife, and to discover its effects with greater or lefs reftraint, and under disguises more or less artful, in all places and all conditions. The quarrels of writers, indeed, are more observed, because they neceffarily appeal to the decifion of the publick. Their enmities are incited by applaufes from their parties, and prolonged by treacherous encouragement for general diverfion; VOL. IV. S and and when the conteft happens to rife high between men of genius and learning, its memory is continued for the fame reafon as its vehemence was at first promoted, becaufe it gratifies the malevolence or curiofity of readers, and relieves the vacancies of life with amusement and laughter. The perfonal difputes, therefore, of rivals in wit are fometimes transmitted to pofterity, when the grudges and heartburnings of men lefs confpicuous, though carried on with equal bitternefs, and productive of greater evils, are exposed to the knowledge of thofe only whom they nearly affect, and fuffered to pafs off and be forgotten among common and cafual tranfactions. The refentment which the difcovery of a fault or folly produces, muft bear a certain proportion to our pride, and will regularly be more acrimonious as pride is more immediately the principle of action. In whatever therefore we wifh or imagine ourselves to excel, we shall always be difpleased to have our claims to reputation disputed, and more displeased, if the accomplishment be fuch as can expect reputation only for its reward. For this reafon it is common to find men break out into rage at any infinuations to the disadvantage of their wit, who have borne with great patience reflections on their morals; and of women it has been always known, that no cenfure wounds fo deeply, or rankles fo long, as that which charges them with want of beauty. As men frequently fill their imaginations with trifling purfuits, and pleafe themfelves moft with things of finall importance, I have often known very fevere and lafting malevolence excited by unlucky cenfures, which would have fallen without any effect, had had they not happened to wound a part remarkably tender. Guftulus, who valued himself upon the nicety of his palate, difinherited his eldest fon for telling him that the wine, which he was then commending, was the fame which he had fent away the day before not fit to be drunk. Proculus withdrew his kindness from a nephew, whom he had always confidered as the most promifing genius of the age, for happening to praife in his prefence the gracefulhorfemanship of Marius. And Fortunio, when he was privy counsellor, procured a clerk to be dismiffed from one of the publick offices, in which he was eminent for his fkill and affiduity, becaufe he had been heard to fay that there was another man in the kingdom on whofe fkill at billiards he would lay his money against Fortunio's.. Felicia and Floretta had been bred up in one house, and shared all the pleasures and endearments of infancy together. They entered upon life at the fame time, and continued their confidence and friendship; confulted each other in every change of their drefs, and every admiffion of a new lover; thought every diverfion more entertaining whenever it happened that both were prefent, and when feparated juftified the conduct, and celebrated the excellencies, of one another. Such was their intimacy, and fuch their fidelity; till a birth-night approached, when Floretta took one morning an opportunity, as they were confulting upon new clothes, to advise her friend not to dance at the ball, and informed her that her performance the year before had not answered the expectation which her other accomplishments had raised. Felicia commended |