THE ADVENTURER.

No. LXXI. Tuesday, July 10, 1753.

-Hominem pagina nofira fapit.

MART.

We strive to paint the manners and the mind.

LETTERS

ETTERS written; from the heart and on real occafions, though not always decorated with the flowers of eloquence, must be far more useful and interesting than the studied paragraphs of Pliny, or the pompous declamations of Balfac; as they contain just pictures of life and manners, and are the genuine emanations of nature. Of this kind I fhall select a few from the heap I have received from my correfpondents, each of which exhibits a different character, not exaggerated and Leightened by circumstances that pass the bounds of reality.

VOL. III.

A

To

I

SIR,

To the ADVenturer.

Sombre-Hall, June 18.

AM arrived with Sir Nicholas at this melancholy moated manfion. Would I could be annihilated during the infupportable tediousness of fummer! We are to fup this evening, after having fished the whole afternoon, by day-light, think of that, in the new arbour. My uncle, poor man, imagines he has a finer and richer profpect from thence, than the illuminated viftas at Vauxhall afford, only because he fees a parcel of woods and meadows, and blue hills, and corn-fields. We have been vifited by our only neighbour, Mrs. Thrifty, who entertained us with a dull history of the children fhe has educated, at a little fchool of her own founding, and who values herself for not having been in town these ten years, and for not knowing what a drum means. My fifter and I have laid a scheme to plague her, for we have sent her a card, entreating her to make one at Brag next Sunday. For heaven's fake fend us your paper weekly, but do not give us so many grave ones; for we want to be diverted after studying Hoyle, which we do for three hours every afternoon with great attention, that the time may not pass away totally useless, and that we may be a match for Lady Shuffle next winter. Let us know what is done at the next Jubilee Masquerade. How shall I have patience to support my absence from it! And if Madam de Pompadour comes over, as was reported when I left town, impart to us a minute account of the complexion fhe now wears, and of every article of her drefs; any milliner will explain the terms to you. I don't fee that you have yet published the

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little novel I fent you; I affure you it was written by a right honourable but you, I fuppofe think the style colloquial as you call it, and the moral trite or trifling. Colonel Caper's pindaric ode on the E O table, muft abfolutely be inferted in your very next paper, or else never expect to hear again from

LETITIA.

I

SIR,

To the ADVEnturer.

APPLY to you, as a person of prudence and knowledge of the world, for directions how to extricate myfelf out of a great and uncommon difficulty. To enable myself to breed up a numerous family on a fmall preferment, I have been advised to indulge my natural propenfity. for poetry, and to write a tragedy: my design is to apprentice my eldest fon to a reputable tradesman, with the profits I fhall acquire by the reprefentation of my play, being deterred by the inordinate expences of an University education, from making him a scholar. An old gentlewoman in my parish, a great reader of religious controverfy, whom celibacy and the reduction of interest have made morofely devout, accidentally hearing of my performance, undertook to cenfure me in all companies with acrimony and zeal, as acting inconfiftently with the dignity of my public character, and as a promoter of debauchery and lewdnefs. She has informed my church-wardens, that the playhouse is the temple of Satan, and that the first Christians were strictly forbidden to enter the theatres, as places impure and contagious. My congregations grow thin; my clerk

shakes his head, and fears his mafter is not fo found as he ought to be. I was lately difcourfing on the beautiful parable of the prodigal fon, and most unfortunately quoted Erafmus's obfervation on it, "ex quo quidem

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argumento poffet non inelegans taxi comedia,-on "which fubject a moft elegant comedy might be com"pofed;" which has ruined me for ever, and destroyed all the little respect remaining for me in the minds of my parishioners. What! cried they, would the parfon. put the Bible into verfe? would he make stage-plays out of the Scriptures? How, Sir, am I to act? Affift me with your advice. Am I for ever to bear unreafonable obloquy, and undeferved reproach? or must I, to regain the good opinion of my people, relinquish allhopes of the five hundred pounds I was to gain by my piece, and generously burn my tragedy in my churchard, in the face of my whole congregation?

SIR,

Your's, &c.

Jacob Thomafon.

To the ADVENTURER.

I

HAD

almost finished a view of the infide of St. Peter's at Rome in Butterfly-work, when my cruel parroquet accidentally trod upon the purple emperor, of which the high altar was to have been made. This is the first letter I have written after my dreadful lofs: and it is to defire you to put an advertisement at the end of your next paper, fignifying, that whoever has any "purple emperors or fwallow tails" to difpofe of,