defs, who confolidated the union of her parents, and contributed to the regular viciffitudes of their reign, by difpenfing her gifts to thofe only who fhared their lives in juft proportions between REST and LABOUR.

NUMB. 34. SATURDAY, July 14, 1750.

Non fine vano

Aurarum et filua metu.

Alarm'd with ev'ry rifing gale,

In ev'ry wood, in ev'ry vale.

HOR.

ELPHINSTON.

I

Have been cenfured for having hitherto dedi

cated fo few of my speculations to the ladies; and indeed the moralift, whofe inftructions are accommodated only to one half of the human fpecies, must be confeffed not fufficiently to have extended his views. Yet it is to be confidered, that masculine duties afford more room for counfels and obfervations, as they are lefs uniform, and connected with things more fubject to viciffitude and accident; we therefore find that in philofophical difcourses which teach by precept, or historical narratives that inftruct by example, the peculiar virtues or faults of women fill but a small part; perhaps generally too fmall, for fo much of our domestick happiness is in their hands, and their influence is fo great upon our earlieft years, that the univerfal intereft of the world requires them to be well inftructed in their province; nor can it be

thought

thought proper that the qualities by which fo much pain or pleasure may be given, fhould be left to the direction of chance.

I have, therefore, willingly given a place in my paper to a letter, which perhaps may not be wholly useless to them whofe chief ambition is to please, as it fhews how certainly the end is miffed by abfurd and injudicious endeavours at diftinction.

I

SIR,

To the RAMBLER.

AM a young gentleman at my own disposal, with a confiderable eftate; and having paffed through the common forms of education, spent fome time in foreign countries, and made myself distinguished fince my return in the politeft company, I am now arrived at that part of life in which every man is expected to fettle, and provide for the continuation of his lineage. I withstood for fome time the folicitations and remonftrances of my aunts and uncles, but at laft was perfuaded to vifit Anthea, an heiress, whose land lies contiguous to mine, and whose birth and beauty are without objection. Our friends declared that we were born for each other, all thofe on both fides who had no intereft in hindering our union, contributed to promote it, and were confpiring to hurry us into matrimony, before we had an opportunity of knowing one another. I was, however, too old to be given away without my own confent, and having happened to pick up an opinion, which to many of my relations feemed extremely odd, that a man might be unhappy with a large

eftate,

eftate, determined to obtain a nearer knowledge of the person with whom I was to pass the remainder of my time. To protract the courtship was by no means difficult, for Anthea had a wonderful facility of evading questions which I feldom repeated, and of barring approaches which I had no great eagerness to press.

Thus the time paffed away in vifits and civilities, without any ardent profeffions of love, or formal offers of fettlements. I often attended her to publick places, in which, as is well known, all behaviour is fo much regulated by cuftom, that very little infight can be gained into the private character, and therefore I was not yet able to inform myfelf of her humour and inclinations.

At last I ventured to propose to her to make one of a fmall party, and spend a day in viewing a feat and gardens a few miles diftant; and having, upon her compliance, collected the rest of the company, I brought, at the hour, a coach which I had borrowed from an acquaintance, having delayed to buy one myself, till I should have an opportunity of taking the lady's opinion for whofe use it was intended. Anthea came down, but as fhe was going to ftep into the coach, started back with great appearance of terror, and told us that fhe durft not enter, for the fhocking colour of the lining had fo much the air of the mourning-coach, in which the followed her aunt's funeral three years before, that fhe fhould never have her poor dear aunt out of her head.

I knew that it was not for lovers to argue with their mistreffes; I therefore fent back the coach, and got another more gay. Into this we all en

tered,

tered, the coachman began to drive, and we were amufing ourselves with the expectation of what we should fee, when, upon a small inclination of the carriage, Anthea fcreamed out, that we were overthrown. We were obliged to fix all our attention upon her, which he took care to keep up by renewing her outcries, at every corner where we had occafion to turn: at intervals fhe entertained us with fretful complaints of the uneafiness of the coach, and obliged me to call several times on the coachman to take care and drive without jolting. The poor fellow endeavoured to please us, and therefore moved very flowly, till Anthea found out that this pace would only keep us longer on the ftones, and defired that I would order him to make more speed. He whipped his horfes, the coach jolted again, and Anthea very complaifantly told us how much she repented that she made one of our company.

At last we got into the smooth road, and began to think our difficulties at an end, when, on a fudden, Anthea faw a brook before us, which fhe could not venture to pafs. We were, therefore, obliged to alight, that we might walk over the bridge; but when we came to it, we found it fo narrow, that Anthea durft not fet her foot upon it, and was content, after long confultation, to call the coach back, and with innumerable precautions, terrors, and la mentations, croffed the brook.

It was neceffary, after this delay, to amend our pace, and directions were accordingly given to the coachman, when Anthea informed us, that it was common for the axle to catch fire with a quick

motion,

motion, and begged of me to look out every minute, left we fhould all be confumed. I was forced to obey, and gave her from time to time the most folemn declarations that all was fafe, and that I hoped we fhould reach the place without lofing our lives either by fire or water.

Thus we paffed on, over ways foft and hard, with more or less speed, but always with new viciffitudes of anxiety. If the ground was hard, we were jolted; if foft, we were finking. If we went faft, we should be overturned; if flowly, we should never reach the place. At length fhe faw fomething which the called a cloud, and began to confider that at that time of the year it frequently thundered. This seemed to be the capital terror, for after that the coach was fuffered to move on; and no danger was thought too dreadful to be encountered, provided she could get into a house before the thunder.

Thus our whole converfation paffed in dangers, and cares, and fears, and confolations, and stories of ladies dragged in the mire, forced to spend all the night on a heath, drowned in rivers, or burnt with lightning; and no fooner had a hairbreadth escape set us free from one calamity, but we were threatened with another.

At length we reached the house where we intended to regale ourselves, and I proposed to Anthea the choice of a great number of dishes, which the place, being well provided for entertainment, happened to afford. She made fome objection to every thing that was offered; one thing she hated at that time of the year, another fhe could not bear fince she had feen it spoiled at lady Feedwell's table, another fhe

was