lawful in those whofe intereft is immediately concerned, either to defend himself or his property, or to recover reparation of damages, or to inflict punishment.

The last chapter of the first volume, treats of slavery; establishes the difference between defpotism and parental power; and afferts, that no man is naturally a fave. Then he numbers up the caufes of flavery: a man may be enflaved by the act of his parents; by his own confent; by doing damage, for which he has no other way of making reparation; and by guilt: nevertheless, the mafter, merely upon account of that right which we call defpotifm, cannot difpofe of his flave's life at pleasure. Then he fhews in what manner slavery may be the confequence of juft war; and why the children of Alaves follow the condition of their mothers. Thus ends the firft volume.

[To be continued.]

FOREIGN ARTICLES.

ART. X. La Coquette Corrigée, &c. The Reformed Coquet, A Comedy. As it has been feveral times acted at Paris with great fuccefs.

HE merits of this piece lie rather in fentiment, conduct,

and ftile, than in intricacy of plot, comic pleafantry, or variety of incidents: hence, on the first night of reprefentation it went off but heavily; ftrengthened however by some happy corrections, it fucceeded better at the next representation. People of taste, who had once feen it, thought the pleasure worth renewing. Such is the conftant effect of works whose beauties are founded on a folid basis; whereas fuch as are light and frivolous, tire upon repetition.

La None, the actor who wrote this comedy, and plays one of the principal parts, on its being first represented, previously intreated the indulgence of the public, more efpecially as he was cruelly obliged to be present at, and fuperintend the whole action, expofed to every poffible mortification; whereas other authors have the advantage of concealing themselves, and from fome obfcure corner marking the exhibition. This addrefs was received with applaufe, and the piece heard with attention.

In the first scene we find Clitander conferring with Orphifa concerning a letter she had juft received from Julia the coquette, Orphifa's niece, wherein he was feverely rallied upon his fuppofed paffion for the aunt. The latter informs him, that he had infpired her with this notion, as a first step to her reformation. The heart of Clitander had been long bias'd in favour of Julia, but the levity of her character had deterred him from addreffing her, to which he is now encouraged by Orpbifa, who relies upon the honour, affection, and amiable qualities of Clitander, to fix the regard of Julia, which the better to fecure, fhe is to use every means in her power of increafing her jealousy; it being that young lady's dispofition to look with a jealous eye upon every perfon who car ries away any attachment from herself.

Eraftus is the next person that appears upon the stage, cómplaining of Julia's having ufed him very ill, after having artfully feduced his love from Lucilia; to whom Clitander engages him to return, moderates his indignation against Julia, and diffuades him from printing her letters. Then appears a pofitive, tefty, fhallow-witted count, who is also one of the coquet's admirers, and whom he had induced to believe that him she preferred to all her youthful lovers. His nephew, who is a marquifs, congratulates him upon his conqueft, and fends him off in high fpirits to pursue it. Then Clitander and the marquifs fall into discourse about Julia, and lay open still more of her character to the audience; just at that time she croffes the stage in pursuit of fome new intrigue, but stops to jeft with the marquifs and Clitander; while the latter, fo far from taking notice of her various arts to engage his attention, scarcely deigns to look at her, and even returns a letter unopened that he had received from her, to her maid Rofettà; and the act concludes.

In the fecond act, Rosetta acquaints her mistress with the ill fuccefs of her negotiation; which Julia, tho' inwardly piqued at, finds a means to conftrue to her own advantage; fhe then goes out to prefide at an affembly, which, fhe is told by her aunt, waits her presence.

Clitander next fucceeds, whom Orphifa encourages to purfue his defigns upon the coquet, which the tells him will cer

tainly turn out to his wifh, as Julia was undoubtedly jealous of him, jealousy being a strong mark of love. Clitander, however, determines to pursue his own fyftems, and not openly to address Julia until he is convinced of her change of tem

per.

Rofetta, in the next fcene, gives a pleasant account of the difpofitions Julia has made for her parties at cards, and thereby fhews that a coquet is nothing but a compound of artifices, and omits nothing that may contribute to her triumph.

The count now appears with Rofetta in the saloon, where the company is met. Orphifa, seeing him and the maid in conference, withdraws.

Julia comes on, and informs Clitander fhe has fome tender thoughts for the count, one of his rivals; Clitander affects not to understand her, and feigning much indifference, goes fo far as to tell her he pities her. This address hurts her vanity, and she obliges him to explain his sentiments upon the true nature of what alone deserves to be called love. Their conversation is interrupted by the count, who is enraged at her playing him such a scurvy trick as giving him only her hand to hold,whereas she went out to entertain his rival. The marquifs, who follows his uncle, thinks the trick an excellent one, and gives him to understand that his reign is over. The count treats Julia and his nephew very peevishly, and goes out faying, that the loss of a coquet is not very much to be regretted. The marquifs rallies Julia and Clitander, afferting that he has promised him to a prefident's lady, to whom he infifts on presenting him; but Julia obliges him to go with her into the room where the company is.

In the third act, Clitander tells Orphisa that his hopes of reforming Julia decrease every day. That she had thrown out every lure to entrap him, that she could devife. He feels the more the danger to which he expofes himself, and is very forry that all these advances are no more than coquetry at bottom. Orphifa affures him they are really pure love, that Julia is already become more serious, and that her jealousy redoubles. She then withdraws to leave Clitander and Julia together, hav- ̈* ing first recommended to the latter, the loving Clitander för her own fake, Julia wants in vain to get out of Clitander her aunt's

fecret, which the fancies fhe has obtained, in fuppofing that they had concerted a private marriage, for which fhe blames her aunt, and Clitander justifies her on the account of her charms, which he defcribes as not yet paft their meridian; he also observes, that a husband is better pleased with virtue and good fenfe in a wife, than with perfonal perfections.

The marquifs entering, reproaches Julia with giving audience to Clitander, who is of a temper very unfit for her, and who had better first take fome leffons from the baronefs, fhe being a charming woman; or elfe he may begin his course with the prefident's lady, who is full as fit to fashion and qualify him for Julia's fervice. Clitander feems to relifh his advice, leaves Julia with the marquifs, who wants to engage her to a party at fupper, where Chloe the prefident's lady and other women are to be on a scheme of playing a cruel trick to one of their fociety, and to fet a husband and wife together by the ears; Julia refufes to go without her aunt, at which refolution the marquifs is highly fcandalized; he threatens Julia to defert her acquaintance if fhe does not shake off that decency fhe still affects, which hurts that glory and reputation he has been endeavouring to give her in the world, and which she has not hitherto done any thing material to deferve.

She tells him, the is afraid of committing an irregularity; the marquifs answers, that nothing is fo noble as irregularity; and lays down very pernicious maxims for manners. At length he takes leave of her, and affures her, that if she does not become more tractable, he will be the first to depreciate and ridicule her. Julia, who has already begun to open her eyes, finding the marquifs too dangerous, and his amufements too hurtful, retires, with defign to deliver herself up to ferious reflections.

ACT. IV. The effect of thefe reflections is being more and more engrossed with the idea of Clitander; fhe talks of nothing elfe to Rofetta. Orphifa comes in to tell her they must soon feparate, and that indifpenfable reafons oblige her to take another houfe. Julia expreffes her concern, and wants to know the cause of this change. Her aunt confeffes fhe is going to be married, and that this change of her condition will not allow of her living with her; but declines telling her the name

of

of the husband she has chofen. Julia, unable to conceal her jealousy, does not doubt but it is Clitander; wherefore the is extremely agitated and out of humour. She orders herself to be denied to every body; and, to punish Clitander, refolves on becoming more perfect and eftimable. Clitander only is admitted to see her. He acquaints Julia with the good office he has done her by hindering Eraftus from diverting the public with her letters to him, which he delivers to her. This proves to Julia the goodness of Clitander's heart, and makes her feel the danger to which her levity had exposed her reputation, in listening to the addresses of so giddy a youth,

The prefident's lady, who next enters with the marquifs, what with the indecency of her talk, and the irregularity of her conduct, compleats Julia's reformation, who begins now to be afraid that others have the fame contempt for her, as what the prefident's lady had infpired herself with; fhe goes out full of fhame as well as remorfe, and quite in love with Clitander.

ACT. V. Rofetta acquaints Orphifa with her miftreffes's. change; who had paffed the night without fleeping, and burned all her love-letters and lampoons. Julia comes in herfelf, and confirms to her aunt this alteration of her fentiments; Orphifa tells her, that thefe are only tranfient fits of the spleen, and that to reftore her gaiety fhe has contrived a fupper for the evening, where all the pretty fellows, and fine ladies of their acquaintance, will appear.

Julia tells her, that he has renounced, for ever, such worthless company; that she is refolved on a new plan of conduct; defiring that the past might be forgot, which she could not help. She declares, that, from henceforward fhe will only live for a man of merit that she loves.

Orphifa reproaches her for not having fooner trusted her with her defign of marrying. Julia, very much embarraffed, avers to her aunt, that her happiness depends upon her alone, and that Clitander is the perfon who has made the conqueft of her heart. Orphifa feigns fome perplexity, and sonfents at length that Clitander fhould decide between them. Upon this the aunt goes to meet Clitander as he is entering, and tells him that Julia has fomething very impor

tant