1000 A SERIES O F GENUINE LETTERS BETWEEN HENRY and FRANCE S. LETTER CCCCLII. Dear FANNY, XSET out on my Journey, Yefterday, upon the Credit of the Almanac I depended on the Weather's becoming fair, on the Change of the Moon, and was heartily foused, for so ignorant a Prefumption. How could fo vulgar an Error maintain it's Ground fo long? To combat it by Philofophy, would be too great a Condefcenfion. 'Tis a Remain of judicial Aftrology, and the only one that still impofes upon the Prejudices of Mankind." VOL. IV. B The The Frequency of the Coincidence of the Changes, has been remarked, but not the greater Frequency of their failing. Though, furely, one Inftance of the latter, fhould be fufficient to overturn five Hundred of the former; for whatever operates in Nature, as a Caufe, produces a certain and conftant Effect. But there is an additional Perverseness in adhering to this Prognoftic, because a favourable one, for 'tis the ungrateful Difpofition of Mankind, to remember Calamities, more more than Bleffings, and 'tis this which occafions bad Omens to be oftener recorded, than good ones. Every Perfon who has rode Journies, can recollect when the Wind has been in his Face, but forgets how often it has been in his Poop, Those only who travel by Night, may confult the Moon, for it fometimes gives us fair Nights, but never fair Days. I LETTER CCCCLIV. Dear HARRY, HAVE met with the higheft Surprize and Mortification, this Week, that you can imagine. 'Tis impoffible for you ever to guess. it. Nay, how fhall I tell it to you, or in what Words express it? on The reft of this Page I fhall leave a Blank. --The Tale would blot it. And do, my Harry, indulge me. Lay down this Letter your Table, and amuse yourself, for a Minute or two, in Curiosity and Wonder, before you turn over the Leaf. In short, our Vestal in Nature, for, as Ninon fays, "I never denied the Virtues of Conftitu"tion," has lately, to the Astonishment of us all, had a Flame lighted up in her Breast, but of a moft unveftal Kind. That Malabarian Wife *, who I thought would have ended her Life in the first Act of the Ephefian Matron, has already begun the fecond, even before her Husband's Death. Our cold Diana has become a burning Hecate, at laft. In fine, this Pattern of conjugal Love, has, within these few Days, conceived an impromptu Paffion for a Recruiting Officer, the accidentally met with, in this Town. He is young, and handfome, and agreeable, to be fure you'l fay. Not a Word of all this. The Man is plain in his Perfon, middle aged, one who has lived Faft, Civil, but of remarkable Taciturnity. Her Behaviour toward him, is the moft remarkable Thing I ever faw. So much fo, that Band F, who are no great Obfervers, have taken Notice of it. I have already defcribed him, and you know she is yet Pretty, and ftill young. And yet one would imatogether, that they had gine, to see them The Widows of Malabar burn themselves on their Husbands' Funeral Pile. not |