upon the fame occafion. I have often practifed this rule, with regard to the best authors among the ancients, as well as among the moderns; with what fuccefs, I must leave to the judgment of others. I may at leaft venture to fay with Mr. Dryden, where he profeffes to have imitated Shakespeare's style, that in imitating fuch great authors, I have always excelled myself.

I have alfo by this means revived feveral antiquated ways of writing, which, though very inftructive and entertaining, had been laid afide, and forgotten for fome ages. I fhall in this place only mention those allegories wherein virtues, vices, and human paffions, are introduced as real actors. Though this kind of compofition was practifed by the fineft authors among the ancients, our countryman Spenfer is the laft writer of note who has applied himself to it with fuccefs.

That an allegory may be both delightful and inftructive, in the first place, the fable of it ought to be perfect, and if poffible to be filled with furprizing turns and incidents. In the next, there ought to be useful morals and reficctions couched under it, which ftill receive a greater value from their being new and uncommon; as alfo from their appearing difficult to have been thrown into emblematical types and shadows.

I was once thinking to have written a whole canto in the fpirit of Spenfer; and in order to it, contrived a fable of imaginary perfons and characters. I railed it on that common difpute between the comparative perfections and preeminence of the two fexes, each of which have very frequently had their advocates among the men of letters. Since I have not time to accomplish this work, I fhall prefent my reader with the naked fable, referving the embellishments of verfe and poetry to another opportunity.

The two fexes contending for fuperiority, were once at war with each other, which was chiefly carried on by their auxiliaries. The males were drawn up on the one fide of a very fpacious plain, the females on the other; between them was left a very large interval for their auxiliaries to engage in. At each extremity of this middle fpace lay encamped feveral bodies of neutral forces, who waited for the event of the battle before they would declare themselves,

that they might then act as they fave

occafion.

The main body of the male auxiliaries was commanded by Fortitude; that of the female by Beauty. Fortitude began the onfet on Beauty; but found, to his coft, that he had fuch a particular witchcraft in her looks, as withered all his ftrength. She played upon him fo many fmiles and glances, that the quite weakened and difarmed him.

In short, he was ready to call for quarter, had not Wisdom come to his aid: this was the commander of the male right-wing, and would have turned, the fate of the day, had not he been timely opposed by Cunning, who commanded the left-wing of the female auxiliaries. Cunning was the chief engiacer of the fair army; but upon this occafion was pofted, as I have here faid, to receive the attacks of Wifdom. It was very entertaining to see the workings of thofe two antagonists; the conduct of the one, and the ftratagems of the other. Never was there a more equal match. Those who beheld it gave the victory fometimes to the one, and fometimes to the other; though most declared the advantage was on the fide of the female commander.

In the mean time, the conflict was very great in the left-wing of the army, where the battle began to turn to the male fide. This wing was commander by an old experienced officer called Patience, and on the female fide by a ge neral known by the name of Scorn. The latter, that fought after the manner of the Parthians, had the better of it all the beginning of the day; but being quite tired out with the long purfuits, and repeated attacks of the enemy, who had been repulfed above a hundred times, and rallied as often, began to think of yielding; when on a fudden a body of neutral forces began to move. The leader was of an ugly look, and gigantic ftature. He acted like a Drawcanfir, fparing neither friend nor foe. His name was Luft. On the female fide he was oppofed by a select body of forces, commanded by a young officer that had the face of a cherubim, and the name of Modefly. This beautiful young hero was fupported by one of a more mafculine turn, and fierce behaviour, called by men HONOUR, and by the gods PRIDE. This last made an ob

ftinate defence, and drove back the enemy more than once, but at length refigned at difcretion.

The dreadful monfter, after having overturned whole fquadrons in the female army, fell in among the males, where he made a more terrible havock than on the other fide. He was here oppofed by Reafan, who drew up all his forces against him, and held the fight in fufpence for fome time; but at length quitted the field.

After a great ravage on both fides, the two armies agreed to join against this common foe. And in order to it drew out a small chofen band, whom they placed by confent under the conduct of Virtue, who in a little time drove this foul ugly monster out of the field.

Upon his retreat, a fecond neutral leader, whofe name was Love, marched in between the two armies. He headed a body of ten thousand winged boys that threw their darts and arrows promifcuously among both armies. The wounds they gave were not the wounds of an enemy. They were pleafing to

1

TH

thofe that felt them; and had fo ftrange an effect, that they wrought a fpirit of mutual friendship, reconciliation, and good-will, in both fexes. The two armies now looked with cordial love on each other, and ftretched out their arms with tears of joy, as longing to forget old animofities, and embrace one another.

The last general of neutrals that appeared in the field was Hymen, who marched immediately after Love, and feconding the good inclinations which he had infpired, joined the hands of both armies. Love generally accompanied him, and recommended the fexes pair by pair to his good offices.

But as it is ufual enough for several perfons to drefs themselves in the habit of a great leader, Ambition and Avarice had taken on them the garb and habit of Love, by which means they often impofed on Hymen, by putting into his hands feveral couples whom he would never have joined together, had it not been brought about by the delusion of these two impoftors.

VIRG. GEORG. 4. v. Ž.

HERE is no paffion which steals into the heart more imperceptibly, and covers itself under more difguifes, than Pride. For my own part, I think if there is any paffion or vice which I am wholly a stranger to, it is this; though at the fame time, perhaps, this very judgment which I form of myself proceeds in fome measure from this corrupt principle.

I have been always wonderfully deLighted with that fentence in holy writ Pride was not made for man.' There is not indeed any fingle view of human nature, under it's prefent condition, which is not fufficient to extinguish in us all the fecret feeds of pride; and, on the contrary, to fink the foul into the Joweft state of humility, and what the fchoolmen call felf-annihilation. Pride was not made for man, as he is 1. A finful,

z. An ignorant,
3. A miferable being.

There is nothing in his underftanding, in his will, or in his prefent condition, that can tempt any confiderate crcature to pride or vanity.

Thefe three very reasons why he should not be proud, are notwithstanding the reafons why he is fo. Were not he a finful creature, he would not be fubject to a paffion which rifes from the depravity of his nature; were he not an ignorant creature, he would fee that he has nothing to be proud of; and were not the whole fpecics miferable, he would not have thofe wretched objects of comparifon before his eyes, which are the occafions of his paffion, and which make one man value himfelf more than an other.

A wife man will be contented that his glory be deferred until fuch time as he fhall be truly glorified; when his un derstanding fhall be cleared, his will rectified, and his happiness affured; or, in other words, when he shall be neither

૦.૧

ther finful, nor ignorant, nor mifer

able.

If there be any thing which makes human nature appear ridiculous to beings of fuperior faculties, it must be pride. They know fo well the vanity of thofe imaginary perfections that fwell the heart of man, and of thofe little fupernumerary advantages, whether in birth, fortune, or title, which one man enjoys above another, that it mult certainly very much astonish, if it does not very much divert them, when they fee a mortal puffed up, and valuing himself above his neighbours on any of thefe accounts, at the fame time that he is obnoxious to all the common calamities of the fpecies.

To fet this thought in it's true light, we will fancy, if you pleafe, that yonder mole-hill is inhabited by reafonable creatures, and that every pifinire (his fhape and way of life only excepted) is endowed with human paffions. How fhould we fmile to hear one give us an account of the pedigrees, distinctions, and titles, that reign among them? Obferve how the whole fwarm divide and make way for the pifmire that paffes through them! you must understand he is an emmet of quality, and has better blood in his veins than any pifmire in the mole-hill. Do not you fee how fenfible he is of it, how flow he marches forward, how the whole rabble of ants keep their diftance? Here you may obferve one placed upon a little eminence, and looking down on a long row of labourers. He is the richest infect on this fide the hillock, he has a walk of half a yard in length and a quarter of an inch in breadth; he keeps an hundred menial fervants, and has at least fifteen barley-corns in his granary. He is now chiding and beflaving the emmet that ftands before him, and who, for all that we can difcover, is as good an emmet as himself.

But here comes an infect of figure! Do not you take notice of a little white traw that he carries in his mouth? That firaw, you must understand, he would

not part with for the longest tract about the mole-hill: did you but know what he has undergone to purchafe it! See how the ants of all qualities and conditions fwarm about him! Should this ftraw drop out of his mouth, you would fee all this numerous circle of attendants follow the next that took it up, and leave the difcarded infect, or run over his back, to come at his fucceffor.

If now you have a mind to fee all the ladies of the mole-hill, observe first the pifmire that liftens to the emmet on her left-hand, at the fame time that the feems to turn away her head from him. He tells this poor infect that he is a goddess, that her eyes are brighter than the fun, that life and death are at her difpofal. She believes him, and gives herself a thousand little airs upon it. Mark the vanity of the pifmire on your left-hand. She can fcarce crawl with age; but you must know the values herfelf upon her birth; and, if you mind, fpurns at every one that comes within her reach. The little nimble coquette that is running along by the fide of her, is a wit. She has broke many a pifmire's heart. Do but obferve what a drove of lovers are running after her.

We will here finith this imaginary fcene; but firft of all, to draw the parallel clofer, will fuppofe, if you please, that death comes down upon the molehill, in the fhape of a cock-fparrow, whe picks up, without diftinction, the pifmire of quality and his flatterers, the pifmire of substance and day-labourers, the white-ftraw officer and his fycophants, with all the goddeffes, wits, and beauties of the mole-hill:

May we not imagine that beings of fuperior natures and perfections regard all the inftances of pride and vanity, among our own fpecies, in the fame kind of view, when they take a furvey of thofe who inhabit the earth; or, in the language of an ingenious French poet; of thofe pifmires that people this heap of dirt, which human vanity has di vided into climates and regions?

N° CLIV.

VIRG. GEORG. 4. V.44K.

TO NESTOR IRONSIDE, ESQ. C. PER VIA LEONIS.

SIR,

Could fcarce ever go into good company, but the difcourfe was on the am-` baffador the policehefs of his entertainments, the goodness of his Burgundy and Champaign, the gaiety of his mafquerades, with the odd fantaftical dreffes which were made ufe of in those midnight folemnities. The noife thefe diverfions made, at laft raised my curiofity, and for once I refolved to be prefent at them, being at the fame time provoked to it by a lady I then made my addreffes to, one of a fprightly humour, and a great admirer of fuch novelties. In order to it I hurried my habit, and got it ready a week before the time, for I grew impatient to be initiated in these new myfteries. Every morning I-drest myfelf in it, and acted before the looking-glafs; fo that I am vain enough to think I was as perfect in my part, as moft who had oftener frequented those diverfions. You must understand I perfonated a Devil, and that for feveral weighty reasons. First, because appearing as one of that fraternity, I expected to meet with particular civilities from the more polite and better-bred part of the company. Befides, as from their ufual reception they are called Familiars, I fancied I fhould, in this character, be allowed the greatest liberties, and fooneft be led into the fecrets of the mafquerade. To recommend and diftinguish me from the vulgar, I drew a very long tail after me. But to speak the

truth, what perfuaded me moft to this difguife was, because I heard an intriguing lady fay, in a large company of females, who unanimously affented to it, that she loved to converfe with such, for that generally they were very clever fellows who made choice of that shape. At length when the long-wished-for evening came, which was to open to us fuch vaft scenes of pleasure, I repaired to the place appointed about ten at night, where I found nature topsy-turvy, women changed into men, and men into women, children in leading-strings seven feet high, courtiers transformed into. clowns, ladies of the night into faints, people of the first quality into beafts or birds, gods or goddeffes. I fancied I had all Ovid's Metamorphofes before me. Among these were feveral monsters to which I did not know how to give a

name

worfe

Than fables yet have feign'd, or fear conceived; Gorgons, and hydras, and chimeras dire. MILTON.

In the middle of the first room I met with one dreffed in a shroud. This put me in mind of the old custom of ferving up a death's head at a feait. I was a little angry at the drefs, and afked the gentleman whether he thought a dead man was fit company for fuch an affembly; but he told me, that he was one who loved his money, and that he confidered this dress would ferve him another time. This walking corfe was followed by a gigantic woman with a high-crowned hat, that stood up like a ftecple over the heads of the whole affembly. I then chanced to tread upon the foot of a female Quaker, to all outward appearance; but was furprifed to hear her cry out- D-n you, you fon of

a! upon which I immediately rebuked her, when all of a fudden refuming her character- Verily,' fays fhe, I was to blame; but thou haft ⚫ bruised me forely. A few moments 0 3 2

after

after this adventure, I had like to have been knocked down by a thep herdefs for having fan my elbow a little inadvertently into one of her fides. She wore like a trooper, and threatened me with a very mafculine voice; but I was timely taken off by a Prefbyterian parfon, who told me in a very foft tone, that he believed I was a pretty fellow, and that he would meet me in SpringGarden to morrow night. The next object I faw was a chimney-fweeper made up of black crape and velvet, with a huge diamond in his mouth, making love to a butterfly. On a fudden I found myfelf among a flock of bats, owls,, and lawyers. But what took up my attention moft was, one dreffed in white feathers that reprefented a iwan. He would fain have found out a Leda among the fair-fex, and indeed was the most unlucky bird in the company. I was then engaged in a difcourfe with a running footman; but as I treated him like what he appeared to be, a Turkish emperor whispered me in the ear, defiring me to ufe him civilly, for that it was his mafter. I was here interrupted by the famous large figure of a woman hung with little looking glaffes. She had a great many that followed her as The paled by me; but I would not have her value herfelf upon that account, fince it was plain they did not follow fo much to look upon her as to fee themfelves. The next I obferved was a nun making an affignation with a hea. then god; for I heard them mention the Little Piazza in Covent Garden. I was by this time exceeding hot and thirty; fo that I made the beft-of my way to the place where wine was dealt about in great quantities. I had no fooner prefented mytelf before the table, but a magician feeing me, made a circle over my head with his wand, and feemed to do ine homage. I was at a lofs to account for his behaviour, until I recollected who I was: this however drew the eyes of the fervants upon me, and immediately procured me a glafs of excellent champaign. The magician faid I was a spirit of an adult and dry conftitution; and defired that I might have another refrething glass; adding withal, that it ou ht to be a brimmer. I took it in my hand, and drar k it off to the magician. This to enlivened me, that I led him by the hand into the next room, where we

6

danced a rigadoon together. I was here a little offended at a jackanapes of a Scaramouch, that cried out- Avant, Satan! and gave me a little tap on my left-fhoulder, with the end of his lathfword. As I was confidering how I ought to refent this affront, a wellfhaped perfon that stood at my left-hand, in the figure of a bellman, cried out with a fuitable voice- Palt twelve o'clock!' This put me in mind of bed-time: accordingly I made my way towards the door, but was intercepted by an Indian king, a tall, flender youth, dreffed up in a most beautiful party co loured plumage. He regarded my habit very attentively, and after having turned me about once or twice, afked me whom I had been tempting: I could not tell. what was the matter with me, but my heart leaped as foon as he touched me, and was still in greater diforder upon my hearing his voice. In fhort, I found after a little difcourfe with him, that his Indian majelty was my dear Leonora, who knowing the difguife I had put on, would not let me país by her unobferved. Her aukward manliness made me guess at her fex, and her own confeffion quickly let me know the reft. This masque rade did more for me than a twelve-, month's courtship; for it inspired her. with fuch tender fentiments, that I mar ried her the next morning.

How happy I shall be in a wife taken out of a malquerade, I cannot, yet tell but I have reason to hope the bett, Leonora having affured me it was the first, and fhall be the laft, time of her appearing at fuch an entertainment.

And now, Sir, having given you the hiftory of this ftrange evening, which looks rather like a dream than a reality, it is my requeft to you, that you will ob lige the world with a differtation on malquerades in general, that we may know how far they are ufeful to the public, and confequently how far they ought to be encouraged. I have heard of two or thice very odd accidents that have happened upon this occafion; as, in particular, of a lawyer's being now big-bellied, who was prefent at the first of these entertainments; not to mention (what is still more strange) an old man with a long beard, who was got with child by a milk-maid. But in cafes of this nature, where there is fuch a contufion of fex, age, and quality, men are apt to report

rather