heart, and it will confute your doctrine. To degrade our nobleft motives of action, is to lower us below the brutes, to loosen the amiable connections of fociety, and blafpheme the SOVEREIGN GOODNESS which has formed our natures.

A

*****

No. 15.

Monday, May 14, 1770.

Nec minor eft virtus, quam quærere, parta tueri ; Cafus ineft illic, hoc erit artis opus.

OVID.

ESTERDAY evening, the old Gentleman whom I have already introduced to my readers, came into my fhop as ufual,

and taking up my twelfth Speculation, read it through with great attention. This, fays he, flipping his hand against the counter, is a fenfible feilow, and takes the subject in the right light. I have been often amazed, Mr. FLYN, at feeing good writers bear fo injudiciously hard against little female foibles. Exceffes of a nature, fo robuft as that of man, may be lopped away without mercy; but a woman fhould be pruned like a peach-tree. There

is, in truth, fo much that is excellent, and fo little that is faulty in them, that it is dangerous to attempt a change. None but a mad man would injure the delicate colours of a rich flower-knot, in order to eradicate a few microfcopical weeds. Women have a fenfibility which, if hurt, may check them in

the

the right path, or turn them into a wrong one. Male critics fhould therefore be very delicate in prefcribing rules to them. After their general principles are well formed, it is, in my opinion, fafer to give their little specific propenfities free play.

I love this PHILOGYNES, Ccontinued he, for his warm attachment to the fex. If there be such a thing in nature as an infenfibility of their charms, the poffeffor has no reafon to be vain of it. For my part, poor DRYDEN's Cafe is mine,

Old as I am, for Ladies loves unfit,
The power of beauty I remember yet.

Even at my time of life, it refreshes the imaginati-
on, and diffufes a kind of vernal chearfulness over
every idea. It's efficacy is indeed fo irrefiftible, that
women have, in my opinion, moft of the moral, and
much of the natural evil of the world to account for.
The potency
of their influence may prevent the one,
and difarm the latter of its fting. How fuperftition
could be fo ftupid as to attribute witchery to hags,
hardly human, is amazing; but it is no more than
a natural truth to fay, that every amiable woman is
a forceress; fafcination is in her eye, magic in her
fmile, and a legion of little demons in her touch.
When virtue deigns to affume the inchanted wand,
the arts of CIRCE are reverfed; man ftarts from the
brute into his proper nature, and rifes into refinement
and blifs.

Story-telling, Sir, is the vice of age; yet I cannot avoid relating a real fact to illuftrate my opinion. The perfons are an amiable and refpectable pair, who live at this day in the North of the kingdom, and whom I have known fince their infancy.

ARISTUS

ARISTUS came into life with every advantage. His eftate was a clear 2000l. a year; his conftitution excellent, and his perfon very handsome. A liberal education had afforded him a large fhare of knowledge, and his ftrong understanding had made it all his own. His principles, well turned by nature, had been formed by the stricteft rules of honour, virtue, and religion. Add to all these, the attractions of the fweeteft temper, great vivacity, and a fine address, and you have a sketch of ARISTUS's picture.

Nothing could bid fairer for. happiness than fuck an outfet. Great were the expectations of his friends. But I, who knew him best, could fee, through all his excellences, a weak part which made me fear for him. Joined to a general focial affection, and an uncommon tenderness of heart, he poffeffed a fenfibility of female charms which carried him almost to enthusiasm. It was easy to perceive the rock on which this habit of mind, aided by the vigour of a genial conftitution, would inevitably hurry him; and I faw clearly that, with a firmness which no violence could shake, a judgment not to be deceived by man, and morals which the world's riches could not vitiate, my friend was doomed to be the dupe, the abfolute flave of female dominion.

I met him in London on his return from the tour of Europe. He came back enriched with every valuable acquifition, and his folid understanding polished into genuine elegance. But the pleasure of our interview was not a little abated on my finding that he had brought over with him a lady, with whom he had formed a connection at Paris, and from whom I faw but little profpect of his ever being released. DuFRESNOY had every gift of nature and art that was

neceffary for fuch a conqueft. Befides a confiderable fhare of well-improved good fenfe, fhe had great fweetness of temper, and an unaffected defire to please. To a very beautiful perfon was added a perfect knowlege of all the arts of decoration. She had a tendernefs of afpect and manner very hard to be refited, and a modeft elegance of addrefs, which flattered his delicacy, and threw a veil over the very nature of vice.

In her fetters I found him, nor could any influence of mine, nor indeed any human means, but her own mercenary mind, have ever fet him free. Some time after my return to Dublin, I learned, that her repeated infidelities had at lift broken his chain. I thought this a good time to remonftrate, but, before my letter reached him, his unruly leading paffion had refumed it's fway, and thrown him into the bondage of an eminent actress, rather celebrated for addrefs than charms, but whofe great proficiency in artifice promifed to be more dangerous than even the beauty of Du

FRESNOY.

But I must bring you to my heroine. AMANDA'S family and fortune were good. Her perfon extremely fine, and her face, tho' far from regular, the moft attractive that I ever faw. Befides the finest teeth, and a mouth about which ten thousand graces revelled, fhe had a pair of the most charming bright blue eyes, full of all the bewitching foftnefs peculiar to that colour. Her fpirits were excellent; her temper fweet; and, added to every polite accomplishment, fhe poffeffed a good understanding, and an affectionate heart. Such a girl could not fail of admirers. She had indeed, before the age of twenty, declined feveral offers, which, in the language of the world, were prodigious great ones.

I frequently escorted her to the Play-Houfe, where we were one night, when, to my great surprize, ARIS- ` TUS entered the box, not many hours arrived from England. We met with mutual joy; but I foon perceived his attention ftealing from me to another'ob- ̄ ject AMANDA ftruck him, and I thought I could fee by her that he was the man. The next morning difclofed his intentions. I oppofed them strongly, and pictured him to himself with a friendly feverity. But he pleaded fo well, and urged fo forcibly that both reformation and happinefs depended on AMANDA, that I was obliged to fubmit. carried his meffage, bnt at the fame time honeftly exhibited his character. The mother hefitated; AMANDA was referred to as decifive. With the most modeft candour fhe declared, that the faw fome ftrong lines of conftancy in the portrait, on which he would venture to rely, and was willing to run the rifque. They were married foon after, and went down to his feat.

A perverse turn in my own affairs carried me about this time abroad. The pain of a ten years abfence was however a good deal leffened by the regular accounts I received of my amiable friends being compleatly happy. Laft November I landed in Dublin, and, hearing they were in the country, fet out thither immediately.

I got there the fecond day about three, and was fhewn into a parlour, where I found my fair friend at work, her eldest girl reading to her, and two fweet little boys playing on the carpet. Our first falutes were hardly over, when ARISTUS flew into the room, and hung upon my neck. Words were not neceffary to tell me their mutual happiness. I have feldom feltmore joy. Dinner was now ferved, and, the first hur