and modeftly defired they would not conclude, but that strength of argument and force of reafon may be confiftent with grace of action and comeliness of person.

To me (who fee people every day in the midst of crowds, whomfoever they seem to addrefs to, talk only to themselves and of themselves) this orator was not fo extravagant a man as perhaps another would have thought him; but I took part in his fuccefs, and was very glad to find he had, in his favour, judgment and cofts, without any manner of oppofition,

The effects of pride and vanity are of confequence only to the proud and vain, and tend to no further ill than what is perfonal to themselves, in preventing their progress in anything that is worthy and laudable, and creating envy, instead of emulation of fuperior virtue. Thefe ill qualities are to be found only in fuch as have fo little mind as to circumfcribe their thoughts and designs within what properly relates to the value which they think due to their dear and amiable selves; but ambition, which is the third great impediment to honour and virtue, is a fault of fuch as think themselves born for moving in a higher orb, and prefer being powerful and mifchievous to being virtuous and obfcure. The parent of this mischief in life, so far as to regulate it into schemes and make it poffefs a man's whole heart, without his believing himself a demon, was Machiavel. He first taught that a man must neceffarily appear weak to be honest. Hence, it gains upon the imagination, that a great is not fo defpicable as a little villain; and men are infenfibly led to a belief, that the aggravation of crimes is the diminution of them. Hence the impiety of thinking one thing and speaking another. In pursuance of this empty and unfatisfying dream, to betray, to undermine, to kill in themselves all natural fentiments of love to friends or country, is the willing practice of fuch as are thirsty of power for any other reason than that of being useful and acceptable to mankind.

MR. BICKERSTAFF ON GROWING OLD BECOMINGLY, WITH AN ACCOUNT OF A FANTASTIC PASSION OF TWO OLD LADIES, AND SAM. TRUSTY'S VISIT TO THEM.

OS

HOR. 2 Ep. ii. ult.

Let youth more decent in their follies, fcoff
The naufeous fcene, and hifs thee reeling off

T would be a good appendix to "The art of living and dying," if any one would write "The art of growing old," and teach men to refign their pretenfions to the pleasures and gallantries of youth,

in proportion to the alteration they find in themfelves by the approach of age and infirmities. The infirmities of this stage of life would be much fewer if we did not affect thofe which attend the more vigorous and active part of our days; but instead of studying to be wifer, or being contented with our prefent follies, the ambition of many of us is alfo to be the fame fort of fools we formerly have been. I have often argued, as I am a profeffed lover of women, that our fex grows old with a much worfe grace than the other does, and have ever been of opinion that there are more well-pleafed old women than old men. I thought it a good reafon for this that the ambition of the fair fex being confined to advantageous

marriages, or shining in the eyes of men, their parts were over fooner, and confequently the errors in the performances of them. The converfation of this evening has not convinced me of the contrary, for one or two fop-women shall not make a balance for the crowds of coxcombs among ourselves, diversified according to the different pursuits of pleasure and bufinefs.

Returning home this evening a little before my ufual hour, I fcarce had feated myfelf in my eafy chair, stirred the fire, and ftroked my cat, but I heard fomebody come rumbling up ftairs. I faw my door opened, and a human figure advancing towards me fo fantastically put together, that it was fome minutes before I discovered it to be my old and intimate friend Sam. Trufty. Immediately I rose up and placed him in my own feat, a compliment I pay to few. The first thing he uttered was, "Ifaac, fetch me a cup of your cherry-brandy before you offer to afk any question." He drank a lufty draught, fat filent for fome time, and at last broke out: "I am come," quoth he, "to infult thee for an old fantastic dotard, as thou art, in ever defending the women. I have this evening vifited two widows who are now in that state I have often heard you call an after-life; I fuppofe you mean by it, an existence which grows out of past entertainments, and is an untimely delight in the fatisfactions which they once set their hearts upon too much to be ever able to relinquish. Have but patience," continued he, "until I give you a fuccinct account of my ladies, and of this night's adventure. They are much of an age, but very different in their characters. The one of them, with all the advances which years have made upon her, goes on in a certain romantic road of love and friendship which fhe fell into in her 'teens; the other has transferred the amorous paffions of her first years to the love of cronies, pets, and favourites with which he is always furrounded; but the genius of each of them will best appear by the account of what happened to me at their houses. About five this afternoon, being tired with study, the weather inviting, and time lying a little upon my hands, I refolved, at the inftigation of my evil genius, to vifit them, their husbands having

been our contemporaries. This I thought I could do without much trouble, for both live in the very next street. I went first to my lady Camomile, and the butler, who had lived long in the family, and seen me often in his master's time, ufhered me very civilly into the parlour, and told me, though my lady had given ftrict orders to be denied, he was fure I might be admitted, and bid the black boy acquaint his lady that I was come to wait upon her. In the window lay two letters, one broke open, the other fresh fealed with a wafer; the first directed to the divine Cofmelia, the second to the charming Lucinda; but both, by the indented characters, appeared to have been writ by very unfteady hands. Such uncommon addreffes increafed my curiofity, and put me upon asking my old friend the butler, if he knew who those perfons were? 'Very well,' fays he; this is from Mrs. Furbifh to my lady, an old fchoolfellow and great crony of her ladyship's; and this is the answer.' I inquired in what county fhe lived. ‹ Oh dear!' says he, but just by in the neighbourhood. Why, she was here all this morning, and that letter came and was answered within these two hours. They have taken an odd fancy, you must know, to call one another hard names; but, for all that, they love one another hugely. By this time the boy returned with his lady's humble service to me, defiring I would excufe her, for fhe could not poffibly fee me or anybody elfe, for it was opera night."

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"Methinks," fays I, "fuch innocent folly as two old women's courtship to each other should rather make you merry than put you out of humour." Peace, good Ifaac," fays he; "no interruption, I befeech you. I got foon to Mrs. Feeble's-she that was formerly Betty Frifk; you must needs remember her-Tom Feeble, of Brazen Nofe, fell in love with her for her fine dancing. Well, Mrs. Urfula, without further ceremony, carries me directly up to her miftreff's chamber, where I found her environed by four of the most mischievous animals that can ever infest a family-an old fhock dog with one eye, a monkey chained to one fide of the chimney, a great squirrel to the other, and a parrot waddling in the middle of the room. However, for a while, all was in