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'gay and delightful. Every one careffed me; the old • Ladies told me how finely I grew, and the young ones were proud of my Company; but when the third Year ⚫ had a little advanced, my Relations used to tell my Mo⚫ther that pretty Mifs Clary was shot up into a Woman. The Gentlemen begun now not to let their Eyes glance over me, and in moft Places I found my felf diftinguished; but obferved the more I grew into the Efteem of their Sex, the more I loft the Favour of my own. Some of those whom I had been familiar with, grew ⚫ cold and indifferent: Others mistook, by defign, my Meaning, made me speak what I never thought, and fo by degrees took occafion to break off all Acquaintance. There were several little infignificant Reflexions caft upon me, as being a Lady of a great many Quaintneffes and fuch like, which I feemed not to take no⚫tice of. But my Mother coming home about a Week ago, told me there was a Scandal spread about Town by my Enemies, that would at once ruin me for ever for a Beauty; I earneftly intreated her to know it, the refused me, but Yefterday it discovered it felf. Being in an Affembly of Gentlemen and Ladies, one of the Gentlemen who had been very facetious to several of the Ladies, at last turning to me, And as for you, Madam, Prior has already given us your Character,

That Air and Harmony of Shape express,
Fine by degrees, and beautifully less.

I perceived immediately a malignant Smile difplay it ⚫ felf in the Countenance of fome of the Ladies, which they feconded with a fcornful flutter of the Fan, 'till · one of them, unable any longer to contain, ask'd the ⚫ Gentleman if he did not remember what Congreve said about Aurelia, for fhe thought it mighty pretty. He made no Answer, but inftantly repeated the Verses. The Mulcibers, who in the Minories Sweat, And Mafive Bars on ftubborn Anvils beat; Deform'd themselves, yet forge thofe Stays of Steel, Which arm Aurelia with a Shape to kill.

This was no fooner over, but it was eafily discernible ⚫ what an ill-natured Satisfaction most of the Company

took,

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'took, and the more Pleasure they showed by dwelling · upon the two laft Lines, the more they increased my Trouble and Confufion. And now, Sir, after this tedious Account, what would you advise me to? Is there no way to be cleared of thefe malicious Calumnies? 'What is Beauty worth, that makes the Poffeffor thus 'Unhappy? Why was Nature fo lavish of her Gifts to me, as to make her Kindness prove a Cruelty? They tell me my Shape is delicate, my Eyes fparkling, my Lips I know not what, my Cheeks, forfooth, adorned ́ with a just mixture of the Rofe and Lily; but I wish ⚫ this Face was barely not difagreeable, this Voice harsh and unharmonious, thefe Limbs only not deformed, ' and then perhaps I might live eafy and unmolested, and neither raise Love and Admiration in the Men, ner Scandal and Hatred in the Women.

Your very Humble Servant,

CLARINA.

THE best Answer I can make my fair Correfpondent, is, That the ought to comfort herself with this Confideration, that thofe who talk thus of her know it is false, but wish they could make others believe it true. 'Tis not they think you deform'd, but are vex'd that they themselves were not as nicely framed. If you will take an old Man's Advice, laugh, and be not concern'd at them; they have attained what they endeavoured if they make you uneafy, for it is Envy that has made them fo. I would not have you with your Shape one fixtieth part of an Inch difproportioned, nor defire your Face might be impoverished with the Ruin of half a Feature, tho' numbers of remaining Beauties might make the Lofs infenfible, but take Courage, go into the brighteft Affemblies, and the World will quickly confefs it to be Scandal. Thus Plato, hearing it was afferted by fome Perfons that he was a very bad Man, I hall take care, faid he, to live fo, that no body will believe them.

I fhall conclude this Paper with a Relation of matter of Fact. A gay young Gentleman in the Country, not many Years ago, fell defperately in Love with a bloom

ing

ing fine Creature, whom give me leave to call Meliffa. After a pretty long Delay, and frequent Solicitations, the refufed feveral others of larger Eftates, and confented to make him happy. But they had not been married much above a Twelve-month, till it appeared too true what Juba fays,

Beauty foon grows familiar to the Lover,

Fades in the Eye, and palls upon the Senfe.

Polydore (for that was his Name) finding himfelf grow every day more uneafy, and unwilling the fhould difcover the Caufe, for Diverfion came up to Town, and to avoid all Sufpicions, brought Melissa along with him. After fome Stay here, Polydore was one day informed, that a Set of Ladies over their Tea-Table, in the Circle of Scandal, had touch'd upon Melissa And was that the filly thing fo much talk'd of? How did the ever grow into a Toaft? For their parts they had Eyes, as well as the Men, but could not discover where her Beauties lay. Polydore upon hearing this, flew immediately home, and told Meliffa, with the utmost Transport, that he was now fully convinced how numberlefs were her Charms, fince her own Sex would not allow her any.

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Mr. IRONSIDE,

Button's Coffee-houfe. HAVE obferved that this day you make mention of Will's Coffee-house, as a Place where People are too polite to hold a Man in Difcourfe by the Button. Every body knows your Honour frequents this House, therefore they will take an Advantage against me, and fay, if my Company was as Civil as that of Will's, you would fay fo: Therefore pray your Honour do not be afraid of doing me Juftice, becaufe People would think it may be a Conceit below you on this Occafion to name the Name of,

Your Humble Servant,

Daniel Button.

THE young Poets are in the back Room, and

take their Places as you directed.

Friday,

N° 86.

Friday, June 19.

Cui Mens divinior, atque Os

Magna fonaturum—

SIR,

T

TO NESTOR IRONSIDE, Efq;

Hor.

Oxford, June 16, 1713. HE Claffical Writers, according to your Advice, are by no means neglected by me, while I purfue my Studies in Divinity. I am perfuaded that they are Fountains of good Senfe and Eloquence; and that it is abfolutely neceffary for a young Mind to ⚫ form itself upon fuch Models. For, by a careful Study ⚫ of their Stile and Manner, we fhall at leaft avoid those Faults, into which a youthful Imagination is apt to hurry us; fuch as Luxuriance of Fancy, Licentioufnefs of Stile, Redundancy of Thought, and falfe Ornaments. • As I have been flattered by my Friends that I have fome • Genius for Poetry, I fometimes turn my Thoughts that way; and with Pleasure reflect, that I have got over that childish part of Life, which delights in Points and • Turns of Wit; and that I can take a manly and ratio. ⚫nal Satisfaction in that, which is called Painting in Poetry. Whether it be, that in thefe Copyings of Na⚫ture the Object is placed in fuch Lights and Circumftan• ces as strike the Fancy agreeably; or whether we are • furprised to find Objects, that are abfent, placed before our Eyes; or whether it be our Admiration of the Author's Art and Dexterity; or whether we amufe our ⚫ felves with comparing the Picture and the Original; or rather (which is moft probable) because all thefe Reafons concur to affect us, we are wonderfully charmed ⚫ with these Drawings after the Life, this Magic that raifes Apparitions in the Fancy.

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LANDSKIPS, or Still Life, work much less upon us, than Representations of the Poftures or Paffions of

6

living

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living Creatures. Again, thofe Paflions or Postures ftrike us more or lefs, in proportion to the Ease or • Violence of their Motions. An Horse grazing moves us less than one stretching in a Race, and a Racer lefs than one in the Fury of a Battle. It is very difficult, I believe, to exprefs violent Motions, which are fleeting and tranfitory, either in Colours or Words.

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In

Poetry, it requires great Spirit in Thought, and Energy in Stile; which we find more of in the Eaftern Poetry, than either the Greek or Roman. The Great Creator, who accommodated himself to thofe he vouchfafed to fpeak to, hath put into the Mouths of his Prophets fuch fublime Sentiments and exalted Lan6 guage, as muft abafh the Pride and Wit of Man. In the Book of Job, the moft ancient Poem in the World, we have fuch Paintings and Defcriptions, as I have fpoken of, in great variety. I fhall at prefent make fome Remarks on the celebrated Defcription of the Horfe in that Holy Book, and compare it with those drawn by Homer and Virgil.

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HOMER hath the following Similitude of an Horfe twice over in the Iliad, which Virgil hath copied from him; at least he hath deviated lefs from Homer, than Mr. Dryden hath from him..

Freed from his Keepers, thus with broken Reins,
The wanton Courfer prances o'er the Plains;
Or in the Pride of Youth o'erleaps the Mounds,
And fnuffs the Females in forbidden Grounds:
Or feeks his Wat'ring in the well known Flood,
To quench his Thirft, and cool bis fiery Blood:
He fwims luxuriant in the liquid Plain,
And o'er his Shoulders flows his waving Mane;
He neighs, he fnorts, be bears bis Head on high,
Before his ample Cheft the frothy Waters fly.

Virgil's Defcription is much fuller than the foregoing, which, as I faid, is only a Simile; whereas Virgil pro

• feffes to treat of the Nature of the Horse. It is thus admirably 'tranflated.

The fiery Coarfer, when he hears from far
The Sprightly Trumpets, and the Shouts of War,

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