they are afraid that they are to imitate us in every thing.

"The first advantages which philofophy promises are, a just sense of the common rights of mankind, humanity, and a fociable disposition; from which advantages, fingularity and diffimilar manners will entirely feclude us. Let us beware, left those peculiarities by which we hope to excite the admiration, should expose us to the ridicule and averfion, of mankind.

"Our object is to live according to nature; but to torture our bodies, to abhor cleanliness in our persons, when attended with no trouble, or to affect a cynical filthiness in our food; this fure is living contrary to nature. As it is a mark of luxury to hunt after delicacies, to reject the common unexpensive comforts of life is a degree of madness. Our Stoic philosophy requires us to be frugal, not to mortify ourselves; but there is fuch a thing as an elegant frugality. This moderation is what I would recommend.”.

AURORA;

OR,

THE APPARITION.

AVING lately had a very fober party, to cards

HA

and fupper, at my country-house, I got early to bed, before one o'clock: I flept foundly for fome hours; but when I awoke, to my astonishment, I beheld a female figure, modeftly clad in a light robe, with a mild, ferene countenance; who, moving from towards the window, came and stood at the feet of my bed. I was going to speak, and express my surprise, when she prevented me, and thus began:

"Do not be alarmed, fir: though I am now a ftran

ger to you, as you have not feen me fince you were a school-boy; yet I was well known to your good father and mother, with whom I was upon the most intimate footing. I breakfasted with them every day in the week, and fometimes dined with them; and was a peculiar favourite with your excellent mother. I now

come daily into your village, and am well known to the farmers and poor people, to whom I am a true friend; and they always rejoice to fee me, as I put them in a way to get their livelihood, and by a wholefome elixir, with which I fupply them gratis, and by my confolatory and cheerful conversation, keep them in health and spirits. Nay, the very birds of the air seem to know me, and express their joy at my approach.” -Aftonishment kept me filent, and fhe proceeded in her harangue :

"I fhould have introduced myself to you, (however unwelcome) out of regard to your father and mother; but am now excluded, I find, by the exprefs orders of your near friend, this pretended widow, in her fable weeds forfooth, (Mrs. Hecatiffa Midnight, I think they call her) to whom you are of late fo unaccountably attached; and who, it seems, has a particular diflike to me, as the flips away whenever I happen to appear, being conscious that I outshine and eclipfe her; and knows also that I was a friend to your family, and must be concerned to fee her encourage you in revelling, gaming, and every thing that is bad. And indeed, fir, if you do not difengage yourself from her inchantments, she will be the ruin of your health, your fortune, and your reputation. All decent people are aftonished at your infatuation, (for I will fpeak my mind, now I

have

have got admittance) fince, in spite of her filver crefcent, which she wears, I fuppofe, as an emblem of her chaftity, it is well known fhe has been kept by half the members of the Houfe of Commons and of the gambling clubs, nay, has walked the streets and been proftituted to hackney-coachmen, pickpockets, and street-robbers. And here you have brought her into the country, to feduce your fober neighbours, who formerly paid me great attention: but now there is not a gentleman in the parish, except the vicar, who fhews me the leaft regard, and I only see him once or twice a week, as he rides out with the 'fquire's huntsman; for as to the fquire himself, whom I used frequently to visit, and who was always glad to fee me, he now follows your example, and curfes me if ever I am feen at his door."

I was here again beginning to make apologies; and to pacify her, made her a compliment on her beauty; but the proceeded:

"I am not come to court you, fir; yet, as I can never get fight of you, and have nobody to speak in my favour, indignation forces me to violate the rules of decorum, and to fay, that I think myself much fuperior in beauty, sprightliness, and every virtuous quality, to this harridan, whom you are fo fond of; and have had more compliments paid me (even by the best poets of F 3

the

the age) without any other ornaments than a few wild flowers, than fhe ever had in her jewels and spangles, which glitter about her autumnal countenance, and which (by the way) fhe has only borrowed (if not pilfered) from an illustrious friend of mine;* which, however, she never appears in but clandeftinely, being ashamed to wear them in his presence or in mine.

"In fhort, fir, if I could once detach you from this Ethiopian queen, (as Dr. Young calls her by way of fneer) I have the vanity to think that my charms, fuch as they are, would make a proper impreffion on your heart, and you would be unwilling to pass a single day without feeing me; and I will venture to say, you would receive more pleasure, as well as improvement, from the company to which I could introduce you, than from your prefent connexion. I am a particular acquaintance and friend of those celebrated and accomplished young ladies whom you used to talk of when you came from school, called, as an honourable diftinction, "The Nine Sifters;"+ who, though no great fortunes, are as much courted and careffed as any young women in the kingdom, of their humble rank and retired way of life.

*The fun. † Aurora Mufis Amica.

"I muft