not equal, God knows; for fhe helped Gay to the head, me to the middle, and making the reft much the largest part, took it herself, and cried very naively, I'll be content with my own tail. My supper was as fingular as my dinner. It was with a great Poet and Ode-maker (that is, a great poet out of his wits, or out of his way). He came to me very hungry; not for want of a dinner (for that I should make no jeft of) but having forgot to dine. He fell most furiously on the broiled relics of a shoulder of mutton, commonly called a blade bone: he profeffed he never tafted fo exquifite a thing! begged me to tell him what joint it was; wondered he had never heard the name of this joint, or feen it at other tables; and defired to know how he might direct his butcher to cut out the fame for the future. And yet this man, fo ignorant in modern butchery, has cut up half an hundred heroes, and quartered five or fix miferable lovers in every tragedy he has written.. I have nothing more to tell you to-day. *It is faid he meant Dr. Young; and that he laughed at his frequent abfence of mind: to which, but not with affectation, he was fubject. WARTON. LETTER V. THE ANSWER. Σου You fhould have my day too, Sir, but indeed I flept it out, and fo I'll give you all that was left, my laft Night's entertainment. You know the company. I went in late, in order to be better received; but unluckily came in, as Deuce-ace was flinging (Lord H. would fay I came in the Nick). The lady coloured, and the men took the name of the Lord in vain: nobody spoke to me, and I fat down difappointed; then affecting a carelefs air, gaped, and cried feven or eight times, D'ye win or lofe? I could fafely fay at that moment I had no temptation to any one of the feven lively fins; and, in the innocent way I was, happy had it been for me, if I had died! Moralizing fat I by the hazard-table; I looked upon the uncertainty of riches, the decay of beauty, and the crash of worlds, with as much contempt as ever Plato did. But ah! the frailty of human nature! fome ridiculous thought came into my head, wakened my paffions, which burft forth into a violent laughter: I rofe from my feat, and not confidering the juft refentments of the lofing gamefters, hurled a ball of paper cross the table, which stopped the dice, and turned up feven inftead of five. Curfed on all fides, and not knowing where to fly, I threw myfelf into a VOL. VII. N chair, chair, which I demolished, and never spoke a word after. We went to fupper, and a lady faid, Miss G. looks prodigiously like a Tree. Every body agreed to it, and I had not curiofity to ask the meaning of that sprightly fancy: find it out, and let me know. Adieu, 'tis time to drefs, and begin the business of the day. LETTER VI. IN THE STYLE OF A LADY *. PRAY what is your opinion of Fate? For I must confefs I am one of those that believe in Fate and Predeftination.-No, I can't go fo far as that, but I own I am of opinion one's stars may incline, though not compel one; and that is a fort of free-will; for we may be able to resist inclination, but not compulfion. Don't you think they have got into the most prepofterous fashion this winter that ever was, of flouncing the petticoat fo very deep, that it looks like an entire coat of luteftring? It In the ftyle of a Lady? read Lady M. Montagu's Letters, and confefs how little this nonfenfe is like. We cannot now tell to whom these idle effufions of Pope's early days were written. The next Letter is evidently to Terefa Blount; Pope certainly wifhed to mislead, when he says, in his own edition, all these Letters, as far as the eleventh, were written to the fame Lady. It is a little cool indeed for this time of year, but then, my dear, you will allow it has an extreme clean, pretty look. Ay, fo has my muflin apron; but I would not chufe to make it a winter fuit of cloaths. Well now I'll fwear, child, you have put me in mind of a very pretty drefs; let me die if I don't think a muflin flounce, made very full, would give one a very agreeable Flirtation-air. Well, I fwear it would be charming! and I should like it of all things-Do you think there are any fuch things as Spirits? Do you believe there is any fuch place as the Elyfian Fields; O Gad, that would be charming! I wish I were to go to the Elyfian fields when I die, and then I fhould not care if I were to leave the world to-morrow: but is one to meet there with what one has loved moft in this world? Now you must tell me this pofitively. To be fure you can, or what do I correfpond with you for, if you will not tell me all? you know I abominate Referve. |