fee those feelings which were given by Providence to be an ornament to their fex, and a pleafure and happinefs to ours, lavished in fuch unfeemly fondnefs upon a diftempered brute, while offices are called for, from thofe whofe fituations in life compel them to fubmit to them, which a female of true delicacy would fcruple to afk for herself. Oh! that I had the powers of Addifon, to paint this unnatural deviation from all that is fair and lovely, in its true colours but, for the prefent, I will conclude, left I should trefpafs too much upon your indulgence. Bath. ANTI-CANIS. # ANGELS AND DEVILS. [From the Morning Chronicle.] MR. EDITOR, WE 1 E are informed by a paragraph in your paper of Saturday, that an artift, very celebrated for angelic paintings, had refused to paint an angel in the fashion, because he would not put a wig upon an angel. All this may be very true, and is certainly very right; but give me leave to fay, Sir, that artifts in general, when attempting to reprefent beings of another world, have not always been fo neglectful of the coftume of the prefent. For the truth of this I appeal to paintings of the other world in general, without fpecifying any one in particular, because it might appear invidious. I never look at a modern painting of an angel, without wondering at the perfection to which the mufin manyfactory appears to be carried in heaven; and I defy you to produce me a devil that does not prove how much fuperior the black fatin and crape of the hellish fabrique are to any thing we can produce. I remember the time, Sir, when angels were always painted with wings and long blue filk robes, not very unlike our modern pelifes; but fince the Spitalfields E 3 trade trade decreafed it became impious to drefs an angel in any thing but fine mullin; and of late they have appeared in the height of the fafhion, by a difplay of bofom and limbs through the tranfparent coverings; fo that, inftead of a meffage from the gods, one would fuppofe they brought us news from Bond Street. Your painter, therefore, is very nice indeed if he hefitates about a wig. Does he imagine our women would wear wigs if they thought it leffened the proportion of angel in their compofition? The opinion of his brethren is lefs fcrupulous; and it appears that angel is not an abstract idea, but a fomething that conforms itself to every revolving change of fashion. we know but very little of the other world, we cannot direct people's attention to it, otherwife than by making it as like the prefent as poffible. It would therefore be prepofterous in the prefent day to exhibit to our imaginations the fupreme felicity of enjoying the Company of angels dreft in quilted petticoats, bell hoops, and clofe caps and handkerchiefs. Obferve the refpectful attention of fome of our painters to the devil. They have difcarded his cloven feet, and cut off his tail. Thus cropped, he looks like a respectable elderly gentleman, fomewhat inclined to mifchief, but with the gravity of a privy-counfellor. This is a becoming deference to the prejudices of the times: no man can expect fuccefs if he ftudies his angels in books; and far more is he to blame, if, in the prefent state of public affairs, he fhould draw the devil without fome found-ation. Yours, &c. THE ART OF STORY-TELLING. [From a Calcutta Chronicle.] BRUSH, THE knack of telling a story with that facetioufnefs which fets the table in a roar, falls to the lot of but fcandal is in the power of every perfon, very few; who who can even gravely relate a circumftance to the prejudice of another. However, there requires a prefence of mind, which if the ftory-teller does not poffefs, the ball fometimes recoils with double force. In a circle, I will not fay of whom, or where, after pulling all our friends and enemies to pieces, Flirtilla, uneafy that it had not yet come to her turn, filenced us by propofing to tell us an anecdote which the affirmed to be true; and having fworn us all to f'ecrecy, thus began: There is," fays the, "a married lady of my acquaintance, who fhall be namelefs, who lives on the best terms with her husband, notwithstanding the difference of their ages; he is old, and the is in her prime. A gentleman of her acquaintance fell defperately in love with her, and, from the disparity of her age to that of her husband, hoped for fuccefs. A long time paffed in his purfuit, but he could obtain nothing from her that a woman of virtue might not grant. As her lover could never find an opportunity of feeing her alone, he thought if he could once accomplish that event, he fhould not find her quite fo cruel. All the danger, and almost impoffibility of effecting his purpofe, yielded to the violence of his paffion, and he refolved upon the attempt.. "He took his meafures fo well, that, hearing the lady's husband was going to one of his country-feats, and would fet out very early to avoid the heat, he found 'means to get into the lady's chamber, who was afleep in bed; on which he laid himfelf down, booted and fpurred, but in his hurry forgot to fhut the door. The lady waked, and was aftonifhed at the fight of her vifitor, whom in vain the ordered to depart; but the lover threatened, if the ftirred, to inform every perion that he came by her appointment; which terrified her fo much, that she had not the power to cry out. "Prefently one of the chambermaids came in to the room; upon which the gentleman started from the bed, and would have got clear away, if in his hurry one of his fpurs had not pulled off the bed-clothes, and left the lady without covering."-Here Flirtilla, forgetting that fhe was telling the ftory in another person's name, fuddenly turned to her next neighbour: "Good God!" fays fhe, "I was never fo much furprised in my life as to find myself in fuch a fituation." Here a horfe-laugh burst out, to the no fmall aftonishment of Flirtilla; who upon being asked to finish the ftory, and told that we did not doubt but the anecdote was true, immediately quitted the company in great confufion. A MISTAKE. A BUTCHER, of fome eminence, was, lately in company with feveral ladies at a game of whift, where, having loft two or three rubbers, one of the ladies addreffing him, afked, "Pray, Sir, what are takes now?" To which, ever mindful of his occupation, he immediately replied, "Madam, the beft rump I cannot fell lower than ten-pence halfpenny a pound.” A DREAMS. [From a Paris Paper ] POET of the day dreamed that he had written an excellent comedy, and that fylphs had adıniniftered incenfe to him in falvers of gold. He faid to himself, I have driven Moliere from the ftage." He awoke amidst the hiffes of the pit. A Parifian bufband fell afleep on the pillow of Hymen. He dreamed that his wife was faithful and conflant. He was awaked by an officer, who informed him that his chafic Penelope had divorced him, and that the was about to marry his valet. A coachman fell asleep upon the coach-box, and awakened awakened upon a chair of ftate. Every body congratulated him on having rifen to fo much good fortune; and the coachman would not believe that he had been asleep. A wafherwoman, in the Rue St. Honoré, while asleep, fell from the fourth story of a house into an Englifh curricle, and received no injury. A lacquey fell asleep behind a carriage, and when he awoke he was in the infide of it! Numbers lately have fallen afleep in a garret and awakened in a drawing-room! A young warrior dreamed upon the banks of the Nile, that, guided by his fortune, he should traverse the ocean, covered with hoftile fleets-that he should rescue a whole people from the yoke of folly and frenzy, and that with his own hand he fhould plant the olive of peace, which in two years should spread its shade over all Europe. He awoke, amidst the acclamations of the univerfe, aftonished that this was not a dream! MEGALANTHROPOGENESIE. THE Parifians have lately been more interested by a book with the above title, which contains inftructions for the forming of great men, than they would have been with the project of a new conftitution. We find the following jeu d'efprit in ridicule of this folly in a Paris Journal. Copy of a Letter from a Husband to his Wife, on the Allow me, my dear friend, to confefs an offence which, though momentary, might have rendered my whole life criminal. You know that the fatal ftar under which I was born has made me what Mercier calls a Poetifer; for I am fatisfied that pofterity alone can honour me with the fublime appellation of Poet, man divine. E 5 |