In framing whom heaven took unufual care, As its own image, it defign'd her fair,

And form'd her by the beft lov'd angel there.

But alas! how deplorably have the gracious intentions of heaven been fruftrated in this master-piece of its workmanfhip; for the mind of Angelica is as an uncultivated field, where follies of every kind, like weeds, spring up fpontaneous; 'tis to her eyes exactly what the reverfe of a foil would be to a diamond, instead of heightening, it but diminishes their luftre; never fure was contraft stronger, yet never did things contrafted operate with fuch odd effect; they both feem to have the power, not indeed of setting off, but merely of debafing each other, never was fo much lovelinefs fo wretchedly difgraced.

Had proper care been taken of her education, the might have been the greateft ornament of her age, for even envy muft allow her perfon to be faultlefs; whereas at prefent her lord, who is a man of fenfe, is afhamed of her, when in company, and weary of her when alone: 'tis no uncommon thing to hear the judging part of the male world cry out, whenever The appears in public (which by the way is much too often) What pity it is, fo fine a head

a head fhould be fo empty; and this proves a precedent for the cruel compaffion of the other fex, that is in truth nothing but the refult of burning envy.

Would Angelica, even at this time, have recourse to the friendly affiftance of the cofinetick, would the yet endeavour to fill her mind with ufeful knowlege, fhe might foon be able to entertain herself with reflections upon her own ideas, without being oppreffed with fpleen and vapours, when not in public, or obliged to feek unfatisfactory relief from the mere vanity of triffles: the faculites of her foul would become enlarged by her being accuftomed to think, and she would confefs, that to spend an evening with an ingenious author was, fometimes at least, an entertainment preferable even to a masquerade, the abfurdity of fauntering away fo much time in the vain parade of public gardens, or the pernicious amufement of conftant parties at cards.

She would by degrees come to reflect upon the impropriety of her conduct, the would foon perceive the horrid change that folly and indifcretion are capable of working in beauty, and acknowlege the force of truth in what a favourite poet hath afferted,

And

And yet how few have learnt, when this is given, Not to difgrace the partial boon of heaven; How few with all their pride of form can move, How few are lovely.

This would juftly rouze her indignation, and oblige her to fummon all her prudence to avenge the cruel infults offered to her beauty; this would indeed be the triumph of true beauty; her lord would then adore her, her real friends would all efteem her; fhe would in short become then as univerfally the object of real admiration, as the is now that of base envy, impotent ridicule, and - affected compaffion.

Forbid, kind heaven, that vanity do. e'er obftruct this prudent refolution; vanity, fo commonly obferved to be the chief minister of beauty, proves alas! as the minifters of princes too frequently do, the moft infidious of its foes; it cannot bear, no more than they, a rival near the throne, and therefore labours, with every fubtile infinuation of artifice and falfe alJurement, to banish from thence, as they do truth, the faithful fervice of reflection. To the bewitching power of this fame vanity, as to fome goddefs, the tutelary guardian of beauty, and fole difpenfer of all earthly blifs, the fair intensely pay

their pious adorations; in fpite too of that conviction, which daily obfervation fo conftantly affords them, that however pleasant and agreeable other parts of this worship may appear, the facrifice most commonly proves fatal; for hence the fad havoc of misconduct, hence oft' the lofs of fame and virtue, and fometimes, as in the cafe of the hapless Belinda, that of life alfo; and hence, in fhort, flow all the real ills of thoughtlefs, unpremeditated indifcretion.

CHAP. VI.

Some part of the authorefs's story recited; her reafons for giving any part of it at all; part of the character of Sir John Meanwell and his lady.

F my fair readers, for whofe emolu

ment alone, or at leaft for whofe amusement, I have undertaken this task, will now permit me, without the imputation of egotifin, to mention myself, I fhall proceed to relate fome of the occurrences of my own life; not that in doing this, I would be understood, either to flatter them into the expectations of being entertained with fcenes of gallantry, and VOL. I. D extraordinary

extraordinary adventures (as I happen to have no particular paffion for the marvellous) nor yet by any infinuation of mine to appear guilty of the ridiculous prefumption of propofing myself as a pat-. tern of difcretion to my fex; very far from both; my whole defign, in giving any part of my own hiftory, being no other than to point out, on the one hand, fuch circumftances in the conduct of thofe perfons, with whom I was connected, as may poffibly be thought in fome measure conducive to the reformation of certain foibles and irregularities in my fair country-women, which greatly injure beauty, without doing any honour to virtue: and fuch on the other hand, as may moft effentially enhance the true interests of both; my part in the drama being, in my own opinion, too inconfiderable to merit much attention.

As I was thought too young at the death of my mother to be fent to a boarding-fchool, I remained for fome time in the house of my father-in-law, whose tendernefs and affectionate care of me, during that period of my infant ftate (from whatever motive it proceeded) I ftill continue to reflect on with pious gratitude to his memory; but as foon as he judg'd that I was of a proper age, not knowing,