when she begins to warble, 'Well, says he, there is such a pleasing simplicity in all that wench does.' In a word, the affectionate part of his heart being corrupted, and his true taste that way wholly lost, he has contracted a prejudice to all the behaviour of Laura, and a general partiality in favour of Phillis. It is not in the power of the wife to do a pleasing thing, nor in the mistress to commit one that is disagreeable. There is something too melancholy in the reflection on this circumstance, to be the subject of raillery. He said a sour thing to Laura at dinner the other day; upon which she burst into tears. • What the devil, madam,' says he, can't I speak in my own house?' He answered Phillis a little abruptly at supper the same evening, upon which she threw his periwig into the fire. Well,' said he, thou art a brave termagant jade: do you know, hussy, that fair wig cost forty guineas?' Oh! Laura, is it for this that the faithful Cromius sighed for you in vain? How is thy condition altered, since crowds of youth hung on thy eye, and watched its glances! It is not many months since Laura was the wonder and pride of her own sex, as well as the desire and passion of ours. At plays and at balls, the just turn of her behaviour, the decency of her virgin charms, chastised, yet added to diversions. At public devotions, her winning modesty, her resigned carriage, made virtue and religion appear with new ornaments, and in the natural apparel of simplicity and beauty. In ordinary conversations, a sweet conformity of manners, and an humility which heightened all the complacences of good-breeding and education, gave her more slaves than all the pride of her sex ever made women wish for. Laura's hours are now spent in the sad reflection on her choice, and that deceitful vanity, almost inseparable from the sex, of believing

she could reclaim one that had so often ensnared others. As it now is, it is not even in the power of Duumvir himself to do her justice: for though beauty and merit are things real and independent on taste and opinion, yet agreeableness is arbitrary, and the mistress has much the advantage of the wife. But whenever fate is so kind to her and her spouse as to end her days, with all this passion for Phillis and indifference for Laura, he has a second wife in view, who may avenge the injuries done to her predecessor. Aglaura is the destined lady, who has lived in assemblies, has ambition and play for her entertainment, and thinks of a man, not as the object of love, but the tool of her interest or pride. If ever Aglaura comes to the empire of this inconstant, she will endear the memory of her predecessor. But in the mean time, it is melancholy to consider that the virtue of a wife is like the merit of a poet, never justly valued until after death.

FROM MY OWN APARTMENT, AUGUST 11.

As we have professed that all the actions of men are our subject, the most solemn are not to be omitted, if there happens to creep into their behaviour any thing improper for such occasions. Therefore the offence mentioned in the following epistles, though it may seem to be committed in a place sacred from observation, is such, that it is our duty to remark upon it for though he who does it is himself only guilty of an indecorum, he occasions a criminal levity in all others who are present at it3.

b'Pour entendre cet article, et les deux lettres qu'il contient, il faut savoir que Henry Sacheverell docteur en theologie, et alors chapelain de l'Eglise de St. Sauveur, dans le bourg de Southwark, commençoit depuis quelque tems à declamer, contre les ennemis de Peglise Anglicane, et à

6 MR. BICKERSTAFF,

C

Ir being mine as well as the opinion of many others, that your papers are extremely well fitted to reform any irregular or indecent practice, I present the following as one which requires your correction. Myself, and a great many good people who frequent the divine service at St. Paul's, have been a long time scandalized by the imprudent conduct of Stentor in that cathedral. This gentleman, you must know, is always very exact and zealous in his devotion, which I believe nobody blames; but then he is accustomed to roar and bellow so terribly loud in the responses, that he frightens even us of the congregation who are daily used to him; and one of our petty canons, a punning Cambridge scholar, calls his way of worship a Bull-offering. His harsh untuneable pipe is no more fit than a raven's to join with the music of a choir; yet nobody having been enough his friend, I suppose, to inform him of it, he never fails, when present, to drown the harmony of every hymn and anthem, by an inundation of sound beyond

allumer le feu seditieux qui eclata bientot dans le royaume. Comme on l'avoit jugé propre à cette ouvrage, on lui avoit procuré cette chapelainie de St. Sauveur, parce qu'il y étoit à portée de répandre ce feu dans la capitale. On l'y faisoit effectivement precher en plusieurs eglises où il ne manquoit point de porter son esprit de fureur et de sedition qui se repandoit insensiblement par tout. Dans les memes vuës, il fut invité à faire l'ouverture des assizes qui se tinrent à Darby en 1709, et il y fit un sermon tres seditieux le 13 d'Aout. Le caractere de ce predicateur faisant beaucoup de bruit, et le dessein de cette invitation à Darby n'etant pas difficile à penetrer, l'auteur, qui designé ici Sacheverell sous le nom de Stentor, censure d'une maniere un peu detournée cette homme factieux et turbulent, comme prichant d'une maniere qui ne convenoit ni à l'esprit de l'eglise, ni au repos de l'etat.'-Le Nouvelliste Philosophe.

c Dr. William Stanley, dean of St. Paul's. He is mentioned again, Tatler, Nos. 56. 61. 67. 70.; and in the first letter in Tatler, No. 241.

See a particular account of this in Masters's History of Ben'et College, Cambridge,' p. 176;. and in Nichols's History of Hinckley,' p. 172.

that of the bridge at the ebb of the tide, or the neighbouring lions in the anguish of their hunger. This is a grievance, which, to my certain knowledge, several worthy people desire to see redressed; and if, by inserting this epistle in your paper, or by representing the matter your own way, you can convince Stentor that discord in a choir is the same sin that schism" is in the church in general, you would lay a great obligation upon us; and make some atonement for certain of your paragraphs, which have not been highly approved by us. I am, SIR,

• Your most humble servant, St. Paul's Church-yard, August 11. JEOFFRY CHANTICLEER.”

It is wonderful that there should be such a general lamentation, and the grievance so frequent, and yet the offender never know any thing of it. I have received the following letter from my kinsman at the Herald's-office, near the same place.

DEAR COUSIN,

"THIS office which has had its share in the impartial justice of your censures, demands at present your vindication of their rights and privileges. There are certain hours when our young heralds are exercised in the faculties of making proclamation, and other vociferations, which of right belong to us only to utter; but at the same hours, Dr. Stentor in St. Paul's church, in spite of the coaches, carts, London cries, and all other sounds between us, exalts his throat to so high a key, that the most noisy of our order is utterly unheard. If you please to observe upon this, you will ever oblige, &c.

d'Le theme ordinaire de ce predicateur etoit la declamation contre les presbyteriens, et contre la protection que les loix accordoient au nonconformistes et au Schisme.'-Le Nouvelliste Philosophe.

There have been communicated to me some other ill consequences from the same cause; as the overturning of coaches by sudden starts of the horses as they passed that way, women pregnant frightened, and heirs to families lost; which are public disasters, though arising from a good intention: but it is hoped, after this admonition, that Stentor will avoid an act of so great supererogation, as singing without a voice.

But I am diverted from prosecuting Stentor's reformation, by an account, that the two faithful lovers, Lisander and Coriana, are dead; for no longer ago than the first day of the last month, they swore eternal fidelity to each other, and to love till death. Ever since that time, Lisander has been twice a-day at the chocolate-house, visits in every circle, is missing four hours in four-and-twenty, and will give no account of himself. These are undoubted proofs of the departure of a lover; and consequently Coriana is also dead as a mistress. I have written to Stentor, to give this couple three calls at the church-door, which they must hear if they are living within the bills of mortality; and if they do not answer at that time, they are from that moment added to the number of my defunct.

e 'A l'exception de son zèle de parti, Sacheverell n'etoit estimé ni en qualité de predicateur, ni en qualité de savant, ni en qualité d'honnête homme, dans le faction même qui le prônoit.'-Le Nouvelliste Philosophe.