beauty of her own Sex, with all the converfation-accom plishments of ours. But Ofmyn very foon grew furfeited with the charms of her perfon by poffeffion, and of her mind by want of tafte; for he was one of that loose fort of men, who have but one reason for fetting any value upon the fair Sex; who confider even brides but as new women, and confequently neglect them when they cease to be fuch. All the merit of Elmira could not prevent her becoming a mere wife within few months after her nuptials; and Ofmyn had fo little relifh for her converfation, that he complained of the advantages of it. My fpoufe, faid he to one of his companions, is fo very difcreet, fo good, fo virtuous, and I know not what, that I think her perfon is rather the object of esteem than of love; and there is fuch a thing as a merit, which caufes rather diftance than paffion. But there being no Medium in the state of matrimony, their life began to take the ufual gradations to become the most irkfome of all Beings. They grew in the first place very complaifant ;. and having at heart a certain knowledge that they were indifferent to each other, apologies were made for every little circumftance which they thought betrayed their mutual coldness. This lafted but few months, when they fhewed a difference of opinion in every trifle; and, as a fign of certain decay of affection, the word " per haps" was introduced in all their discourse. "I have 66 a mind to go to the Park, fays fhe; but perhaps, my "Dear, you will want the coach on fome other occa"fion. He would very willingly carry her to the Play; "but perhaps she had rather go to Lady Centaur's and ་་ play at Ombre." They were both perfons of good difcerning, and foon found that they mortally hated each other, by their manner of hiding it. Certain it is, that there are fome Genio's which are not capable of pure affection, and a man is born with talents for it as much as for poetry or any other science. Ofmyn began too late to find the imperfection of his own heart; and ufed all the methods in the world to correct it, and argue himself into return of defire and paffion for his wife, by the contemplation of her excellent qualities, his great obligations to her, and the high. value he faw all the world except himself did put upon. her. her. But fuch is man's unhappy condition, that though the weakness of the heart has a prevailing power over the ftrength of the head, yet the ftrength of the head has but fmall force against the weakness of the heart. Оfmyn therefore struggled in vain to revive departed defire; and for that reafon refolved to retire to one of his eftates in the country, and pafs away his hours of wedlock in the noble diverfions of the field; and in the fury of a difappointed lover, made an oath to leave neither ftag, fox, or hare living, during the days of his wife. Befides that country-fports would be an amufement, he hoped also, that his fpoufe would be half killed by the very fenfe of feeing this town no more, and would think her life ended as foon as fhe left it. He communicated his defign to Elmira, who received it, as now fhe did all things, like a perfon too unhappy to be relieved or afflicted by the circumftance of place. This unexpected refignation made Ofmyn refolve to be as obliging to her as poffible; and if he could not prevail upon himself to be kind, he took a refolution at least to act fincerely, and communicate frankly to her the weakness of his temper, to excufe the indifference of his behaviour. He difpofed his houshold in the way to Rutland, fo as he and his lady travelled only in the coach for the conveniency of difcourfe. They had not gone many miles out of town, when Ofmyn spoke to this purpose: "My Dear, I believe I look quite as filly now I am "going to tell you I do not love you, as when I first "told you I did. We are now going into the country "together, with only one hope for making this life agreeable, furvivorship: Defire is not in our power; "mine is all gone for you. What shall we do to carry "it with decency to the world, and hate one another "with difcretion ?" σε The Lady answered, without the least observation on the extravagance of the speech: "My Dear, you have lived moft of your days in a "Court, and I have not been wholly unacquainted with s that fort of life. In Courts, you fee good-will is * spoken. " love. 66 "spoken with great warmth, ill-will covered with great civility. Men are long in Civilities to those they "hate, and fhort in expreffions of kindness to those they Therefore, my Dear, let us be well-bred ftill'; "and it is no matter, as to all who fee us, whether we "love or hate: And to let you fee how much you are beholding to me for my conduct, I have both hated "and defpifed you, my Dear, this half year; and yet "neither in language or behaviour has it been visible "but that I loved you tenderly. Therefore, as I know you go out of town to divert life in pursuit of beasts, "and converfation with men just above them; so, my "Life, from this moment, I fhall read all the learned "cooks who have ever writ; ftudy broths, plaifters, and "conferves, until from a fine lady I become a notable We must take our minds a note or two "lower, or we fhall be tortured by jealoufy or anger. "Thus I am refolved to kill all keen paffions by employing my mind on little fubjects, and leffening the "uneafinefs of my fpirit; while you, my Dear, with "much ale, exercife, and ill company, are fo good as to endeavour to be as comtemptible, as it is neceffary "for my quiet I fhould think you." 66 woman. At Rutland they arrived, and lived with great, but fecret, impatience for many fucceffive years, until Ofmyn thought of an happy expedient to give their affairs a new turn. One day he took Elmira afide, and spoke as follows: "My Dear, you fee here the air is fo temperate and "ferene; the rivulets, the groves, and foil, fo extremely kind to Nature, that we are ftronger and "firmer in our health fince we left the town; fo that "there is no hope of a release in this place: But if you "will be fo kind as to go with me to my eftate in the "Hundreds of Effex, it is poffible fome kind damp may one day or other relieve us. If you will condefcend to accept of this offer, I will add that whole estate to your jointure in this county." 65 Elmiras Elmira, who was all goodness, accepted the offer, removed accordingly, and has left her spouse in that place to reft with his fathers. This is the real figure in which Elmira ought to be beheld in this town; and not thought guilty of an Indecorum, in not profeffing the fenfe, or bearing the habit of forrow, for one who robbed her of all the endearments of life, and gave her only common Civility, instead of complacency of manners, dignity of paffion, and that conftant affemblage of foft defires and affections which all feel who love, but none can exprefs. Will's Coffee-houfe, August 10. Mr. Truman, who is a mighty admirer of Dramatic Poetry, and knows I am about a tragedy, never meets me, but he is giving admonitions and hints for my conduct. Mr. Bickerstuff, faid he, I was reading last night your fecond A&t you were fo kind to lend me: but I find you depend mightily upon the retinue of your hero to make him magnificent. You make guards, and ushers, and courtiers, and commons, and nobles, march before; and then enters your Prince, and fays, they cannot defend him from his love. Why, prithee Ifaac, who ever thought they could? Place me your loving monarch in a folitude; let him have no fenfe at all of his grandeur, but let it be eaten up with his paffion. He muft value himself as the greatest of lovers, not as the firft of princes :: And then let him fay a more tender thing than ever man faid before-For his feather and eagle's beak are nothing at all. The man is to be expreffed by his fentiments and affections, and not by his fortune or equipage. You are alfo to take care, that at his firft entrance he fays fomething, which may give us an idea of what we are to expect in a perfon of his way of thinking. ShakeSpear is your pattern. In the tragedy of Cafar he introduces his Hero in his night-gown. He had at that time all the power of Rome: depofed Confuls, fubordinate Generals, and captive Princes might have preceded him; but his genius was above fuch mechanic methods of fhewing greatnefs. Therefore he rather prefents that great Soul debating upon the fubject of life and death with his intimate friends, without endeavouring to prepoffefs his audience with empty fhew and pomp. When those who attend talk of him the many omens which had appeared that day, he answers: Cowards die many times before their deaths; Will come, when it will come. When the Hero has fpoken this fentiment, there is nothing that is great, which cannot be expected from one, whofe firft pofition is the contempt of death to fo high a degree, as to make his Exit a thing wholly indifferent, and not a part of his care, but that of Heaven and fate. St. James's Coffee-houfe, August 10. Letters from Brussels of the fifteenth inftant, N. S. fay, that Major-general Ravignan returned on the eighth, with the French King's anfwer to the intended capitulation from the citadel of Tournay; which is, That he does not think fit to fign that capitulation, except the Allies will grant a ceffation of arms in general, during the time in which all acts of hoftility were to have ceased between the citadel and the befiegers. Soon after the receipt of this news, the cannon on each fide began to play. There are two attacks against the citadel, commanded by General Lottum and General Schuylemberg, which are both carried on with great fuccefs; and it is not doubted but the citadel will be in the hands of the Allies before the laft day of this month. Letters from Ipres fay, that on the ninth inftant part of the garrison in that place had mutined in two bodies, each confifting of two hundred; who being difperfed the fame day, a body of eight hundred appeared in the market-place at nine the night following, and feifed all manner of provifions, but were with much difficulty quieted. The governor has not punished any of the offenders, the dif fatisfaction |