nefs to receive you. Come along with me into this region of delights, this world of pleafure, and bid farewel for ever to care, to pain, to bufinefs.

Hercules hearing the Lady talk after this manner, de-' fired to know her name; to which fhe answered, my friends, and thofe who are well acquainted with me, call me Happinefs; but my enemies, and those who would injure my reputation, have given me the name of Pleasure.

By this time the other Lady was come up, who addreffed herself to the young hero in a very different'

manner.

Hercules, fays fhe, I offer myfelf to you, becaufe I know you are defcended from the Gods, and give proofs of that defcent by your love to virtue, and application. to the ftudies proper for your age. This makes me hope you will gain both for yourself and me an immortal reputation. But, before I invite you into my fociety and friendship, I will be open and fincere with you, and muft lay down this as an eftablifhed truth, That there is nothing truly valuable which can be purchafed without pains and labour. The Gods have fet a price upon every real and noble pleasure. If you would gain the favour of the Deity, you must be at the pains of worfhipping him; if the friendship of good men, you mult ftudy to oblige them; if you would be honoured by your country, you must take care to ferve it. In fhort, if you would be eminent in war or peace, you must become mafter of all the qualifications that can make you fo. These are the only terms and conditions upon which I can propofe happiness. The Goddess of Pleasure here' broke in upon her difcourfe: You fee, faid the, Hercules, by her own confeffion, the way to her pleafure is long and difficult, whereas that which I propofe is fhort and eafy. Alas! faid the other Lady, whofe vifage glowed with a paffion, made up of fcorn and pity, what are the pleafures you propofe ? To eat before you are hungry, drink before you are a-thirft, fleep before you are tired, to gratify appetites before they are railed, and raife fuch appetites as Nature never planted. You never heard the most delicious mufic, which is the praife of one's felf; nor faw the most beautiful object, which is the

work

work of one's own hands. Your votaries pafs away their youth in a dream of mistaken pleasures, while they are hoarding up anguish, torment, and remorse, for old age.

As for me, I am the friend of Gods and of good men, an agreeable companion to the artizan, an houfhold guardian to the fathers of families, a patron and protector of fervants, an affociate in all true and generous friendships. The banquets of my votaries are never coftly, but always delicious; for none eat or drink at them who are not invited by hunger and thirst. Their flumbers are found, and their wakings chearful. My young men have the pleasure of hearing themfelves praised by those who are in years; and thofe who are in years, of being honoured by those who are young. In a word, my followers are favoured by the Gods, beloved by their acquaintance, efteemed by their country, and, after the clofe of their labours, honoured by posterity.

We know by the life of this memorable Hero, to which of these two Ladies he gave up his heart; and I believe, every one who reads this, will do him the justice to approve his choice.

I very much admire the fpeeches of thefe Ladies, as containing in them the chief arguments for a life of virtue, or a life of pleasure, that could enter into the thoughts of an heathen; but am particularly pleased with the different figures he gives the two Goddeffes. Our modern authors have represented Pleasure or Vice with an alluring face, but ending in fnakes and monfters: Here the appears in all the charms of beauty, though they were all falfe and borrowed; and by that means composes a vifion entirely natural and pleafing.

I have tranflated this Allegory for the benefit of the youth of Great-Britain; and particularly of thofe who are ftill in the deplorable ftate of non-existence, and whom I moft earnestly entreat to come into the world. Let my embrio's fhew the leaft inclination to any fingle virtue, and I fhall allow it to be a fruggling towards birth. I do not expect of them that, like the Hero in the foregoing story, they should go about as foon as they are born, with a club in their hands, and a lion's fkin on their fhoulders, to root out monsters, and destroy tyrants

tyrants; but, as the fineft Author of all antiquity has faid upon this very occafion, though a man has not the abilities to diftinguish himself in the moft fhining parts of a great character, he has certainly the capacity of being juft, faithful, modeft, and temperate.

N° 98. Thursday, November 24, 1709.

I

From my own Apartment, November 23.

Read the following Letter, which was left for me this evening, with very much concern for the Lady's condition who fent it, who expreffes the ftate of her mind with great frankness, as all people ought who talk to their physicians.

66

Mr. BICKER STAFF,

T

HOUGH you are ftricken in years, and have had great experience in the world, I believe you will fay, there are not frequently fuch difficult "occafions to act in with decency as thofe wherein I am entangled. I am a woman in love, and that you "will allow to be the most unhappy of all circumstances "in human life: Nature has formed us with a strong "reluctance againft owning fuch a paffion, and cuftom "has made it criminal in us to make advances. A "Gentleman, whom I will call Fabio, has the entire

poffeffion of my heart. I am fo intimately acquainted "with him, that he makes no fcruple of communicating "" to me an ardent affection he has for Cleora, a friend "of mine, who alfo makes me her confident. Moft 66 part of my life I am in company with the one or the "other, and am always entertained with his paffion, or "her triumph. Cleora is one of thofe Ladies, who "think they are virtuous, if they are not guilty; and "without any delicacy of choice, refolves to take the

" best

With this

beft offer which fhall be made to her. "profpect he puts off declaring herself in favour of "Fabio, until the fees what lovers will fall into her "fnares, which the lays in all public places with all

the art of gefture and glances. This refolution fhe has herself told me: Though I love him better than "life, I would not gain him by betraying Cleora; or "committing fuch a trefpafs againft modefty, as letting "him know myfelf that I love him. You are an aftro"loger, What fhall I do?

Diana Doubtful.

This Lady has faid very juftly, that the condition of a woman in love is of all others the most miferable. Poor Diana! how muft fhe be racked with jealousy, when Fabio talks of Cleora? how with indignation, when Cleora makes a property of Fabio ? A female lover is in the condition of a ghost, that wanders about its beloved treafure, without power to speak until it is spoken to. I defire Diana to continue in this circumftance; for I fee an eye of comfort in her cafe, and will take all proper meafures to extricate her out of this unhappy game of crofs-purposes. Since Cleora is upon the catch with her charms, and has no particular regard for Fabio, I fhall place a couple of fpecial fellows in her way, who fhall both addrefs to her, and have each a better eftate than Fabio. They are both already taken with her, and are preparing for being of her retinue the enfuing winter.

To women of this worldly turn, as I apprehend Cleora to be, we muft reckon backward in our computation of merit; and when a fair Lady thinks only of making t her fpoufe a convenient domeftic, the notion of worth and value is altered, and the lover is the more acceptable, the lefs he is confiderable. The two I fhall throw into the way of Cleora, are Orfon Thicket and Mr. Walter Wisdom. Orfon is an buntfman, whose father's death,. and fome difficulties about legacies, brought out of the woods to town last November. He was at that time one of thofe country favages, who defpife the foftnefs they meet in town and court; and profeffedly fhew their ftrength and roughness in every motion and gesture, in fcorn of our bowing and cringing. He was, at his firit

appear

appearance, very remarkable for that piece of good. breeding peculiar to natural Britons, to wit, defiance, and fhewed every one he met he was as good a man as he. But in the midft of all this fiercenefs, he would fometimes attend the difcourfe of a man of fenfe, and look at the charms of a beauty with his eyes and mouth open. He was in this pofture when, in the beginning of last December, he was fhot by Cleara from a fide-box

-From that moment he foftened into humanity, forgot his dogs and horfes, and now moves and fpeaks with civility and address.

Wat. Wisdom, by the death of an elder brother, came to a great eftate, when he had proceeded just far enougĂ, in his ftudies to be very impertinent, and at the years when the law gives him poffeffion of his fortune, and his own conftitution is too warm for the management of it. Orfon is learning to fence and dance, to pleafe and fight for his miftrefs; and Walter preparing fine horfes, and a jingling chariot, to enchant her. All perfons concerned will appear at the next Opera, where will begin the wild-goofe chace? and I doubt, Fabio will fee himfelf fo over-looked for Orfon or Walter, as to turn his eyes on the modeft paffion and becoming languor in the Countenance of Diana; it being my defign to fupply with the art of love all those who preferve the fincere paffion o it.

White's Chocolate-houfe, November 33.

An ingenious and worthy Gentleman, my ancient friend, fell into difcourfe with me this evening, upon the force and efficacy which the writings of good Poets have on the minds of their intelligent readers; and recommended to me his fenfe of the matter, thrown toge-, ther in the following manner, which he defired me to communicate to the youth of Great-Britain in my Effays; which I choose to do in his own words.

I have always been of opinion, fays he, that virtue. finks deepest into the heart of man, when it comes recommended by the powerful charms of poetry. The moft active principle in our mind is the imagination: To it a good Poet makes his court perpetually, and by