Philofophy, Kanhuifcap, is here not fo much the art of thinking, as of fingularity of thinking. Every one is a philofopher; but to appear fo, as you fee, is not so easy a matter. (To be continued.) The Colonel retires, as he fays, to pay his compliments to Lady Mary, though it appears that his vifit is real cony Urania; and of her fuitor, no lefa difagreeable than fingular, the creates a Celadon. What is wanting to fuch a ridiculous spectacle?-No-ly to Louifa, Woodley's fifter. Woodthing but fpectators. ley now receives a letter preffing for money, and another from his attorney, propofing the fale of his wife's jointure, as the only refource; he leaves the room in great agitation, and his fervant, Forward, reads his letter, with the ufual impertinent comments of stage servants. He determines to leave him, and pockets a pair of point ruffles, and other articles of value.[Why this circumftance is introduced we know not: the comic mufe may condefcend to take notice of the inpertinence and aukward imitations of fervants. But Bow-ftreet is a more proper fcene for the exhibition of a thief than the stage, where it can have no good effect, and it is furely not en tertaining.] Account of the new Comedy called THE TIMES, written by Mrs. GRIFFITH, and performed at Drury-Lane The atre, for the first Time, on Thursday, December 2. DRAMATIS PERSONE. Woodley, Mr. Brereton. Sir William Wood-Mr. King. ley, Forward, Lady Mary Wood-Mrs. Abington. ley, Louifa, Mrs. Brereton. Woodley now appears with Lady Mary, who is drawn a lively woman of amiable but fashionable manners, and with all the thoughtless extravagance of an indulged wife, and perfectly ignorant of her husband's affairs, which is rather furprifing, as his large fortune is totally diffipated. She has been difturbed by the fuperior bril liance of a friend's car-rings, and begs her husband to exchange her's, but not to be extravagant, or to pay a difference of more than a thousand pounds, and hurries out to an auction. N drawing up the curtain, Wood-Woodley is then vifited by Mr. Brom Mrs. Bromley, Mifs Pope. Scene, LONDON. friend, but is in fact a fharping gambler, and has been a principal caufe of his ruin: to him Woodley, with much embarrafliment, fells the ear-rings for five hundred, which coft him fifteen; the ftate of his affairs, which are in a fituation fufficiently common in the prefent times. He has married a lady of quality, and by living in the ufual fashionable ftile, he has spent a fortune of four thousand a year, without hav-and Bromley retires to take measures ing (as he fays) any particular folly for compleating his ruin, as he finds it or extravagance to accufe himself of. fo near. Mr. Belford, a counsellor He is vifited by his friend Colonel and refpectable friend of the family, Montford, to whom he makes aukward entering, he gives Woodley very good excufes for felling his horfes, on pre- advice, and promifes to affift him with tence of being tired of Newmarket.- his uncle Sir William Woodley, a poThe Colonel, in gaiety, propofes to fitive paffionate old bachelor, extremeSurn actioneer, and pays a ftrainedly angry with modern characters and compliment to the auction feene in the manners, and who, though living at School for Scandal. the next door, holds no communica a E Palamon and Amafina, or School for Wives: The 647 SCHOOL for WIVES. ALAMON and Amafina were al mutual defire of obliging each other appeared in all their words and actions; and though this complaifance was not owing to those tender emotions which attract the heart with a refiftless force, and may be called the impulfs of love, the effects were fo fr milar, that they could hardly be diftinguished. tion with his nephew, for having mar- try; he alfo gives Louifa to the Coloried a fine lady without a fortune, and nel, and acknowledges himself obliged living like a modern fine gentleman. to him for his generous behaviour to Mr. Belford vifits the uncle to exe-Woodley. The piece thus concludes cute his friendly promife, and to into the entire fatisfaction of all parties dulge the old gentleman by playing except Bromley's, who Belford prowith him at backgammon; to him the mifes fhall refund the fruits of his vilold gentleman expatiates in a fevere lanous labours. and humorous ftile (though he infifts that he never jokes) and rejects Bellford's folicitations in favour of his nephew, but propofes his niece Louifa to Belford; who, after fome heftation, on account of the disparity of years, accepts the propofal, and waits on Louifa, who acknowledges a partiality moft too young when they marfor Colonel Montford, and Belford ried to know the duties of the state withdraws his pretenfions in the moft into which they entered: both, howhonourable manner. The old gentle-ever, being extremely good-natured, a man is, in the mean time, waited on by the Colonel, who tells him that his niece is married, or, what is the fame thing, he is determined she shall marry a friend of his, and that he never breaks any of his refolutions. The plot now draws to a conclufion: Bromley finds means to draw Woodley into another fet at hazard, brings up the amount of his demand to 7000l. and determines to arrest Woodley in his own houfe, at a fere given by Lady Mary. Mrs. Bromley, who is alfo a gamefter, in the mean time makes attempts to undermine the virtue of Lady Mary, in favour of Sir Harry Grainger, who appears rather to be an epicure in eating, than an admirer of beauty. Woodley, previous to the tête, acquaints his wife with his fituation, which fhe receives in a very amicable manner, and re- Amalina, after fhe became a mofolves on quitting every fcene of pub-ther, began to feel, by degrees, a lic diffipation, and retiring into the greater warmth of affection for him country, where they might live as hap- who had made her one; and having pily, if not as fplendidly, as ever on no reason to doubt an equal regard her jointure, which yet remained. from him, thought herfelf as happy as a woman could poffibly be: fhe felt, indeed, that there were joys in love of which fhe had not before any idea. The first year of their marriage made them the happy parents of an heir to a plentiful eftate. The relations on both fides feemed to vie with each other in giving teftimonies of their fatisfaction upon the animating occafion. All their friends waited on them with congratulations on this addition to their felicity, and for a time the moft perfect joy and tranquility diftinguished their conjugal connection Woodley is arrefted at the fee, and refcued from the bailiffs by the Col. whose behaviour, as well as Lady Mary's, is reprefented to Sir William in Quite different were the fenfations the most favourable terms; his heart of Palamon: the time was now arrelents, and he consents to re-establish rived which made him fenfible of the the affairs of his nephew, who had for-power of love: the hopes, the fears, merly been his darling, and to take the anxieties, the impatiencies, and the Lady Mary into favour, for her volun-numberless cares attributed to that paftary propofal to retire into the counhon now took poffeffion of his foul. He pined-he languished-but not for his wife. He had, unhappily, feen a young lady at the opera, who had charms for him which he had never feen in the whole fex before. As he happened to fit in the fame box with her, he had frequent opportunities to speak to her; and though the converfation only turned upon common fubjects, every anfwer which the made to what he faid to her, difcovered, in his opinion, a profufion of wit, and increafed the strong defire he had to be more intimately acquainted with her. them, but had lodgings herself in an adjoining freet. Palamon was transported at this information, as it feemed to promife him an eafy improvement of his acquaintance with her, by the privilege of vi fiting; and felt himfelf, at the fame time, powerfully ftimulated to fall in with her at the masquerade. In confequence of this ftimulation, he went early to the Hay-Market, that he might examine every mask which entered. Soon difcovering his dulcines, he foon, alfo, convinced her that he was the gentleman who had paid her fo many compliments in the morning; compliments by which her vanity had liftened attentively to the affurances which he gave her of his paffion, and Fortune, favourable to his wishes, prefented her to him the very next day, in one of the public walks, accompanied with a lady and a gentle-been not a little flattered. She now man, the latter of whom was not alto gether a ftranger to him. He joined them, and perceiving that the gentle-often dropped fome expreffions, as if man was attached to the other lady, he through inadvertence, fufficient to found himself at liberty to say a thou-make him imagine that she would not fand polite things, in the language of prove ungrateful, if he perfifted in gallantry, to her who was now become giving her teftimonies of a constant atthe principal object of his tender wishes. tachment. Belinda, in all refpects one of the Palamon was tranfported to find fashionable ladies in the highest form, the offer he had made of his heart fo received the complimente addreffed to well received; and fo much improved her in a manner which convinced him the opportunity he gave him to enterthat his converfation was not difa-tain her the whole evening, that he obgreeable to her: and when the maf-tained her permiffion to attend her querade on that night was mentioned, home, and as it was then too late fhe told him that both the and her for them to continue the conversation, companion intended to be there: ad to vifit her the next day in the afterding, that they were then going to noon... chufe their dreffes. Belinda, it is probable, had no o- This hint was not thrown away up-ther view in entertaining Palamen, on Palamon he followed the ladies and receiving his addreffes, than the at a distance, and when they left the hearing herself praifed, and the giving fhop, went in under the pretence of pain, as the imagined, to others among hiring a domino for himself. Finding her admirers, who were lefs frequentthat the woman behind the counter ly admitted. 'Tis a dangerous thing, was very well acquainted with Belin- however, for a woman to have too da and her friend, he with cafe pre- great an intimacy with a person of a vailed on her not only to inform him different fex; and too many, with a what habits they had pitched upon, larger fhare of difcernment than. Be but to give him ample intelligence with linda poffefied, have experienced 'the regard to their characters and fitua- truth of this obfervation to their eøft. tions in life. From this communica- This indifcreet beauty, while the meditive female he learnt that Belinda had tated new arts to captivate 'her lover, a large fortune, and that she was under fell into the fare which he had prepared the care of guardians, (her parents be- for her. In short, Palamon had as ing dead) though she did not live with ample a-gratification of his illicit de The School for Wives? 649 fires, as the moft fanguine libertine in | ceive herfelf, till a friend of her own his fituation could have poffibly wifhed for. Amafina, from that time, loft ground in his affection. She feemed every day lefs handsome; there was an aukwardnefs in every thing fhe faid or did; an aukwardness which he had not difcovered before: every thing was now difpleafing in her: if the was endearing, her fondness was childish and filly: if the was reserved, fhe was fullen and illnatured. This moment he was out of humour if the fpoke: the next he was offended at her filence. Continually feeking fome pretence to find fault with the most juftifiable conduct to be conceived, he was even vexed when he could meet with nothing in her behaviour which really deferved his condemnation. Amafina could not help obferving the change in her husband's carriage; but as he was far from gueffing the true cause of it, fhe imputed it to fome unlucky turn in his affairs, though quite unable to divine of what nature it was, as he had a large fortune settled on him upon his marriage, befides the reverfion of what his father fhould die poffeffed of, which nobody could take from him. For more than a whole year did fhe combat his ill-humour with fweetnefs, gentleness, and the moft obliging behaviour; and though fhe began to think he had loft his affections, fhe bore even that afflicting idea with the moft fubmiffive patience, ftill flattering herself, that if her apprehenfions were well-grounded, he would, one day, be convinced that she did not merit her infelicity. Jealoufy was, however, a paffion with which the was totally unacquainted. Many very handfome women often vifited at her house, and the had never feen in her Palamon the smallest propenfity to flirt with any of them; fo that he rather fuppofed a difgult to the whole sex was growing upon him, than a particular attachment to any one female. Thus did fhe, unfufpicious, and in the native innocence of her heart, deVOL. X. fex, more bufy than wife, opened her eyes, and exhibited to her the true reafon of her husband's coldness. This lady, by means of a maid-servant whom fhe had lately entertained, and who had lived with Belinda long enough to know the whole fecret of her amour with Palamon, and had been dismissed upon fome diflike, was made acquainted with all that paffed between the guilty pair. From this unfaithful intelligencer the learnt, that Belinda had been made a mother by Palamon; and that the child was difpofed of to a perfon who, for a purfe of fifty guineas, had taken the fole charge of it, and in such a manner, that it fhould never appear to the difgrace of its unnatural parents. Not the minuteft circumftance relating to the affair was concealed by this communicative wretch, partly in revenge for having been discarded by her former lady, and partly to gain the favour of the prefent, who, the eafily per ceived, loved dearly to liften to news of this kind. Amafina would fain have treated this account of her husband's infidelity as fabulous; fhe would have perfuaded her friend to regard it only as a piece of malice invented by the reporter; but the other was pofitive in her affer tions, telling her that fuch a creature could not poffibly have dreffed up a fictitious flory with fo many little particulars, and with fuch an air of truth. " Befides," continued fhe, "if there is nothing in it, we may eafily disprove all fhe has faid, by going to the woman who has the care of the child, and of whofe name and place of abode she has informed me." Compelled, at laft, to believe the narrative which had been related to her, Amafina, for a while, gave a loose to her tears and her complaints; but her good-fenfe, as well as good-nature, foon enabled her to behave in a more becoming manner. When her friend afked her how the intended to proceed, in order to do herself juftice, the charming wife replied, "What fould I do, but endeavour to render myself more obliging, more agreeable, more enga4 0 ging, ging, if poffible, than my rival, and make Palamon fee that he can find nothing in Belinda which is wanting in me?" "O heavens!" exclaimed the lady, "can you forgive such a glaring injury as this "Yes," replied Amafina, ftifling her fighs as much as fhe was able"Love is an involuntary paffion." "And will you not upbraid him with his ingratitude, and expofe Belinda?" After very little fearch the mystery was unravelled, and every thing which Amafina had heard concerning it was corroborated. The emiffary foon learned that Palamon daily visited this ingroffer of his heart; that they were often feen to go out together in a hack ney-coach in the evening, and that the lady rarely returned before morning; that she had been observed, some months paft, to be more grofs in her perfor than ufual, and had affected to wear a loose drefs; that fhe had been abfent from her lodgings three or four days, came home very much indifpofed, and kept her bed for more than a week, yet had neither physician nor apothe cary to attend her; and that, on the whole, it was believed by every body the had been, during that time, delivered of a child. forced him to accufe himself for being guilty of what he could not answer to his reafon : yet he had not resolution enough to abandon Belinda, tho' the "I will do neither the one nor the other," replied Amafina, with great coolness: "both these methods would render me unworthy of the return of Palamon's affection: and I befeech you, I conjure you," added fhe, " by all the friendship I flatter myself you have for me, never to make the leaft mention of this affair to any perfon liv- The unhappy wife of Palamon, now ing." as well affured of his perfidy as the This moderation excited aftonifh-could be without ocular demonftration, ment in the lady who was witnefs to determined to bear it with as much pait: the promised, however, to be en- tience as fhe was able; and the behaved, tirely filent, as her filence was requef- indeed, in fuch a manner, that he had ted with fo much earnestnefs: but the not the leaft fufpicion of the wrong was incapable of keeping her word: he had done her: but her (feeming The not only informed moft of her ac-ly) unfufpecting behaviour very often quaintance of Palamon's unchafte connection, but the manner in which his wife received the account of it was not three days a fecret. Amafina, as foon as fhe was left a-levity of her conduct fufficiently marklone, and at liberty to meditate more ed the difference between a miftrefs and deeply on the unwelcome intelligence a wife. fhe had received, began, once more, to fancy that the information might be falfe. Inexpreffibly difquieted, how-elfe in her mind, there was no part in ever, in a state of anxiety and fufpence, the refolved to be fully convinced of the truth, if there was any poffibility of receiving that fatisfaction. Accordingly the made an old woman who had, nurfed her in her infancy, and on whole fidelity and difcretion fhe could depend, her confidante upon this occafion; and it was foon concluded between them that a fpy fhould be employed to follow Palamon at a difauce wherever he went, and alfo to make a private enquiry into the behaviour and character of Belinda among those who lived near her. Whenever Amafina reflected on this change in her husband, as fhe had little the adventure which appeared more ftrange to her than Belinda's fhare of it. She thought it particularly ftrange that a lady, born and educated in the moft elegant ftyle; that a lady who had fo far yielded to the temptations of her paffion, as to throw off all modefty and honour for the indulgence of it, fhould have fo little regard for her innocent child, as to abandon it to miferies innumerable-she knew not of what kind. There was a barbarity in this procedure, fbe thought, exceeding the crime from which it originated; and the more readily forgave the inju ry |