the same exact order, then calling the waiter..... "There, says he, there's your damage....thirteen and "two-pence....And hearkye, there's three pence over "for yourself." The remaining penny he put into his coat pocket, and chinking it, "This, says he, will 66 serve me to-morrow to buy a paper of tobacco." The family now prepared themselves for going; and as there were some slight drops of rain, madam buttoned up the old gentleman's coat, that he might not spoil his laced waistcoat; and made him flap his hat, over which he tied his pocket handkerchief, to save his wig: and as the coat itself (she said) had never been worn but three Sundays, she even parted with her own cardinal, and spread it the wrong side out over his shoulders. In these accoutrements he sallied forth, accompanied by his wife, with her upper petticoat thrown over her head, and his daughters with the skirts of their gowns turned up, and their heads muffled up in coloured handkerchiefs. I followed them quite out of the garden: and as they were waiting for their hack to draw up, the youngest miss asked, "When shall we come again, papa?"" Come "again! (said he) what a pox would you ruin me? "Once in one's life is enough; and I think I have "done very handsome. Why it would not have cost "me above four-pence half-penny to have spent my " evening at Sot's Hole: and what with the coach❝hire and all together, here's almost a pound gone, "and nothing to shew for it." "Fye, Mr. Rose, I "am quite ashamed for you, (replies the old lady). "You are always grudging me and your girls the "least bit of pleasure, and you cannot help grumb❝ling, if we do but go to Little Hornsey to drink tea. "I am sure, now they are women grown up, they "ought to see a little of the world....and they shall." The old don was not willing to pursue the argument any further, and the coach coming up, he was glad to put an end to the dispute by saying...." Come, come, let us make haste, wife; or we shall not get home "time enough to have my best wig combed out a"gain......and to-morrow, you know, is Sunday.” W No. LXIX. THURSDAY, MAY 22. Dignior est vestro nulla puella choro. TIBULL. Behold a train of female wits aspire, IN a visit which I paid the other day to a lady of great sense and taste, I was agreeably surprised by having two little volumes put into my hands, which have been lately published under the title of " Poems "by Eminent Ladies." These voulmes are, indeed, (as the author of the preface has remarked) "the "most solid compliment that can possibly be paid to the fair sex." I never imagined, that our nation could boast so many excellent poetesses, (whose works are an honour to their country) as were here collected together: and it is with the highest satisfaction I can assure my female readers in particular, that I have found a great number of very elegant pieces among the compositions of these ladies, which cannot be surpassed (I had almost said, equalled) by the most celebrated of our male-writers. The pleasure which I received from reading these poems, made such an impression on my mind, that at night, as soon as I fell alseep, my fancy presented to me the following dream. I was transported, I know not how, to the regions of Parnassus; and found my self in the court of Apollo, surrounded by a great number of our most eminent poets. A cause of the utmost importance was then depending; and the debate was, whether the English ladies, who had distinguished themselves in poetry, should be allowed to hold the some rank, and have the same honours paid them, with the men. As the moderns were not permitted to plead in their own suit, Juvenal was retained on the side of the male poets, and Sappho undertook the defence of the other sex. The Roman satirist, in his speech at the bar, inveighed bitterly against women in general, and particularly exclaimed against their dabbling in literature: but when Sappho came to set forth the pretensions, which the ladies justly had to poetry, and especially in love affairs, Apollo could no longer resist the importunity of the Muses in favour of their own sex. He therefore decreed, that all those females, who thought themselves able to manage Pegasus, should immediately shew their skill and dexterity in riding him. Pegasus was accordingly brought out of the stable, and the Muses furnished him with a side-saddle. All the ladies, who had courage enough to venture on his back, were prepared to mount: but as a great dispute arose among some of the competitors about precedency, (each of them claiming a right to ride first) it was at length agreed, that they should get into the saddle according to seniority. Upon this a lady advanced; who, though she had something rather extravagant in her air and deportment, yet had a noble presence, that commanded at once awe and admiration. She was dressed in an oldfashioned habit, very fantastic, and trimmed with bugles and points; such as was worn in the time of king Charles the First. This lady, I was informed was the duchess of Newcastle. When she came to mount, she sprung into the saddle with surprising agility; and giving an entire loose to the reins, Pegasus directly set up a gallop and ran away with her quite out of sight. However, it was acknowledged, that she kept a firm seat, even when the horse went at his deepest rate; and that she wanted nothing but to ride with a curb-bridle. When she came to dismount, Shakspeare and Milton very kindly offered their hand to help her down, which she accepted. Then Euterpe came up to her with a smile, and begged her to repeat those beautiful lines against melancholy, which (she said) were so extremely picturesque. The duchess, with a most pleasing air immediately began........ * Dull Melancholy........... She'll make you start at ev'ry noise you hear, All the while that these lines were repeating, Milton seemed very attentive; and it was whispered by some, that he was obliged for many of the thoughts in Poems by Eminent Ladies, Vol. II. Page 200. kis L'Allegro and Il Penseroso to this lady's Dialogue between Mirth and Melancholy. The celebrated Orinda, Mrs. Catherine Philips, was next placed in the saddle, amid the shouts and applauses of the lords Roscommon and Orrery, Cowley, and other famous wits of her time. Her dress was simple, though of a very elegant make: it had no profuse ornaments, and approached very near to the cut and fashion of the present age. Though she never ventured beyond a canter or a hand-gallop, she made Pegasus do his paces with so much ease and exactness, that Waller himself owned he could never bring him under so much command. After her, Mrs. Killigrew, assisted by Dryden, and several other ladies of that age took their turns to ride: and every one agreed, that (making some allowances for their sex) they could not be excelled by the most experienced riders among the men. A bold masculine figure now pushed forward in a thin, airy, gay habit, which hung so loose about her, that she appeared to be half undrest. When she came up to Pegasus, she clapped her hand upon the side-saddle, and with a spring leaped across it, saying, that she would never ride him but astride. She made the poor beast frisk, and caper, and curvet, and play a thousand tricks: while she herself was quite unconcerned, though she shewed her legs at every motion of the horse, and many of the Muses turned their heads aside blushing. Thalia, indeed, was a good deal pleased with her frolicks; and Erato declared, that next to her favourite Sappho she would always prefer this lady. Upon enquiring her name, I found. her to be the free-spirited Mrs. Behn. When she was to dismount, Lord Rochester came up, and caught * Poems by Eminent Ladies, Vol. II. Page 199. N. B This Lady, it is supposed, wrote before Milton. |