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our Lives, to improve the Union, and never let it be diffolved but by that which feparates the Soul from the Body. I fhall conclude with the Advice of Polonius in Hamlet;

The Friends thou haft, and their Adoption try'd, Grapple them to thy Soul with Hoops of Steel.

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LO V E
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GALLAN TR Y

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USTOM and Fashion have made it fo univerfal, that the Youth of our Age are no fooner entered into Converfa, tion, but they muft likewife have an Amour on their Hands, and run into a Vein of modifh Gallantries. Nature and Conftitution invite to the former; and Companions, that strike in with the Gaiety of their Years, provoke them to the latter: Yet to be in Love, is not always the Effect of Nature, but mere Gallantry; and young Gentlemen esteem it a Part of their Duty, to make Addreffes of Complaifance, if not of Sincerity, to the Ladies.

I confefs, I would not chufe to have my Son too forward in this Paffion: A Love of Sincerity too early begun has Inconveniences and uneafy Confequences; and an Amour of perfect Gallantry is a Deceit I would blush to have him guilty of. Love feizes on us fuddenly, without giving us Time to reflect our Difpofition, or Weaknefs favours the Surprize; one Look, one Glance from the Fair, fixes and determines us. Young Hearts are tender and flexible, and apt to take ftrong, as well as fudden Impreffions from Beauty; and as the Iffures of this Paffion are of the greatelt Moment in Life, a thoufand Circumftances are to regulate its Rafhnefs, and every Youth fhould fet a Guard on his Eyes and Breast, for fear of being captivated by an improper Object. It is for this Reafon that I would endeavour to direct, and not pretend to eradicate the Inclinations of the Sexes to each other. Daily Experience fhews us, that the most rude Ruftic grows humane, as foon as he is infpired by this Paffion; it gives a new Grace to our Manners, a new Dignity to our Minds, a new Visage to our Perfons: Whether we are inclined to liberal Arts, to Arms, or Address in our Exercife, our Improvement is haftened by a particular Object whom we would please. Chearfulness, Gentleness, Fortitude, Libera

lily, Magnificence, and all the Virtues which adorn Men, which infpire Heroes, are most confpicuous in Lovers; but yet this Refinement of the Soul may overtake us at a wrong Seafon, and attach us to a Person, in the careffing of whom Parents may be difobeyed, and Friends disobliged.

It is remarkable that no Paffion has been treated by all who have touched upon it with the fame Bent of Defign, but this. The Poets, the Moralifts, the Painters, in all their Descriptions, Allegories, and Pictures, have reprefented it as a soft Torment, a bitter Sweet, a pleasing Pain, or an agreeable Diftrefs, and have only expreffed the fame Thought in a different Manner. It is certain there is no other Paffion which does produce fuch contrary Effects in fo great a Degree. But this may be faid for Love, that if you ftrike it out of the Soul, Life would be infipid, and our Being but half animated. Human Nature would fink into Deadness and Lethargy, if not quickned with fome active Principle; and as for all others, whether Ambition, Envy, or Avarice, which are apt to poffefs the Mind in the Abfence of this Paffion, it must be allowed that they have greater Pains, without the Compenfation of fuch exquifite Pleasures, as thofe we find in Love.

The

The old Mythologifts made Venus the Mother of two different Cupids; the one of which, was the God of innocent and pure Defires; the other of unlawful and carnal Pleasures. To unperfonate these chimerical Beings, and reduce them to Qualities, the first is what we call Love; and the latter Luft; which, in their Natures, differ as much as a Matron from a Prostitute, or a Companion from a Buffoon. Their diftin&t Defcriptions in the Poets, are full of Inftruction, as well as Spirit. Love is a beauteous blind Child, adorn'd with a Quiver and a Bow, which he plays with, and shoots around him,' without Defign or Direction; to intimate to us, that the Perfon belov'd has no Intention to give us the Anxieties we meet with, but that the Beauties of a worthy Object are like the Charms of a lovely Infant. On the other Side, the Sages figur'd Luft in the Form of a Satyr, of Shape, Part human, Part beftial; fignify, that the Followers of it prostitute the Reason of a Man to purfue the Appetites of a Beaft. This Satyr is made to haunt the Paths and Coverts of the Wood-Nymphs and Shepherdeffes, to lurk on the Banks of Rivulets, and watch the purling Streams, as the Reforts of retir'd Virgins; to fhew, that lawless Defire tends chiefly to prey upon Innocence, and has fomething fo unnatural

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