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clear complexion, health, cheerfulness, and sensibility. His stature must be inclining to the tall; his motion easy and genteel, free from the short, pert trip of the affected beau, or the haughty tragic step of the most solemn fop. His be. haviour serious, but natural; neither too open, nor too reserved. His look, his laugh, his speech, and his whole manner, must be just without affectation, and free without levity.

Thus much for his person. I now come to the endowments of his mind; without which, grace, beauty, and agreeableness must avail him nothing. His genius must be fanciful; his knowledge, extensive. Men, as well as books, must be his study. Learning, freedom, and gallantry, must be so blended in him, as to make him always the improving friend, the gay companion, and the entertaining lover. In conversation he must say nothing with study, nor yet any thing at random. His thoughts must flow from him naturally, yet not without that delicacy of expression, which is necessary to give them a genteel turn. To the talents of his mind let me add (if I may be allowed the distinction) the qualitics of his soul. He must be generous without prodigality; humane without weakness; just without severity, and fond without folly. To his wife he must be endearing; to his children affectionate; to his friends warm; and to mankind benevolent. Nature and reason must join their powers, and to the openness of the heart add the virtue of economy: making him careful without avarice, and giving him a kind of unconcernedness without negligence. With love he must have respect; and by a continued compliance always win upon the inclination. He must take care to retain his conquest by the means he gained it, and eternally look and speak with the same desires and affections, though with greater freedom.

It has been observed by experienced people, that the soul contracts a sort of blindness by loving; but the man I am speaking of must derive his sentiments from reason; and the passion, which in others is looked

on as the mark of folly, be in him the true effect of judg.

ment.

To these qualities I must add that charm, which is to be considered before all the rest, though hard to be met with in this libertine age, religion. He must be devout without superstition, and pious without melancholy: far from that infirmity, which makes men uncharitable bigots, in fusing into their hearts a morose contempt of the world, and an antipathy even to its innocent pleasures. He must not be such a lover of society as to mix with the assemblies of knaves and blockheads, nor yet of an opinion that he ought to retire from mankind to seek God in the horror of solitude; on the contrary, he must think that the ALMIGHTY is to be found among men, where his goodness is most active, and providence most employed. There it is that religion must enlighten, and reason regulate his conduct, both in the cares of salvation, and the dutics of life.

With such a man a woman must enjoy those pleasures in marriage, which none but fools would ridicule. Her husband would always be the same, and always pleasing. Other wives are glad, if they can now and then find with their husbands one agreeable hour; bu; with this a disagreeable minute will be impossible. On whatever occasions we should see or speak to each other, it must be with mutual pleasure and assured satisfaction.

Now, sir, let your dressing, scribbling, handsome young fellows, whether of town or country, of the law, of trade, or of whatever honourable vocation, who would be glad of a woman of five and twenty, not disagreeable in her perso, and with ten thousand pounds in her pocket, read this character; and if any of them will assert and prove it to belong to himself, my heart, hand, and fortune are at his service. But I believe, sir, that instead of a man, I have been describing a monster of the imagination; a thing

that neither is, was, nor ever will be: I am therefore resigned to my condition; and can think, without repining, of dying a maid, (and I hope an old one,) since I am not to expect a husband to the wishes of, sir, your humble servant and correspondent, A. B.

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That love alone, which virtue's laws control,
Deserves reception in the human soul.

THE two following relations (one of them of ancient, the other of modern date) afford an instructive example in each sex, and in the opposite extremes of life, of virtue triumphing over strong temptation. They powerfully recommend that purity of disposition, that superiority to vicious allurement, which commands universal respect; and without which, the gay and inexperienced seek in vain for happiness from unhallowed gratifications.

The instance of the Roman general, will show young men how great a conqueror appears in governing that little empire, man. And, whilst it tends to repress every wanton appetite, it may serve to inspire those chaste and respectful sentiments toward the female sex, which alone will insure the sweets of "friendship" with woman, "softened into love."

The story of Amanda will confirm my female readers in their resolution to guard their virtue with more than vestal constancy; and will exhibit poverty with an unstained soul, as infinitely preferable to the most splendid allurements of vice. It will discover the additional charms, reflected upon the person of the virtuous fair, even in the eye of the man of

pleasure, whilst she rejects his solicitations. It may convince unprincipled men, of the baseness and cruelty of stabbing the peace of humble or depressed families, by alIuring from the path of honour their hitherto innocent children; or may prove a stronger security to such against their golden snares.

I. SCIPIO the younger, when only twenty-four years of age, was appointed by the Roman republic to the command of the army against the Spaniards. His wisdom and valour would have done honour to the most experienced general. Determined to strike an important blow, he formed a design of besieging Carthagena, then the capital of the Carthaginian empire in Spain. His measures were so judiciously concerted, and with so much courage and intrepidity pursued, both by sea and land, that notwithstanding a bold and vigorous defence, the capital was taken by storm. The plunder was immense. Ten thousand freemen were made prisoners; and above three hundred more, of both sexes, were received as hostages. One of the latter, a very ancient lady of rank, the wife of Mandonius, watching her opportunity, came out of the crowd, and throwing herself at the conqueror's feet, conjured him, with tears in her eyes, to recommend to those who had the ladies in their keeping, to have regard to their sex and birth.

Scipio, who did not understand her meaning at first, assured her, that he had given orders that they should not want for any thing. But the lady replied, "These conveniences are not what affect us. In the condition to which fortune hath reduced us, with what ought we not to be contented? I have many other apprehensions, when I consider, on one side the licentiousness of war, and, on the other, the youth and beauty of the princesses whom you see here before us; for as for me, my age protects me from all fear in this respect." She had with her the daughters of Indibilis, and several other ladies of high rank, all in the flower of youth, who considered her as their mother.

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