These are the reflections that have occurred to me upon this subject of impudence and modesty ; and I hope the reader will not be displeased to see them wrought into the following allegory. Jupiter in the beginning, joined Virtue, Wisdom and Confidence together; and Vice, Folly and Diffidence; and in that fociety fet them upon the earth. But though he thought he had matched them with great judgment, and said that Confidence was the natural companion of Virtue, and that Vice deserved to be attended with Diffidence, they had not gone far before diffention arofe among them. Wisdom, who was the guide of the one company, was always accuftomed, before the ventured upon any road, however beaten to examine it carefully; to enquire whither it led; what dangers, difficulties and hinderances might poffibly or probably occur in it. In thefe deliberations she usually confumed fome time; which delay was very difpleafing to Confidence; who was always inclined to hurry on, without much forethought or deliberation, in the first road he met. Wisdom and Virtue were infeparable: but Confidence one day, following his impetuous nature, advanced a confiderable way before his guides and companions; and not feeling any want of their company, he never enquired after them, nor ever met with them more. In like manner, the other fociety, tho joined by Jupiter, difagreed and feparated. As Folly faw very little way before her, the had nothing to determine concerning the goodness of roads, nor could give the preference to one above another; and this want of refolution was encreased by Diffidence, who, with her doubts and fcruples, always retarded the journey. This was a great annoyance to Vice, who loved not to hear of difficulties and delays, and was never fatisfied without his full career, in whatever his inclinations led him to. Folly, he knew, tho'she hearkened to Diffidence, would be eafily managed when alone; and therefore, as a vicious horfe throws his rider, he openly beat away this comptroller of all his pleatures, and proceeded in his jour ney with Folly, from whom he is infeparable. Confidence and Diffidence being, after this manner, both thrown loose from their refpective companies, wandered for fome time; till at last chance led them at the fame time to one village. Confidence went directly up to the great houfe, which belonged to Wealth, the Lord of the village; and without staying for a porter, intruded himself immediately into the innermost apartments, where he found Vice and Folly well received before him. He joined the train ; recommended himself very quickly to his landlord; and entered into fuch familiarity with Vice, that he was enlisted in the fame company along with Folly. They were frequent guests of Wealth, and, from that moment, infeparable. Diffidence, in the mean time, not daring to approach the great house, accepted of an invitation from Poverty, one of the tenants; and entering the cottage, found Wisdom and Virtue, who being repulsed by the landlord, had retired thither. Virtue took compaffion of her, and Wifdom found, from her temper, that she would easily improve: fo they admitted her into their fociety. Accordingly, by their means, the altered in a little time fomewhat of her manner, and becoming much more amiable and engaging, was now called by the name of Modefty. As ill company has a greater effect than good, Confidence, though more refractory to counfel and example, degenerated fo far by the fociety of Vice and Folly, as to pafs by the name of Impudence. Mankind, who saw these societies as Jupiter first joined them, and know nothing of these mutual desertions, are led into strange mistakes by those means; and wherever they fee Impudence, make account of Virtue and Wisdom,and whereever they obferve Modefty; call her attendants Vice and Folly. of the married state; and always confider a fatyr upon matrimony as a fatyr upon themselves. Do they mean by this, that they are the parties principally concerned, and that if a backwardnels to enter into that state should prevail in the world, they would be the greateft fufferers? or, are they fenfible, that the misfortunes and miscarriages of the married ftate are owing more to their fex than to ours? I hope they do not intend to confefs either of these two particulars, or to give such an advantage to their adverfaries, the men, as even to allow them to fufpect it. I have often had thoughts of complying with this humour of the fair fex, and of writing a panegyric upon marriage: but, in looking around for materials, they seemed to be of so mixed a nature, that at the conclufion of my reflections, I found I was as much difposed to write a fatyr, which might be placed on the opposite pages of my panegyrick and I am afraid, that as fatyr is, on moft occafions, thought to have more truth in it than panegyric, I should have done their cause more harm than good by this expedient. To mifreprefent facts is what, I know, they will not require of me. I must be more a friend to truth, than even to them, where their interefts are oppofite. I fhall tell the women what it is our fex complains of moft in the married state; and if they be difpofed to fatisfy us in this particular, all the other differences will be easily accommodated. If I be not mistaken, 'tis their love of dominion which is the ground of the quarrel; tho' 'tis very likely, that they will think it an unreasonable love of it in us, which makes us infist so much upon that point. However this may be, no paffion feems to have more influence on female minds, than this for power; and there is a remarkable instance in history of its prevailing above another paffion, which is the only one that can be fuppofed a proper counterpoife for it. We are told, that all the women in Scythia, once confpired against the men, and kept the fecret fo well, that they exe. cuted their defign before they were sufpected. They furprifed the men in drink, or afleep, bound them all faft in chains; and having called a folemn council of the whole fex, it was debated what expedient fhould be used to improve the prefent advantage, and prevent their falling again into flavery. To kill all the men did not feem to the relish of any part of the affembly, notwithstanding the injuries formerly received; and they were afterwards pleased to make a great merit of this lenity of theirs. It was, therefore, agreed to put out the eyes of the whole male sex, and thereby refign for ever, after all, the vanity they could draw from their beauty, in order to fecure their authority. We must no longer pretend to drefs and fhow, fay they; but then we shall be free from slavery. We fhall hear no more tender fighs; but in return we shall hear no more im perious commands. Love must for ever leave us; but he will carry subjection along with him. 'Tis regarded by fome as an unlucky circumftance, fince the women were refolved to maim the men, and deprive them of fome of their fenfes, in order to render them humble and dependent, that the fenfe of hearing could not serve their purpose, înce 'tis probable the females would rather have attacked that than the fight: and I think it is agreed among the learned, that, in a married state, is not near fo great an inconvenience to lofe the former fenfe as the latter. However this may be, we are told by modern anecdotes, that fome of the Scythian women did fecretly ipare their husbands eyes; prefuming, I fuppofe, that they could govern them as well by means of that fenfe as without it. But to incorrigible and intractable were these men, that their wives were all obliged, in a few years, as their youth and beauty decayed, to imitate the example of their fifters; which it was no difficult matter to do, in a ftate where the female sex had once got the fuperiority. I know not if the British ladies derive any thing of this humour from the Scythian females; but, I muftafels, The BEAUTIES of all the MAGAZINES felected. 367 that I have often been surprised to fee a woman very well pleafed to take a fool for her mate, that she might govern with the lefs controul; and could not but think her fentiments, in this respect, still more barbarous than thofe of the Scythian women abovementioned, as much, as the eyes of the understanding are more valuable than those of the body. But to be juft, and to lay the blame more equally, I am afraid it is the fault of our fex, if the women be fo fond of rule, and that if we did not abuse our authority, they would never think it worth while to difpute it. Tyrants, we know, produce rebels; and all history informs us, that rebels, when they prevail, are apt to become tyrants in their turn, For this reafon, I could wish there were no pretenfions to authority on either fide; but that every thing was carried on with perfect equality, as betwixt two equal members of the fame body. And to induce both parties to embrace thofe amicable fentiments, I fhall deliver to them Plato's account of the origin of Love and Marriage. Mankind, according to that fanciful philofopher, were not, in their original, divided into male and female, as at prefent; but each individual perfon was a compound of both fexes, and was in himself both husband and wife, melted This down into one living creature. union, no doubt, was very entire, and the parts very well adjusted together, fince there resulted a perfect harmony betwixt the male and female, although they were obliged to be infeparable companions. And fo great was the harmony and happiness flowing from it, that the Androgynes (for fo Plato calls them) or Men-women, became infolent upon their profperity, and rebelled against the Gods. To punish them for this temerity, Jupiter could contrive no better expedient, than to divorce the male part from the female, and make two imperfect beings of the compound, which was before fo perfect. Hence the origin of men and women, as diftin&t creatures. But notwithstanding this divifion, fo lively is our remembrance of the happiaels we enjoyed in our primæval state, that we are never at reft in this fitua- Were I difpofed to carry on this fiction of Plato, which accounts for the mutual love betwixt the fexes in so agreeable a manner, I would do it by the following allegory. When Jupiter had separated the male from the female, and had quelled their pride and ambition by so severe an operation, he could not but repent him of the cruelty of his vengeance, and take compaffion on poor mortals, who were now become incapable of any repose or tranquillity. Such cravings, fuch anxieties, fuch neceffities, arofe, as made them curse their creation, and think exiftence itself a punishment. In vain had they recourfe to every other occupation and amusement. In vain did they seek after every pleasure of sense, and every refinement of reafon Nothing could fill that void, which they felt in their hearts, or fupply the loss of their partner, who was fo fatally separated from them. To remedy this disorder, and to bestow fome comfort, at least, on human race in their forlorn fituation, Jupiter fent down Love and Hymen to collect the broken halves of human kind, and piece them together, in the best manner poffible. Thefe two deities found fuch a prompt difpofition in mankind to unite again in their primitive ftate, that they proceeded on their work with wonderful faccefs for fome time; till at-laff, from many un lucky lucky accidents, diffention arofe betwixt them. The chief counfellor and favourite of Hymen was Care, who was continually filling his patron's head with ings together; but both of them combine to form one perfect and happy creature. From the BRITISH MAGAZINE. r Narrative of the Seizure of the Mar- quis de Fratteaux. L Ewis Matthew Bertin, Marquis de Fratteaux, knight of the military order of St. Lewis, and formerly captain of horse in the service of his moft Chriftian Majesty, was the eldest son of M. John Bertin de St. Geyran, honorary matter of the requests, and councellor of the parliament of Bourdeaux, and Madam Lucretia de St. Chamant, both of families not a little honoured and efteemed through the kingdom. profpects of futurity; a fettlement, fa- ******** ****** mily, children, fervants, fo that little else was regarded in all the matches they made. On the other hand, Love had chofen Pleasure for his favourite, who was as pernicious a counsellor as the other, and would never allow Love to look beyond the prefent momentary gratification, or the fatisfying of the prevailing inclination. These two favourites became, in a little time, irreconcileable enemies, and made it their chief business to undermine each other in all their undertakings. No fooner had Love fixt upon two halves, which he was cementing together, and forming to a clofe union, but Care infinuates himself, and bringing Hymen along with him, diffolves the union produc'd by Love, and joins each half to fome other half, which he had provided for it. To be revenged of this, Pleasure creeps in upon a pair already joined by Hymen; and calling Love to his affiftance, they underhand contrive to join each half, by fecret links, to halves, which Hymen was wholly unacquainted with. It was not long before this quarrel was felt in its pernicious confequences; and fuch complaints arofe before the throne of Jupiter, that he was obliged to fummon the offending parties to appear before him, in order to give an account of their proceedings. After hearing the pleadings on both fides, he ordered an immediate reconcilement betwixt Love and Hymen, as the only expedient for giving happiness to mankind: and that he might be fure this reconcilement should be durable, he laid his strict injunctions on them never to join any halves without confulting their favourites, Care and Pleasure, and obtaining the confent of both to the conjunction. Where this order is strictly observed, the Androgyne is perfectly restored, and human race enjoy the fame happiness as in their primæval ftate. The feam is fcarce perceived that joins the two be Our marquis's being the eldest son, was the only fource of his misfortunes; his father being doatingly fond of a younger child, and determined by every method in his power, to deprive the unhappy Lewis of his birthright, that the fucceffion of his eftate might fall to this fortunate favourite. With this purpose he omitted no opportunity of mortifying his fpirit, and breaking his temper when a child; and even when he approached to years of maturity, exerted the whole terror of his authority to force him into the profeffion of the law; whereas he knew our marquis was burne ing with a defire of diftinguishing himfelf in arms. The marquis employed feveral ecclefiaftics in vain, to fubdue the obftinacy of his father's determination. At laft, when the old gentleman was going to confine him in a loathsome dungeon for refusing to comply with his orders, he had recourse to a mistress, of whom his father was particularly fond, and begged upon his knees, that the would interest herself in his behalf. His application to this young woman was not fruitless; he had more goodnefs of heart than was cuftomary in perfons of her character, and the next time her lover was in the amorous mood, refufed in a peremptory manner to gratify his wishes unless he gave her an abfolute affurance, that his fon Lew. is fhould be left for the choice of a profeffion entirely to his own inclinations.. The old gentleman, at fuch a crifis, could refufe nothing to his charmer, and the marquis had speedily a permiffion to enter himself a cadet in the regiment of Noailles, where, after fourteen months fervice, he was advanced to a cornetcy in Maine's, and in lefs than three years, promoted still farther to a troop in Saint Jal's, though he was then but a little turned of fixteen. From the rapidity of his promotion, we may easily conclude that he had behaved with the greatest reputation in his military capacity. This was in reality the cafe, and M. d'Argenfon, at that time prime minifler, was fo fenfible of it, that he recommended him in the warmnest manner imaginable to the king, and got him invefted with the order of St. Louis, and complimented with a handsome penfion for the fupport of his dignity. The early reputation thus acquired by the marquis, instead of gaining him any mark of affection at home, almoft eftranged any little esteem in which he had been hitherto held. His father, instead of feeling the tranfport which on fuch an occafion would have fwelled the bofom of any other parent, on the the contrary, grew more inflexible in his refentment, and determined more than ever to root him out of every poffibility of fucceeding to his eftate. He now began to give out that the marquis was not his fon, but an impoftor palmed upon him by the nurse, and tho' no child could ever behave with a more refigned fubmiflion to the will of a parent than the fubject of the prefent little history, ftill the only return he met from his father, was a conftant round of ignorant brutality, and unaccountable revenge.--The marquis, though remarkable to a proverb as a dutiful fon, was guilty of one unpardonable error; he would not refign his birthright to his younger brother; and his father being determined the younger VOL. III. brother should fucceed, refolved to establifh him in the fucceffion without any regard to the means. Twice did this worthy father make a perfonal attempt on the life of the marquis. Once he drew on him; and, another time, when ill in a fever, administered a dofe of poifon to him inftead of the bark; this laft was near, being fatal, and the father withdrew, fatisfied that the business was done; but, the marquis, finding himself on the brink of convulfions, inftantly rang, and dispatched his fervant for the apo! thecary, who fufpecting foul play, brought a powerful antidote in his pocket, with which he foon expelled the horrid dose fo lately given by this monster of a father. : Old Bertin thus difappointed, re folved to go a furer way to work with this laudable defign, he fuborned fome profligate villains to fwear that the mar quis had attempted to take away his life, and had even been in treaty to murder his father with some of the evidences themselves; this story, improbable foever as it was rendered by the character of our marquis, the old man, who was immensely rich, by a seasonable exertion of his purfe, found means to get credited at court; in confequence of which, a lettre de cachet was inftantly ordered for the apprehension of the marquis, who was thereupon feized and imprisoned at a religious house, where he was treated with every indignity imaginable. In vain did the unfortunate youth apply for a regular trial; the ears of Juftice were shut as well as her eyes; and it is probable they would have difpatched him privately here at last, had not a few friends, who fhrewdly fufpected fome fcheme of that nature, broke open his prifon at midnight, and carried him forcibly off. Destitute of cloaths, money, friends, and recommendation, he flew into Spain, where he found an asylum in a relation's of his mother, the count of Marfillac : but the place of his retreat was no fooner difcovered, than the French ambaff dor had orders to get him apprehendea; Bbb upon |