The Lady fo well tempered and reconciled them both, that the forced them to join Hands; tho' I could not but obferve, that Hatred turned afide his Face, as not able to endure the Sight of his younger Brother. I at length entered the Inmoft Temple, the Roof of which was raised upon an Hundred Marble Pillars, decked with Crowns, Chains, and Garlands. The Ground was ftrowed with Flowers. An Hundred Altars, at each of which ftood a Virgin Prieftefs cloathed in White, blazed all at once with the Sacrifice of Lovers, who were perpetually feading up their Vows to Heaven in Clouds of Incenfe. In the Midit ftood the Goddefs her felf, upon an Altar, whose Substance was neither Gold nor Stone, but infinitely more precious than either. About her Neck flew numberlefs Flocks of little Loves, Joys, and Graces; and all about her Altar lay fcattered Heaps of Lovers, complaining of the Difdain, Pride, or Treachery, of their Miltrefles. One among the reft, no longer able to contain his Griefs, broke out into the following Prayer: Venus, Queen of Grace and Beauty, Joy of Gods and Men, who with a Smile becalmest the Seas, and reneweft all Nature; Goddess, whom all the different Species in the Univerfe obey with Joy and Pleasure, grant I may at last, obtain the Object of my Vows. The impatient Lover pronounced this with great Vehemence; but I in a foft Murmur befought the Goddefs to lend me her Affittance. While I was thus praying, I chanced to caft my Eye on a Company of Ladies, who were affembled together in a Corner of the Temple waiting for the Anthem. who The foremost feemed fomething elder, and of a more compofed Countenance than the reft, all appeared to be under her Direction. Her Name was Womanhood. On one Side of her fat Shamce Shamefacedness, with Blushes rifing in her Cheeks, and her Eyes fixed upon the Ground: On the other was Chearfulness, with a fmiling Look, that infused a secret Pleafure into the Hearts of all that faw her. With thefe fat Modefty, holding her Hand on her Heart; Courtefie, with a grace- 1 ful Afpect, and obliging Behaviour, and the Two Silters, who were always linked together, and refembled each other, Silence and Obedience. Thus fat they all around in feemly Rate, As foon as I beheld the charming Amoret, my Heart throbbed with Hopes. I stepped to her, and feized her Hand; when Womanhood immediately rising up, harply rebuked me for offering in fo rude a Manner to lay hold on a Virgin.. I excufed my felf as modeftly as I could, and at the fame Time difplayed my Shield; upon which, as foon as the beheld the God emblazoned with his Bow and Shafts, she was ftruck mute, and inftantly retired. I ftill held faft the fair Amoret, and turning my Eyes towards the Goddess of the Place, faw that the favoured my Pretentions with a Smile, which fo emboldened me, that I carried off my Prize. The Maid, fometimes with Tears, fometimes with Smiles, entreated me to let her go: But I led her through the Temple-Gate, where the Goddess Concord, who had favoured my Entrance, befriended my Retreat. This Allegory is fo natural, that it explains it felf. The Perfons in it are very artfully defcribed, and difpofed in proper Places. The Pofts affigned to Doubt, Delay, and Danger, are admirable. The Gate of Good Defert has fomething noble and inftructive in it. But above all, I am moft pleased with the beautiful Grouppe of Fgures in the Corner of the Temple. Among thefe, Womanhood is drawn like what the Philo fophers call an Univerfal Nature, and is attended with beautiful Reprefentatives of all thofe Virtues that are the Ornaments of the Female Sex, confidered in its natural Perfection and Inno cence. The TATLE R. [N° 195. From Thurfd. July 6. to Saturd. July 8. 1710, Grecian Coffee-house, July 7 HE Learned World are very much offend Ted at many of my Ratiocinations, and have but a very mean Opinion of me as a Politician. The Reafon of this is, That fome erroneously conceive a Talent for Politicks to confift in the Regard to a Man's own Intereft; but I am of quite another Mind, and think the firft and effenial Quality towards being a Statesman is to have a publick Spirit. One of the Gentlemen who are out of Humour with me, imputes my falling into a Way wherein I am fo very aukward to a Barrennefs of Invention, and has the Charity to lay new Matter before me for the future. He is at the Bottom my Friend, but is at a Lofs to know whether I am a Fool or a Phyfician, and is pleased to expoftulate with me with Relation to the latter. He falls heavy upon Licentiates, and feems to point more particularly at us who are not not regularly of the Faculty. But fince he has been fo civil to me as to meddle only with thofe who are employed no further than about Men's Lives, and not reflected upon me as of the Aftrological Sect, who concern our felves about Lives and Fortunes alfo, I am not fo much hurt as to ftifle any Part of his fond Letter. I SIR, Am afraid there is fomething in the Sufpicions of fome People, that you begin to be 'fhort of Matter for your Lucubrations. Tho' feveral of them now and then did appear fomewhat dull and infipid to me, I was always cha ritably inclined to believe the Fault lay in my felf, and that I wanted the true Key to unci pher your Myfteries, and remember your Advertisement upon this Account. But fince I have feen you fall in an unpardonable Error, yea, with a Relapfe: I mean, lince I have feen you turn Politician in the prefent unhappy Dif fentions, I have begun to ftagger, and could not chufe but leffen the great Value I had for the Cenfor of our Ifle. How is it poffible that a Man, whom Interest did naturally lead to a conftant Impartiality in these Matters, and who hath Wit enough to judge, that his Opinion was not like to make many Profelytes? How is it poffible, I fay, that a little Paffion (for I have ftill too good an Opinion of you to think you was bribed by the Staggering Party) could blind you fo far as to offend the very better halt of the Nation, and to leffen off fo much the Number of your Friends? Mr. Morphew will not have Cause to thank you, unlefs you give over, and endeavour to regain what you have loft. There is still a great many Themes you have left untouched; fuch as the ill Manage ⚫ments of Matters relating to Law and Phyuck, 'the fetting down Rules for knowing the Quacks [Vol. 4.] C in both Profeffions. What a large Field is there left in difcovering the Abuses of the College, who had a Charter and Privileges granted them to hinder the creeping in and prevailing of Quacks and Pretenders; and yet grant Licences. to Barbers, and write Letters of Recommendation in the Country Towns, out of the Reach of their Practice, in Favour of meer Boys; valuing the Health and Lives of their Countrymen no farther than they get Money by them. You have faid very little or nothing about the Difpenfation of Juftice in Town and Country, where Clerks are the Counsellors to their Ma fters. But as I can't expect that the Cenfor of Great Britain fhould publifh a Letter, wherein he is $ cenfured with too much Reafon himself; yet I. hope you will be the better for it, and think upon the Themes I have mentioned, which muft certainly be of greater Service to the World, your felf, and Mr. Morphew, than to let us know whether you are a Whig or a Tory. I am still Your Admirer and Servant, Cato Junior. This Gentleman and I differ about the Words, Staggering and Better Part; but instead of anfwering to the Particulars of this Epistle, I fhall only acquaint my Correfpondent, That I am at prefent forming my Thoughts upon the Founda rion of Sir Scudamore's Progress in Spencer, which has led me from all other Amusements, to confider the State of Love in this Ifland; and from the Corruptions in the Government of that, to deduce the chief: Evils of Life. In the mean Time that I am thus employed, I have given pofitive Orders to Don Saltero of Chelsea the ToothDrawer, and Dr. Thomas Smith the Corn-Cutter of King Street, Weftminster, (who have the Mo delty |