me:

66

I told you, we fee a great deal of company; and all the people we fee are disposed to admire "Mighty well," you will fay: "Give a young woman admiration, and what more "can fhe wish for ?"-Sir, I wish they loved me more, and admired me lefs. I am made to fing, and to play on the harpsichord; and, to oblige my father, am fometimes conftrained to repeat verses and all this to people who un derstand no mufic, and know no other poetry than the Pfalms of David in metre. Indeed, till I became better acquainted with them, I found that, even in our conversation, there was a mutual misapprehenfion; and that they were fometimes as unintelligible to me as I was to them. I was not at all furprised to hear them call fome of our acquaintances good men; but, when I heard them call our neighbour John Staytape a great man, I could not help asking what discovery he had made in arts or science, or what eminent fervice he had rendered his country? I was told, in return, that within thefe few years he had realifed a plum. This phrase was alfo new to me; and I wished to have known fomething about the nature of fuch realization. Chufing, however, to afk but one queftion at a time, I faid nothing; and foon learned, that, whatever fervices Mr. Staytape might do his country, he had hitherto made no great discovery in arts or sciences. 8

I con

I confefs, indeed, that at one time I fancied they might have fome little notion of books; and when I heard them speak about underwriters, I thought it might perhaps be fome ludicrous term for the minor poets.

So, when they spoke about policies, I fancied they were ufing the Scotch word for improvements in gardening; and ventured to fay fomething in favour of clumps; "Clumps,” said à gentleman, who is a frequent vifitor at our house," she is to be laden with Norway fir." I found they were speaking about the good ship Rebecca.

A grave looking man, who fat near me one day at dinner, said a good deal about the fall and of events that should have happened before and after the fall. As he also spoke about Providence, and Salem, and Ebenezer; and as great deference was fhewn to every thing that he faid, and being, as I told you, a grave looking man in a black coat, I was not fure but he might be fome learned theologian; and imagined. he was fpeaking about Oriental antiquities, and the fall of Adam. But I was foon undeceived.. The gentleman had lived for fome time in Virginia; by Providence he meant the town of that name in Rhode-Island; and, by the fall he meant, not the fall of our firft parents, for concerning them he had not the least idea, but,

as

as I fuppofe, the fall of the leaf; for the word is used, it seems, in the American dialect, for

autumn.

In this fituation, Sir, what shall I do? By my boafted education, I have only unlearned the language, and loft the manners, of that society in which I am to live.-If you can put me on any method of bringing my friends up to me, or of letting myself down to them, you will much oblige,

Yours, &c.

MARY MUSLIN.

To the AUTHOR of the MIRROR.

SIR,

As

S you are very fuccessful in delineating the manners of modern times, it might add, perhaps, to the effect of your pictures, if you fometimes gave a view of former manners. The contraft would be agreeable; and, if I may ufe the expreffion, would give a certain relief to your other delineations. I offer you a small fketch of an incident, fuppofed to have happened in the times of our forefathers. I flatter myself you have no objection to it on account

of

of its being in verfe. It is merely an outline; yet, I hope, it is fo marked, as that concomitant circumstances, though not expreffed, may readily be conceived.

MONTANUS.

The MARRIAGE of EVAL.

I.

Loud from JURA's rocky fhore,
Heard ye the tumultuous roar?.

Sudden from the bridal feaft,
By impetuous ire poffefs'd,
Fury flashing in their eyes,
Kinfinen against kinsmen rife:
And iffuing to the fatal field,

Bend the bow, the falchion wield.
From her eyry, with dismay,

The tow'ring eagle foars away.

The wild-deer from their clofe retreat,

Start with terror and amaze,

Down on the furious conflict gaze,

Then to deep forefts bend their nimble feet.

II.

Ah! that reckless fpeech fhould fire

Kinsmen with inhuman ire!-

Goaded by vindictive rage

Lo! the martial clans engage.

Now

Now the feather'd arrows fing;
Now the boffy targets ring.

With rav'ning fwords the fudden foes
Now in fierce encounter close.
Lo! the blade horrific gleams;
And now the purple torrent streams:
The torrent ftreams from EVAL's fide,
Tinging with his flowing gore

The white foam on the fea-beat shore.-
Ah! who will fuccour his afflicted bride?

III.

Lo! fhe flies with headlong speed;
"Bloody, bloody was the deed;"
Wild with piteous wail, fhe cries,
Treffes torn and ftreaming eyes;

Lift, O! gently lift his head : "Lay him on the bridal bed;

દ

My kinfmen !-cruel kinsmen ye! "These your kindlieft deeds to me! "Yes, the clay-cold bed prepare,

"The willing bride and bridegroom there

"Will tarry; will for ever dwell.

"Now, inhuman men, depart;

"Go, triumph in my broken heart !". She faid, the figh'd, a breathless corfe the fell.

T