fire may be taken immediate notice of in the MIRROR. One who writes under the fignature of Rufticus, tells me, that painting is now become fo common a practice among our fine ladies, that he has oftener than once been introduced to a lady in the morning, from whom, till he informed himself of her name, he was furprised to receive a curtly at the play or the concert. Another, who fubfcribes himself Modeftus, defires me to imitate the example of the Tatler, by animadverting, not on the large, but the small size of the petticoat, which, he says, has fo fhrunk up this winter, that there is more of the ankle feen than he can find countenance to look at. To the first of thefe Correfpondents I must answer, that I think the ladies (whose number I am inclined to believe is fmall) who choose to dress their faces in rouge or carmine, are exempted from all cenfure; they certainly do it to please themselves, as they know how much it is detefted by the men. Or, perhaps, they are of that icy order of females who have made vows of perpetual celibacy, and thus varnish over their beauty, as virtuofi do certain delicate natural productions, which are meant to be looked at, but never to be touched. As to the complaint of Modeftus, I can only account for the prefent fhortnefs of the petticoat, from the attention E 5 attention of the ladies being fo much engroffed about their heads, as to leave them no leisure to take care of the other extremity; as generals, who are anxious to cover one part of their works, are apt to leave an opposite quarter defenceless. But the moft ferious complaint I have received, is a letter fubfcribed Cenfor, arraigning, with true Juvenalian severity, the conduct of a certain Club, which, in the words of my Correfpondent, " continues, in defiance of ❝decency and good manners, to infult the "public in Large Characters, in the front of "every newspaper in town. This (he adds) 66 moves my indignation the more, when I con"fider, that feveral of its principal members are "arrived at a period of life which should teach "decorum, at least, if it does not extinguish ❝vice." In answer to this angry Correfpondent, I will tell him the following ftory: Some years ago, I happened to be in York at the time of the afizes. Dining one day in a tavern with some gentlemen of that city and its neighbourhood, we were violently disturbed by the noise of somebody below, who hooted and hollow'd, fmacked his whip, and made his fervants found their French horns; in fhort, rehearfed, during the whole time of our dinner, all "the glorious 7 66 tu "tumult of the chace." Some of the company, after several ineffectual meffages by the waiter, began to be angry, and to think of a very ferious remonftrance with the sportsman below. But an elderly perfon, who fat oppofite to me, pacified their refentment: "I know the gen"tleman who disturbs you," said he; "his "head-piece was never one of the best; but 66 now, poor man! I believe we must let him ❝ alone. Since he is paft running down the "fox in the field, he must e'en be allowed to hunt him in the parlour." I E 6 N° 85. TUESDAY, February 29, 1780. Poffum oblivifci qui fuerim? Non fentire qui fim? A PERIODICAL publication, fuch as the MIRROR, is, from its nature, confined chiefly to profe compofitions. My illuftrious predeceffor, the SPECTATOR, has, however, fometimes inferted a little poem among his other effays; and his example has been imitated by moft of his fucceffors. Perhaps it may be from this caufe, that, among the variety of communications I have lately received, many of them confift of poetical compofitions. I must obferve in general to thefe Correfpondents, that, though the infertion of a poem now and then may not be altogether improper for a work of this kind, yet it is not every poetical compofition that is fit for it. A poem may be poffeffed of very confiderable merit, and may be entitled to applause, when published in a-poetical collection, though, from its fubject, its length, or the manner in which it is written, it may not be fuited to the MIRROR. I hope my poetical Correfpondents, Correfpondents, therefore, will receive this as an apology for their poems not being inferted, and will by no means confider their exclufion as proceeding from their being thought deftitute of merit. Among the poetical presents I have received, there is, however, one, which feems very well fuited to a work of this kind. The gentleman from whom I received it says, he has been in- formed that it was founded on the following infcription (probably written from real feeling) on the window of an inn, fituated in the Highlands of Scotland. "Of all the ills unhappy mortals know, This poem contains a defcription of the fituation of a Scotch gentleman who had been obliged to leave his country for rebellion against our prefent happy government. It points out the fatal confequences of fuch treasonable attempts, and represents the diftrefs of the perfon described, in a very interesting and pathetic manner. S THE |