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GLEANINGS OF ANCIENT POETRY.

A CAUTION FOR COURTLY DAMSELS.

From Epigrams subjoin'd to J. Sylvester's Du Bartas.
BEWARE, fair maid, of mighty courtiers oaths,
Take heed what gifts or favours you receive;
Let not the fading glofse of silken cloaths
Dazzle your vertues, or your fame bereave;
For once but leave the hold you have of grace,
Who will regard your fortune or your face?

Each greedy hand will strive to catch the flower,
When none regard the stalke it growes upon;
Basenefse desires the fruit still to devoure,
And leave the tree to fall or stand alone;
But this advise, fair creature, take of mee,
Let none take fruit unlefse hee'll have the tree.

Beleeve not oaths, nor much protesting men,
Credit no vowes, nor a bewailing song;

Let courtiers sweare, forsweare, and sweare agen,
The heart doth live ten regions from the tongue;

For when with oaths and vows they make you tremble,
Beleeve them least for then the most difsemble.

Beware lest Croesus doe corrupt thy minde,
Or fond ambition sell thy modesty;

Say, though a king thou even courteous finde,
Hee cannot pardon thy impurity.

Begin with kings, to subjects you will fall;
From lord to lackey, and at last to all.

ON FRIENDSHIP.

From Paradise of Daynty Devise. fol. 1. 3. signed M. Yloop.
NoT stayed state, but feeble stay,
Not costly robes, but bare array;
Not passed welth, but present want,
Not heped store, but sclender skant;
Not plenty's purse, but poore estate,
Not happy hap, but froward fate;
Not with at wil, but want of joy,
Not hart's good helth, but hart's annoy;
Not freedome's use but prisoner's thrall,
Not costly seate, but lowest fall;
Not weale I meane, but wretched wo,
Doth truely try the freend from foe;
And nowght but frowarde fortune proves,
Who fauning faines, or simply loves.

THE SELF RIVAL. A NOUVELLETTE FROM THE FRENCH.

WOMEN with an eminent degree of beauty and elegance never fail pleasing at first sight; and, on the other hand, the plain and forbidding may also afsure themselves of a contrary effect; the former have nothing to fear, nor the latter to hope. But they who are neither of a striking beauty nor uglinefs, it much concerns to take great precautions at a first interview, the success of which depends not only on the taste of him to whom they are desirous of appearing amiable, but on the different dispositions in which the man may happen to be; as in a gloomy moment of chagrin he may be disgusted with one of those half beauties, with whom amidst the festivity of an entertainment he would have been charmed.

An only daughter, one of those equivocal beauties we have been speaking of, became, at first sight, enamoured of a gentleman on whom the perceived that the first sight of her had not such an effect. They happened to meet at a judge's chambers about a law suit on which depended the welfare of the two families. In order to adjust an affair of such concern, yet uncertain, a match was agreed on between the two parents, and a day was appointed in which this happy agreement should be celebrated by a splendid feast. The heiress made her appearance on that occasion in a very careless dress, and her compliments and behaviour were no less void of ceremony. This created some astonishment; and being asked by her mother what reason fhe had for such singularity, she made answer, that having perceived, at the judge's chamber, that her person

* From this performance Mrs Cowley has borrowed the plot of her comedy entitled the Belles Stratagem.

was not like to create any love in her future husband, fhe would endeavour at least to gain his esteem by modesty.

The gentleman, who had been for some time expected, came; he was a very personable youth, and though not wanting in manners or good sense, of an excessive franknefs, plainly speaking what he thought. His first speech at coming in was to the mother, saying he came to pay his duty to her; that this morning was the first time he had ever heard of the marriage which his father intended for him. "Had I known, (continued he,) saluting the young lady, that you were the with whom I am to pass my life, I would have entreated you freely to have told me, whether in a marriage concerted between our parents, merely for the mutual interest of the two families, you as willingly conformed to your mother's directions, as I obey my father; for if the match be in the least against your inclination, it is what I will never suffer myself to be brought to." To this the mother, preventing the daugh, ter, answered, 'That her daughter had most willingly obeyed at the very first intimation. But, Sir, allow me to desire that you, with your natural sincerity, would declare, whether you have any liking to my daughter.'" O! (answered he,) I see supper is on the table, I will answer that question at the defsert; but for the present let us sit down." The table talk turned entirely on the oddness of a marriage so suddenly concluded: not a word came from the daughter, and it was very seldom fhe looked at the gentleman, though already in love with him; but she had her drift. At length comes the defsert, and the servants being ordered to withdraw, the mother challenged the gentleman's promise of freely declaring his mind; which he did with all imaginable politeness; he gave her to understand that her daughter had not touched his heart; but

April 17, protested that he might depend on the most civil treatment, and every mark of real affection. This new manner of making love occasioned a good deal of pleasantry, till the company broke up. The mother, in her return home, rallied her daughter for sitting like a mope at table. I had my reasons for it, (said the daughter,) I did it to make myself loved." Loved! (answered the mother,) you go an odd way to work.' But this sagacious girl laid open her scheme so much to the mother's satisfaction, that she promised to act a part in it.

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The day following, the gentleman paid a visit to the daughter, whom he did not love, but whom, for her character, he esteemed. After a fhort silence, the, with a mien which could give him no great idea of her intellects, said, that as he had no hopes of his love, the at least required from him an excessive proof of his esteem, which was, fhould he hereafter take a fancy to any other woman, to make her his confidante. This proposal he looked on in the light which he thought it deserved, and made answer, that as far as he knew himself, he was not the most propense to amours, but that should such a thing fall eut, his reason would help him to stifle a passion, and conceal it from himself, so far from imparting it to his wife. She insisted that he would stand in his heart, at least in the rank of a good friend. This produced a long contest, managed with great indifference on his side, and with a vapid sort of obstinacy on hers. He still would not promise so extravagant a confidence, till, to be rid of her importunities, with a contemptuous laugh, he complied with what he had been soliciting. Another good quality of this gentleman was, that what he had promised he kept to. He took his leave of her, telling her, in a carelefs manner, that he was going to the ball, and always put on a Spanish drefs, and very seldom missed a night; to

which the answered, that fhe could not endure a ball, dancing was a thing that the could never learn.

He was no sooner in the street than the sent for an Espagnoletta habit, purposing to follow him.--With the finest shape in the world, and an advantageous stature, she had all the graces of attitude, and danced inimitably; her neck, the contour of her face, and her eyes were perfectly beautiful; so that with a little mafk, and the apertures for the eyes very open, her appearance was quite enchanting. She soon attracted the eyes of the whole company, and her Spaniard was not the least charmed: being taken out to dance, the herein increased the admiration of her person. The Spaniard, who stood forward to have the better sight of her, had the high pleasure of being chosen for her second partner. --After dancing, they fell into conversation. The Spaniard, enraptured with the brilliancy of her repartees, and the turn and delicacy of her thoughts, little imagined this engaging person to be her whom he had seen only in her negligée, which hid her fhape, and disfigured her air, and affected an indolence bordering on stupidity; in a word, he began to love her beyond what he thought himself susceptible of, and rejoiced in the happiness only of being told by her that she was to be at the ball on the following night, and in the same habit.

On the afternoon of the next day he waited on his future bride, whom he found in her usual indolence, and more carelesly drefsed than before; but in her discourse a surprizing alteration. Such judgement, such elevation of thought, such tenderness of sentiments, and delivered with such amiable sweetness, that he began to grow a little easy, though the wanted the sparkling wit, and radiant charms of the Espagnoletta: yet some signs of extreme agitation escaped him; and from time to time, to her great joy, he VOL. XIV.

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