fix my Thoughts on her alone; but when Lucinda approaches, all my Refolutions vac nifh, and I'm Celia's no longer. I have endeavoured to fearch into my own Thoughts as nicely as poffible, and have at laft difcovered that 'tis Lucinda I admire, but Celia I love; I would therefore beg your Advice which I ought to chufe, her, that by the Delicacy of her Face and Shape, and Stateli nefs of her Mien and Air, enforces my Adoration; or her that by the Agreeableness of her Good-humour and Converfation engages my Love. An Answer to this will be very acceptable to

Your humble Servant,

Charles Doubt.

THE Circumftance of this Gentleman puts me in mind of a Paper of Verses in Sir Fohn Suckling, upon two Sifters, whose Beauties were fo equal and fo like, that they diftracted the Choice and Approbation of their Beholders. While the Eyes of their Admirers were taken up in comparing their feveral Beauties, their Hearts were fafe by being unrefolved on whom of the two to fix. That witty Author on this Occafion concludes,

He fure is happy'ft that has hopes of either, Next him is be that fees them both together.

MY Correfpondent has not told me, that he has not eafie Accefs to both his young La

dies; while he enjoys that, I cannot but propofe the Expedient of feeing them both toge ther, as an effectual Method towards coming to determination in this Cafe, tho' it had the contrary Effect in the Cafe of the Sifters reported by Suckling. If my Correspondent has ftated the Matter right, Celia will gain Ground of Lucinda; for Beauty palls by intimate Converfation, but good Humour and Affability gain new Strength the more frequently they discover themfelves. I expect this Cor refpondent, provided he goes into my Method, fhould give me an Account how he finds himself, that I may note it in my Book of Receipts.

THE next Gentleman, I find, is extreamly high in his Feaver, for he starts from one thing to another in the prefent hurry of his Spirits, and makes it impoffible for me to give any regular Judgment of his Condition. I find he is but lately fallen into it, and I muft obferve his future Letters very attentively, before I can be able to prefcribe any thing for his Recovery. It is the Nature of his Dif eafe, in the first Place, that the Patients think every Man delighted with their Ravings. The Stile of the Letter feems to me to be that which the Learned in Love diftinguish by the Sublime Unintelligible; but take it from himself.

Ob! Mr. MYRTLE,

HAD you feen her for whom my Breaft pants this Moment, your Anne Page had been as utterly no more as Cleopatra who ruined Anthony, or Statira who capti

'vated Alexander! heedlefs Man that I was ་ But what could Wifdom have availed me after feeing her! As the is fair, the is 'alfo inexorable. Alas! that what moves 'Paffion should also be a check to our Defires, and how miferable is his Fate, who conceives Despair from the Merit of what 'infpires his Admiration! Oh, dear Sir! fend

me your Advice, but I am fure I can't follow it, and I fhall not have time to fhew " you how much I am

Your bumble Servant,

though I know I fhall be Yours till Death,

Cinthio Languiffante.

I fhall end to Day's Work with this notable piece of Complaint from poor Tim, Gubbin, whofe Lamentation you must take in his own Words.

Mr. MYRTLE,

SINCE I writ to you laft, I have vifited 'this Gentlewoman that I told you of, · and whom I cannot be without every Day in the Week, except Sundays. You cannot imagine how very Proud the is, and Scorn༦ ful, tho' at the fame time he knows I am 'better born than her felf; but he loves none 'but Diffemblers. The young Spark who I complained to you was fo much in her Favour, told her such a parcel of Lies t'other Day, that I told him to his Face I wonder'd he was not afham'd on it. You must know

I

" I believe most of what he fays is out of a 'Book. I am loath to be quarelsome, but if he Talks, and makes a Jeft of me any longer, as I find he does, I'll make him under' stand that I am as good a Scholar at the Rapier as himself. I only fpeak it to you as a Cafe of Confcience, and ask you the Que· ftion, whether if a Man has more Wit than 'I, and ufes it against me, I may not use what I think I have more than he against him? 'Therefore if I may have your leave, I would try my young Spark about the Business of Courage. I have told my Mistress as much, but I don't know what he means, but I 'think she has as mad a way of talking as he, and fays the way to win her is to die for her my self; and if I won't do that, not to interrupt People who are better bred than my felf, who are willing to die for her. Prethee, Mr. MYRTLE, tell me what all this means, for though I have a very good Eftate, I am as unhappy as if I were not worth a Groat, and all for this proud 'Minx.

་

I am SIR,

Tour most Humble Servant,

Timothy Gubbin

Saturday,

N° 20. Saturday, April 10.

She dropt a Tear, and Sighing feem'd to fay, Young Maidens Marry: Marry while you may. Flatman.

I

AM apt to believe the Circumstances of the following Letter are unfeigned, and therefore shall not labour to make them more entertaining by fabulous Ornaments. I fhall have, I dare fay, enough to do in the Progrefs of the Matter, to fhew my Skill in Love; therefore let the following Letter lye before the Town, as a plain Narrative of what, I fear, will have more Incidents in it than it should have, were I my self either the Son or the Father in the Narration. I appeal to the TeaTables on the Matter.

Dear Mr. MYRTLE,

I

Have long had a fecret (and I hope no 'Criminal) Ambition to appear in your 'Writings, and an equal Defire to be under your Direction. If therefore you have Kindness enough to gratifie the Vanity of an enamoured Female (who has a mind to be admired in Coffee-houfes, and is willing to believe, that by a little of your Management the may make a tolerable figure a