think, muft receive an additional pleasure in contemplating thofe perfections in a friend, which it has not within itself; and may, in effect, fancy itself the proprietor or poffeffor of thofe advantages which adorn its other half.

But by this difference or diverfity of humours or characters, I would not be understood to mean their incompati bility. Friendship could not long fubfift under this disadvantage; the union muft diffolve, and averfion fucceed. But this incompatibility (I wish I could think of a shorter word) does not always arife from the difference, but the too great uniformity of humours. Thus two people equally haughty, peremptory, or pofitive, muft foon finish their affairs; and yet thefe difpofitions would mix extremely well with their contraries.

• Neither do I think equality of rank or fortune neceffary to form a perfect friendship. For perfect friendship is founded on virtue, on the perfections of the mind, or the goodnefs of the heart; and confults neither title, nor for tune. It does not tye itself to the genealogy, or the rentroll, but to the perfon. Our fuperiors, as fuch, have a right only to our complaifance, and 'tis a tribute that decency allows 'em; but the esteem which comes from the heart, is due only to true merit. The great have a thoufand ways of obliging or plaguing us; but they have but one of making themfelves belov'd, and that is, by a fuperiority of merit. When they condefcend to rank this among their advantages, they are truly amiable; they attract, and are attracted. Their own hearts are enlarged, the object finds an eafy admittance; they pleafe, and are pleafed they have so many ways of obliging. An inferior, however, fets out with many disadvantages, which are not fo much his demerits, as the neceflary confequences of his fituation; has requefts to be gratified, or perhaps humours to be indulged as well as his betters; and thefe may by degrees diffolve the charm. But a fuperior may be obliged, and perhaps oftener infifts upon being pleased. If the former can wave his pretenfions, refign his interest, or humour, to his friendship, he is no longer the inferior; his generosity of fentiment gives him his rank, and entitles him to equal indulgencies. But an equality is often as fatal. Jealoufies, emulations, and oppofitions of interefts, are rocks upon which the firmeft friendships have split. An inequality, however, fteers clear of thefe; and if it has any other wrecks to fear, they are no more than are common to both.

• In

In short, true friendship, found it upon what you will, can never fubfift long, but upon fenfe and virtue. And whether we are of different, or the fame difpofitions, equals, or inequals, have a narrow way of thinking, or no way at all, (for every thing will unite itself to fomewhat) when once the mind has pafs'd his judgment upon the object, and the heart has found its attraction, it examines no farther, but takes the most effectual and speedy methods of uniting itself to it.

I believe that laft thought was none of my own; but, if 'tis not, I don't know who it belongs to; fo cannot pay the right owner my acknowledgments.'

The following letter abounds with more wit, vivacity, and good fenfe, than may barely ferve to juftify our giving it a place here.

I (d) hope you know I honour you extremely, becaufe I'm just going to tell you (after having thank'd you moft cordially for your agreeable letter) that I'll never truft you with any more fecrets as long as I live. The very moment I had given you the infide of my breaft, to order your chariot, and drive away with it to the first perfon you could meet with O times! O manners! O my fex! Is there none that can contain a fecret? No, not one.

But what, my good madam, could move you to communicate to lady H. or any lady in the land, a ftupid letter of mine? Even if there are no fecrets, 'tis impoffible for a fecond perfon to understand a letter; and if there are, 'tis perfidy, downright perfidy, to fhew one.-How amiable was the picture I had been forming of you! I had just begun to think you an angel; but the poft-man knock'd at the door, and fpoilt my vifion.

Your advice, however, is very fober and fignificant; and much the fame I'd give, but don't care to takeotherwife, I mean, than very kindly. But why humble myfelf, I beseech you? (for I find I can't help trufling you again already) and all of a fudden fall to owning P've done wrong, when I've only been paffive in the affair, and done nothing. My friend abfconded, and I did not fo much as upbraid her; I only-acquiefc'd. Nothing in nature had happen'd; 'twas all calm and quiet as a fummer's fea; but in a moment the face of the fky was obfcur'd, and I have been totally in the dark, as to the reafon why, ever fince. Now and then, indeed, a friendly ftar or two look'd put upon me from a diftant quarter, and in fome measure fup

(d) P. 235.

plied

plied the abfence of the fun. You, like an Aurora Borealis, for a while relum'd my ancient light. Lady Frances Williams was a meteor. She darted her rays upon me for a moment; but being of irregular appearance, and among the surprising, tho' pleafing phænomena, there's no accounting for her motions by any of the ftated laws of being. I had only one fix'd orb to caft up my eyes to, and guide me thro' the dark profound. She fhone, and ftill fhines with undiminish'd rays; and you may fee her every night at Somerset-house, calmly moving on her own axis, and out of the reach of those haloes, and hurricanes that difturb the planetary fyftem.

In this fituation, I fay, my friend withdrew her beams. And for this reafon you'd have me betake myself to the wholfome duty of humiliation, and go and confefs I have been extremely in the wrong. I own, 'tis an humbling confideration, and I never was more more mortified in my life; but how to bring myself to confeffion, and own I've done what I've only fuffer'd, is a strain of humility quite out of the reach of my unaffifted reason. 'Tis fomewhat like thofe pious forms of confeffion one meets with in fome over-righteous books, which fhock one's nature to repeat. As they are most of them penn'd for general use, in order to take in particular cafes, the poor penitent is to declare, that he's the vileft of finners, and the worst of men; not only a liar, an adulterer, or a fabbath-breaker, but, in fhort, every commandment-breaker of the ten. And the confeffion to be fure is a very righteous confeffion for thofe it hits; but I never repeat any of this fort, as having no manner of relation to my particular fins. So that in regard to this part of your advice, I must beg leave to diffent a little; conceiving it both abfurd and inconfiftent with truth to confefs what never enter'd into my head to commit.

But to talk seriously, and like a good catholic, for I love to confefs to you(O that you could but keep a fecret!) that we are all liable to mistakes, that we are as often difgufted with ourfelves as with others, and that mifbehaviour as often arifes from infirmity as defign, I can readily allow, (for I am very far from thinking that every body, that does a wrong, means one) 1 fay, when we take thefe, and many more confiderations into the question, one may, nay one certainly ought to overlook an indignity, tho' there's nothing hinders that one should not feel one. I question whether ever we thoroughly hate a friend we

have

have been us'd to converse with without reserve. At least one must be of a very malevolent caft indeed, not to feel fome returns of affection, upon the flighteft overtures of a returning friendship. The ftrings which have been fo long and fo equally wound, will naturally vibrate, when their correfponding notes are touch'd. But this can only happen when the harmony is difcontinued; if 'tis totally difconcerted, and perfifted in, nothing remains but diffonance and difcord. In regard to the former, each party muft give up a few niceties of the ear, for the fake of the tune; and if, after that, they can only adjust their crotchets and quavers, all will be well. But in my particular cafe, I can't poffibly be call'd upon to affift, because there's no part left for me to perform. I don't care to offer at an air, and am above appearing in recitative; fo that 'tis impoffible we fhould ever have another concert, unless my friend condefcends to open it herself with a folo. In this cafe, whatever diffonances my temper may have acquir'd fince this rupture, I affure you, not a note shall be loft for want of the highest attention.

Thus have I trufted you once more with the fecret of my heart in metaphor. If you fhould chufe to communicate this likewife to her lady fhip, I've no objections. For I had rather the knew every thing I fay, than not; and should like to be in a corner, and hear you both upon the cafe. For tho' I think myself in the right, the rest of the world, perhaps, may think me in the wrong.

Every part of your letter is extremely agreeable and entertaining; except where you apologize for what is moft fo to me, writing fo foon. I believe none of your correfpondents ever made that a complaint against you; we only fuffer when you're filent long.

Will you forgive all this nonfenfe, in a few words? Or fhall I add to your troubles by a more formal apology?'

The remainder of mrs. Jones's letters, being those in the second and third divifions, are addreffed to the hon. mifs Lovelace, and to lady Henry Beauclerk; they are a very entertaining feries, and fill 120 pages.

MONTHLY

I.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For June 1752.

L

MISCELLANEOUS.

Ibitina fine conflictu; or, a true narrative of the untimely death of dr. Atall,*&c. 8vo. 6d. Jeffery. A humorous, ironical fatire upon dr. H-ll, occafioned by his late rencounter at Ranelagh, with a perfon faid to be ridiculed in one of the doctor's Inspectors.

II. Memoirs of the life of Nell Gwin, miftrefs to King Charles II. 8vo. 1 s. Stamper.

#

A kind of paneyric on mrs. Gwin. The author characterifes her as a lady of diftinguished talents; in whom wit, beauty and benevolence were united. But he has given us few, if any, particulars concerning her, that were not sufficiently known before.

III. A clear and compendious hiftory of the gods and goddeffes, and their cotemporaries, whether patriarchs, emperors, kings, princes, phyficians, hiftorians, poets, &c. By David Warfon, A. M. 8vo. 35. Printed for the author, and fold by the bookfellers.

This book is defigned for fchools; and fomewhat differs from Tooke's Pantheon, or King's hiftory of the Heathen gods. Mr. Watson has given a pretty large account of the oracles, which they have omitted; and as nothing ought to be introduced into the ftudies of young people, but what may rather incite to morality and virtue, than be repugnant thereto, he has avoided that enumeration of the loose and criminal exploits of the gods, &c. which the former books of this kind have given.

IV. An effay towards a natural history of the HERRING. By James Solas Dodd, furgeon. 8vo. 3s. few'd. Vincent. This article ranks with mr. Hughes's natural history of Barbadoes. See Review, vol. 3.

V. A narrative of the affair between mr. Brown and the Infpector. 8vo. 6d. Clay. See Art. 1. above.

VI. The doctrine of libels, and the duty of juries fairly ftated. 8vo. Is. Cooper.

The defign of this tract is chiefly the fame with Art. 1. in our Catalogue for last month.

VII Remarks on Mafon's ELFRIDA. 8vo. 1s. Tonfon. A fond encomium on mr. Mafon's poem, not ungenteelly, tho', in fome places, rather too inaccurately written:

the

*If mr. Watson fhould print another impreffion of this work, he will de well to correct the many inaccuracies and errors of the prefent edition.

# By Murphy.

#4 by Shiells