Words of Advice to a young Lady.

Dear ELVIRA,

F

289

will proeure you inward peace and tranquillity. Remember, my dear Elvira, that your life is now at that age, when the paffions are strong, and the voice of reafon feldom heard; therefore, fhould one falle or imprudent ftep be now made, your character (though ever fo good in other refpects) will be loft for ever! This ought to teach you the neceffity of chuling the company of the good and virtuous; fuch are those women whofe converfation and behaviour is free from that tincture of levity too frequently met with, even in the best ranks of fociety. The choice of company, to a young lady on her first entrance in the world, free from the restric tions of her parents, ought to be

ROM a heart deeply interested for your future happiness I write this letter, which is not from any any other motives but thofe dictated by a pure and difinterested friend-guided with the greateft prudence fhip if you think otherwise, I am very much wronged, though I will ingenuously own I ftill love, nor can I ever ceafe from this paffion whilst I continue in being, which, more than all others, is a continual torment that embitters every earthly enjoyment. I have tried every thing to remove it, but in vain: time nor absence cannot make the least alteration; and, though I love you above all others, yet it fhall be my conftant care never to offend one to whom it has lately been fo difagreeable. Love is a paffion fuperior to felf views-f is mine; I look upon you now in the light of a favourite and much beloved fifter, whose interest I am anxious to promote by every poffible means in my power. On your late extraordinary conduct 1 fhall make no remarks, though many occur to me; yet I cannot help -declaring, that my principles and conduct have very ftrangely been mifrepresented to you: I will not accufe any one of ungenerous proceeding who I know has acted fo, but leave for the prefent all formered upon as an amiable than a beauill-ufage I have received, and pro- tiful woman? I know you would eeed to mention those things which and it is my wifh as you increase in are the purport of this letter, and beauty, you may ftill do so in every VOL. XX. Pp

and deliberation : let this be your care, before you have reason to blush for an ill-placed confidence in any one, who may endeavour to debauch that uafullied purity of mind which ever remains in a virtuous woman; and which, when once loft, is quickly followed by the lofs of innocence. Oh! Elvira, loved, refpected, or happy, be cautious of every flattering allurement, too often made use of by men to enfnare you from the path of virtue ; truft no man, for men can but too easily deceive: then helitate not a moment to be upon your guard, and liften to the dictates of reafon joined to that natural good fense which you fo happily poflefs; a you then take the most likely means to fecure permanent happiness, or at least that peaceful calm arising from a mind endowed with true virus; for, certainly, beauty is but like a picture to the fight when without its best ornament, virtue; and, though you may be admired for beauty, would you not be more pleafed to be look

other

other mental qualification; which, the ufual effects of all fashions, like beauty, can never perifh when fevere cenfures from the old, the properly cultivated. On your well- grave, and the prudent, and aukbeing depends my future happiness ward imitations by the young, the or mifery: when far removed from gay, and the thoughtless. Some you, I thall ever be anxious to hear feem to confider it as an innovation of the lot of one, whom I fo much of the most dangerous kind, and do esteem and ; I dare not repeat not fcruple to prophecy, that, if a the word : Oh! forgive this weak-fpeedy ftop be not put to this new nefs of my heart, and believe me to fashion, every "man and woman" be a fincere friend, who would be will commence player, business will the first to rejoice in every thing be neglected; and the diffipation, profperous that attends you, by too justly charged against the ladies whatever virtuous end it is obtain of the fock and buskin, will prevail in ed; but if on the contrary it is de- common life. Others affect to laugh nied, may the kind hand of Provi- at the whole, and confider it as a dence close my eyes forever, before whim of the prefent time, which, if I fhould live to fee the day that left to itfelf, will foon give way to brings unhappiness to you:-no, fome other whim: from a fhort view kind heaven will furely preferve thy of the fafhionable employments of innocence unfullied, to bloom for the last fifty years, a friend of mine ever hereafter though I hope in deduces this fact, that gaming is the this life it will meet with its due re- only one that never dies, but that ward, if not, it will most certainly all others are subject, like kingdoms when time itself fhall be no more! and states, to rife, progrefs, and deMy heart is too full to fay what is cline; he thinks, moreover, that the more ready to conceive than exprefs; cuftom of acting plays cannot be of nor can I defcribe thofe fentiments any long duration, as it requires of esteem, which are fo favourable fuch culture of memory and habits to you; only fuffice it to fay, that of attention as are rarely found in as your years increase, may your perfons addicted to amufement. But happiness alfo, by obtaining every the letter I now send you will speak earthly felicity. Farewel: pity, but for itself.

blame not the unfortunate

MONTFORD.

I

SIR,

NEVER was fomorofe, gloomy, or cenforious, as to quarrel with

To the EDITOR of the LADY'S MA- the great world, while they kept

SIR,

GAZINE.

THE following Letter fell into my hands but lately. I believe it is but little known, and I am fure it cannot fail of contributing much to the entertainment of your readers. You will pleafe, therefore, to infert it, if agreeable to your plan, as it concerns a fashion which is likely to be very prevalent.

The fashion of acting plays which feems at prefent to reign among perfous of diftinction, has produced

their follies within doors; while they preserve secrecy, and take not pains to proclaim their employments

on the houfe tops," they have al ways had my leave to act what parts they pleafed; but when they publish their proceedings, and hold forth their actions as examples to fa milies and individuals of inferior rank, it is time to enquire into the nature, ufe, and tendency of those actions. There is fomething, fir, abfolutely contagious in every thing they do. If a lady of fashion alters her cap, it is a fignal hung out to

On the Prevalence of acting Plays in private Families. 291

a

"Great Alexander dead, and turn'd to

clay,

"Might ftop a hole to keep the wind away.

"

our wives and daughters to do the fame. If a inan of quality Sports fas they call it) a new buckle, or button, it operates like a defpotic command, and is obeyed by all the But was it for Denmark's prince, young men in the kingdom, as "the glass of fashion, the observed fomething on which their lives and of all obfervers," to mend boots; or characters depend. People of rank, the good Lear "a king, my mafir, do nothing unobferved, for in- fters," to fubmit to the indignities deed our newspapers are more than of a tobacconist's flop? No." The half filled with their private tranf- young gentlenen felt the dignity of actions, and there is no example they their characters too fenfibly ever to recan set without a numerous herd of turn to their business. It became fervile followers. How much then, therefore neceffary for the magifir, is it to be lamented that any ftrates to interfere, and the mischief examples fhould be made public was flopt in a great meafure, alwhich virtue cannot approve! What though not until a fcore or two of might not be done by the union of monarchs had been depofed, and a few people of distinction to fupport and their kingdoms given to the public decency and difcourage pub-rightful heirs of Covent-garden and lic licentioufnefs?

Drury-lane. For fome years this The fashion of acting plays, which folly flept. It has been of late revivrages like an epidemic at prefent, is ed, but by a different clafs of men. not new. Some years ago this dif- Nor can it be accounted a strange. order was very violent, but the per-thing, if it should now be more prefons liable to be affected were chieflyvalent than ever, under the patronage young tradefinen, journeymen, and of the great, and at a time when to apprentices, younger fons of younger act a part in a play, or more profons, ftudents of law who preferred perly to fpout, is all the intellectual Congreve to Coke, and young critics merit in vogue? who ftudied Garrick oftener than Gronovius. Spouting-clubs were common in most of our alehouses; and fhopinen and clerks all day, enacted kings and princes, tyrants and heroes, at night. Hence a very com fortable addition was made to ftrolling companies; for how could the hero who had frutted at the head of any army over-night, with his trunchion in his hand, reconcile that hand to the vulgar yard-measure of the fhop? Was it for Macbeth, after being let into the fecret of the infernal caldron, to return to the bafe born occupation of foap-boiling? Was it for the tyrant Glofter to fweep out the shop, or the gay and gallant Lothario to carry out parcels? Was the blood of Lancaster to mount no higher than a fhop-tended for the preternatural accom.. board, or "Othello's occupation" be followed in a counting-house.

I have caule to speak feelingly on this occafion; a fenfe of danger, from which I have just escaped, is yet ftrong with me. Would you believe it, fir, that during an abfence of fix wecks in the country, my house has been metamorphofed into a theatre, abfolutely into a theatre, fir. My dining room, which unfortunately for me is large, and confequently fit for the purpose, was the audience part of the houfe, and the adjoining room, by the demolition of the parition, was converted into a fage and dreffing-room. I know not how much it will coft to have matters put to rights again, for they have made a prodigious large hole in the centre of the floor of the leffer room (now the stage) which I find was in

modation of a gh ft. In making this hole, they met with a trifling obPp 2

struction,