nefs, and wit in the folly of a perfon of fafhion, to which one of a lower rank has no manner of pretenfion.

I am afraid that our city (talking like a man who has travelled) is but a fort of mimic metropolis, and cannot fairly pretend to the fame license of making a fool of itfelf, as London or Paris. The circle, therefore, taking them in the gros, of our fashionable people here, have feldom ventured on the fame beautiful irregularity in drefs, in behaviour, or in manners, that is frequently practifed by the leaders of the ton in the capitals of France or England.

With individuals, the fame rule of fubordination is to be obferved, which, however, perfons of extraordinary parts, of genius above their condition, are fometimes apt to overlook. I perceive, in the pit of the playhoufe, fome young men, who have got fuddled in punch, as noify and as witty as the gentlemen in the boxes, who have been drinking Burgundy; and others, who have come fober from the counter, or the writing-defk, give almoft as little attention to the play as the men of L. 3000 a-year.-My old fchoolacquaintance, Jack Woudbe, t'other morning,

had

had a neckcloth as dirty as a Lord's, and picked his teeth after dinner, for a quarter of an hour, by the affiftance of the little mirror in the lid of his tooth-pick cafe. I take the first opportunity of giving him a friendly hint, that this practice is elegant only in a man who has made the tour of Europe.

Nature and Fashion are two oppofite powers, that have long been at variance with one another. The firft is allowed to prefide over the bulk of the people known by the denomination of the vulgar; the last is peculiar to the higher orders of the state, and by her honours they have a title to be diftinguished. Attention to interefting fcenes, civility to those we ought to oblige, and propriety in public behaviour, belong to Nature, and are therefore the property of the people. It is a direct infringement on the rights of Fashion, if the inferior members of the community fhall laugh where they should cry, be noify where they fhould be filent, rude where they should be civil, or dirty where they should be cleanly. · Thefe are the badges of greatnefs, and, like certain coats-armorial, are only to be borne by illuftrious perfonages.

Thefe are matters in which, I think, I may

venture

venture to interpofe my advice or animadverfion. But, as to fome more delicate fubjects, I am very doubtful whether they come within the limits of my jurifdiction, or how far it would be prudent in me to exercise it, if they did. I mean this as a general apology for not inferting a variety of letters from unknown correfpondents, giving me information of certain irregularities in the manners and deportment of the fashionable world, which they defire 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 himfelf of her name, he was furprised to receive a curtly at the play or the concert. Another, who fubfcribes. himfeif 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 fays, has fo fhrunk up this winter, that there is more of the--ankle Teen than he can find countenance to look at. To the first of thefe correfpondents I must anfwer,

VOL. III.

H

anfwer, that I think the ladies, (whofe number I am inclined to believe is fmall), who chufe to drefs 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 of the ladies being fo much ingroffed about their heads, as to leave them no leifure to take care of the other extremity; as generals who are anxious to cover one part of their works, are apt to leave an oppofite quarter defenceless.

But the most serious 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 news-paper in town.

This," he adds,

more, when I

moves my indignation the "confider that feveral of its principal mem "bers are arrived at a period of life which "fhould teach decorum, at leaft, 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 affizes. Dining one day in a tavern with some gentlemen of that city and its neighbourhood, we were violently disturbed by the noife of fomebody 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 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 serious remonftrance with the sportsman below. But an elderly perfon, who fat opposite to me, pacified their refentment: "I know the gentleman who disturbs you," faid he; "his "head-piece was never one of the best; but