ness, and wit in the folly of a perfon of fashion, 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 itself, as London or Paris. The circle, therefore, taking them in the gros, of our fashionable people here, have seldom ventured on the fame beautiful irregularity in dress, in behaviour, or in manners, that is frequently practised by the leaders of the ton in the capitals of France or England.

With individuals, the fame rule of fubordination is to be observed, which, however, perfons of extraordinary parts, of genius above their condition, are sometimes apt to overlook. I perceive, in the pit of the playhouse, some young men, who have got fuddled in punch, as noisy 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-desk, give almost 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 afsistance 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 first is allowed to preside 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 interesting scenes, 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 shall laugh where they should cry, be noify where they should be filent, rude where they should be civil, or dirty where they should be cleanly. These are the badges of greatness, and, like certain coats-armorial, are only to be borne by illustrious personages.

These are matters in which, I think, I may

venture to interpose my advice or animadverfion. But, as to some more delicate subjects, I am very doubtful whether they come within the limits of my jurisdiction, 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 so 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 himself of her name, he was surprised to receive a curtsy at the play or the concert. Another, who subscribes himself Modestus, defires me to imitate the example of the Tatler, by animadverting, not on the large, but the small size of the petticoat, which, he says, has so shrunk up this winter, that there is more of the-ankle seen than he can find countenance to look at.

To the first of these correfpondents I must VOL. III. anfwer,

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anfwer, that I think the ladies, (whose number I am inclined to believe is small), who chuse to dress 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 detested 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 virtuosi do certain delicate natural productions, which are meant to be looked at, but never to be touched. As to the complaint of Modestus, I can only account for the present shortness of the petticoat, from the attention of the ladies being so much ingrossed about their heads, as to leave them no leisure 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 subscribed Genfor, 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

This," he adds,

"every news-paper in town. "moves my indignation the more, when I "confider that several of its principal mem. "bers are arrived at a period of life which "should teach decorum, at least, if it does "not extinguish vice."

In answer to this angry correspondent, I will tell him the following story. Some years ago, I happened to be in York, at the time of the affizes. Dining one day in a tavern with fome gentlemen of that city and its neighbourhood, we were violently disturbed by the noise of somebody below, who hooted and hollow'd, smacked his whip, and made his servants found their French horns, in short, rehearsed, during the whole time of our dinner, all "the glorious tumult of the "chace." Some of the company, after several ineffectual messages 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 resentment: "I know the gentleman who disturbs you," faid he; "his "head-piece was never one of the best ; but now, poor man! I believe we must let him " alone

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