N° 80. Saturday, October 27.

HAT every day has its pains and forrows

THA

is univerfally experienced, and almoft univerfally confeffed; but let us not attend only to mournful truths; if we look impartially about us, we shall find that every day has likewise its pleasures and its joys.

THE time is now come when the town is again beginning to be full, and the rufticated beauty fees an end of her banishment. Those whom the tyranny of Fashion had condemned to pass the fummer among shades and brooks, are now preparing to return to plays, balls, and affemblies, with health reftored by retirement, and fpirits kindled by expectation..

MANY a mind which has languished some months without emotion or defire, now feels a fudden renovation of its faculties. It was

long ago obferved by Pythagoras, that Ability and Neceffity dwell near each other.

She

that

of

that wandered in the garden without fense o its fragrance, and lay day after day ftretch'd upon a couch behind a green curtain, unwilling to wake and unable to fleep, now fummons her thoughts to confider which of her laft year's cloaths fhall be feen again, and to anticipate the raptures of a new fuit; the day and the night are now filled with occupation; the laces which were too fine to be worn among rufticks, are taken from the boxes and reviewed, and the eye is no fooner clofed after its labours, than whole shops of filk bufy the fancy.

BUT happiness is nothing if it is not known, and very little if it is not envied. Before the day of departure a week is always appropriated to the payment and reception of ceremonial vifits, at which nothing can be mentioned but the delights of London. The Lady who is haftening to the fcene of action flutters her wings, difplays her profpects of felicity, tells how fhe grudges every moment of delay, and in the prefence of those whom she knows condemned to ftay at home, is fure to wonder by what arts life can be made fupportable thro' a winter in the country, and to H 6

tell

tell how often amidst the extafies of an Opera

fhe fhall pity those friends whom she has left behind. Her hope of giving pain is feldom disappointed; the affected indifference of one, the faint congratulations of another, the wishes of fome openly confeffed, and the silent dejection of the reft, all exalt her opinion of her own fuperiority.

BUT however we may labour for our own deception, truth, though unwelcome, will fometimes intrude upon the mind. They who have already enjoyed the crouds and noife of the great city, know that their defire to return is little more than the restleffnefs of a vacant mind, that they are not fo much led by hope as driven by disgust, and wish rather to leave the country than to fee the town. There is commonly in every coach a paffenger enwrapped in filent expectation, whose joy is more fincere and whose hopes are more exalted. The virgin whom the laft fummer releafed from her governess, and who is now going between her mother and her aunt to try the fortune of her wit and beauty, fufpects no fallacy in the gay

repre

representation. She believes herself paffing into another world, and images London as an Elyfian region, where every hour has its proper pleasure, where nothing is feen but the blaze of wealth, and nothing heard but merriment and flattery; where the morning always rifes on a fhow, and the evening clofes on a ball; where the eyes are used only to sparkle, and the feet only to dance.

HER aunt and her mother amuse themselves on the road, with telling her of dangers to be dreaded and cautions to be observed. She hears them as they heard their predeceffors, with incredulity or contempt. She fees that they have ventured and escaped; and one of the pleasures which fhe promises herself is to detect their falfhoods, and be freed from their admonitions.

WE are inclined to believe thofe whom we do not know, because they never have deceived us. The fair adventurer may perhaps liften to the Idler, whom she cannot suspect of rivalry or malice, yet he scarcely expects to be credit

ed

ed when he tells her, that her expectations will likewife end in difappointment.

THE uniform neceffities of human nature produce in a great measure uniformity of life, and for part of the day make one place like another to dress and to undrefs, to eat and to fleep, are the fame in London as in the country. The supernumerary hours have indeed a greater variety both of pleasure and of pain. The ftranger gazed on by multitudes at her first appearance in the Park, is perhaps on the highest fummit of female happiness; but how great is the anguish when the novelty of another face draws her worshippers away. The heart may leap for a time under a fine. gown, but the fight of a gown yet finer puts an end to rapture. In the first row at an Opera two hours may be happily paffed in liftening to the mufick on the stage, and watching the glances of the company; but how will the night end in defpondency when she that imagined herself the fovereign of the place fees Lords contending to lead Iris to her

chair? There is little pleasure in converfation

to her whofe wit is regarded but in the fecond

place;