remorfe, and prompted me to atone for my injuftice, by the warmest expreffions of kindness and regard. Many a time, Sir, in thofe tranquil mo ments, when no wayward inclination or peevish humour overpowered my better feelings, have I firmly refolved, that my future conduct fhould make ample reparation for the offences of the paft. Nor were these resolutions altogether fruitlefs; for while under the influence of this falutary conviction of my errors, I have so far amended them as to feel for a time a genuine relifh for calm and domestic happiness. But how fhort this dawning of amendment! A new temptation prefented itself, and my weak resolution yielded to the force of returning paffion. With my former errors I refumed the defpicable pride of justifying them, and every deviation from duty was aggravated by harfhnefs and ill-humour.

Ever offending, and ever purpofing to atone for my offences, I have now irretrievably loft the opportunity. That beft of women is now no

I have received her lateft breath, and heard her last fupplication, which was a prayer to Heaven to pour its bleffings on the most un worthy of men !

Here let me end this letter.No words can exprefs the feelings which these reflections convey to the breast of

D5

LUCILIUS.

I4

No 8. SATURDAY, March 26, 1785.

To the AUTHOR of the LOUNGER.

Edinburgh, March 2

AM greatly pleased, Mr. Lounger, with your account of yourself, and your innocent and ufeful manner of fliding through the bustle of life. I fincerely wish that many of my friends and visitors would follow your example, and learn to be idle, without disturbing those who are obliged, from their fituation, to be busy. I fuffer daily fo much from the intrufion of a fet of female Loungers (forgive me for ufing. your title), that it has prompted me to address myself to you, in hopes that you will, in fome of your future Effays, teach my unfortunately idle friends how to employ their tedious forenoons, without obliging me to be as idle as themfelves. But to make you, Sir, fully fenfible how much I fuffer from Ladies who cannot kill time at home, I muft inform you, that I am the wife of a gentleman whofe fortune has been made by a fteady application to a branch of bufinefs that obliges both him and me to be extremely attentive to those who employ him.

A family

A family of feven children makes it necessary for him ftill to continue in business. Our fons are attending fuch branches of education as will fit them for the different employments they have chofen. Our three daughters I am attempting to educate under my own eye, as the prefent boarding-fchools and governeffes are much too expensive for people of our moderate fortune. I find so much pleasure in superintending every part of my daughters' education, that not an hour of the day is unemployed, or can hang heavy on my hands: But alas, Sir, how cruelly teasing is it, when I am set down to hear my youngest girl read, with Eliza and Mary at their work feated by me, to be broke in upon by Mifs Flounce, who comes to tell me how charmingly fhe has improved upon Lady Chenille's new trimming, and affures me her bottle-green fattin was the sweetest and most admired dress at laft Affembly. Then, without obferving that the interrupts me by her ftay, The proceeds to give me an account of all the different dreffes that he took hints from, to convince me how much her fuperior tafte has improved upon that of her companions. When I am just expecting the conclufion of her uninteresting narration, her coufin Mifs Feathers fwims into the room, affures us fhe is happy to find us together, that she may tell us how Mrs. D 6 Panache

Panache had almost fainted away on feeing her new Figaro hat, with a plume of feathers in a much higher taste than her own. This introduces a smart dispute between the Ladies, whether plain or Figaro feathers are the most elegant and becoming. They at last agree to refer their dispute to Mifs Taftey, and leave me in hafte to obtain her decifion.

I gladly refume my pleafing task, but find that Eliza has misplaced the colours in fhading a vio let, and Mary broke her needle, by attending. too much to the Ladies' converfation. I have perhaps got matters adjusted, and little Anne has read half a page, when in totters Mrs. Qualm. This Lady, though always fick, is still able to come abroad every day, and wearies her acquaintance with the detail of her numberlefs complaints. A whole hour is loft to me by this new intrufion; and thus a forenoon is spent without improvement either to my daughters or myself: And, I am forry to say, few days pafs in which I have not cause to regret, that there is no pleasure to be found for Idlersat home. Were I a woman of quality, or perfectly independent, I might rid myself of thefe intruders, by being not at home; but in my fituation I dare not fhut my doors, left I should give offence to people who are able to hurt my hufband's bufinefs. In this diftreffed fituation,

I hope Mr. Lounger will forgive me in offering a hint to him, which if he would drefs out in his fenfible persuasive manner, I think I should foon be freed from the fatigue of entertaining Lounging Ladies, and they would be much more suitably amused than in my working par Jour. My hint, Sir, is, that you would recommend a forenoon's converfation, or place of meeting, for Ladies and Gentlemen who must be in any company rather than their own. There, I think, if you would have the goodnefs to prefide, and direct them how to amuse each other till the time of dreffing for dinner, you would confer a high obligation on them, and a still greater on those who, like me, fuffer now from the heavy burden of their infipid company. You, my good Sir, who have lounged about to fuch good purpose as to be able to improve others, will, I hope, take your weaker brothers and fifters under your direction; and if you will make Dunn's Rooms a Lounging Hall instead of a Chapel, I think I may venture to affure you it will be better attended in the one character than in the other; and if your lectures can make the forenoons pafs eafily, and without the trouble of thinking to thofe Idlers, by drawing them together under your direction, and freeing the more employed part of the world from their unwelcome intrufion, you