near her; fhe fays fhe cannot bear to hear their lamentable ftories, for that they tear her poor feelings in pieces. Befides, fhe has difcovered, that most of them really deserve no compaffion, and many fenfible worthy people of her acquaintance have cautioned her against giving way to her fenfibility in that way: because, in fuch cafes, the compaffion of individuals is hurtful to fociety. There are feveral poor relations of her husband's, who, if it had not been for a fettlement he made in her favour a fhort while before his death, would have had, I am told, by law, the greateft part of his fortune, to whom she never gave a fhilling in her life. One little boy, her husband's godfon, fhe consented to take into the houfe; but fhe turned him out of doors in lefs than a week, because of a blow he gave to Fidele, who was stealing his bread and butter.

Some of the other members of the family are almoft tempted to fteal bread and butter too. Mrs. Senfitive is an economist, though fhe spends a great deal of money on these nafty dogs. and monkeys, and contrives to pinch it off us, both back and belly, as the faying is. The chambermaid has given her warning already on this fcore; and the boy fays, he will only stay till he is a little bigger. As for me, the is pleafed to fay, that I am of an order of beings fuperior to the others; and fhe fometimes condefcends

K 2

defcends to reason with me. She would perfuade me, Sir, that it is a fin to eat the flesh of any bird or beast, and talks much of a set of philofophers, who went naked, I think, who believed that people were turned into beasts and birds; and that therefore we might chance to eat our father or mother in the shape of a goofe or a turkey. And the fays, how delighted she would be in the fociety of those naked philosophers, and how much their doctrines agree with her fine feelings; and then the coaxes me, and fays, that I have fine feelings too: but indeed I have no fuch feelings belonging to me; and I know her greens and water don't agree with my feelings at all, but quite to the contrary, that there is such a grumbling about me. ———And as for people being changed into birds and beafts, I think it is Heathenish, and downright against the Bible; and yet it is diverting enough fometimes to hear her fancies about it; and I can't help having my fancies too: as t'other morning, when the great horned owl fat at table by her, on the chair which she has often told me her dear, dear Mr. Senfitive used to occupy, and the poor creature looked fo grave,

and fat as filent as mum-chance ;-but then she was fo kind to the owl! I don't know what her fquirrel was changed from, but it is always getting into fome odd corner or other. 'Twas but

yesterday

yesterday I got a fad fcold for offering to squeeze it when it had crept Lord knows how far up my petticoats; and my miftrefs was in fuch a flurry, for fear I fhould have hurt it! She lets it skip all about her without ever starting or wincing, for all her feelings are fo fine. But these fine feelings are not like the feelings of any other body; and I wish to get into the service of fome perfon who has them of a coarfer kind, that would be a little more useful. If Mrs. Heartly therefore continues in her refolution of quitting Lady Bidmore's on account of that old Lady's want of feeling, I would be very much obliged to you to recommend me to the place. I think I can bear a pretty good hand at a rubber and hard brush; and as for keeping the furniture clean, it would be perfect paftime only, in comparison of my morning's cleaning out Mrs. Senfitive's living collection. I hope Lady Bidmore, from her education, has never heard any thing of the naked philosophers; and if any other fet have taught her that people are changed into Commodes, Chefts of Drawers, or Bedfteads, it fignifies very little, as we shall take exceeding good care of them, and the belief will have no effect on our dinners or fuppers.—I

am, &c.

I

BARBARA HEARTLESS.

N° 91. SATURDAY, October 28, 1786.

Tis the obfervation of an elegant author*,

IT

"That there is a fublime and tender melan"choly, almost the universal attendant of ge"nius, which is too apt to degenerate into "gloom and difguft. with the world." I have frequently had occafion to mark the justice of this obfervation; and it is with much regret that I have fometimes feen men of tafte, and delicacy of feeling, have á tendency to indulge in habits of gloom, defpondency, and difrelish of the world. There is a certain ftandard of virtue and propriety, which a man of delicacy is apt to form in his own mind, but which, in the common events of the world, is rarely to be met with;-there are certain ideas of elevated and fublime happiness which a man of a highly cultivated mind has a disposition to indulge, which it is hardly poffible can be ́realized. When, therefore, a perfon of this difpofition comes abroad into the world, when he meets with folly where he expected wisdom, falsehood in

* Dr Gregory.

the

the room of honour, coarfenefs inftead of delicacy, and selfishness and insensibility where he had formed high ideas of generosity and refinement, he is apt to fall under the dominion of melancholy, and to fee the world in a gloomy point of view. Such a man, if he is not at pains to guard against it, runs fome risk of contracting a degree of habitual difguft at mankind, and becoming mifanthropical to a certain extent.

It will not, however, be that species of mifanthropy which takes delight in the miseries of mankind; on the contrary, it will be a feeling of difguft arifing from disappointed benevolence, mingled with pity and compaffion for the follies and weaknesses of men. I doubt much if there exifts in the world a complete mifanthrope, in the darkest sense of that word, a perfon who takes pleasure in the wretchednefs of others. If there does, it is impoffible to conceive fufficient deteftation at fuch a character. But the misanthropy of which I speak is of a much fofter kind, and borders nearly on the highest degree of philanthropy. It seems indeed to be the child of philanthropy, and to proceed from too much fenfibility, hurt by disappointment in the benevolent and amiable feelings.

It is a common and a just remark, that where a ftrong friendship has fubfifted, if that friendship is once broken by the fault of either party,