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the lady he had recommended him to, went up to her with great eafe and freedom. Black Dominos are much alike

the hat was the only remarkable thing about CHARLES; and this ftranger's impudence, added to that token, left no room to the Laly to doubt his being the fame who had affronted her in it before. She did not wait his fpeaking, but, as his lips open'd, pull'd off her own mask to give him a fight of her face with one hand, while fhe gave him a blow with the other that laid him on the ground.

CHARLES was fo eager to reap the advantage of this quar rel, that the Lady's mafk was scarce adjusted, when he stept over the vanquish'd rival, and addrefs'd her in his new fhape with all the tenderness imaginable; fwore an inviolable affection to her, and begg'd her, as fhe faw he was no ftranger to her, to accept of him for the remainder of the evening as her guardian (a poft he would maintain at the hazard of his life) against that fellow, whom, he added, he had feen affront her feveral times that evening before.

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The Lady was ftrangely confounded with the freedom and warmth of this attack, till fhe perceiv'd the trick, and found out her old lover in his new form. She was not a lit tle mortify'd at having punish'd fomebody else in his ftead ; but fhe determin'd from this moment a more certain revenge upon him. him. She let him believe he perfectly impos'd upon her, never gave him the leaft ground to fufpect her knowing him, and listen'd to the foft things he faid to her with great pretended pleasure.

He prais'd her wit and sprightliness; told her how doubly charming good-natur'd things were, when deliver'd in fuch imperfect English as fhe fpoke: he prais'd her eyes, and almoft devoured her hand with kiffes. She fuffer'd all the violence of his love with an unwilling coynefs, and at length pretended a paffion for him that rais'd his vanity to the clouds. The Lady's whole bufinefs was now to get her lover out of the room; but there was fome difficulty in this. A woman's modefty could not propofe fo grofs a thing; and CHARLES

had

had feen fo much of her refentment against too great liberties, that he as much. fear'd as wifh'd to propose it. At length the Lady feem'd fo perfectly enamoured with him, that he thought there could be no danger in saying any thing to her; and with a faultering voice proposed their seeing what weather it was. The Lady drew back, and after a filence of a few moments told him with a figh, she understood him very well; but that he had ask'd her the only thing fhe could have refused him.

An acknowledgment like this gave the lover courage to redouble his attacks; the Lady told him, fhe dar'd not, for the fear'd, he would not like her face when he faw it. CHARLES thought it was now pretty plainly all over: he told her, he should continue to think her the charmingest creature in the world, tho' fhe had no face at all; and with a thoufand fqueezes, by the hand and gentle preffings of her bofom, he at length carried her off, juft as the gentleman, who had received the favour of a blow by proxy, had brought up the officer, who attended upon duty, to feize the lady who gave it him.

The rapture of our eager lover, as he conducted his miftrefs to the door, is not to be described to you. She lifped a thousand endearments to him, as they came toward the head of the stairs; but very unluckily, as she was ogling him with great tenderness in that dangerous fituation, she miffed the first step, came down the flight at once, and hurt her leg at the bottom against the pole of a chair. The lover flew down almost as fast to help her: he was reaching his hand with great tenderness to take her up, when he heard her utter herself in a very different tone of voice from the piping treble he had till then been entertain'd with, and in very plain English declare with a tremendous oath that fhe had broke her fhins.

CHARLES was ftrangely confounded at this metamorphofis he would have left his mistress, but in vain fhe feiz'd him by the arm, and leading him to the next lamp pulled

off

off her mask, and fhewed him the face, not of Madame Brilliant, but of HIS FATHER.

CHARLES fell upon his knees, and with eyes fwoln with tears, ftriking his breast with great contrition, implored his pardon for the first fault he had committed, and that but an intentional one. He pleaded however in vain: the old gentleman affur'd him he would difinherit him, turn him out of doors, and write to Oxford to have him expell'd the college.

This is his hiftory; and he is now with me. I don't pretend to justify him in an ill intent; but I think the circumstances of the story ought to plead his pardon, as they will leave no room for fufpicion of his falling into the fame fault again. If you can make his peace at college, he is ready to return; as to his father, he never did any thing he ought in his life; fo that I expect nothing from him: but if you can get this little flip overlook'd, I willfupport him as he ought to be among you..

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PROLOGUE to the STUDENT.

R

EADERS too long, with fpecious tales deceiv'd,
Whate'er the garret-wit invents, believ'd.

Stretch'd on his bed the ftarving fcribbler lies,
And to the cobweb'd roof converts his eyes :
High on the ceiling various forms appear;
Here cities fack'd, and comets blazing there;
Madrid and Paris in a corner ftand,
And future navies crowd the empty strand.

With thefe too long the world has been amus'd,
For when we moft are pleas'd, we're most abus'd;
As fpices and ragoûts delight the tafte,
Our frength yet weaken, and our courage waste.
But We invite you to fubftantial meat,
No foreign cook'ry, 'tis an English treat;
The fame which grac'd our fathers' healthy board,
Long fince by Athens and by Rome ador'd;
Where knowledge decks, wit feafons the repaft,
To please each learned and politer taste.
Nor let the ladies here defpair to find
Some light digeftive fonnet to the mind.
We too have bards to trip th' enamel'd mead,
Thro' mazy groves the penfive lover lead,
To talk of darts, flames, rofes, and of lillies,
And foftly fighing fing their fecret Phillis.

This coming too late for our firft number, we are obliged to omit feveral lines.

An HYMN to the CREATOR.

I.

OD of my health, whose bounteous care

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First gave me pow'r to move,

How fhall my thankful heart declare
The wonders of thy love!

II.

While void of thought and fenfe I lay,
Duft of my parent earth,

Thy breath inform'd the fleeping clay,

And call'd me into birth.

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The foul that moves this earthly load

Thy image let it bear,

Nor lofe the traces of the God,

Who ftamp'd his image there.

N. B. The two other Hymns by the fame AUTHOR will be inferted in our next numbers,

The

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