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--- the Distress of poor Melifinda upon the barbarous Treatment of that inhuman Creature Morat, and his forfaking her for the fuperior Beauty of Indamora, appeared to move you strangely; and I am greatly apprehenfive it ftill dwells upon you People are apt to say, indeed, there is great Merit, in being fo fufceptible of Feeling ---but for my Part, I always esteemed it a Misfortune --- hated myself --- and fancied I made as ridiculous a Figure in crying at a Tragedy, as fome People do, who are in an eternal Titter at a Comedy. Springlove replied, Tears were no more the real Signs of Grief, than Laughter of Pleasure; both frequently proceeding, more from the Formation of the Mufcles, than the Mind. She answer'd, that was undeniably true; and she was very intimately acquainted with a Lady, who was an amazing Proficient in that Kind of Anatomy, and could, at once, diftinguish whether those extreme Operations of the Face, and Tongue, correfponded with the Heart--VOL. II.

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nay,

nay, was fo great an Adept, fhe had dif miffed four or five Lovers, the first Time they opened their Lips. Springlove faid, that might poffibly arife as much from the Levity of the Lady's Heart, as of her Lover's; and he could not help confidering it, rather, as a Proof of that, than her amazing Proficiency, as Mrs. Frankly termed it who told him, what he faid, might be extreme good Senfe; but fhe apprehended did not come quite within the Compafs of good Manners, fo cavalierly to traverfe what she had afferted. Lady Merit, who thought they began to be rather too ferious, faid, pray, my Dear, is your Friend a Coquet, or a Prude? She anfwered ---- Sometimes

one, fometimes t'other Sir George faid, in the immediate Difmiffion of her Lovers, I pronounce her a Prude; had the Coquette, at that Crifis, took the Lead, they might have had the Comfort of dangling fome Months, in a State of delufive Hope, and chimerical Ideas, her depraved Imagination had the Plea

fure of making them fuggeft, without
their being one Step in the true Road to
their fuppofed Happiness
now the
other, at once, deftroys Hope and Fear
both, and gives her Quietus in a Breath
- though her Heart recoils at the fame
Inftant and I think a Coquet and a

117

--

Prude may, aptly enough be compared
to a Bigot and an Infidel --- one attempts
to make you believe more than is true ---
the other less
yet, upon the slightest
Reflection, both must be confcious they
are wrong.

187

Mrs. Frankly faid, why, Sir George, at this Rate, you would have a Woman without any Principles at all --- Sir George replied, why faith, Madam, I am afraid that is pretty much the Cafe with every Woman that deferves the Title, either of Prude or Coquet; for where People do not act from Reason, it fhould feem, they 'have but mighty slender Pretenfions to be complimented with Principles. You are to confider, Madam, faid Springlove, Sir C 2 George

--

George fpeaks as a married Man; and it is with them, as with Ministers of State, who, when arrived at Power, forget and defpife the very Foibles they paid Court and Adulation to before. Oh! cried Mrs. Frankly, your Servant, Sir---What! you are coming about,. I find --- now, you think it almost Time to take my fide of the Queftion --- though, not for mine, but your own fake for I fancy you begin to be conscious that fome of your Male Acquaintance, as well as my Female, may be pretty justly arraign'd of Coquetry; though I'll be fworn, the whole World will acquit them of the flightest Tincture of Prudery. Springlove told her, if any of his Acquaintance amongst the Men were a little open to that Charge, he was fully perfuaded, they only made it a Point of Complaifance, to act in Concert with fome particular Women, they thought it an Honour to follow, in their very Errors, No, no, replied Mrs. Frankly, they follow a better Miftrefs than the wifeft of us--- dear,

dear

dear Nature. Lady Merit faid, fhe was perfectly of Mrs. Frankly's Opinion, and thought it infinitely a better Plea, than Mr. Springlove's ftrained Pretence of Complaifance Oh! cried Mrs.

Frankly, no Man carries his Complaifance to fuch extravagant Lengths---Pray, Mr. Springlove, have you not fomething of a philofophical Turn about you? --because I remember I was once teized for half an hour, with one of that Kind of People, who, really, feemed to make it appear by --- rational --- Deductions, I think he called them, that Virtue and Vice were so nearly allied, that in their Extremes, they frequently ran into each Now, I fancy that is the Cafe with your extreme Complaifance; for I, who am no very violent Philofopher, think, it seems rather to border reverse; and by throwing off any Imputation from yourself, moft obligingly load the poor Women with it

other

103

109

upon

the

are not

you a cruel Creature? ---But this horrid Play, I perceive, still hangs upon your Spirits

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