much distinguised by their cleanliness, as by their arts and sciences. The more any country is civilized, the more they consult this part of polineness. We need but compare our ideas of a female Hottentot with an English beauty, to be satisfied of the truth of what has been ad.vanced.

6. In the next place, cleanliness may be said to be the foster mother of love. Beauty, indeed, most commonly produces that passion in the mind, but cleanliness preserves it. An indifferent face and person, kept in perpetual neatnes, hath won many a heart from a pretty slattern. Age itself is not unamiable, while it is preserved clean and únsullied: like a piece of metal constantly kept smooth and bright, we look on it with more pleasure than on a new vessel that is cankered with rust.

7. I might observe further, that as cleanliness renders us agreeable to others, so it makes us easy to ourselves; that it is an excellent preservative of health and that seve eral vices destructive both to mind and body, are inconsistent with the habit of it. But these reflections I shall leave to the leisure of my readers, and shall observe in the third place, that it bears a great analogy with purity of mind, and naturally inspires refined sentiments and passions.

8. We find, from experience, that through the prevalence of custom, the most vicious actions lose their horror by being made familiar to us. On the contrary, those who live in the neighborhood of good examples, fly from the first appearance of what is shocking. It fares with us much after the same manner as our ideas. Our senses, which are the inlets to all the images conveyed to the mind, can only transmit the impression of such things as usually surround them; so that the pure and unsullied thoughts are naturally suggested to the mind, by those objects that perpetually encompass us, when they are beautiful and elegant in their kind.

9. In the East, where the warmth of the climate makes cleanliness more immediately necessary than in colder countries, it is made one part of their religion; the Jewish law (and the Mahometan, which in some things copies after it) is filled with bathings, purifications, and other rites of the like nature. Tho' there is the above named convenient reason to be assigned for those ceremonies;

the chief intention, undoubtedly, was to typify inward purity and cleanliness of heart by those outward washings.

10. We read several injunctions of this kind in the book of Deuteronomy, which confirm this truth, and which are but ill accounted for by saying, as some do, that they were only instituted for convenience in the desert, which otherwise could not have been habitable for so many years.

11. I shall conclude this essay with a story which I have somewhere read in an account of Mahometan superstition. A Dervise of great sanctity one morning had the misfortune as he took up a crystal cup, which was consecrated to the prophet, to let it fall upon the ground, and dash it in pieces. His son coming in sometime after, he stretched out his hand to bless him as his manner was every morning; but the youth going out stumbled over the threshold and broke his arm. As the old man wondered at these events, a caravan passed by on its way from Mecca. Dervise approached it to beg a blessing, but as he stroked one of the holy camels, he received a kick from the beast that sorely bruised him. His sorrow and amazement increased upon him, till he recollected, that through hurry and inadvertency, he had that morning come abroad without washing his hands.

DIALOGUES.

The

Scene between GEN. SAVAGE and MISS WALSINGHAM ;in which the courtship is carried on in such an ambiguous manner, that the General mistakes her consent to marry his son CAPT. SAVAGE, for consent to marry himself. ENERAL SAVAGE, your most humble I servant.

Miss Wal. G

Gen. Sav. My dear Miss Walsingham, it is rather cruel that you should be left at home by yourself, and yet I am greatly rejoiced to find you at present without company. Miss Wal. I can't but think myself in the best company when I have the honor of your eonversation, General.

Gen. You flatter me too much, Madam; yet I am come to talk to you on a serious affair; an affair of importance to me and yourself. Have you leisure to favor me with a short audience, if I beat a parley?

Miss Wal. Any thing of importance to you, Sir, is al ways sufficient to command my leisure.

"Tis as the Captain suspected-[aside.

Gen. You tremble my lovely girl, but don't be alarmed; for tho' my business is of an important nature, I hope it will not be of a disagreeable one.

Miss Wal. And yet I am greatly agitated-[aside. Gen. Soldiers, Miss Walsingham, are said to be ally favored by the kind protection of the ladies.

gener

Miss Wal. The ladies are not without gratitude, Sir, to those who devote their lives peculiarly to the service of their country.

Gen. Generously said, Madam. Then give me leave without any masked battery, to ask if the heart of an honest soldier is a prize worthy of your acceptance.

Miss Wal. Upon my word, Sir, there is no masked battery in this question.

Gen. I am as fond of a coup-de-main, Madam, in love, as in war, and hate the tedious method of sapping a town, when there is a possibility of entering it sword in hand.

Miss Wal. Why really, Sir, a woman may as well know her own mind when she is first summoned by the trumpet of a lover, as when she undergoes all the tiresome formality of a siege. You see I have caught your own mode of conversing, General.

Gen. And a very great compliment I considerit, Madam. But now that you have candidly confessed an acquaintance with your own mind answer me with that frankness for which every body admires you so much: Have you any objections to change the name of Walsingham?

Miss Wal. Why then, frankly, General, I say, no. Gen. Ten thousand thanks to you for this kind declara tion.

Miss Wal. I hope you won't think it a forward one.

Gen. I'd sooner see my son run away in the day of battleI'd sooner think Lord Russel was bribed by Lewis XIV; and sooner vilify the memory of Algernon Sidney.

Miss Wal. How unjust it was ever to suppose the General a tyrannical father!-[aside.

Gen. You have told me condescendingly, Miss Walsingham, that you have no objections to change your name. I have but one question more to ask.

Miss Wal. Pray propose it, Sir.

Gen. Would the name of Savage be disagreeable te you? speak frankly again my dear girl.

Miss Wal. Why, then again, I frankly say, no. Gen. You are too good to me. Torrington thought I should meet with a repulse.-[aside.

Miss Wal. Have you communicated this business to the Captain, Sir?

1

Gen. No my dear madam, I did not think that at all necessary. I propose that he shall be married in a few days. Miss Wal. What, whether I will or not?

Gen. O, you can have no objections!

Miss Wal. I must be consulted, however, about the day, General; but nothing in my power shall be wanting to make him happy.

Gen. Obliging loveliness!

Miss Wal. You may imagine; that if I had not been previously imprest in favor of your proposal, it would not have met my concurrence so readily.

Gen. Then you own I had a previous friend in the garrison. Miss Wal. I don't blush to acknowledge it, Sir, when I consider the accomplishments of the object.

Gen O, this is too much, madam; the principal merit of the object is his passion for Miss Walsingham.

Miss Wal. Don't say that, General, I beg of you; for I don't think there are many women in the kingdom who could behold him with indifference.

Gen. Ah, you flattering angel! and yet, by the memory of Marlborough, my lovely girl, it was the idea of a prepossession on your part, which encouraged me to hope for a favorable reception.

Miss Wal. Then I must have been very indiscreet, for I labored to conceal that pre-possession as much as possible. Gen. You could not conceal it from me; the female heart is a field I am thoroughly acquainted with.

Miss Wal. I doubt not your knowledge of the female heart, General; but as we now understand one another so perfectly, you will give me leave to retire.

Gen. One word, my dear creature, and no more: I shall wait on you some time to-day about the necessary settle

ment.

Miss Wal. You must do as you please, General; you are invincible in every thing.

Gen. And if you please, we will keep every thing a profound secret, till the articles are all settled, and the difinitive treaty ready for execution.

S

Miss Wal. You may be sure that delicacy will not suffer me to be communicative on the subject, Sir.

Gen. Then you leave every thing to my management. Miss Wal. I can't trust a more noble negociator.

Lgoes out. Gen. The day is my own, (sings) Britons strike home strike home!

Scene between Gen. SAVAGE, Capt. SAVAGE,Miss WALSINGHAM, and TORRINGTON, a lawyer; in which the General discovers his mistake.

Capt. Sav.

NA

AY, but my dearest Miss Walsingham, the extenuation of my conduct to Belville, made it absolutely necessary for me to discover my engagements with you; and as happiness is now so fortunately in our reach, 1 flatter myself that you will be prevailed upon to forgive an error which proceeded only from extravagance of love.

Miss Wal. To think me capable of such an action Captain Savage! I am terrified at the idea of an union with you; and it is better for a woman at any time, to sacrifice an insolent lover, than to accept of a suspicious husband.

Capt. In the happiest union, my dearest creature, there must always be something to overlook on both sides. Miss Wal. Very civil, truly.

Capt. Pardon me, my life, for this frankness; and recollect, that if the lover has, through misconception, been unhappily guilty, he brings a husband altogether reformed to your hands.

Miss Wal. Well, I see I must forgive you at last; so I may as well make a merit of necessity, you provoking

creature.

Capt. And may I indeed hope for the blessing of this hand?

Miss Wal. Why you wretch, would you have me force it upon you? I think, after what I have said, a soldier might venture to take it without further ceremony.

Capt. Angelic creature! thus I seize it as my lawful prize.

Miss Wal. Well, but now you have obtaired this inesti mable prize, Captain, give me leave again to ask if yon have had a certain explanation with the General? Capt. How can you doubt it?