fixing their Affections on fo mutable a thing as the Beauty of a Face, which a thoufand Accidents may deftroy, but on Wit, Good Humour, and other Graces of the Mind, as well as of the Body: Their Love is more durable and conftant in proportion to the longer continuance of thofe Qualities in the Object. Neither indeed have they the Means, or Temptation, to be Fickle and Inconftant, fo ready as Men have; for Modefty and the Rules of Decency obferv'd amongst 'em, not permitting to them the liberty of declaring their Sentiments to thofe they Love, as Men may: They dare not indulge a wanton Fancy, or a rambling Inclination, without breaking through all reftraint of Decorum, at the expence of their Fame and Reputation, which few are fo daring as to ven

ure.

*A

A BEAU.

Beau is a Creature who under the appearance of a Man, has all the Folly, Vanity, and Levity of a Woman; he has more Learning in his Heels than his Head, which is better cover'd than fill'd; nay, he knows not what a Man's Head is good for, but to hang his Hat or his Perriwig on; and if it were put to his Choice, he would as foon lofe that, as any other Part about him: He thinks the chief end of Man is to Dress well, and that Death it felf is not fo ghaftly as a Difhabillé, His Valet, his Taylor, his Barber, and his Sempftrefs, are his Cabinet Council,

to whom he is more beholden for what he is than to his Maker. Sir John Foppington, to give our Beau his Title, is one that has Travel'd to fee Fashions, and brought over with him the niceft cut Suit, and the prettiest Fancied Ribbands for Sword-Knots. His beft Acquaintance at Paris, were Pecour and Balon, and his chief Vifits to the Opera's. He has feen the French King once, and knows the names of his chief Minifters, and is by this, fufficiently convinc'd, that there are no Politicians in any other part of the VVorld. His Improvements are a nice skill in the Mode, and a high contempt of his own Country and of Sense. All the knowledge he has of France, or Manners of it, confifts in an imperfect Idea of Versailles, St. Cloud, Fountainbleau, St. Germains, and the Louvre, and in the keeping of the Valet that follow'd him hither: And all that he retains of the Language, is, a few modifh lewd words to lard his Difcourfe with, and fhew he has convers'd with the French Petits Maitres, and the names of his Garniture. He fhould be a Philofopher, for he ftudies nothing but himself, yet every one knows him better that thinks him not worth Knowing. His Looks and Geftures are his conftant Leffon, and his Glafs is the Oracle that refolves all his mighty Doubts and Scruples. As foon as he is out of his Bed in a Morning, he runs to this Oracle, and pays his firft Devotions to the dear figure of himfelf, plays the Narciffus with his own Shadow, and makes his Court with a thousand Grimaces to his pretty felf. Afterwards, he licks his Lips, paints his Cheeks, and ftrives to outdo Kneller, or Murrey, in counterfeiting the lovely Eyebrow. He is two long Hours in tying his Gar

ters,

ters, Careening his Wig, tiffing the Curls, tying and untying his Cravat, and yet after all this Forenoon's Speculation, he is not fatisfied till he has confulted his flattering Valet. How Comical it is to fee this Fop ftrutting up and down his Chamber, Surveying himfelf from Head to Foot, first turning one Shoulder, then 'tother; now looking fore-right in the Glafs, then fideways; and in fhort, imitating all the different Attitudes and Poftures of a Painter's block. When his Eyes are fet to a Languifhing Air, his Motions all prepar'd according to Art, his Wig and his Coat abundantly Powder'd, his Handkerchief Perfum'd, and all the rest of his Beauetry rightly adjufted, the greatest part of the day, as well as the Bufinefs of it at home, is over; 'tis time to launch, and down he comes, fcented like a Perfumer's Shop, and looks like a Veffel with all her Rigging without. Balaft. A Chair is brought within the door, for he apprehends every breath of Air as much as if it were a Hurrican. His firft Vifit is to a favourite Seamstress, who takes care of his Linen, and manages his Intrigues: with her he enters into a profound Chat about the newest Fashion for Cravats, what colour'd Ribband is moft proper for that Seafon, how deep Men wear their Ruffles, &c. In the midst of this grave Difcourfe, he makes a Parenthefis, by peeping in the Glafs that hangs in the Shop, finding fault with the confounded Barber, or Taylor, on purpose to draw Mrs. Stitch's Eyes towards his charming felf, and here begins the rehearsal of his Morning's Chamber-Exercife. He picks a quarrel with his Cravat, that he may engage pretty Mifs to tie it a-new for him, and fo has an opportunity to fay fome fine things to her,

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and

and to practise the Genteel Beau. His next Stage is White's Chocolate Houfe, where after a quarter of an Hour's Compliment to himself in the great Glafs, he faces about and Salutes the Company: When he has made his Cringes round, and play'd over all his Tricks, out comes the fine Snufh-Box, and his Nofe is regal'd a while; After this, he begins to open, and ftarts fome learned Argument about the newest Fashion, and hence takes occafion to commend Sir Aukward Spruce's Fancy in his Cloaths; This ufhers in a Difcourfe of the Appearance the night before at the Apartments, and fo a Criticism upon this Lord, or that Lady's Habit. From hence he is carried to the Blue-Pofts, where his Vanity, not his Stomach, is to be gratified with fomething that is little and dear; Quails and Ortolans, are the meaneft of his Diet, and a fpoonful of Green-Peafe at Chriftmas, is worth to him more than the inheritance of the Field where they grow in Summer. Every thing falls in his Efteem, as it falls in Price, and he would not fo much as tafte of the Wine, if the hard Name and the high Rate did not give it a Relish. After a Glafs or two, (for he dares not come up to a Pint) he begins to talk of his Intrigues, pretends at least a particular Acquaintance with all the Ladies that make up the French Fleet, boafts much of the Favours he has receiv'd, fhews counterfeit Tokens and Letters, and in conclufion, flanders fome Countess or other of unqueftion'd Virtue, with an extream Fondness for him. His Amours are all profound Secrets, yet he makes a Confidence of 'em to every Man he meets with. He profeffes a great Reverence for the Ladies, and a mighty tenderness for their Reputations, yet he

is

is like a Flesh-Fly, whatever he blows on, is tainted. He talks of nothing under Quality, tho' he never obtain'd a Favour which his Man might not have for half a Crown. He and his Valet in this cafe are like English and Dutch at an Ordinary in Holland, the Fare is the fame, but the Price is vaftly different. Thus the Show goes forward, till he is beaten for Trefpaffes he was never guilty of. From the Blue-Pofts Sir John adjourns, either to Tom's, to learn fome piece of News, or to Will's, to gather fome fragments of Wit, and to hear the Sentiments of the Criticks about the last new Play, that he may give an account of it to my Lady Tattle. By Six of the Clock he goes to the Play-houfe, and takes his Poft in the Side-Box, from whence he makes his Court to all the Ladies in general with his Eyes, and is particular only with Madam Betty Hopkins the Orange-Wench. After a while, he engages fome Neighbouring Vizor, and together they run over all the Boxes, take to pieces every Face, examine every Feature, pafs their Cenfure upon every one, and fo on to their Drefs. Here he very Judicioufly gives his Opinion upon every particular, and determines whofe Colours are well chofen, whofe Fancy is neateft, and whofe Cloaths, fet with moft Air; but in conclufion, fees no Body Compleat but himself, in the whole Houfe. Af ter this, he looks down with Contempt upon the Pit, and Rallies all the flovenly Fellows and aukward Beaux, (as he calls 'em) of 'tother end of the Town, and is mightily offended at their ill-fcented Snuff. To clofe all, the Lady in the Mask must give him an account of the Scandal of the Town; which fhe does, in the Hiftory of abun

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