X. han actual submision, and the arts popular fashions, when the only by which he strives to appear inde- criterion of propriety is practice. pendent, are a greater tax on his padence and labour, than a compliance with all the civilities, which urbanity could request. FASHIONABLE WORLD DISPLAYED. A NEW work with this title which rapidly run through five editions in Affectation is always disgusting, England, has lately been republishand there is no more ridiculous ed at NewYork. "The style, (says form of it than that of aiming at the judicious editor of the Port Foindependence. The man who talks lio) is a continued irony, and is as to you of his large possessions, his successful a specimen of that figamazing hazards, his commercial ure, as has appeared since the pubresponsibility and his enterprising lication of Dean Swift's admirable spirit, when every body who hears" Argument against abolishing him, knows his discourse is a mix-Christianity." In the guise of a ture of vanity and falshood, betrays sort of geographical treatise, it dea weakness of intellect truly des- scribes the situation, boundaries. picable, and a masked character climate, seasons, government, laws, ludicrous in the extreme; and he religion and morality, education, who expresses the same haughty manners, language, dress and adisdain towards the meanness of musements of the Fashionable dependence, by a studied dissention World. Though this Fashionable from popular manners, and a stern World is limited to the west end of inflexibility of opinion which argu- London, and though, therefore, ments cannot effect, and demon- much of the satire is local, still there stration cannot alter, has more are numerous passages that, in the pride than policy, and more folly phrase of Almanac makers, may than discernment. To follow the serve without any essential variamultitude to the very extremes of tion, for the "meridian of the Unitthat wildness which overpowers and[ed States." destroys every rational faculty; to There is an ease, and familiarity engage in all their extravagance, of manner admirably adapted to the to applaud and execute their deliri-design of the work, and the enterous designs, is scarcely less wise tainment it will afford is liberal and than to strike out a path of pretend- elegant. The following extracts ed independence which is remarked may serve as a specimen of the peronly for eccentricities and difficulty.formance. A wise man will do neither. While "The individuals who compose he makes his conscience the stand- the Fashionable World are not absoard of actions that involve the prin- lute wanderers, like the tribes of Aciples of morality, he will not re-rabia, nor are they regular settlers, fuse accommodation with the man- like the convicts at Botany Bay: ners of the world, in those trifling concerns where custom is synonymous with right. He will fear no imputation on his heart for resisting the sentiments of the multitude, when compliance would infringe pon honor, and no detraction from his independence in yielding to but moveable and migratory in a certain degree, and to a certain de-gree permanent and stationary, they live among the inhabitants of the parent country, neither absolutely mixing with them, nor yet actually separated from them. This paradoxical state of the people renders it not a little difficult to reduce their territory within the rules of geographical description. They have, it is true, their degrees and their circles; but these terms are used by people of Fashion in a sense so different from that which geographers have assigned them, that they afford no sort of assistance to the topographical inquirer. ed, (which indeed admits of no relaxation) events of very little moment decide all the rest. If, for example, a duchess, or the wife of some bourgeois-gentil-homme, who has purchased the privilege of the order, should open a suite of rooms for elegant society in any new quarter, the soil is considered to receive a sort of consecration by such cir"The only expedient, therefore, cumstance; and an indefinite porto which a writer can resort, in this tion of the vicinity is added to the dearth of geographical materials, is territory of Fashion. If, on the that of designating the territory of other hand, a shop be opened, a sign Fashion by the ordinary names of hung out, or any symptom of busithose places through which it pass-ness be shown, in a quarter that has es. And this is, in fact, strictly con- hitherto been a stranger to every formable to that usage which pre-sound but the rattling of carriages, vails in the language and commu- the thunder of knockers, and the vonication of the people themselves: eiferation of coachmen and servants, for London, Tunbridge, Bath, Wey-it is ten to one but the privileges of mouth, &c. are, in their mouths, Fashion are withdrawn from that names for little else than the lands place; and the whole range of buildand societies of Fashion which they ings is gradually given up to those respectively contain. who are either needy enough to keep "Now, the portion of each place shops, or vulgar enough to endure to which Fashion lays claim is nei- them. Now, it happens as a conther definite as to its dimension, nor sequence from this adoption of new fixed as to its locality. In London, soil and disfranchisement of old, a small proportion of the whole is that the territory of Fashion is exFashionable in Bath, the propor-tremely irregular and interrupted. tion is greater and in some water- A traveller, determined to pursue ing-places of the latest creation, its windings, would soon be involvFashion puts in her demand for ed in a most mysterious labyrinth ; nearly the whole. The locality of his track would be crossed by porits domains is also contingent and tions of country which throw him mutable. Various circumstances repeatedly out of his beat: insomuch concur in determining when a por- that his progress would resemble tion of ground shall become Fash-that of a naturalist, who, in tracing ionable, and when it shall cease to the course of a mineral through the be such. The only rule of any stea-bowels of the earth, encounters va'diness with which I am acquainted, rious breaks and intersections, and and which chiefly relates to the me- often finds the corresponding parts tropolis, is that which prescribes a of the stratum unaccountably sepawestern latitude :* if this be except-rated from each other. For the geographical solecism of "a western latitude," the author has only to plead that the people of whom he treats acknowledge no points of the compass but those of east and west, and that the term longitude has scarcely any place in their language. "The Climate of Fashion is almost entirely factitious and artificial; and consequently differs in many material respects from the natural temperature of those respective places over which its jurisdic er is considered to require a species of apparatus which fills their utmcsphere with an immoderate degree of phlogiston. Besides this, they are notoriously fond of assembling in insufferable crowds; and travellers have assured us, that they have often witnessed from ten to twelve tion extends. Though changes in which the climate of Fashion from heat to cold, and vice versa, st..nds peculiarly distinguished from are very common among these peo-j every other. It has already been ple, yet heat may be said to be the intimated that heat is its prevailing prevailing character of the climate. characteristic: it is, moreover, not They appear to me to have but two a little remarkable, that this heat is seasons in the year; these they call, at its highest point in the winter seain conformity to common language son; and that the inhabitants often rather than to just calculation, Win-perspire more freely when the snow ter and Summer. Of summer lit- is upon the ground than they do in tie is known; for it seems to be a the dog-days. The truth is, that, rule among this people to disband as was before said, the climate is and disperse at the approach of it, wholly created by artificial circumand not to rally or reunite till the stances, and the natural temperature winter has fairly commenced. of the air is completely done away. Though, therefore, they exist some- The sort of communication which how or somewhere during the sum-these people keep up with each othmer months, they wish it to be considered that they do not exist under their Fashionable character. They wash themselves in the sea, drink laxative waters, lose a little money at billiards, or catch a few colds at public rooms; but all these things they do as individuals, and wholly out of their corporate capa-hundred persons suffocating each city as members of the community other within a space which would of Fashion. So that in their mode scarcely have afforded convenient of disposing of the summer, they accommodation for a dozen families. invert the standing rule-of most oth- And this may enable us in some er animals: they choose the fair measure to account for the little season for their torpid state, and benefit which modish invalids are show no signs of life but during the said to derive from their frequent winter. It is not easy to say exact-removals to the healthiest spots in ly when the winter begins in the the universe. The original object Fashionable world; an inhabitant of of such a prescription was doubtless Bath would have one mode of reck-to change the air; and certainly no oning, and an inhabitant of London expedient could be better imagined another. To do justice to the sub- for bracing a constitution relaxed by ject, the commencement of winter too intense application to the busi ought to be regulated by the former ness of a Fashionable life. But the of these places, and the close of it usages of the order render a change by the latter. Supposing, therefore, of air to any salutary purpose utter-that it begins some time in Novem-ly impracticable; for the weakest ber, there can be no difficulty in set- members of the community consid tling its duration; for the 4th of er themselves bound to kindle a June is, by a tacit, yet binding, ordi- flame wherever they go and thus. nance, considered as a limit over they breathe the same phlogisticated which a Fashionable winter can nev-air all over the world, er pass. "They profess to adopt the ordi"There are many circumstances!nary divisions of time; and talk like When e'er with soft serenity she smil'd How sweetly mutable how brightly wild other people of Day and Night: bul, Female loveliness was perhaps their mode of computing each is so never better described, than in the vague and unnatural, that inhabit-following lines. ants of the same meridian with themselves, scarcely understand what they mean by the terms. A great part of this difficulty may possibly arise from the very small portion of solar light with which they are visited. For certain it is, that no people upon earth have less benefit from the light of the sun than the people of Fashion; so that, if it were not for torches, candles, and Argand lamps, they would scarcely ever see each other's faces." For the Emerald. DESULTORY SELECTIONS And Original Remarks. SWIFT is denominated by a judicious reader of the poets, a perfect writer of familiar poetry. The following lines on the effect of sympathy, are admirably executed. Yet should some neighbor feel a pain Just in the parts where I complain, How many a message he would send! What hearty prayers that I should mend! Inquire what regimen I kept That o'er her form its transient glory cast Some lovelier wonder soon usurped the place Chas'd by a charm still lovelier than the last. Mason's Elegy on the Countess of Coventry. Among the numerous pamphlets which owe their ephemeral existence to local subjects, which occupy the interest and attention, till more recent circumstances have higher claims to the character of novelty, frequently will be found the traits of ingenuity, and the delineations of genius. The union of the cardinal virtues is so happily described in a work of this kind, that we venture to select the passage. Prudence, Piety and Charity. Each of us (says Prudence) has many counterfeits, who are ever at variance with each other.. My name and office are sometimes assumed by Avarice, and Many of the best songs in our sometimes by Simulation, but Avalanguage and almost all those of rice betrays herself by the hatred the French, turn upon a single she bears to Charity, while Simulathought expressed with simple con- tion may be known by her refusal ciseness in elegant versification.to listen to the voice of Piety. You Letters on English Poetry. The well known song of Goldsmith. When lovely woman stoops to folly, &c. is a forcible illustration of the remark. EPIGRAM. may also find me personated in the word (said Charity) by two no less dangerous deceivers, Ostentation and Profusion; both desire to be taken for me. But Profusion open There is admirable point in the ly professes her contempt for Prufollowing couplet on the unfortu-dence, and Ostentation desirous to nate Queen of Carthage. Infelix Dido nulli bene nupta marito. be seen by men, has not, nor pretends to any communication with Piety. And in the like manner, ays Piety, my character has often been usurped by Hypocrisy, who an imitate my voice and the shion of my garments, but urge her to prove by any action, her kindred with Charity, and she will sand self-convicted before you; whilst if you meet Fanaticism as suming my likeness, address her in the name of Prudence, and she will arrogantly profess unto you, she never knew her. The emotion of surprise, product Remember therefore we are al-ed at the close of the second verse, ways consistent one with another, is agreeable, and loses the mind in momentary wonder. and with the immutable law of our king and that whoever you find with this kind of inconsistency, you may rationally conclude, practises none of the moral or christian yir tues. But the last line of the third verse "Into thy boundless self must undistinguish'd fall" is a bold but happy expression of the immensity of nothing.. In the next verse, "fruitful emptiness" is Margaret of Valois, Queen of Navarre. "And rebel light obscur'd thy reverend In the seventh verse" And, bribed by thee"-the idea that "Time" is bribed by nothing, is neatly introduced. The 8th verse is a dignified satire on polemic divines. In the 10th verse "Great negative," is a happy address to his majesty's person. That there is no point in the labors of metaphysical theorists, is very well said. In the 13th and 14th verses the Earl looked at home. The 15th triad is a good dash at: court costumes; and the 16th contains, in three lines, bold, ironical, satire on the French, Dutch, Irish, |