these fources, that induced Aristotle to exhort youth not to frequent the theatres, or liften to licentious tales; and made the Romans place their temple of Venus beyond the walls of the city. The mischiefs, indeed, which those old romances Amadis de Gaul, Palmarin de Oliva, the Knights of the Sun, the lascivious discourses published by Helena's waiting woman Astyanassa, Aretine's Dialogues, and those light tracts of Ariftides Milefius, found by the Perfians in Craffus's army among the fpoils, occafion, are well known; for there can be no ftronger engines in the production of Heroic Love, than the reading of fuch compofitions. At Abdera, in Thrace, the spectators were fo moved by hearing Euripides's tragedy of Andromeda represented, particularly on hearing the pathetic fpeech of Perfius, "O, Cupid! prince of gods and men!" that every foul, for a great while after, spoke pure iambics, and continued to rave on this enchanting speech, “O Cupid! prince of gods and men!” ́As carmen, boys, and apprentices, with us, when a new fong is published, go finging the tune continually in the streets, fo the inhabitants of Abdera acted the part of the pathetic Perfius, and every tongue exclaimed, "O, Cupid!" in every street, "O, Cupid!" in every house, "O, Cupid! prince of gods and men!" which they pronounced with all the

emphafis

Array'd in gold, her graceful mien adore;
If crape she wears-what can become her more!
When dress'd in colours, praise a colour'd dress:
Her hair, or curl'd, or comb'd, commend no less:
Singing, her voice, dancing, her air admire :
Complain when she leaves off, and still defire.

And as to PROMISES, alfo, the fame great master in the art of love, while he recommends the practice, acknowledges its impropriety.

With promis'd gifts her easy mind bewitch,
For ev'n the poor in Promise may be rich.
Vain hopes awhile her appetite will stay;
'Tis a deceitful, but commodious way.
Write then, and in thy letters, as I said,
Let her with mighty Promises be fed.
Cydippe by a letter was betray'd,
Writ on an apple to the unwary maid;
She read herself into a marriage vow;
And every cheat in Love the gods allow.

The fex are seriously warned against listening to thofe faithlefs vows and PROTESTATIONS fo frequently made by Heroic Lovers, by the elegant and divine Ariosto.

The youth who pants to gain the amorous prize,
Forgets that heaven, with all discerning eyes,
Surveys the secret heart; and when Desire
Has, in possession, quench'd its short-liv'd fire,
The devious winds aside each promise bear,
And scatter all his solemn vows in air!

Warn'd

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OF LOVE MELANCHOLY.

Warn'd by the muse's voice, with cautious ear, The well-feign'd plaints and seeming sorrow's hear! Reflect, ye gentle dames, that much they know, Who gain experience from another's woe.

Ah! fly the dangerous train, whose looks disclose The flowery bloom that early youth bestows; Where each warm passion bursts with sudden blaze, Which soon again, like stubble fir'd, decays.

The advice, indeed, of the Lucretia of Aretine, "Si vis amicâ frúi, promitte, finge, jura, perjura, jacta, fimula, mentire," is frequently practifed with fuccefs by all Heroic Lovers. But though they

Swear by Cupid's strongest bow,

By his best arrow with the golden head ;
By the simplicity of Venus' doves;

By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves;

And by that fire which burn'd the Carthage queen,
When the false Trojan under sail was seen;
By all the vows that ever man hath broke,
In number more than any woman spoke;

let all chafte and prudent maids give no credit to their words; for

'Tis not the many oaths that make the truth,
But the plain single vow.

When lovers fwear, it is said that Venus laughs; and that Jupiter, smiling at the deceit, forgives the perjury.

But from the bosom of the British fair,

Where Truth alone should dwell, fly base Deceit, Nor stain with perfidy the sacred shrine.

2

PRESENTS,

PRESENTS, BRIBES, TOKENS, GIFTS, and

fuch like feats,

Are often brought to aid the lover's tale,
Where oaths, and lies, and protestations fail.

As Jupiter corrupted the virtue of Danaë by a golden fhower, and Liber overcame the reluctance of Ariadne by a jewelled crown, fo thefe heroic lovers, when nothing elfe will win the favour of their miftreffes, rain chequins, florins, crowns, angels, and all manner of treasures into their laps. "I had a fuitor," fays Lucretia, who, when he came to my house, flung gold and filver about as if it had been chaff." The effect of thefe allurements are finely described by Shakespear in the person of Egeus, an Athenian nobleman, who complains to Thefeus, the Duke of Athens, that ́ Lysander had witched the bofom of his daughter Hermia.

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"Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhimes, "And interchang'd love-tokens with my child: "Thou hast by moon-light at her window sung, "With feigning voice, verses of feigning love; "And stolen the impression of her fantasie "With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits, Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats; messengers "Of strong prevailment in unharden'd youth. With cunning hast thou filch'd my daughter's

"heart."

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But