crime, for which he may be hanged or transported: and grave judges have thereupon declared, that even, "to knock ata door, and upon opening it to rush in with a felonious intent," brings an offender in the way of heavy penalties. From the complaint of our friend Calebs, it seems too that a felonious intent is always presumed on these occasions, for no one could be found prowling about after dark, without suspicion of designing to steal an heiress, or purloin some unguarded heart in the parlour. On the whole we would recommend to our friends, young as well as old, to unbend somewhat of this severity-to open their doors even after sunset-and to receive company in the evening without fear or reproach. Having long since abandoned drawing rooms and confined our acquaintance to a few old folks, we cannot speak of things passing, but from what we hear from our grandchildren; but if there be any truth in their complaints, the present age has much cause to lament that the reign of social firesides, snug parties, and petits soupers has been superseded by morning calls, and yawning crowds in the evening.] From the letter-box. MR. OLDSCHOOL, HAVE you forgotten the interests of the ladies in the more important concerns of your magazine? Your gallantry I am sure will not suffer you to plead this excuse: but at all events your aid is wanted to redress various grievances which prevail among us. In the first place then, you must know that there is, and has long been a most lamentable deficiency of beaux in our society. What the cause of this calamity is, I know not; but the evil is too palpable. At a tea-party, for example, it often happens that there are twenty ladies assembled, and not more than two or three gentlemen. At a dance the proportion of gentlemen to the ladies is so small, that many unhappy females are absolutely deprived of this favourite amusement, and remain a whole evening without stirring from their seats, whence they have received the name of wall-flowers, from the impertinent coxcombs. The consequence of this scarcity is, that many of these personages, the men, I inean, feeling their im portance, take great airs upon themselves, forsooth, and have adopted habits of carelessness and indifference, that call for immediate correction. Sometimes they do not make their appearance at a party until towards the end of the evening. Sometimes they collect in heaps in the middle of the room, utterly regardless of the presence of the ladies, and if the weather is cold take care to place themselves exactly in such a situation as to deprive the ladies of all benefit from the fire. Many of them affect not to dance at all, while others do it in such a manner, that it looks like the effect of compulsion. It would be endless to repeat all the enormities that are committed on these occasions. But, sir, there is another complaint that I have to make of a more extensive application. We have heard that in the times of our mothers, gentlemen visited them frequently, and that their evenings were spent in social and agreeable parties of both sexes. But at present, except at large and formal parties, we never see the gentlemen, unless it be in a morning visit of about five minutes, which is thought to be a necessary return for a dance or a tea-party, and which is paid annually. I will acknowledge, to the credit of several of my male visitants, that they are very punctual in the observance of this anniversary, and that I generally see them or their cards (which is the same thing) at my house once a year. As to social evening parties, collected without ceremony or invitation, the custom has long been extinct in Philadelphia. By the way, sir, does not our custom of morning visits occasion a great waste of time by breaking in upon the other occupations of the day, and would it not be better to reserve our visits for the evening, except on particular joccasions, and when strangers are to be seen? One advantage would certainly attend such an arrangement; it would accommodate the leisure of those gentlemen whose talents are most desirable in society. But, alas! men of this description seem for the most part to have abandoned society. What wonder if tea⚫ parties are frivolous and tiresome, when men of sense desert them: but give me leave to say, at the same time, whatever these gentlemen may think in their dignified retirement, of female society, they may be assured that they would be benefited by it. This unsocial, ceremonious manner, which is said to be peculiar to Philadelphia, is the more remarkable, because no persons appear better qualified for social intercourse by education, talents, and manners, than a very large portion of the society in this city. Why, then, is such an enormous evil permitted to exist? If, sir, you can suggest any remedy, you will oblige a large circle, and among them your humble servant, NUBILIA. MR. OLDSHOOL, I am a bachelor, and fond of the society of the ladies, but I find some difficulty in cultivating it. An inveterate custom has established a formal mode of intercourse by morning visits, to the exclusion of the more convenient and agreeable manner of visiting in the evening without invitation. To break through this usage is an undertaking altogether desperate. A friend of mine assures me that it cannot be done, and that he once made an attempt which had like to have been attended with serious consequences. It seems that he called one evening to visit a family to whose parties he had frequently been invited. A report was soon after spread that he was paying his addresses to the young lady of the house, and at his next visit he found the lady very prettily embarrassed, and the whole family in expectation that he would declare his intentions. Having no designs of this sort, my friend was perplexed at his situation, and has since withdrawn himself from the society of that family, in order to avoid the imputation of courting the daughter. Pray, sir, use your influence to reform this absurdity in our manners, and in the mean time inform me how often I may visit where there are ladies, and at what hours without being thought to entertain views of marriage. Your's, CELEBS. FOR THE PORT FOLIO-ANECDOTE OF LA HARPE AND DORAT. FROM GRIMM'S CORRESPONDENCE. "SINCE SO much pains is often taken to amuse the censorious by little pieces of scandal against distinguished characters, it is a delightful task to record the opposite traits of generosity which do honour to letters, and to literary men. M. de la Harpe sometime ago displayed this nobleness of mind on a remarkable occa sion. It will be recollected that an unfortunate difference has long subsisted between him and Dorat. A few days ago La Harpe received, through the post, a letter signed "a capuchin," in which the writer requests an immediate interview, designating as the place of meeting, a church belonging to one of the most remote convents of Paris. The author of Melanie and of Varvick, we may be sure could feel no great disposition to give the rendezvous to a capuchin; notwithstanding that he himself had thrown out to one* a similar invitation, hardly six months before, and that too on the enemy's coast. He concluded, at first, therefore, to take no notice of it. But having received a second letter more pressing than the former, couched in terms which precluded all suspicion of foul play, his curiosity was excited, and he determined to grant the request, of his mysterious correspondent. The parties accordingly met, when our pretended monk explained his secret by stating, that he was private secretary to Dorat, from whom he had recently experienced the greatest injustice, and that he was determined to exact the severest retribution. “I have here," said he, drawing from under his frock a large bundle of manuscripts, "the means of punishing most effectually our common. enemy. Your assistance will be necessary in the prosecution of my design, and it is for that purpose I have taken the liberty to trouble you." The pacquet, amongst numberless half-sketched satires against the members of the academy, particularly La Harpe, contained a voluminous correspondence between Dorat and a married woman, with whom he kept up an intercourse on terms. of more than platonic familiarity. Out of this correspondence. the honourable secretary thought that an exceedingly witty, pleasant, scandalous romance might be worked up to amuse the town, and ruin the reputation of Dorat. The profits of the publication were to be divided equally; and some of the originals were to be privately conveyed to the unsuspecting husband. It would be difficult to conceive the indignation with which the generous La Harpe received this infamous proposal;-he upbraided the wretch with his perfidy, and left him with the utmost abhorrence. But upon coolly reflecting on the matter he thought that enough had not been done, and that some mercenary scribbler might be found *To the Courier of Europe * 1 VOL. I. who would readily seize so favourable an opportunity of gratifying the malevolence of the public. He therefore instantly despatched a note to the capuchin, apologizing for his warmth at their first meeting, and saying how happy he should now be to cooperate with him in his design. The device succeeded, and the manuscripts carefully wrapt up, were received according to request. Without opening the pacquet, La Harpe immediately enclosed it to Dorat, with an explanation of the circumstances by which it had come to his hands. The enthusiastic gratitude of Dorat may be readily imagined—all literary animosities were forgotten, and he hastened to throw himself at the feet of a man whom he had so often reviled in the pages of Freron; and Mr. De la Harpe ever afterwards tried to speak ill of Mr. Dorat in a tone of infinitely more mildness. After such traits, who will dare to accuse men of letters of not being good Christians. FOR THE PORT FOLIO.-NAVAL SONGS. MR. OLDSCHOOL, THE author of the enclosed song of TOM JUNK, would willingly denominate it "A Naval Song, somewhat after the manner of the celebrated Dibden," but is fearful of being considered presumptuous. As it is, however, he submits it to the critical decision of the editor, from a reliance that, should it meet the approbation of that gentleman, he will honour it, as an effusion of a native, perhaps unfledged, muse, with an insertion in his elegant miscellany. EDGAR. SONG.-TOM JUNK. Air" Thy Blue Waves O'Carron." "THE wave of old Ocean's the field for the brave," |