id to eat of a delicious banquet set before him, could
scarce appear more melancholy.

6. The rueful length of my face might possibly increase the mirth of my
tormentors: at least their joy seemed to rise in exact proportion with
my misery. At length, however, the time of my delivery approached.
Dinner ended, the ladies made their exit in pairs, and went off hand in
hand whispering like the two kings of _Brentford_.

7. Modest men, Mr. _Town_, are deeply wounded when they imagine
themselves the subjects of ridicule or contempt; and the pain is the
greater, when it is given by those whom they admire, and from whom they
are ambitious of receiving any marks of countenance and favour. Yet we
must allow, that affronts are pardonable from ladies, as they are often
prognostics of future kindness.

8. If a lady strikes our cheek, we can very willingly follow the precept
of the gospel, and turn the other cheek to be smitten: even a blow from
a fair hand conveys pleasure. But this battery of whispers is against
all legal rights of war; poisoned arrows and stabs in the dark, are not
more repugnant to the general laws of humanity.

9. Modern writers of comedy often introduce a pert titling into their
pieces, who is very severe upon the rest of the company; but all his
waggery is spoken _aside_.--These giglers and whisperers seem to be
acting the same part in company that this arch rogue does in the play.
Every word or motion produces a train of whispers; the dropping of a
snuff-box, or spilling the tea, is sure to be accompanied with a titter:
and, upon the entrance of any one with something particular in his
person, or manner, I have seen a whole room in a buz like a bee hive.

10. This practice of whispering, if it is any where allowable, may
perhaps be indulged the fair sex at church, where the conversation can
only be carried on by the secret symbols of a curtsy, an ogle, or a nod.
A whisper in this place is very often of great use, as it serves to
convey the most secret intelligence, which a lady would be ready to
burst with, if she could not find vent for it by this kind of auricular
confession. A piece of scandal transpires in this manner from one pew to
another, then presently whizes along the channel, from whence it crawls
up to the galleries, till at last the whole church hums with it.

11. It were also to be wished, that the ladies would be pleased to
confine themselves to whispering in their _tete-a-tete_ conferenc