Apollo.-Ne'er heed him, fair ones, for he needs must choose Soft Venus' self with irony to jeer. Momus.-The Venus of this scene makes her own shoes, "Bravo!" exclaimed Wentworth, as he received the arm of lady Anna, whom the satiric god had singled out as the Venus of the group. Her ladyship was actually oppressed by the pointed, compliment of the mask. Apollo, resuming his melodious strain, The satire of Momus was more particularly pointed at the gods;. whatever they did, he freely ridiculed. He blamed Vul› can for omitting to make a window in the breast of the clay figure he formed, by which whatever was done or thought might be discovered. He censured the house which Minerva had made, because the goddess had not made it moveable, by which a bad neighbourhood might be avoided. In the bull which Neptune produced, he observed that his blows might have been surer if his eyes had been placed nearer the horns. Even Venus was exposed to his satire; and when the sneering god had found no fault in the body of the goddess, he observed, as she retired, that the noise of her feet was too loud, and greatly improper in the goddess of beauty. waved waved the bold satirist to depart in these words: Apollo.-Hence, miscreant! I banish thee this nether heav'n ; By one who nine years' banishment did know. Yet, obedient to the mandate, the smiling mask withdrew. "This is all very pleasant," said the Attorney; "but I confess, I should prefer something a little more sublunary, more like what one meets in the courts." "Were you never dismissed peremptorily?” interjoined the Irishman, who had taken his station near to Mrs. Marnley. "Never," replied the Lawyer. "Then hug your fortune, jewel!” said the Irishman, " you have been in luck." "What a hideous specimen of my country!" said sir Charles Felton, "What a mistaken idea, to put the language of a chairman into the mouth of a man who affects to play the gentleman!" "It is excusable," answered the domino, who had observed the remark; "our theatres sanction the error; and I believe it would now be impossible to convince a great proportion of this nation that an Irishman is not a blunderer by nature, a creature made up of quaint expressions and oaths, one who murders for the pleasure of being infamous, and who, generally speaking, has no right to expect mercy, because he does not use the same form of worship with ourselves." The Magician and the Lawyer, who had held a short conference, had yet attended to the foregoing remark. The prejudiced sorcerer betrayed a malicious smile, and turning to the domino, declared "his portrait was just, though he had not intended to be so faithful, he presumed." "As a general character, it is not actionable," said the Lawyer," or I would have made my minutes." "Behold," said the generous domino, turning to Apollo, "these are your sacrifi VOL. J. ces ces-" the Wolf," and he pointed to the Magician, "and the Hawk," directing his attention to the Lawyer. Apollo. I sanction thy decree, judicious friend; And with a majestic motion of the hand, he motioned them to retire. Sir Charles had been endeavouring to fix the attention of the stranger, but without success; his original purpose of making her conspicuous had been yielded, on the moment of her avowal that it caused her uneasiness. Sidney kept his eye fixed on the detained votary of dissipation, whose anxiety to retire scarcely admitted of her joining in the truly entertaining mummery; yet he, more than once, heard an involuntary mark of approbation given to the scene. The grey light of morning was now peeping through the sylvan shades which ornamented the rooms, when lady Morbury, in a half whisper, reminded lady Anna that she had promised to retire early. Her Her ladyship acknowledged her promise, yet looked as though she wished it set aside. "Remember," continued lady Morbury, my brother will certainly be in town by eleven o'clock." "In town!" repeated lady Anna; has never left it." "he Though this remark was made in a low voice, Sidney caught the sentence; and it now occurred to him, that lord Arlingham was the Magician, and, in that case, the sudden alteration of lady Anna's manner, on his first address, was readily translated. Wentworth forbore to inform Lennard of his surmise, lest the unguarded sailor should resent his marked acrimony. Lady Anna yet lingered by his side, when the Bellman again made his appearance. "Good night to ye, my masters and mistresses!" said he; "I am going to put out my lanthorn; but before I give place to the sun, let me take a look at all my old acquaintances;" and raising his light to regard Minerva, he bade her throw off the godL 2. dess, |