.16.

At a ball-when you have set your heart on dancing with a particular favourite,—at the moment when you delightedly see him advancing towards you, being briskly accosted by a conceited simpleton at your elbow, whom you cannot endure, but who obtains, (because you know not in what manner to refuse,) the honour of your hand for the evening.

Sen. Upon my word, Madam, tolerably unhappy-for a lady who enjoys the admiration of one sex, and the envy of the other. Mrs. Tes. There !-there!-Mr. Testy. Tes. O yes, Mrs. Testy,-there is Mr. Sensitive, as you say; and there is his politeness; -but where is his sincerity?—

Well but, Sensitive,-touching the grand contest of suffering, for which we have been so long preparing our arguments; we seem then, to have pretty well made out our brief -all but a few riders, which we are to add, at our leisure :—I can't tell how long a time

you will require to hearten yourself for the next consultation; all I can say is, that, as you are Mind, you know, you must govern, of course; and will find Body at your service, whenever you may be pleased to call for it.

you

X

DIALOGUE THE TWELFTH.

MISERIES MISCELLANEOUS.

Testy and Sensitive.

Testy.

YOUR servant, Sensitive ;—I am glad to see you wound up to another meeting; when we last parted, your weights seemed to be quite down, I thought. Since that time, we have both been equally busy, I reckon, in gleaning up such little odd tortures, of all sorts, as we had left behind at our general harvest. For my own share, I have cocked up a tolerable sheaf of 'em.

Sen. Mr. Testy, I am yours: - would I could add that I am my own!-but, to say

the truth, the cruel necessity of retracing my footsteps through so many of the galling journies of life, in quest of missing miseries, or stray groans, has well nigh overwhelmed me; nor do I feel myself much enlivened by the prospect immediately before me, of counting over my collections.

Tes. Cheer up, Sensitive-remember our rivals!--we are now within sight of the goal; and winning horses, like you and me, should scorn to complain of being a little out of wind in the race.

Sen. I stand prepared, Sir: my motto, during my late search, has been

"Stat casus renovare omnes, omnemque reverti Per Trojam, et rursus caput objectare periclis."

Labouring in vain to do up a parcel, with scanty, weak, bursten paper; and thin, short, rotten string.

2. (T.)

Drudging, late at night, for the twentieth time, over long rows of figures, in a vain attempt to reconcile sundry totals, differing by a single farthing.

Ned Tes. Aye-that misery is as old as Horace :

"Infelix operis summa, quia ponere totum

Nescit."

3. (T.)

Receiving a quantity of thin sixpences, in change, at a shop, and striving to pick up the separate pieces against the rim, or ridge of the counter-but with such cruelly short nails, and in such violent haste, that you barely raise the edge of the coin, so as to cut and gall the quick. of your fingers, from which the piece drops flat every time.

4. (S.)

Hearing that your lottery-ticket is drawn a blank, just as you have snugly tiled in your castles in the air.