"As the passions and affections, so are the vir"tues of a polite man to be carefully concealed or "disguised. In this particular, our art goes far bey"ond the rules of philosophers, or the precepts of "the Bible: they enjoined men not to boast of their "virtues; we teach them to brag of their vices, "which is certainly a much sublimer pitch of self"denial. Besides, the merit of disinterestedness lies "altogether on our side, the disciples of those anti"quated teachers expecting, as they confess, a re"ward somewhere; our conduct has only the pure "consciousness of acting like a man of fashion for "its recompence, as we evidently profit nothing by "it at present, and the idea of future retribution, "were we ever to admit of it, is rather against us.”

Such, Mr. Mirror, is the substance of one of my lectures, which, I think, promise so much edification

our country (yet only in an improving state with regard to the higher and more refined parts of politeness) that it must be impossible for your patriotism to refuse their encouragement. If you insert this in your next paper (if accompanied with some commendatory paragraphs of your own, so much the better.) I shall take care to present you with a dozen admission tickets, as soon as the number of my subscribers enables me to begin my course.

V

I have the honour to be, &c.

SIMULATOR.

No. XLI. TUESDAY, JUNE 15.

Sit mihi fas audita loqui.

VIRG.

per

PASSING the Exchange a few days ago I ceived a little before me a short, plump-looking man, seeming to set his watch by St. Giles's clock, which had just then struck two. On observing him a little more closely, I recognised Mr. Blubber, with whom I had become acquainted at the house of my friend Umphraville's cousin, Mr. Bearskin. He also recollected me, and shaking me cordially by the hand, told me he was just returned safe from his journey to the Highlands, and had been regulating his watch by our town-clock, as he found the sun did not go exactly in the Highlands as it did in the Low country. He added, that, if I would come and eat a Welsh-rabbit, and drink a glass of punch with him and his family that evening, at their lodgings hard by, they would give me an account of their expedition. He said, they found my description of things a very just one: and was pleased to add, that his wife and daughters had taken a very great liking to me ever since the day that we met at his friend Bearskin's. After this, it was impossible to resist his invitation, and I went to his lodgings in the evening accordingly, where I found all the family assembled, except Mr. Edward, whom they accounted for in the history of their expedition.

I could not help making one preliminary observation, that it was much too early in the season for viewing the country to advantage; but to this Mr. Blubber had a very satisfactory answer; they were resolved to complete their tour before the new tax upon posthorses should be put in execution.

The first place they visited after they left Edinburgh was Carron, which Mr. Blubber seemed to

prefer to any place he had seen; but the ladies did not appear to have relished it much. The mother said, "She had like to have fell into a fit at the noise "of the great bellows." Miss Blubber agreed, that it was monstrous frightful indeed. Miss Betsy had spoiled her petticoat in getting in, and said it was a nasty place, not fit for genteel people, in her opinion. Blubber put on his wisest face, and observed, that women did not know the use of them things. There was much the same difference in their sentiments with regard to the Great Canal; Mr. Blubber took out a bit of paper, on which he had marked down the lockage duty received in a week there; he shook his head, however, and said, he was sorry to find the shares were below par.

Of Stirling, the young ladies remarked, that the view from the castle was very fine, and the windings of the river very curious. But neither of them had ever been at Richmond. Mrs. Bubber, who had been oftener than once there, told us, " that from the hill "was a much grander prospect; that the river "Thames made two twists for one that the Forth "made at Stirling; besides, there was a wood so "charming thick, that, unless when you got to a "rising ground, like what the Star and Garter "stands on, you could scarce see a hundred yards "before you."

Taymouth seemed to strike the whole family. The number and beauty of the temples were taken particular notice of; nor was the trimness of the walks and hedges without commendation. Miss Betsy

Blubber declared herself charmed with the shady walk by the side of the Tay, and remarked, what an excellent fancy it was to shut out the view of the river, so that you might hear the stream without seeing it. Mr. Blubber, however, objected to the vicinity of the hills, and Mrs. Blubber to that of the lake, which she was sure must be extremely unwholesome.

To this circumstance she imputed her rheumatism, which she told us, "had been very troublesome to "her the first night she lay'd there; but that she "had always the precaution of carrying a bottle of "Beaume de Vie in the chaise, and that a dose of it "had effectually cured her."

The ladies were delighted with the Hermitage. Mrs. Blubber confessed, “she was somewhat afeard "at first to trust herself with the guide, down a dark 66 narrow path, to the Lord knows where; but then "it was so charming when he let in the light upon “ them.”—“ Yes, and so natural," said her eldest daughter, "with the flowers growing out of the wall, " and the Bear-skins so pure soft for the Hermit to "sleep on."- “And their garter-blue colour so "lively and so pretty," said Miss Betsy; " I vow I "could have stay'd there for ever. -You wa'n't "there, Papa." "No," replied he, rather sullenly, "but I saw one of them same things at Dun"keld, next day."-The young ladies declared they were quite different things, and that no judgment could be formed of the one from the other; upon which Mr. Blubber began to grow angry; and Mrs. Blubber interposing, put an end to the question; whispering me at the same time, that her husband had fallen asleep, after a hearty dinner at the inn near Taymouth, and that she and her children had gone to see the Hermitage without him. I was farther informed, that Mr. Edward Blubber had left their party at this place, having gone along with two English gentlemen whom he met there, to see a great many curiosities farther off in the Highlands. "For "my part," said Blubber, "though I was told it was a great way off, and over terrible mountains, as "indeed we could perceive them to be from the win"dows, I did not care to hinder his going, as I like "to see spirit in a young man.”

66

The rest of the family returned by the way of Dunkeld, which the ladies likewise commended as a monstrous pleasant place. Mr. Blubber dissented a little, saying, "he could not see the pleasure of al66 ways looking at the same things; hills, and wood, "and water, over and over again. The river here, "he owned, was a pretty rural thing enough; but, "for his part he should think it much more lively if "it had a few ships and lighters on it." Miss Blubber did not agree with him as to the ships and lighters; but she confessed, she thought a little company would improve it a good deal. Miss Betsy differed from both, and declared, she relished nothing so much as solitude and retirement. This led to a description of a second hermitage they had visited at this place, from which, and some of the grottos adjoining, Miss Betsy had taken down some sweet copies of verses, as she called them, in her memorandum-book. The fall of water here had struck the

family much. Mrs. Blubber observed, how like it was to the cascade at Vauxhall; her eldest daughter remarked, however, that the fancy of looking at it through panes of different coloured glass in the Hermitage-room, was an improvement on that at Springgardens.

The bridge at Perth was the last section of the family journal that we discoursed on. The ladies had inadvertently crossed it in the carriage to see the palace at Scone, at which they complained there was nothing to be seen; and Mr. Blubber complained of the extravagance of the toll on the bridge, which he declared was higher than at Blackfriars. He was assured, however, that he had paid no more than the legal charge, by his landlord, Mr. Marshall, at whose house he received some consolation from an excellent dinner, and a bed, he said, which the Lord Mayor of London might have laid on. "I hope there is no offence (continued Mr. Blubber, very politely ;)