66 
FALSE TENDERNESS. 
LETTER XXIII. 
To the fame. 
Madam, 
PON my word the bufinefs is of fo interesting a na- 
ture, I cannot undertake to give my advice : will you 
engage to laugh Cordelia into good-humor? Tell her that in 
antient times a lady, whom they call dido, killed herfelf when 
eneas was fo unkind as to run away from her. Eneas, fhe 
may have heard, was a rational animal with a beard ; makako 
is an animal of inftindl:, fomewhat refembling a man, wdth fhort 
ears. Both had their charms it is plain : but eneas was a very 
fad fellow for leaving fo fine a lady ; makako a filly jackanaps 
for thus deferting his charming miftrefs. Eneas indeed was 
conduced by his mother venus ; but our makako lived under 
the aufpices of a terreftrial being, who, if fhe is not quite fo 
handfome, is more amiable than the goddefs, becaufe fhe is 
adorned with innocence : her only guilt is an inordinate affedtion 
for a monkey ; and what pity ’tis fhe fhould have any guilt at 
all ! Dido was certainly very fond of eneas, or fhe would not 
have been tranfported to this extremity : and how often has 
makako been fondled by the fair hand of his miftrefs, and ca- 
reffed in her very bofom !— 
If you cannot laugh her into good-humor, exercife all your 
lenient arts : teach her, if you can, to referve her pafiions for 
noble objedts. It is true, all of us have our foibles : Shall we 
not compaffionate Cordelia ? may not fhe whom fo many of 
the 
