She early found herself mistress of herself. All she did was right: all she said was admired. Early, very early, did she dismiss blushes from her cheek: she could not blush, because she could not doubt; and silence, whatever was the subject, was as much a stranger to her as diffidence. _Richardson._ Quo fugit Venus? heu! Quove color? decens Quo motus? Quid habes illius, illius, Quæ spirabat amores, Quæ me surpuerat mihi? _Horatius_, lib. iv, od. 13 [vv. 17-20]. Her lively and pleasant Manners--Her Reading and Decision--Her Intercourse with different Classes of Society--Her Kind of Character--The favoured Lover--Her Management of him: his of her--After one Period, Clelia with an Attorney: her Manner and Situation there--Another such Period, when her Fortune still declines--Mistress of an Inn--A Widow--Another such Interval: she becomes poor and infirm, but still vain and frivolous--The fallen Vanity--Admitted into the House; meets Blaney. LETTER XV. _CLELIA._ We had a sprightly nymph--in every town Are some such sprights, who wander up and down; She had her useful arts, and could contrive, In time's despite, to stay at twenty-five;-- "Here will I rest; move on, thou lying year, This is mine age, and I will rest me here." Arch was her look, and she had pleasant ways Your good opinion of her heart to raise; Her speech was lively, and with ease express'd, And well she judged the tempers she address'd: 10 If some soft stripling had her keenness felt, She knew the way to make his anger melt; Wit was allow'd her, though but few could bring Direct example of a witty thing; 'Twas that gay, pleasant, smart, engaging speech, Her beaux admired, and just within their reach; Not indiscreet, perhaps, but yet more free Than prudish nymphs allow their wit to be. Novels and plays, with poems, old and new, Were all the books our nymph attended to; 20 Yet from the press no treatise issued forth, But she would speak precisely of its worth. She with the London stage familiar grew, And every actor's name and merit knew; She told how this or that their part mistook, And of the rival Romeos gave the look; Of either house 'twas hers the strength to see, Then judge with candour--"Drury-Lane for me." What made this knowledge, what this skill complete? A fortnight's visit in Whitechapel-street. 30 Her place in life was rich and poor between, With those a favourite, and with these a queen; She could her parts assume, and condescend To friends more humble while an humble friend; And thus a welcome, lively guest could pass, Threading her pleasant way from class to class. "Her reputation?"--That was like her wit,