depths of eternity.

When I lay me down to sleep, I recomm myself to his care; when I awake, I give myself up to his d tion. Amidst all the evils that threaten me, I will look up to for help, and question not but he will either avert them, or them to my advantage. Though I know neither the time nor manner of the death I am to die, I am not at all solicitous al it; because I am sure that he knows them both, and that he not fail to comfort and support me under them.

C.

I SHALL here communicate to the world a couple of lette which I believe will give the reader as good an entertainment any that I am able to furnish him, and therefore shall make apology for them.

'SIR,

"TO THE SPECTATOR, &c.

'I AM one of the directors of the society for the reformatio of manners, and therefore think myself a proper person for you correspondence. I have thoroughly examined the present sta of religion in Great Britain, and am able to acquaint you wit the predominant vice of every market-town in the whole island I can tell you the progress that virtue has made in all our citie boroughs, and corporations; and know as well the evil practice

that are committed in Berwick or Exeter, as what is done in my own family. In a werd, sir, I have my correspondents in the remotests parts of the nation, who send me up punctual accounts from time to time, of all the little irregularities that fall under their notice in their several districts and divisions.

'I am no less acquainted with the particular quarters and regions of this great town, than with the different parts and distributions of the whole nation. I can describe every parish by its impieties, and can tell you in which of our streets lewdness prevails, which gaming has taken the possession of, and where drunkenness has got the better of them both. When I am dis posed to raise a fine for the poor, I know the lanes and allies that are inhabited by common swearers. When I would encourage the hospital of Bridewell, and improve the hempen manufacture, I am very well acquainted with all the haunts and resorts of female night-walkers.

'After this short account of myself, I must let you know, that the design of this paper is to give you information of a certain irregular assembly which I think falls very properly under your observation, especially since the persons it is composed of are criminals too considerable for the animadversions of our society I mean, sir, the midnight mask, which has of late been very fre quently held in one of the most conspicuous parts of the town, and which I hear will be continued with additions and improve ments.1 As all the persons who compose this lawless assembly are masqued, we dare not attack any of them in our way, lest we hould send a woman of quality to Bridewell, or a peer of Great Britain to the Counter; besides, their numbers are so very great, that I am afraid they would be able to rout our whole fraternity, though we were accompanied with all our guard of constables

Both these reasons, which secure them from our authority, them obnoxious to yours; as both their disguise and their bers will give no particular person reason to think himself aff ed by you.

If we are rightly informed, the rules that are observed this new society, are wonderfully contrived for the advancer of cuckoldom. The women either come by themselves, or introduced by friends, who are obliged to quit them, upon t first entrance, to the conversation of any body that addre himself to them. There are several rooms where the parties retire, and, if they please, shew their faces by consent.

Whispers, squeezes, nods, and embraces, are the inno freedoms of the place. In short, the whole design of this lib nous assembly, seems to terminate in assignatious and intrigu and I hope you will take effectual methods, by your public vice and admonitions, to prevent such a promiscuous multitu of both sexes from meeting together in so clandestine a mann I am Your humble servant,

and fellow labourer,

T. B.'

Not long after the perusal of this letter, I received anoth upon the same subject; which, by the date and style of it, I ta to be written by some young Templar.

Middle Temple, 1710-11.

'WHEN a man has been guilty of any vice or folly, I think th best atonement he can make for it, is to warn others not to fa into the like. In order to this, I must acquaint you, that som time in February last, I went to the Tuesday's masquerad Upon my first going in, I was attacked by half a dozen femal quakers, who seemed willing to adopt me for a brother; hut, upo

a nearer examination, I found they were a sisterhood of coqu
disguised in that precise habit. I was soon after taken ou
dance, and, as I fancied, by a woman of the first quality, for
was very tall, and moved gracefully. As soon as the minuet
over, we ogled one another through our masques;
and as
very well read in Waller, I repeated to her the four follo
verses out of his
of Vandyke.

poem

The heedless lover does not know

Whose eyes they are that wound him so;

But, confounded with thy art,

Inquires her name that has his heart.

I pronounced these words with such a languishing air, I had some reason to conclude I had made a conquest. She me that she hoped my face was not akin to my tongue; looking upon her watch, I accidentally discovered the figu a coronet on the back part of it. I was so transported with thought of such an amour, that I plied her from one roo another with all the gallantries I could invent; and at le brought things to so happy an issue, that she gave me a pri meeting the next day, without page or footman, coach or page. My heart danced in raptures; but I had not lived in golden dream above three days, before I found good reaso wish that I had continued true to my laundress. I have heard, by a very great accident, that this fine lady does not far from Covent Garden, and that I am not the first cully w she has passed herself for a countess.

upon

Thus, sir, you see how I have mistaken a cloud for a J and if you can make any use of this adventure, for the benef those who may possibly be as vain young coxcombs as myse do most heartily give you leave. I am, Sir,

Your most humble admirer,
B. 1

I design to visit the next masquerade myself, in the same habit I wore at Grand Cairo;' and till then shall suspend my judgment of this midnight entertainment.'

C.

No. 9. SATURDAY, MARCH 10.

-Tigris agit rabidâ cum tigride pacem
Perpetuam, sævis inter se convenit ursis.

Juv. Sat. xv. 163.

Tiger with tiger, bear with bear, you'll find
In leagues offensive and defensive join'd.

TATE

MAN is said to be a sociable animal, and, as an instance of it, we may observe, that we take all occasions and pretences of forming ourselves into those little nocturnal assemblies, which are commonly known by the name of clubs. When a set of men find themselves agree in any particular, though never so trivial, they establish themselves into a kind of fraternity, and meet once or twice a week, upon the account of such a fantastic resemblance. I know a considerable market-town, in which there was a club of fat men, that did not come together (as you may well suppose) to entertain one another with sprightliness and wit, but to keep one another in countenance; the room where the club met was something of the largest, and had two entrances, the one by a door of a moderate size, and the other by a pair of folding doors. If a candidate for this corpulent club could make his entrance through the first, he was looked upon as unqualified; but if h stuck in the passage, and could not force his way through it, the folding doors were immediately thrown open for his reception and he was saluted as a brother. I have heard that this club

1 V. No. 1.--C.

2 The original folio hid the following notice: Letters for the Spec tator to be left with Mr. Buckley at the Dolphin in Little Britain