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ourselves difapprove habitual to us, if we would be fure of our integrity.

I remember a falfehood of the trivial fort, though not in relation to alignations, that expofed a man to a very uneafy adventure Will Trap and Jack Stint were chamber-fellows in the Inner-Temple about twenty-five years ago. They one night fat in the pit together at a comedy, where they both obferved and liked the fame young woman in the boxes. Their kindness for her entered both hearts deeper than they imagined. Stint had a good faculty in writing letters of love, and made his addrefs privately that way; while Trap proceeded in the ordinary courfe, by money and her waiting-maid. The lady gave them both encouragement, receiving Trap into the utmoft favour, and answering at the fame time Stine's letters, and giving him appointments at third places. Trap began to fulpect the epistolary correspondence of his friend, and discovered also that Stint opened all his letters which came to their common lodgings, in order to form his own affignations. After much anxiety and restleffnefs, Trap came to a refolution, which he thought would break off their commerce with one another without any hazardous explanation. He therefore writ a letter in a feigned hand to Mr. Trap at his chambers in the Temple. Stint, according to cultom, feized and opened it, and was not a little furprized to find the infide directed to himfelf, when, with great perturbation of fpirit, he read as follows:

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Mr. STINT,

YOU have gained a flight fatisfaction at the ex pence of doing a very heinous crime. At the price of a faithful friend you have obtained an inconftant miftrefs. I rejoice in this expedient I have thought of ⚫ to break my mind to you, and tell you, you are a base fellow, by a means which does not expofe you to the 'affront except you deferve it. I know, fir, as crim:nal as you are, you have ftill fhame enough to avenge yourfelf against the hardinefs of any one that should publicly tell you of it. I therefore, who have received fo many fecret her's from you, thall take fatisfaction with fafety to my felf. I call you bafe, and you

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muft bear it, or acknowledge it; I triumph over you 'that you cannot come at me; nor do I think it dishonourable to come in armour to assault him, who was ⚫ in ambuscade when he wounded me.

T.

• What need more be faid to convince you of being guilty of the bafest practice imaginable, than that it is fuch as has made you liable to be treated after this manner, while you yourself cannot in your own conscience but allow the juftice of the upbraidings of

Your injured friend,

'W. TRAP.'

N° 449.

Tuesday, August 5.

——————Tibi fcriptus, Matrona libellus. A book the chafteft matron may perufe.

MART.

WHEN I reflect upon my labours for the public, I

cannot but obferve, that part of the fpecies, of which I profefs myself a friend and guardian, is fometimestreated with feverity; that is, there are in my writings many defcriptions given of ill perfons, and not any direct encomium made of thofe who are good.

When I was convinced of this error, I could not but immediately call to mind feveral of the fair fex of my acquaintance, whofe characters deferve to be tranfinitted to pofterity in writings which will long outlive mine. But I do not think that a reason why I fhould not give them their place in my diurnal as long as it will laft. For the fervice therefore of my female readers, I fhall fingle out some characters of maids, wives, and widows, which deferve the imitation of the fex. She who fhall lead th's fmall illuftrious number of heroines fhall be the amiable Fidelia.

Before I enter upon the particular parts of her character, it is neceffary to preface that he is the only ehild of a decrepid father, whofe life is bound up in

hers. This gentleman has used Fidelia from her cradle with all the tenderness imaginable, and has viewed her growing perfections with the partiality of a parent, that foon thought her accomplished above the children of all other men, but never thought she was come to the utmoft improvement of which the herself was capable. This fondnefs has had very happy effects upon his own happiness; for the reads, the dances, the fings, ufes her fpinet and lute to the utmoft perfection: and the lady's ufe of all these excellencies, is to divert the old man in his eafy chair, when he is out of the pangs of a chronical diftemper. Fidelia is now in the twenty-third year of her age; but the application of many lovers, her vigorous time of life, her quick fenfe of all that is truly gallant and elegant in the enjoyment of a plentiful fortune, are not able to draw her from the fide of her good old father. Certain it is, that there is no kind of affection fo pure and angelic as that of a father to a daughter. He beholds her both with, and without regard to her fex. In love to our wives there is defire, to our fons there is ambition; but in that our to daughters, there is fomething which there are no words to exprefs. Her life is defigned wholly domeftic, and she is fo ready a friend and companion, that every thing that paffes about a man, is accompanied with the idea of her prefence. Her fex alfo is naturally fo much expofed to hazard, both as to fortune and innocence, that there is perhaps a new caufe of fondness arifing from that confideration alfo. None but fathers can have a true fenfe of these fort of pleasures and fenfations; but my familiarity with the father of Fidelia, makes me let drop the words which I have heard him speak, and obferve upon his tenderness towards her.

Fidelia on her part, as I was going to fay, as accomplished as fhe is, with all her beauty, wit, air and mien, employs her whole time in care and attendance upon her father. How have I been charmed to fee one of the most beauteous women the age has produced on her knees helping on an old man's flipper! Her filial regard to him is what the makes her diverfion, her bufinefs, and her glory. When he was asked by a friend of her deceased mother to admit of the courtship of her fon, the answered,

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that he had a great refpect and gratitude to her for the overture in behalf of one fo near to her, but that during her father's life the would adınit into her heart no value for any thing that fhould interfere with her endeavour to make his remains of life as happy and eafy as could be expected in his circumftances. The lady admonithed her of the prime of life with a fimile; which Fidelia answered with a franknefs that always attends unfeigned virtue; It is true, madam, there is to be sure very great fatisfactions to be expected in the commerce of a man of honour, whom one tenderly loves; but I find fo much fatisfaction in the reflection, how much I initigate a good man's pains, whofe welfare depends upon my affiduity about him, that I willingly exclude the loofe gratifications of paflion for the folid reflections of duty. I know not whether any man's wife would be allowed, and (what I ftill more fear) I know not whether I, a wife, thould be willing to be as officious as I am at prefent about my parent.' The happy father has her declaration that the will not marry during his life, and the pleasure of feeing that refolution not uneasy to her. Weie one to paint filial affection in its utmoft beauty, he could not have a more lively idea of it than in beholding Fidelia ferving her father at his hours of rifing, meals, and rest.

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When the general croud of female youth are confulting their glaffes, preparing for balls, affemblies, or plays; for a young lady, who could be regarded among the femoft in thofe places, either for her perfon, wit, fortune, or converfation, and yet contemn all these entertainments, to fweeten the heavy hours of a decrepid parent, is a refignation truly heroic. Fidelia performs the duty of a nurfe, with all the beauty of a bride; nor does the neglect her perfon, because of her attendence on him, when he is too ill to receive company, to whom fhe may make an appearance.

Fidelia, who gives him up her youth, does not think it any great facrifice to add to it the fpoiling of her drefs. Her care and exa&nefs in her habit, convince her father of the alacrity of her mind; and the has of all women the best foundation for affecting the praife of a feeming negligence. What adds to the entertain

ment of the good old man is, that Fidelia, where merit and fortune cannot be overlooked by epistolary lovers, reads over the accounts of her conquetts, plays on her fpinet the gayeft airs, (and while the is do ng fo, you would think her formed only for gallantry) to intimate to him the pleasures fhe defpifes for his fake.

Those who think themselves the patterns of good breeding and gallantry, would be aftonifhed to hear that in those intervals when the old gentleman is at eafe, and can bear company, there are at his houfe in the most regular order, affemblies of people of the higheft merit; where there is converfation without mention of the faults of the abfent, benevolence between men and women without paffion, and the higheft fubjects of morality treated of as natural and accidental difcourfe; all which is owing to the genius of Fidelia, who at once makes her father's way to another world eafy, and herself capable of being an honour to his name in this.

'Mr. SPECTATOR,

'I WAS the other day at the Bear-Garden in hopes " to have seen your fhort face; but not being fo fortunate, I must tell you by way of letter, that there is a mystery among the gladiators which has efcaped your fpectatorial penetration. For being in a box at an ale

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houfe near that renowned feat of honour above-mentioned, I overheard two masters of the fcience agreeing to quarrel on the next opportunity. This was to happen • in the company of a fet of the fraternity of basket hilts, who were to meet that evening. When this was fettled, one alked the other, Will you give cuts or receive? The other anfwered, Receive. It was replied, are you a paffionate man? No, provided you cut no more nor no deeper than we agree. I thought it my duty to acquaint you with this, that the people may not pay their money for fighting, and be cheated.

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T.

• Your humble fervant,

• SCABBARD RUSTY.'

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