Obrázky stránek
PDF
ePub

For that he would be pleased to difmifs him, pretending a kind of difcontent at his not having been rewarded for his long fervices. The emperor would not give a direct answer to his petition, but told him he would think of it, and appointed a certain day when he would let him know his pleasure. He then called together the most faithful of his counsellors, and acquainting them with his fecretary's crime, afked them their advice in fo delicate an affair. They moft of them gave their opinion, that the perfon could not be too feverely. punished who had thus difhonoured his mafter. Upon the whole debate,, the emperor declared it was his opinion, that Eginhart's punishment would rather increase than diminish the fhame of his family, and that therefore he thought it the most adviseable to wear out the memory of the fact, by marrying him to his daughter. Accordingly Eginhart was cailed in, and acquainted by the emperor, that he should no longer have any pretence of complaining his fervices were not rewarded, for that the princefs Imma fhould be given him in marriage, with a dower fuitable to her quality; which was foon after performed accordingly ".

L+

Monf. Bayle, who has inferted the foregoing ftory in his Dictionary [Art. EGINHART,] whence perhaps ADDISON had it, thinks that with a little embellishment it might be made one of the pleafantest Tales in the world, particularly in the hands of fuch a writer as La Fontaine. The frontispiece might afford a striking parallel between the effects of love, and the effects of piety, between Eneas loaded with his father, and Imma bending under her. gallant. The good emperor beholding her at a distance (as he was ftar-gazing) would not be the leaft-interefting figure in the piece; especially if the engraver did but enter into the reflections of a careful father on fuch an occafion.

† By ADDISON, dated it feems from London.

ttt At Drury-Lane, on Thursday, Sept. 27," Love for Love." Ben', Mr. Dogget; Sir S. Legend, Mr. Eftcourt; Valentine, Mr. Wilks; Scandal, Mr. Booth; Tattle, Mr. Cibber; Forefight, Mr. Johnfon; Trapland, Mr. Norris; Jeremy, Mr. Bowen; Angelica, Mrs. Oldfield; Mrs. Forefight, Mrs. Rogers; Mrs. Frail, Mrs. Porter; Mifs Prue, Mrs. Santlow; and Nurfe by Mrs. Willis SPECT. in folio.

[blocks in formation]

N° 182 Friday, September 28, 1711.

Plus aloës quàm mellis habet- Juv. Sat. vi. 180. "The bitter overbalances the sweet."

A

S all parts of human life come under my obfervation, my reader must not make uncharitable inferences from my speaking knowingly of that fort of crime which is at prefent treated of. He will, I hope, fuppofe I know it only from the letters of corre fpondents, two of which you shall have as follow.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

IT to me thatreated of, you have not

T is wonderful to me that among the many enör

[ocr errors]

mentioned that of wenching, and particularly the enfnaring part. I mean, that it is a thing very fit for your pen, to expofe the villainy of the practice of deluding women. You are to know, Sir, that I myself am a woman who have been one of the unhappy that ⚫ have fallen into this misfortune, and that by the infinuation of a very worthlefs fellow, who ferved others ⚫ in the fame manner both before my ruin and fince that • time. I had, as soon as the rafcal left me, so much indignation and refolution, as not to go upon the town, as the phrafe is, but took to work for my living in an obfcure place, out of the knowledge of all ⚫ with whom I was before acquainted.

It is the ordinary practice and bufinefs of life with a fet of idle fellows about this town, to write letters, fend meffages, and form appointments with little raw unthinking girls, and leave them after poffeffion of them, without any mercy, to fhame, infamy, poverty, ⚫ and disease. Were you to read the nauteous impertinences which are written on thefe occafions, and to fee

the

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

་་

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

the filly creatures fighing over them, it could not but be matter of mirth as well as pity. A little prentice girl of mine has been for fome time applied to by an Irish fellow, who dreffes very fine, and ftruts in a laced · coat, and is the admiration of feamftreffes who are under age in town. Ever fince I have had some know"ledge of the matter, I have debarred my prentice from "pen, ink, and paper. But the other day he bespoke 'fome cravats of me: I went out of the shop, and left his mistress to put them up into a bandbox in order to 'be fent to him when his man called. When I came into the fhop again, I took occafion to fend her away, ' and found in the bottom of the box written these words, "Why would you ruin a harmless creature that loves you?" then in the lid, "There is no refifting Strephon:" I fearched a little farther, and found in the rim of the box, "At eleven o'clock at night come in a hackney-coach at the end of our street." This was enough to alarm me; I fent away the things, and took my measures accordingly. An hour or two before the appointed time I examined my young lady, and found her trunk ftuffed with impertinent letters, and an old fcroll of parchment in Latin, which her lover had fent her as a fettlement of fifty pounds a year. Among other things, there was alfo the beft lace I had in my shop 'to make him a prefent for cravats. I was very glad 'of this laft circumftance, because I could very conicientiously fwear against him that he had inticed my fervant away, and was her accomplice in robbing me: I procured a warrant against him accordingly Every thing was now prepared, and the tender hour of love approaching, 1, who had acted for myself in my youth 'the fame fenfelefs part, knew how to manage accordingly; therefore, after having locked up my maid, and not being fo much unlike her in height and shape, as in a huddled way not to pafs for her, I delivered 'the bundle defigned to be carried off to her lover's man, who came with the fignal to receive them. Thus I followed after to the coach, where when I faw his mafter take them in, I cried out Thieves! Thieves! and the conftable with his attendant's feized my expecting lover. I kept myfelf unobferved until I faw the

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

D. 6.

crowd

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

crowd fufficiently increafed, and then appeared to declare the goods to be mine; and had the fatisfaction to fee my man of mode put into the Round. House, with the ftolen wares by him, to be produced in evi⚫dence against him the next morning. This matter is notoriously known to be fact; and I have been contented to fave my prentice, and take a year's rent of this mortified lover, not to appear farther in the mat ter. This was fome penance; but, Sir, is this enough for a villainy of much more pernicious confequence than the trifles for which he was to have been indicted? Should not you, and all men of any parts or honour, put things upon fo right a foot, as that such a rafcal fhould not laugh at the imputation of what he was really guilty, and dread being accufed of that for which he was arrested?

In a word, Sir, it is in the power.of you, and fuch as I hope you are, to make it as infamous to rob a poor creature of her honour as her clothes. I leave this to your confideration, only take leave (which ⚫ I cannot do without fighing) to remark to you, that if this had been the fenfe of mankind thirty years ago, I should have avoided a life fpent in poverty and fhame.

. I am, Sir,

your most humble fervant,

Mr. SPICTATOR,

ALICE THREADNEEDLE.'

Round-Houfe, Sept. 9.

T

I

AM a man of pleafure about town, but by the ftupidity of a dull rogue of a juftice of peace, and an infolent conftable, upon the oath of an old harridan, am imprisoned here for theft, when I defigned only fornication. The midnight magiftrate, as he con• veyed me along, had you in his mouth, and faid, this would make a pure ftory for the SPECTATOR. I hope, Sir, you won't pretend to wit, and take the part of dull rogues of business. The world is fo altered of • late years, that there was not a man who would knock down

⚫ down a watchman in my behalf, but I was carried off with as much triumph as if I had been a pick-pocket.. 'At this rate, there is an end of all the wit and humour in the world. The time was when all the honest 'whore-mafters in the neighbourhood would have rose against the cuckolds in my refcue. If fornication is to be fcandalous, half the fine things that have been writ by most of the wits of the laft age may be burnt by the common hangman. Harkee, Mr. SPEC. do not be queer; after having done fome things pretty well, 'don't begin to write at that rate that no gentleman can read thee. Be true to love, and burn your Seneca. 'You do not expect me to write my name from hence, but I am,

[ocr errors]

T*

· your unknown humble, &c.? * By STEELE.

N° 183 Saturday, September 29, 1711.

Ἴδμεν ψεύδεα πολλὰ λέγειν ἐτύμοισιν ὁμοῖα,
Ιδμεν δ ̓ εἶτ ̓ ἐθέλωμεν, ἀληθέα μυθήσασθαι.

Hefiod.

"Sometimes fair truth in fiction we disguise; "Sometimes present her naked to mens eyes."

F

*

ABLES were the first pieces of wit that made their appearance in the world, and have been still highly valued not only in times of the greatest fimplicity, but among the moft polite ages of mankind. JOTHAM's Fable of the Trees is the oldeft that is extant, and as beautiful as any which have been made fince that time. NATHAN's Fable of the poor Man and his Lamb † is likewise more ancient than any that is extant, befides the above-mentioned, and had fo good an effect, as to convey instruction to the ear of a † 2 Sam. xii. 1—4.

[ocr errors]

Judges ix. 8-15°

6

king

« PředchozíPokračovat »