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An old maid, that is troubled with the vapours, produces infinite difturbances of this kind among her friends and neighbours. I knew a maiden aunt, of a great family, who is one of thefe antiquated Sibyls, that forbodes and prophefies from one end of the year to the other. She is always feeing apparitions, and hearing deathwatches; and was the other day almoft frighted out of her wits by the great houfe-dog, that howled in the stable at a time when the lay ill of the tooth-ach. Such an extravagant caft of mind engages multitudes of people not only in impertinent terrors, but in fupernumerary duties of life; and arifes from that fear and ignorance which are natural to the foul of man. The horror with which we entertain the thoughts of death (or indeed of any future evil) and the uncertainty of its approach, fill a malancholy mind with innumerable apprehenfions and fufpicions, and confequently difpofe it to the obfervation of fuch groundlefs prodigies and predictions. For as it is the chief concern of wife men to retrench the evils of life by the reafonings of philofophy; it is the employment of fools to multiply them by the fentiments of fuperftition.

For my own part, I fhould be very much troubled were I endowed with this divining quality, though it fhould inform me truly of every thing that can befal me. I would not anticipate the relifh of any happiness, nor feel the weight of any mifery, before it actually

arrives.

I know but one way of. fortifying my foul against thefe gloomy prefages and terrors of mind, and that is, by fecuring to myfelf the friendship and protection of that Being who difpofes of events, and governs futurity. He fees at one view, the whole thread of my existence, not only that part of it which I have already paffed through, but that which runs forward into all the depths of eternity. When I lay me down to fleep, I recommend myself to his care; when I awake, I give myself up to his direction. Amidst all the evils that threaten me, I will look up to him for help, and question not but he will either avert them, or turn them to my advantage. Though I know neither the time nor the manner of the death I am to die, I am not at all folicitous about

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about it; because I am fure that he knows them both, and that he will not fail to comfort and support me under them.

C

N° 8

Friday, March 9.

I

At Venus obfcuro gradientes aëre fepfit,
Et multo nebula circum Dea fudit amictu,
Cernere ne quis eos

VIRG. Æn. i. 415.

They march obfcure, for Venus kindly fhrouds
With mists their perfons, and involves in clouds.

DRYDEN.

SHALL here communicate to the world a couple of letters, which I believe will give the reader as good an entertainment as any that I am able to furnish him with, and therefore fhall make no agology for them.

·

I

SIR,

To the SPECTATOR, &c.

A M one of the directors of the Society for the reformation of manners, and therefore think myfelf a proper perfon for your correfpondence. I have thoroughly examined the prefent ftate of religion in 'Great Britain, and am able to acquaint you with the predominant vice of every market-town in the whole inland. I can tell you the progrefs that virtue has • made in all our cities, boroughs, and corporations; and know as well the evil practices that are committed in • Berwick or Exeter, as what is done in my own family. In a word, Sir, I have my correfpondents in the remoteft parts of the nation, who fend me up punctual accounts from time to time of all the little irregularities that fall under their notice in their feveral diftricts and divifions.

I am no lefs acquainted with the particular quarters and regions of this great town, than with the diffe.

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rent parts and diftributions of the whole nation. I can defcribe every parish by its impieties, and can tell you in which of our streets lewdnefs prevails, which gaming has taken the poffeffion of, and where drunkennefs has got the better of them both. When I am difpofed to raise a fine for the poor, I know the lanes and alleys that are inhabited by common fwearers. When I would encourage the hofpital of Bridewell, and improve the hempen manufacture, I am very well acquainted with all the haunts and reforts of female night-walkers.

After this fhort account of myself, I muft let you know, that the defign of this paper is to give you information of a certain irregular affembly, which I think falls very properly under your obfervation, efpecially fince the perfons it is compofed of are criminals too confiderable for the animadverfions of our fociety. I mean, Sir, the Midnight Mafk, which has of late ⚫ been very frequently held in one of the most confpicuous parts of the town, and which I hear will be continued with additions and improvements. As all the perfons who compofe this lawlefs affembly are marked, we dare not attack any of them in our Way, leaft we fhould fend a Woman of Quality to Bridewell, or a Peer of Great-Britain to the Counter: befides that, ⚫ their numbers are fo very great, that I am afraid they would be able to rout our whole fraternity, though we were accompanied with all our guard of conftables. Both thefe reafons, which fecure them from our authority, make them obnoxious to yours; as both their difguife and their numbers will give no particular perfon 'reafon to think himself affronted by you.

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If we are rightly informed, the rules that are obferved by this new fociety are wonderfully contrived "for the advancement of cuckoldom. The women either come by themfelves, or are introduced by friends, who are obliged to quit them, upon their firft entrance, to the converfation of any body that addreffes himself to them. There are feveral rooms where the parties may retire, and if they please, fhew their faces by confent. Whispers, fqueezes, nods, and embraces, are the innocent freedoms of the place. In fhort, the ⚫ whole

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whole defign of this libidinous affembly feems to terminate in affignations and intrigues; and I hope you will take effectual methods by your public advice and admonitions, to prevent fuch a promifcuous mul tiude of both fexes from meeting together in fo clan deftine a manner. I am,

• Your humble fervant,

• and fellow-labourer,

T. B.

Not long after the perufal of this Letter I received: another upon the fame fubject; which by the date and ftile of it, I take to be written by fome young Templar.

· SIR,

Middle-Temple, 1710-11.

WHEN a man has been guilty of any vice or

folly, I think the best atonement he can make for it, is to warn others not to fall into the like. In order to this I must acquaint you, that fome time in • February laft I went to the Tuesday's mafquerade. Upon my first going in I was attacked by half a dozen female Quakers, who feemed willing to adopt me for a brother; but upon a nearer examination I found they were a fifterhood of coquettes disguised in that precise habit. I was foon after taken out to dance, and, as I fancied, by a woman of the first quality, for fhe was very tall, and moved gracefully. As foon as the minuet was over, we ogled one another through our masks; and as I am very well read in Waller, I repeated to her the four following verses out of his poem to Vandike.

The heedlefs lover does not know

Whofe eyes they are that wound him fo;
But confounded with thy art,

Inquires her name that has his heart.

I pronounced thefe words with fuch a languishing air that I had fome reafon to conclude I had made a conqueft. She told me that he hoped my face was not akin to my tongue, and looking upon her watch, I accidentally discovered the figure of a coronet on the

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back part of it. I was fo tranfported with the thought of fuch an amour, that I plied her from one room to another with all the gallantries I could invent; and at 6 length brought things to fo happy an iffue, that the gave me a private meeting the next day, without page or footman, coach or equipage. My heart danced in raptures, but I had not lived in this golden dream above three days before I found good reafon to wish that I had continued true to my laundrefs. I have fince heard, by a very great accident, that this fine Lady does not live far from Covent-Garden, and that I am not the first cully whom he has paffed herself · upon for a countefs."

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Thus, Sir, your fee how I have mistaken a Cloud for a Juno; and if you can make any ufe of this adventure, for the benefit of those who may poffibly Be as vain young coxcombs as myself, I do most heartily give you leave. I am, Sir,

• Your most humble admirer,

C B. L."

I defign to vifit the next Mafquerade myfelf, in the fame habit I wore at Grand Cairo and till then shall fufpend my judgment of this midnight entertainment.

N° 9

Saturday, March 10.

Tigris agit rabidâ cum tigride pacem Perpetuam, fævis inter fe convenit urfis.

C

Juv. Sat, xv. 163.

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

TATE.

MAN is faid to be a fociable animal, and, as an is a fog obferve, that we take

all occafions and pretences of forming ourfelves into thofe little nocturnal affemblies, which are commonly known by the name of Clubs. When a fet of men

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