An old maid, that is troubled with the vapours, próduces infinite difturbances of this kind among her friends and neighbours. I know 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 death-watches; and was the other day almost frighted out of her wits by the great houfe-dog, that howled in the ftable 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 melancholy mind with innumerable apprehenfions and fufpicions, and confequently difpofe it to the obfervation of fuch groundless prodigies and predictions. For as it is the chief concern of wife men to retrench the evils of life by the reasonings 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 relish 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 faturity. 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 recom→ mend myfelf 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 maner of the death I am to die, I am not at all folicitous abour 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 At Venus obfcuro gradientes aëre fepfit, Gernere ne quis eos Virg. Æn. 1. ver. 415, They march obfcure, for Venus kindly shrouds 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 apology for them. SIR, To the SPECTATOR, Am one of the directors of the fociety for the re- "I formation of manners, and therefore think myfelf a proper perfon for your correfpondence. I have thoroughly examined the prefent state of religion in Great-Britain, and am able to acquaint you with the predominant vice of every market-town in the whole ifland. 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 re"moteft parts of the nation, who fend me up punctual accounts from time to time of all the little irregu larities, 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 differ ⚫ rent 6. rent parts and diftributions of the whole nation: can.defcribe every parish by its impieties, and can tell you in which of our ftreets lewdness prevails, which gaming has taken the poffeffion of, and where drunkenness 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 Birdwell,. and improve the hempen manufacture, I am very well acquainted with all the haunts and reforts of 6. female night-walkers.. After this fhort account of myself, I muft let you: know, that the defign of this paper is to give you in ⚫formation of a certain irregular affembly, which I think falls very properly under your obfervation, ef-"pecially fince the perfons it is compofed of are criminals too confiderable for the animadverfions of our fociety.. I mean, Sir,. the midnight mask, which has of late. <been very frequently held in one of the most confpicuous parts of the town, and which I hear will be con “tinued with additions and improvements.. As all the perfons who compofe this lawless affembly are masked,.we dare not attack any of them in our way, left we should send 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 constables. Both: these reasons, which fecure them from our authority,. make them obnoxious to yours; as both their difguifs and their numbers will give no particular perfon reas fon to think himself affronted by you. 6. 6. If we are rightly informed, the rules that are obferved by this new fociety are wonderfully contrived for the advancement of cuckoldom.. The women ei-ther come by themselves, or are introduced by friends who are obliged to quit them, upon their firft entrance, to the converfation of any body tirat addresses himfelf to them. There are feveral rooms where the parties, may retire, and, if they please, fhew their faces by con fent. Whispers, fqueezes, nods, and embraces, are the innocent freedoms of the place. In fhort, the 6. whole whole defign of this libidinous affembly, feems to terminate in affignations and intrigues; and I hope you ⚫ will take effectual methods by your publick advice ⚫ and admonitions, to prevent fuch a promifcuous mul⚫titude of both fexes from meeting together in fo clan• destine a manner, I am 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, WH Middle-Temple, 1710-11: HEN 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 acquint you, that fome time in February laft I went to the Tuesday's mafquerade. Upon 4 my firft going in I was attacked by a half 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 difguifed in that precife ⚫ 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 verfes out of his poem to Vandike. The beedlefs lover does not know Whofe eyes they are that wound him fo Inquires her name that has his heart. I pronounced thefe words with fuch a languishing air that I had fome reason to conclude I had made a conqueft. She told me that she hoped my face was not akin to my tongue, and looking upon her watch, I accidentally discovered the figure of a coronet on the • back. น back part of it. I was fo tranfported with the thought of-fach an amour, that I plied her from one room to another with all the gallantries I could invent; and at. length brought things to fo happy an iffue, that fhegave 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 firft cully whom she has paffed herself upon for a countefs. Thus, Sir, you 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 possibly be. as vain young coxcombs as myself, I do most heartily give you leave. I am, SIR, I defign to vifit the next mafquerade myself, in the fame habit I wore at Grand Cairo; and till then shall sufpend my judgment of this midnight entertainment. C N° 9 Saturday, March 10. -Tigris agit rabidâ cum tigride pacem. Perpetuam, fævis inter fe convenit urfis. Juv. Sat. 15. ver. 163. Tiger with tiger, bear with bear, you'll find In leagues offenfive and defenfive joined. M TATE. AN is faid to be a fociable animal, and, as an inftance of it, we may obferve that we take all occafions and pretences of forming ourselves into thofe little nocturnal affemblies, which are commonly known by the name of clubs. When a fet of men |