N° CLII.

Neque lex eft juftior ulla

Quam necis artifices arte perire fuâ.

have heard fo much of the tragical ef

Wfects of jealoufy, that I was not a little

pleased with an account lately given me of a gentleman, who has been happily cured of his jealoufy without any of thofe melancholy circumftances, which too frequently refult from that fatal paffion, even when it is groundless: As this gentleman's jealoufy was of that defcription, I am the rather tempted to relate the ftory (under proper caution as to names and persons) because there is a moral juftice in its catastrophe, which is pleasing even in fiction, but more par ticularly fo when we meet it in the real occur rences of life.

Sir Paul Tefty in his forty-eighth year married the beautiful Louifa in her eighteenth; there are fome parents, who feem, to think a good settlement can atone for any difparity of age, and Louifa's were of this fort. Sir Paul had a, maiden fifter feveral years younger than himself, who had kept his houfe for fome time before his marriage with Louifa, and as this lady was in

fact

fact an admirable ceconomift and alfo in poffeffion of a very confiderable independent fortune, the prudent baronet took his measures for her continuance in his family, where under pretence of affifting the inexperience of his young bride fhe still maintained her government in as abfolute authority as ever: As Mifs Rachel would have been better pleased with her brother, had he chofen a wife with lefs beauty and more fortune than Louifa brought into the family, it may well be doubted if she would have remained with him after his marriage, had the not been pretty far advanced in an affair of the heart with a certain young gentleman, whofe attentions, though in fact directed to her purse, fhe was willing to believe had been honourably addressed to her perfon: This young gentleman, whom I fhall call Lionel, was undoubtedly an object well deserving the regards of any lady in Mifs Rachel's predicament; with a fine person and engaging addrefs he had the recommendation of high birth, being a younger fon of the Lord Mortimer, a venerable old peer, who refided at his family manfion within a few miles of Sir Paul, and lived upon the most friendly terms with him in a frequent intercourfe of vifits: Lionel had given this worthy father great uneafinefs from his early

diffipation

diffipation and extravagance; confiderable fums had been paid for him to clear his debts, but the old lord's eftate being a moderate one and entailed upon his eldest fon, Lionel had been obliged to fell out of the army, and was now living at home upon the bounty of his father on a reduced and flender allowance.

It is not to be wondered at that Lionel, who felt his own embaraffments too fenfibly to neglect any fair means of getting rid of them, should be willing to repair his shattered fortunes by an advantageous match; and though Mifs Rachel was not exactly the lady he would have chofen, yet he very juftly confidered that his circumftances did not entitle him to chufe for himfelf; he was alfo ftrongly urged to the measure by his father, to whofe wishes he held himfelf bound to conform not only on the score of duty but of atonement likewife: At this time the affair was in fo promising a train, that there is little doubt but it would have been brought to a conclufion between the parties, had not Sir Paul's marriage taken place as it did; but as Mifs Rachel for reafons, which are fufficiently explained, determined upon remaining with her brother, the intercourfe between the lovers was renewed, as foon as Sir Peter had brought home

his bride, and was fufficiently fettled to receive the vifits of his friends and neighbours on the occafion.

Now it was that the unhappy Rachel became a victim to the most tormenting of all human paffions: her fifter-in-law had a thoufand charms, and the foon difcovered, or fancied fhe difcovered, that Lionel's attentions were directed towards a fairer object than herfelf: She had now the strongest of all motives for keeping a watchful eye upon Louifa's behaviour, and it is the property of jealousy to magnify and discolour every thing it looks upon; for fome time however fhe kept herself under prudent restraint; a hint now and then, cautiously introduced in the way of advice, was all the ventured upon; but these hints were fo little attended to by Louifa, whofe innocent gayety lent no ear to fuch remonftrances, that they were occasionally repeated in a graver tone; as thefe grew more and more peevish, Louifa began to take a little mif chievous pleasure in teazing, and was piqued into a behaviour, which probably fhe would never have indulged herself in towards Lionel, had not Rachel's jealoufy provoked her to it; ftill it was innocent, but fo far imprudent, as it gave a handle to Rachel's malice, who now began to

fow the feeds of difcontent in her brother's irri table bofom.

In one of thofe fparring dialogues, which now frequently paffed between the fifters, Ra chel, after defcanting upon the old topic with fome degree of afperity, concluded her lecture with many profeffions of zeal for Louifa's happiness, and obferved to her as an apology for the freedom of her advice, that she had a right to fome little experience of the world more than had yet fallen to the other's lot: To which Louifa replied with some tartness-" True! for K you have lived more years in it than I have.”--"A few perhaps," anfwered Rachel." As "few, or as many as you chufe to acknow"ledge," added Louifa: "It is one amongst a << variety of advantages over me, which you are "too generous to boast of, and I too humble to GC repine at."-" Be that as it may," said the elder damfel," you will give me leave to obferve "that you have a double call upon you for dif "cretion; you are a married woman.”

"Perhaps that very circumftance may be a "proof of my indifcretion." "

How fo, madam! I may venture to say my brother Sir Paul was no unseasonable "match for your ladyfhip; at least I can wit

"nefs