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dream of going to London, and our journey as certainly fucceeded; I remember upon our arrival there the first year after our marriage, she dreamt of a new coach, and at the fame time put the fervants in new liveries, the colours and pattern of which were circumftantially revealed to her in fleep: fometimes, (dear creature !) she dreamt of winning large fums at cards, but I am apt to think those dreams were of the fort, which fhould have been interpreted by their contraries : fhe was not a little fond of running after conjurors and deaf and dumb fortune tellers, who dealt in figures and caft nativities; and when we were in the country my barns and outhoufes were haunted with gypfics and vagabonds, who made fad havoc with our pigs and poultry: of ghofts and evil spirits she had fuch terror, that I was fain to keep a chaplain in my houfe to exorcife the chambers, and when business called me from home, the good man condefcended fo far to her fears, as to fleep in a little closet within her call in case she was troubled in the night; and I muft fay this for my friend, that if there is any truft to be put in flesh and blood, he was a match for the beft fpirit that ever walked: fhe had all the fenfibility in life towards omens and prognostics, and though I guarded every motion

and

and action, that mighty give any poffible alarm to her, yet my unhappy awkwardneffes were always boding ill luck, and I had the grief of heart to hear her declare in her last moments, that a capital oversight I had been guilty of in handing to her a candle with an enormous winding-fheet appending to it was the immediate occafion of her death and my irreparable mif fortune.

My fecond wife I married in mere charity and compaffion, because a young fellow, whom she was engaged to, had played her a base trick by fcandalously breaking off the match, when the wedding clothes were bought, the day appointed for the wedding and myself invited to it. Such tranfactions ever appeared fhocking to me, and therefore to make up her lofs to her as well as I was able, I put myself to extraordinary charges for providing her with every thing handsome upon our marriage: fhe was a fine woman, loved fhew and was particularly fond of displaying herfelf in public places, where fhe had an opportunity of meeting and mortifying the young man, who had behaved fo ill to her: fhe took this revenge against him fo often, that one day to my great furprize I difcovered that fhe had eloped from me and fairly gone off with him. There was D 4

something

something so unhandfome, as I thought, in this proceeding, that I fhould probably have taken legal measures for redress, as in like cafes other hufbands have done, had I not been diverted from my purpofe by a very civil note from the gentleman himself, wherein he fays-" That "being a younger fon of little or no fortune, "he hopes I am too much of a gentleman to "think of resorting to the vexatious measures "of the law for revenging myself upon him; " and, as a proof of his readiness to make me "all the reparation in his power in an honour"able way, he begs leave to inform me, that he "fhall most refpectfully attend upon me with "either sword or piftols, or with both, when"ever I fhall be pleased to lay my commands upon him for a meeting, and appoint the hour ❝ and place."

*

After fuch atonement on the part of the offender, I could no longer harbour any thoughts of a divorce, especially as my younger brother the parfon has heirs to continue the family, and seems to think fo entirely with me in the bufinefs, that I have determined to drop it altogether, and give the parties no further moleftation; for, as my brother very properly obferves, it is the part of a chriftian to forget and to for

give; and in truth I fee no reason why I fhould disturb them in their enjoyments, or return evil for good to an obliging gentleman, who has taken a task of trouble off my hands, and set me at my eafe for the rest of my days; in which tranquil and contented ftate of mind, as becomes a man, whose inheritance is philanthropy, and whose mother's milk hath been the milk of human kindness, I remain in all brotherly charity and good will,

Your's and the world's friend,

SIMON SAPLing.

N° CXXX.

Λυπῶντα τὸν πλησιόν, ἐ ράδιον αυτὸν ἄλυπον εἶναι

DEMOPHILI SENTENTIA.

"He, who another's peace annoys,
"By the fame act his own deftroys."

A

To THE OBSERVER.

S I have lived long enough to repent of a fatal propenfity, that has led me to commit many offences, not the lefs irksome to my pre

fent

fent feelings for the fecrecy, with which I contrived to execute them, and as these can now be no otherwife atoned for than by a frank confeffion, I have resolved upon this mode of addreffing myfelf to you. Few peop'e chufe to display their own characters to the world in fuch colours as I shall give to mine, but as I have mangled fo many reputations in my time without mercy, I fhould be the meaneft of mankind if I fpared my own; and being now about to speak of a perfon, whom no man loves, I may give vent to an acrimony, at which no man can take offence. If I have been troublefome to others, I am no lefs uncomfortable to myfelf, and amidst vexations without number the greatest of all is, that there is not one, which does not originate from myfelf.

I entered upon life with many advantages natural and acquired; I am indebted to my parents for a liberal education, and to nature for no contemptible share of talents: my propenfities were not such as betrayed me into diffipation and extravagance: my mind was habitually of a ftudious caft; I had a paffion for books, and began to collect them at an early period of my life: to them I devoted the greateft portion of my time, and had my vanity been of a fort to be

contented

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