enter into any Part of the Town where-ever their Game fhall lead them.

AND whereas we have nothing more at our Imperial Heart than the Reformation of the Cities of London and Westminster, which to our unfpeakable Satisfaction ⚫ we have in fome measure already effected, we do hereby earneftly pray and exhort all Husbands, Fathers, Housekeepers and Mafters of Families, in either of the afore⚫ faid Cities, not only to repair themselves to their refpe⚫ Єtive Habitations at early and feasonable Hours; but also to keep their Wives and Daughters, Sons, Servants and Apprentices, from appearing in the Streets at thofe Times and Seafons which may expofe them to a military Difcipline, as it is practifed by our good Subjects the Mobocks: and we do further promife, on our Imperial Word, that as foon as the Reformation aforefaid fhall be brought about, we will forthwith caufe all Hoftilities to cease.

,

HAVE not feen you lately at any of the Places where I vifit, fo that I am afraid you are wholly unacquainted with what paffes among my part of the • World, who are, tho' I fay it, without Controverfy, the moft accomplished and beft bred of the Town. Give me leave to tell you, that I am extremely discompofed when I hear Scandal, and am an utter Enemy to all manner of Detraction, and think it the greatest Meannefs that People of Diftinction can be guilty of: However, it is hardly poffible to come into Company, where you do not find them pulling one another to pieces.

: and

C

' and that from no other Provocation but that of hearing
< any one commended. Merit, both as to Wit and Beauty,
' is become no other than the Poffeffion of a few trifling
‹ People's Favour, which you cannot poffibly arrive at, if
you have really any thing in you that is deferving.
What they would bring to pafs, is, to make all Good
and Evil confift in Report, and with Whispers, Calum-
nies and Impertinencies, to have the Conduct of those
• Reports.
By this means Innocents are blafted upon
their firft Appearance in Town; and there is nothing
more required to make a young Woman the Object of
Envy and Hatred, than to deferve Love and Admiration.
This abominable Endeavour to fupprefs or leffen every
thing that is praife-worthy, is as frequent among the
Men as the Women. If I can remember what paffed at
a Vifit laft Night, it will ferve as an Inftance that the
Sexes are equally inclined to Defamation, with equal
Malice, with equal Impotence. Jack Triplett came into
my Lady Airy's about Eight of the Clock. You know
the manner we fit at a Vifit, and I need not describe the
Circle; but Mr. Triplett came in, introduced by two
Tapers fupported by a fpruce Servant, whofe Hair is un-
der a Cap till my Lady's Candles are all lighted up, and
the Hour of Ceremony begins: I fay, Jack Triplett
came in, and finging (for he is really good Company)
S Every Feature, charming Creature, he went on, It is
a most unreasonable thing that People cannot go peaceably
to fee their Friends, but thefe Murderers are let loose.
• Such a Shape! fuch an Air! what a Glance was that
as her Chariot pafs'd by mine.
My Lady herself in-

،

terrupted him; Pray who is this fine Thing

I warrant, fays another, 'tis the Creature I was telling your Ladyship of just now. You were telling of? fays Facks I wish I had been so happy as to have come in and heard you, for I have not Words to say what she is: But if an agreeable Height, a modeft Air, a Virgin Shame, and Impatience of being beheld, amidst a Blaze ' of ten thousand Charms- The whole Room flew

out

Oh Mr.

Triplett!

،

When Mrs. Lofty, a

: Gentle

known Prude, faid fhe believed the knew whom the

་

Then

Gentleman meant; but she was indeed, as he civilly re-
prefented her, impatient of being beheld
turning to the Lady next to her-

-The most unbred Creature you ever faw. Another pursued the Difcourfe: As unbred, Madam, as you may think her, fhe is extremely bely'd if fhe is the Novice fhe appears; fhe was laft Week at a Ball till two in the Morning; Mr. Triplett knows whether he was the happy Man that took Care of 6 her home; but- This was followed by fome particular Exception that each Woman in the Room madeto fome peculiar Grace or Advantage; fo that Mr. Triplett was beaten from one Limb and Feature to another, till he was forced to refign the whole Woman. In the end, I took notice Triplett recorded all this Malice in "his Heart; and faw in his Countenance, and a certain waggifh Shrug, that he defign'd to repeat the Converfation: I therefore let the Difcourfe die, and foon after took an Occafion to recommend a certain Gentleman of my Acquaintance for a Perfon of fingular Modefty, Courage, Integrity, and withal as a Man of an enter taining Converfation, to which Advantages he had a Shape and Manner peculiarly graceful. Mr. Triplett, who is a Woman's Man, feem'd to hear me with Pa⚫tience enough to commend the Qualities of his Mind: He never heard indeed but that he was a very honeft Man, and no Fool; but for a fine Gentleman, he must ask pardon. Upon no other Foundation than this, Mr. Trip• lett took occafion to give the Gentleman's Pedigree, by what Methods fome part of the Eftare was acquired, how much it was beholden to a Marriage for the pre• fent Circumstances of it: After all, he could fee nothing but a common Man in his Perfon, his Breeding or Understanding.

THUS, Mr. SPECTATOR, this impertinent Hu'mour of diminishing every one who is produced in Converfation to their Advantage, runs thro' the World; and I am, I confefs, fo fearful of the Fers&£#£ ill Tongues, that I have begged afd those who RGNY Well-wishers never to commend me, for it will but bring my Frailties into Examination, and I had rather be un

،

• obferved

'ferved, than confpicuous for, difputed Perfections. I am confident a thousand young People, who would have 'been Ornaments to Society, have, from Fear of Scandal, never dared to exert themselves in the polite Arts ' of Life. Their Lives have paffed away in an odious Rufticity, in fpite of great Advantages of Perfon, Genius ' and Fortune. There is a vicious Terror of being blamed ' in fome well-inclin'd People, and a wicked Pleasure in fuppreffing them in others; both which I recommend to your Spectatorial Wisdom to animadvert upon; and if you can be fuccessful in it, I need not fay how much you will deferve of the Town; but new Toafts will owe to ⚫ you their Beauty, and new Wits their Fame. I am,

་

SIR,

Youn most obedient humble Servant,

T

Mary.

N° 349. Thursday, April 10.

-Quos ille timorum

Maximus haud urget lethi metus: inde ruendi
In ferrum mens prona viris, animaque capaces

Mortis

Lucan.

A M very much pleased with a Confolatory Letter of Phalaris, to one who had loft a Son that was a young Man of great Merit. The Thought with which he comforts the afflicted Father, is, to the best of my Memory, as follows; That he should confider Death had fet a kind of Seal upon his Son's Character, and placed him out of the Reach of Vice and Infamy: That while he liv'd he was ftill within the Poffibility of falling away from Virtue, and losing the Fame of which he was poffeffed. Death

only

only clofes a Man's Reputation, and determines it as good or bad.

THIS, among other Motives, may be one Reason why we are naturally averfe to the launching out into a Man's Praife till his Head is laid in the Duft. Whilft he is capable of changing, we may be forced to retract our Opinions. He may forfeit the Efteem we have conceived of him, and fome time or other appear to us under a different Light from what he does at prefent. In fhort, as the Life of any Man cannot be call'd happy or unhappy, fo neither can it be pronounced vicious or virtuous, before the Conclufion of it.

IT was upon this Confideration that Epaminondas, being asked whether Chabrias, Iphricates, or he himself, de ferved most to be efteemed? You must first fee us die, faid he, before that Question can be answered.

AS there is not a more melancholy Confideration to a good Man than his being obnoxious to fuch a Change, fo there is nothing more glorious than to keep up an Uniformity in his Actions, and preferve the Beauty of his Character to the last.

THE End of a Man's Life is often compared to the winding up of a well-written Play, where the princal Perfons ftill act in Character, whatever the Fate is which they undergo. There is fcarce a great Perfon in the Grecian or Roman Hiftory, whofe Death has not been remarked upon by fome Writer or other, and cenfured or applauded according to the Genius or Principles of the Perfon who has defcanted on it. Monfieur de St. Evremont is very particular in fetting forth the Conftancy and Courage of Petronius Arbiter during his laft Moments, and thinks he discovers in them a greater Firmnefs of Mind and Refolution than in the Death of Seneca, Cato, or Socrates. There is no queftion but this polite Author's Affectation of appearing fingular in his Remarks, and making Discoveries which had escaped the Obfervation of others, threw him into this courfe of Reflection. It was Petronius's Merit, that he died in the fame Gaiety of Temper in which he lived; but as his Life was altogether loofe and diffolute, the Indifference which he fhewed at the Close of it is

to