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beauteous form! For beauty is often made a privilege against thought and reflection; it laughs at wif dom, and will not abide the gravity of its instructions. Were I able to represent Emilia's virtues in their proper colours and their due proportions, love or flattery might perhaps be thought to have drawn the picture larger than life; but as this is but an imperfect draught of fo excellent a character, and as I cannot, will not, hope to have any interest in her perfon, all that I can fay of her is but impartial praise extorted from me by the prevailing brightness of her virtues. So rare a pattern of female excellence ought not to be concealed, but should be set out to the view and imitation of the world; for how amiable does virtue appear thus as it were made visible to us in so fair an example!

Honoria's disposition is of a very different turn: her thoughts are wholly bent upon conquest and arbitrary power. That the has fome wit and beauty no body denies, and therefore has the esteem of all her acquaintance as a woman of an agreeable person and converfation; but (whatever her husband may think of it) that is not fufficient for Honeria: she waves that title to respect as a mean acquisition, and demands veneration in the right of an idol; for this reason her natural defire of life is continually checked with an inconfiftent fear of wrinkles and old age.

Emilia cannot be fuppofed ignorant of her personal charms, though she secins to be fo; but she will not hold her happiness upon so precarious a tenure, whilst her mind is adorned with beauties of a more exalted and lafting nature. When in the full bloom of youth and beauty we faw her furrounded with a croud of adorers, the took no pleasure in flaughter and destruction, gave no falte deluding hopes which might increare the torments of her difappointed lovers; but having for, fome time given to the decency of a virgin, coyness, and examined the merit of their several pretenfions, the at length gratified her own, by refigning herself to the ardent paffion of Bromius. Bromius was then master of many good qualities and a moderate

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fortune, which was foon after unexpectedly increased to a plentiful estate. This for a good while proved his misfortune, as it furnished inexperienced age with the opportunites of evil company and a sensual life. He might have longer wandered in the labyrinths of vice and folly, had not Emilia's prudent conduct won him over to the government of his reason. Her ingenuity has been conftantly employed in humanizing his passions, and refining his pleasures. She had shewed him by her own example, that virtue is con-fiftent with decent freedom and good humour, or rather, that it cannot fubfift without them. Her good sense readily instructed her, that a filent example, and an easy unrepining behaviour, will always be more perfuafive than the feverity of lectures and admonitions; and that there is so much pride interwoven into the make of human nature, that an obstinate man must only take the hint from another, and then be left to advife and correct himself. Thus by an artful train of management and unseen perfuafions, having at first brought him not to diflike, and at length to be pleased with that which otherwise he would not have bore to hear of, the then knew how to prefs and fecure this advantage, by approving it as his thought, and feconding it as his proposal. By this means the has gained an interest in fome of his leading paffions, and made them accessary to his reformation.

There is another particular of Emilia's conduct which I can't forbear to mention: To fome it may at first fight appear but a trifling, inconfiderable circumstance; but, for my part, I think it highly worthy of observation, and to be recommended to the confideration of the fair sex. I have often thought wrapping gowns and dirty linen, with all that huddled economy of dress which passes under the general name of a mob, the bane of conjugal love, and one of the readiest means imaginable to alienate the affection of an husband, especially a fond one. I have heard fome ladies, who have been surprised by company in such a dishabelle, apologise for it after this manner: Truly I am ashamed to be caught in this pickle; but my husband and I

were fitting all alone by ourselves, and I did not expect to fee fuch good company. This, by the way, is a fine compliment to the good man, which, 'tis ten to one but he returns in dogged answers, and a churlish behaviour, without knowing what it is that puts him out of hu

mour.

Emilia's observation, teach her, that as little inadvertencies and neglects caft a blemish upon a great character; so the neglect of apparel, even among the most intimate friends, does insensibly lessen their regards to each other, by creating a familiarity too low and contemptible. She understands the importance of those things which the generality account trifles; and confiders every thing as a matter of confequence, that has the least tendency toward keeping up or abating the affection of her husband; him the ef teems as a fit object to employ her ingenuity in pleafing, because he is to be pleased for life.

By the help of these, and a thousand other nameless arts, which 'tis easier for her to practise than for another to express, by the obstinacy of her goodness and unprovoked fubmiffion, in spite of all her afflictions and ill ufage, Bromius is become a man of fenfe and a kind husband, and Emilia an happy wife.

Ye guardian angels, to whose care heaven has intrusted its dear Emilia, guide her ftill forward in the paths of virtue, defend her from the insolence and wrongs of this undifcerning world; at length, when we must no more converse with such purity on earth, lead her, gently hence, innocent and unreprovable, to a better place, where, by an easy transition from what the now is, the may shine forth an angel of light. -Т. SPECTATOR, Vol. IV. No. 302

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CHARACTER of the ENGLISH.

HERE is nothing, says Plato, so delightful, as the hear ing or speaking of truth. For this reason there is no converfation fo agreeable as that of the man of integ

rity, who hears without any intention to betray, and speaks without any intention to deceive.

Among all the accounts which are given of Cato, I do not remember one that more redounds to his honour than the following paffage related by Plutarch. As an advocate was pleading the cause of his client before one of the prætors, he could only produce a fingle witness in a point where the law required the testimony of two persons; upon which the advocate infifted on the integrity of that person whom he had produced: but the prætor told him, that where the law required two witnesses he would not accept of one, though it were Cato himself. Such a speech from person who fat at the head of a court of justice, while Cate was still living, shews us more than a thoufand examples, the high reputation this great man had gained among his cotemporaries upon the account of his fincerity.

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When such an inflexible integrity is a little softened and qualified by the rules of conversation and good-breeding, there is not a more shining virtue in the whole catalogue of social duties. A man however ought to take great care not to polish himself out of his veracity, nor to refine his behaviour to the prejudice of his virtue.

This fubject is exquifitely treated in the most elegant fermons of the great British Preacher. I shall beg leave to transcribe out of it two or three sentences, as a proper introduction to a very curious letter, which I hall make the chief entertainment of this speculation.

"The old English plainness and fincerity, that generous integrity of nature, and honesty of disposition, which always argues true greatness of mind, and is usually accompanied with undaunted courage and resolution, is in a great measure lost among us.

The dialect of conversation is now-a-days so swelled with vanity and compliment, and so surfeited (as I may say) with expreffions of kindness and respect, that if a man who lived within an age or two ago, should return into the world again, he would really want a

dictionary to help him to understand his own language, and to know the true intrinfic value of the phrafe in fashion; and would hardly at first, believe at what a low rate the highest strains and expressions of kindness imaginable do commonly pass in current payment; and when we should come to understand it, it would be a great while before he could bring himfelf, with a good countenance and a good confcience, to converse with inen upon equal terms and in their own way."

I have by me a letter which I look upon as a great curiofity, and which may ferve as an exemplification to the foregoing paflage, cited out of this most excellent prelate. It is faid to have been written in king Charles II's reign by the ambaffador of Bantam, tle after his arrival in England.

Master,

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HE people, where I now am, have tongues farther from their hearts than from London to Bantam, and thou knowest the inhabitants of one of these places do not know what is done in the other. They call thee and thy subjects barbarians, because we speak what we mean; and account themselves a civilifed people, because they speak one thing and mean another: 'Truth they call barbarity, and falfhood politeness. Upon my first landing, one who was fent: from the king to this place to meet me, told me, that be was extremely forry for the storm I had met with just be fore my arrival. I was troubled to hear him grieve and afflict himself on my account; but in less than a quarter of an hour he smiled, and was as merry as if nothing had happened. Another, who came with him, told me by my interpreter, he should be glad to do me any fervice that lay in his power. Upon which I defired him to carry one of my portmanteaus. for me; but instead of ferving me according to his promise, he laughed, and bid another do it. I lodged, the first week, at the house of one who defired me to think myself at home, and to confider bis house as my own. VOL. II.

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