that way purely to recommend themselves by their vivacities; but indeed I cannot let heedlefs promifers, tho in the moft minute circumstances, pafs with fo flight a cenfure. If a man should take a refolution to pay only fums above an hundred pounds, and yet contract with different people debts of five and ten, how long can we fuppofe he will keep his credit? This man will as long fupport his good name in business, as he will in converfation, who without difficulty makes affignations which he is indifferent whether he keeps or not.

I am the more fevere upon this vice, because I have been fo unfortunate as to be a very great criminal myfelf. Sir ANDREW FREEPORT, and all my other friends who are fcrupulous to promifes of the meaneft confideration imaginable, from an habit of virtue that way, have often upbraided me with it. I take fhame upon myfelf for this crime, and more particularly for the greatest I ever committed of the fort, that when as agreeable a company of gentlemen, and ladies as ever were got together, and I forfooth, Mr. SPECTATOR, to be of the party with women of merit, like a booby as I was, miftook the time of meeting, and came the night following. I wish every fool who is negligent in this kind, may have as great a lofs as I had in this; for the fame company will never meet more, but are difperfed into various parts of the world, and I am left under the compunction that I deferve, in fo many dif ferent places to be called a trifler.

This fault is fometimes to be accounted for, when defirable people are fearful of appearing precife and referved by denials; but they will find the apprehenfion of that imputation will betray them into a childish impotence of mind, and make them promife all who are fo kind to ask it of them. This leads fuch foft.creatures into the misfortune of feeming to return overtures of good-will with ingratitude. The firft fteps in the breach of a man's integrity are muuh more important than men are aware of. The man who fcruples breaking his word in little things would not fuffer in his own confcience fo great pain for failures of confequence, as he who thinks every little offence againft truth and juftice a aifparagement. We should not make any thing we our.

felves

felves disapprove habitual to us, if we would be sure of our integrity.

I remember a falfhood of the trivial fort, tho' not in relation to affignations, that exposed a man to a very uneafy adventure. Will Trap and Jack Stint were chamber-fellows in the Inner-Temple about 25 years ago. They one night fat in the pit together at a comedy, where they both obferved and liked the fame young woman in the boxes. Their kindness for her entered both hearts deeper than they imagined. Stint had a good faculty in writing letters of love, and made his addrefs privately that way; while Trap proceeded in the ordinary courfe, by money and her waiting-maid. The lady gave them both encouragement, receiving Trap into the utmoft favour, and answering at the fame time Stint's letters, and giving him appointments at third places. Trap began to fufpect the epiftolary correfpondence of his friend, and difcovered also that Stint opened all his letters which came to their common lodgings, in order to form his own affignations. After much anxiety and refleffness Trap caure to a refolution, which he thought would break off their commerce with one another without any hazardous explanation. He therefore writ a letter in a feigned hand to Mr. Trap at his chambers in the Temple. Stint, according to cuftom, feized and opened it, and was not a little furpriz'd to find the infide directed to himself, when, with great perturbation of fpirit, he read as follows.

Mr. Stint,

OU have gained a flight fatisfaction at the ex

Y pence

of a faithful friend you have obtained an inconftant • mistress. I rejoice in this expedient I have thought of to breek my mind to you, and tell you, you are a base fellow, by a means which does not expofe you to the affront except you deferve it. I know, Sir, as crimi⚫nal as you are, you have till fhame enough to avenge yourself against the hardinefs of any one that should publicly tell you of it. I therefore, who have received fo many fecret hurts from you, fhall take fatisfac•tion with safety to myfelf. I call you bafe, and you

muft

must bear it, or acknowledge it; I triumph over you that you cannot come at me; nor do I think it dif honourable to come in armour to affault him, who was in ambufcade when he wounded me.

• What need more be faid to convince you of being guilty of the bafest practice imaginable, than that it is fuch as has made you liable to be treated after this manner, while you yourfe f cannot in your own confcience but allow the juftice of the upbraidings of Your injured friend,

T

W. Trap,

N° 449

Tuesday, Auguft 5.

Tibi fcriptus, matrona, libellus.

A book the chafteft matron may perufe.

W

Mart.

HEN I reflect upon my labours for the public, I cannot but obferve, that part of the fpecies, of which I profefs myself a friend and guardian, is fometimes treated with feverity; that is, there are in my writings many defcriptions given of ill perfons, and not any direct encomium made of those who are good. When I was convinced of this error, I could not but immediately call to mind feveral of the fair fex of my acquaintance, whofe characters deserve to be tranfmitted to pofterity in writings which will long outlive mine. But I do not think that a reason why I should' not give them their place in my diurnal as long as it will laft. For the fervice therefore of my female readers, I fhall fingle out fome characters of maids, wives, and widows, which deferve the imitation of the fex. She who fhall lead this fmall illuftrious number of heroines fhall be the amiable Fidelia.

Before I enter upon the particular parts of her character, it is neceflary to preface, that he is the only child of a decrepid father, whofe life is bound up in

hers.

hers. This gentleman has ufed Fidelia from her cradle. with all the tenderness imaginable, and has viewed her growing perfections with the partiality of a parent, that foon thought her accomplished above the children of all other men, but never thought he was come to the utmoft improvement of which the herfelf was capable, This fondness has had very happy effects upon his own happiness; for fhe reads, the dances, fhe fings, ufes her fpinet and lute to the utmost perfection: And the lady's ufe of all these excellencies, is to divert the old man in his eafy chair, when he is out of the pangs of a chionical difemper. Fidelia is now in the twenty third year of her age; but the application of many lovers, her vigorous time of life, her quick fenfe of all that is truly galant and elegant in the enjoyment of a plentiful fortune, are not able to draw her from the fide of her good old father. Certain it is, that there is no kind of affection fo pure and angelic as that of a father to a daughter. He beholds her both with, and without regard to her fex. In love to our wives there is desire, to our fons there is ambition; but in that to our daughters, there is fomething which there are no words to exprefs. Her life is defigned wholly domeftic, and the is fo ready a friend and companion, that every thing that paffes about a man, is accompanied with the idea of her prefence. Her fex alfo is naturally fo much expofed to hazard, both as to fortune and innocence, that there is perhaps a new caufe of fondnefs arifing from that confideration alfo. None but fathers can have a true fenfe of these fort of pleasures and fenfations; but my familiarity with the father of Fidelia, makes me let drop the words which I have heard him speak, and obferve upon his tenderness towards her.

Fidelia on her part, as I was going to fay, as accomplifhed as fhe is, with all her beauty, wit, air and mien, employs her whole time in care and attendance upon her father. How have I been charmed to fee one of the most beautiful women the age has produced on her knees helping on an old man's flipper! Her filial regard to him is what the makes her diverfion, her bufinefs, and her glory. When fhe was afked by a friend of her deceafed mother to admit of the courtship of her fon, fhe answer'd,

That

That she had a great refpect and gratitude to her for the overture in behalf of one fo dear to her, but that during her father's life fhe would admit into her heart no value for any thing that fhould interfere with her endeavour to make his remains of life as happy and easy as could be expected in his circumftances. The lady admonished her of the prime of life with a fmile; which Fidelia nfwer'd with a frankness that always attends unfeigned virtue; It is true, Madam, there is to be fure very great fatisfactions to be expected in the commerce of a man of honour, whom one tenderly loves; but I find fo muc fatisfaction in the reflexion, how much I miti gate a good man's pains, whofe welfare depends upon my affiduity about him, that I willingly exclude the looje gråtifications of paffion for the folid reflexions of duty. I know not whe ber any man's wife would be allowed, and (what I fill more fear) I know not whether I, a wife, bould be willing to be as officious as I am at prefent about my parent. The happy father has her declaration that he will not marry during his life, and the pleasure of fecing that refolution not uneafy to her. Were one to paint filial affection in its utmoft beauty, he could not have a more lively idea of it than in beholding Fidelia ferving her father at his hours of rifing, meals and reft.

When the general croud of female youth are confulting their glaffes, preparing for balls, affemblies, or plays; for a young lady, who could be regarded among the foremoft in thofe places, either for her perfon, wit, fortune, or converfation, and yet contemn all these entertainments, to fweeten the heavy hours of a decrepid parent, is a refignation truly heroic. Fidelia perforais the duty of a nurfe with all the beauty of a bride; nor does the neglect her perfon, because of her attendance on him, when he is too ill to receive company, to whom fhe may make an appearance.

Fidelia, who gives him up her youth, does not think -it any great facrifice to add to it the fpoiling of her drefs Her care and exactnefs in her habit convince her father of the alacrity of her mind; and fhe has of all women the belt foundation for affecting the praise of a feeming negligence. What adds to the entertain

ment