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"with that I can purchase a feraglio of beauties, and indulge my tafte in every kind of pleafure. And 66 pray what is it to me, whether my wife has beauty, or wit, or elegance, when her money will fupply me "with all that in others? You, coufin, had an opportunity of being as happy as I am: the men, believe 66 me, would not like you a bit the worse for being "married: on the contrary, you would find, that for 66 one who took notice of you as a fingle woman, twenty would be your admirers and humble fervants "when there was no danger of being taken in. Thus 66 you might have gratified all your paffions, made an 86 elegant figure in life, and have chosen out some gen"tle fwain as romantic and poetical as you pleafed for 66 your Cecisbee. The good John Trot husband "would have been eafily managed, and-" Here my indignation could be detained no longer, and I was leaving the room in disdain, when he caught me by the hand-" Nay, prithee, my dear coufin, none of these ❝ violent airs. I thought you and I had known one an"other better. Let the poor fouls, who are taught "by the priests and their nurses to be afraid of hell"fire, and to think they shall go to the devil for fol66 lowing nature and making life agreeable, be as out"rageously virtuous as they please: you have too much "fenfe to be frighted at bugbears; you know that the "term of your existence is but short; and it is highly "reasonable to make it as pleafant as poffible."-I was too angry to attempt confuting his arguments; but bursting from his hold, told him I would take care not to give him a second opportunity of infulting my distress, and affronting my understanding; and fo left his house with a refolution never to enter it again.

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No. LXXVIII. Saturday, August 4, 1753.

-Propter vitam vivendi perdere caufas.

Nor quit for life, what gives to life its worth.

Juv.

WENT home mortified and disappointed. My fpirits funk into a dejection, which took from me for many days all inclination to ftir out of my lodging, or to fee a human face. At length I refolved to try, whether indigence and friendship were really incompatible, and whether I fhould meet with the fame treatment from a female friend, whofe affection had been the principal pleasure of my youth. Surely, thought I, the gentle Amanda, whofe heart feems capable of every tender and generous fentiment, will do juftice to the innocence and integrity of her unfortunate friend; her tenderness will encourage my virtue and animate my fortitude; her praises and endearments will compenfate all my hardfhips. Amanda was a fingle woman of a moderate independent fortune, which I heard she was going to beftow on a young officer, who had little or nothing befides his commiffion. I had no doubt of her approbation of my refusing a mercenary match, fince the herfelf had chofen from motives fo oppofite to those which are called prudent. She had been in the country some months,

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months, fo that my misfortunes had not reached her ear, till I myself related them to her. She heard me with great attention, and anfwered me with politeness enough, but with a coldness that chilled my very heart. "You are fenfible, my dear Fidelia," faid fhe, "that I never pretended to fet my understanding in "competition with yours. I knew my own inferiority; and though many of your notions and opinions appeared to me very ftrange and particular, I never "attempted to dispute them with you. To be fure, 66 you know beft; but it seems to me a very odd con"duct for one in your fituation to give offence to fo

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good an uncle; firft by maintaining doctrines which

may be very true for ought I know, but which are 66 very contrary to the received opinions we are brought "66 up in, and therefore are apt to shock a common un❝derstanding; and fecondly, to renounce his protection, " and throw yourself into the wide world, rather than "marry the man he chofe for you; to whom, after all, "I do not find you had any real objection, nor any an

tipathy for his perfon."-Antipathy, my dear! faid I; are there not many degrees between loving and honouring a man preferably to all others, and beholding him with abhorrence and averfion! The firft is, in my opinion, the duty of a wife; a duty voluntarily taken. upon herself, and engaged in under the most folemn contract. As to the difficulties that may attend my friendlefs, unprovided ftate, fince they are the confequences of a virtuous action, they cannot really be evils, nor can they disturb that happiness which is the gift of virtue. "I am heartily glad," anfwered The, "that you have found the art of making yourfelf happy by the force of imagination? I wish your enthu

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"fiafm may continue; and that you may ftill be far"ther convinced, by your own experience, of the folly of mankind, in fuppofing poverty and difgrace to "be evils."

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I was cut to the foul by the unkind manner which accompanied this farcafm, and was going to remonstrate against her unfriendly treatment, when her lover came in with another gentleman, who, in fpite of my full heart, engaged my attention, and for a while made me forget the ftings of unkindness. The beauty and gracefulness of his perfon caught my eye, and the politeness of his address and the elegance of his compliments foon prejudiced me in favour of his understanding. He was introduced by the Captain to Amanda as his most intimate friend, and feemed defirous to give credit to his friend's judgment by making himself as agreeable as poffible. He fucceeded fo well, that Amanda was wholly engroffed by the pleasure of his converfation, and the care of entertaining her lover and her new gueft; her face brightened, and her good humour returned. When I arose to leave her, she preffed me fo earnestly to stay dinner, that I could not, without discovering how much I refented her behaviour, refuse. This, however, I should probably have done, as I was naturally difpofed to fhew every fentiment of my heart, had not a fecret wish arose there to know a little more of this agreeable stranger. This inclined me to think it prudent to conceal my refentment, and to accept the civilities of Amanda. The converfation grew more and more pleafing; I took my share in it, and had more than my share of the charming stranger's notice and attention. As we all grew more and more unreserved, Amanda dropped hints in the courfe of the converfa

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tion relating to my ftory, my fentiments, and unhappy fituation. Sir George Freelove, for that was the young gentleman's name, liftened greedily to all that was faid of me, and feemed to eye me with earnest cu riofity as well as admiration. We did not part till it was late, and Sir George infifted on attending me to my lodgings; I strongly refused it, not without a sensation which more properly belonged to the female than the philofopher, and which I condemned in myself as arifing from dishonest pride. I could not without pain fuffer the polite Sir George, upon fo fhort an acquaintance, to discover the meannefs of my abode. To avoid this, I fent for a chair; but was confused to find, that Sir George and his fervants prepared to attend it on foot by way of guard; it was in vain to difpute; he himself walked before, and his fervants followed it. I was covered with blushes, when, after all this parade, he handed me in at the little shop door, and took leave with as profound respect as if he had guarded me to a palace. A thousand different thoughts kept me from clofing my eyes that night. The behaviour of Amanda wounded me to the foul: I found that I must look on her as no more than a common acquaintance; and that the world did not contain one perfon whom I could call my friend. My heart felt defolate and forlorn; I knew not what courfe to take for my future fubfiftence; the pain which my pride had just given me, convinced me that I was far from having conquered the paffions of humanity, and that I should feel too fenfibly all the mortifications which attend on poverty. I determined, however, to fubdue this pride, and called to my affiftance the examples of ancient fages and philofophers, who defpifed riches and honours, and felt

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