Ranfom; as not queftioning but he would beat down the Terms of it, and negotiate the Affair more to their Advantage than they themselves could do. The good Man admired her Prudence and followed her Advice. I wish I could conceal the Sequel of this Story, but fince I cannot, I fhall difpatch it in as few Words as poffible. The Caftilian having flept longer than ordinary the next Morning, upon his awaking found his Wife had left Him: He immediately rofe and enquired after her, but was told that he was feen with the Renegado about Break of Day. In a Word, her Lover having got all things ready for their Departure, they foon made their Efcape out of the Territories of Algiers, carried away the Money, and left the Caftilian in Captivity; who partly through the cruel Treatment of the incenfed Algerine his. Master, and partly through the unkind Usage of his unfaithful Wife, died fome few Months after.

N° 199. Thursday, October 18.

TH

·Scribere juffit amor.

Ovid.

HE following Letters are written with fuch an Air of Sincerity, that I cannot deny the inferting of them.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

"THO', you are every where in your Writings a

have directly confidered the mercenary Practice of Men in the Choice of Wives. If you would please to employ your Thoughts upon that Subject, you would eafily conceive the miferable Condition many of us. <are in, who not only from the Laws of Cuftom and < Modesty are reftrained from making any Advances towards our Wishes, but are alfo from the Circumstance S of Fortune, out of all Hope of being addreffed to by thofe

those whom we love. Under all these Disadvantages I am obliged to apply my felf to you, and hope I fhall I prevail with you to print in your very next Paper the following Letter, which is a Declaration of Paffion to one who has made fome feint Addreffes to me for fome <Time. I believe he ardently loves me, but the Inequality of my Fortune makes him think he cannot answer it to the World, if he purfues his Defigns by Way of Marriage; and I believe, as he does not want Difcerning, he discovered me looking at him the other Day unaС wares, in fuch a Manner as has raised his Hopes of gaining me on Terms the Men call easier. But my Heart is very full on this Occafion, and if you know what Love and Honour are, you will pardon me that 'I use no farther Arguments with you, but haften to my Letter to him, whom I call Oroondates, because if I do not fucceed, it fhall look like Romance; and if I am regarded, you fhall receive a Pair of Gloves at C my Wedding, fent to you under the Name of Statira.

SIR

To OROONDATES.

Arevolving how to acquaint you with my own FTER very much Perplexity in my felf, and

< Sentiments, and expoftulate with you concerning yours, I have chofen this Way, by which means I can be at C once revealed to you, or if you pleafe, lie concealed. If I do not within few Days find the Effect which I < hope from this, the whole Affair fhall be buried in Oblivion. But, alas! what am I going to do, when I am . about to tell you that I love you? But after I have done fo, I am to affure you, that with all the Paffion 'which ever entered a tender Heart, I know I can banifh you from my Sight for ever, when I am convinced that you have no Inclinations towards me but to my Dishonour. But, alas! Sir, why fhould you facrifice the real and effential Happiness of Life, to the Opinia World, that moves upon no other Foundation but profefs'd Error and Prejudice? You all can obferve that Riches do not alone make you happy, ⚫ and

on of

and yet give up every Thing elfe when it ftands in Competition with Riches. Since the World is fo bad, 'that Religion is left to us filly Women, and you Men act generally upon Principles of Profit and Pleasure, I will talk to you without arguing from any Thing but what may be moft to your Advantage, as a Man of the World. And I will lay before you the 'State of the Cafe, fuppofing that you had it in your 'Power to make me your Miftrefs, or your Wife, and hope to convince you that the latter is more for your Interest, and will contribute more to your Plea

fure.

'WE will fuppofe then the Scene was laid, and, you were now in Expectation of the approaching Evening wherein I was to meet you, and be carried to what convenient Corner of the Town you thought fit, to • confummate all which your wanton Imagination has promised you in the Poffeffion of one who is in the Bloom of Youth, and in the Reputation of Innocence: • You would foon have enough of me, as I am fprightly, 'Young, Gay, and Airy. When Fancy is fated, and finds all the Promifes it made to it felf false, where is now 'the Innocence which charmed you! The first Hour you are alone you will find that the Pleasure of the 'Debauchée is only that of a Deftroyer: He blafts all the Fruit he tastes, and where the Brute has been devouring, there is nothing left worthy the Relifh of the Man. Reafon refumes her Place after Imagination is cloyed; and I am, with the utmost Diftrefs and Confufion to behold my felf the Cause of uneify Reflecti ons to you, to be vifited by Stealth, and dwell for the 'future with the two Companions (the most unfit for ' each other in the World) Solitude and Guilt. I will not 'infift upon the fhameful Obfcurity we fhould pass our Time in, nor run over the little fhort Snatches ot fresh Air and free Commerce which all People must 'be fatisfied with, whofe Actions will not bear Exami'nation, but leave them to your Reflections, who have 'feen enough of that Life, of which I have but a meer · Idea.

ON

'ON the other Hand, if you can be so good and generous as to make me your Wife, you may promise your felf all the Obedience and Tendernefs with which • Gratitude can inspire a virtuous Woman. Whatever • Gratifications you may promife your felf from an agreeable Perfon, whatever Compliances from an easie Temper, whatever Confolations from a fincere Friendfhip, you may expect as the Due of your Generofity. What at prefent in your ill View you promise your felf from me, will be followed by Distaste and Satiety; but the Tranfports of a virtuous Love are the leaft Part of its Happiness. The Raptures of innocent Paffion are but like Lightning to the Day, they rather interrupt than advance the Pleafure of it. How happy then is that Life to be, where the highest Pleasures of Senfe are but the lower Parts of its Felicity.

NOW am I to repeat to you the unnatural Request of taking me in direct Terms. I know there ftands between me and that Happinefs, the haughty Daughter of a Man who can give you fuitably to your Fortune. But if you weigh the Attendance and Behaviour of her who comes to you in Partnership of your Fortune, and expects an Equivalent, with that of her who enters your Houfe as honoured and obliged by that Permiffion, whom of the two will you chufe? You, perhaps, will think fit to spend a Day abroad in the common Entertainments of Men of Senfe and ForB tune; fhe will think her felf ill ufed in that Abfence, ⚫ and contrive at Home an Expence proportioned to the Appearance which you make in the World. She is in all things to have Regard to the Fortune which she brought you, I to the Fortune to which you introduced me. The Commerce between you two will eternally have the Air of a Bargain, between us of a Friendship: Joy will ever enter into the Room with you, and kind Wishes attend my Benefactor when he leaves it. Ask your felf, how would you be pleased to enjoy for ever the Pleafure of having laid an immediate Obligation on a grateful Mind? fuch will be your Cafe with me. In the other Marriage you will

live

live in a conftant Comparison of Benefits, and never know the Happiness of conferring or receiving any.

IT may be you will, after all, act rather in the 'prudential Way, according to the Senfe of the ordinary World. I know not what I think or fay, when that melancholy Reflection comes upon me; but shall only add more, that it is in your Power to make me your Grateful Wife, but never your Abandoned Miftrefs.

T

N° 200. Friday, October 19.

Vincit Amor Patria

Virg.

T

HE Ambition of Princes is many times as hurtful to the mfelves as to their People. This cannot be doubted of fuch as prove unfortunate in their Wars, but it is often true too of those who are celebrated for their Succeffes. If a fevere View were to be taken of their Conduct, if the Profit and Lofs by their Wars could be juftly ballanced, it would be rarely found that the Conqueft is fufficient to repay the Coft.

AS I was the other Day looking over the Letters of my Correfpondents, I took this Hint from that of Philarithmus; which has turned my prefent Thoughts upon Political Arithmetick, an Art of greater Ufe than Entertainment. My Friend has offered an Effay towards proving that Lewis XIV. with all his Acquifitions is not Mafter of more People than at the Beginning of his Wars; nay, that for every Subject he had acquired, he had loft Three that were his Inheritance: If Philarithmus is not mistaken in his Calculations, Lewis must have been impoverifhed by his Ambition.

THE Prince for the Publick Good has a Sovereign Property in every private Perfon's Eftare, and confequently his Riches must increase or decrease in proportion to the Number and Riches of his Subjects. For ex

ample: