old Chronicle published by Freher among the Writers of the German History.

EGINHART, who was Secretary to Charles the Great, became exceeding popular by his Behaviour in that Poft. His great Abilities gained him the Favour of his Master, and the Efteem of the whole Court. Imma, the Daughter of the Emperor, was fo pleafed with his Perfon and Conversation, that he fell in Love with him. As the was one of the greatest Beauties of the Age, Eginhart answered her with a more than equal Return of Paffion. They ftifled their Flames for fome Time, under Apprehenfion of the fatal Confequences that might enfue. Eginhart at length refolving to hazard all, rather than live deprived of one whom his Heart was fo much fet upon, conveyed himself one Night into the Princess's Apartment, and knocking gently at the Door, was admitted as a Person who had fomething to communicate to her from the Emperor. He was with her in private moft Part of the Night; but upon his preparing to go away about Break of Day, he obferved that there had fallen a great Snow during his Stay with the Princefs. This very much perplexed him, left the Prints of his Feet in the Snow might make Discoveries to the King, who often used to vifit his Daughter in the Morning. He acquainted the Princess Imma with his Fears; who, after fome Confultations upon the Matter, prevailed upon him to let her carry him through the Snow upon her own Shoulders. It happened, that the Emperor not being able to fleep, was at that Time up and walking in his Chamber, when upon looking through the Window he perceived his Daughter tottering under her Burden, and carrying his firft Minifter across the Snow; which he had no fooner done, but she returned again with the utmoft Speed to her own Apartment. The Emperor was extremely troubled and astonished at this Accident; but refolved to speak nothing of it till a proper Opportunity. In the mean time Eginhart knowing that what he had done could not be long a Secret, determined to retire from Court; and in order to it begged the Emperor that he would be pleafed to difmifs him, pretending a kind of Difcontent at his not

having

having been rewarded for his long Services. The Em peror would not give a direct Answer to his Petition, but told him he would think of it, and appointed a certain Day when he would let him know his Pleafure. He then called together the most faithful of his Counsellors, and acquainting them with his Secretary's Crime, asked them their Advice in fo delicate an Affair. They most of them gave their Opinion, that the Perfon could not be too feverely punished who had thus difhonoured his Mafter. Upon the whole Debate, the Emperor de clared it was his Opinion, that Eginhart's Punishment would rather encreafe than diminish the Shame of his Family, and that therefore he thought it the most advifeable to wear out the Memory of the Fact, by marrying him to his Daughter. Accordingly Eginhart was called in, and acquainted by the Emperor, that he fhould no longer have any Pretence of complaining his Services were not rewarded, for that the Princefs Imma fhould be given him in Marriage, with a Dower fuitable to her Quality; which was foon after performed accordingly.

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No 182. Friday, September 28.

A

Plus aloes quàm mellis habet

Juv.

S all Parts of humane Life come under my Obfer vation, my Reader must not make uncharitable Inferences from my fpeaking knowingly of that Sort of Crime which is at prefent treated of. He will, I hope, fuppofe I know it only from the Letters of Correfpondents, two of which you shall have as follow.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

T is wonderful to me that

among

I'm you have menyention

ed that of Wenching, and particularly the Infna

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ring

N° 182! ring Part; I mean, that it is a Thing very fit for your Pen, to expofe the Villany of the Practice of deluding 'Women. You are to know, Sir, that my self am a Woman who have been one of the Unhappy that have fallen into this Misfortune, and that by the Infinuation of a very worthless Fellow, who ferved others in the fame manner both before my Ruin and fince that Time, I had, as foon as the Rafcal left me, fo much Indignation and Refolution, as not to go upon the Town, as the Phrafe is, but took to Work for my Living in an obfcure Place, out of the Knowledge of all with whom I was before acquainted.

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IT is the ordinary Practice and Bufinefs of Life with a Sett of idle Fellows about this Town, to write Letters, fend Meffages, and form Appointments with little raw unthinking Girls, and leave them after Pof• feffion of them, without any Mercy, to Shame, Infamy, Poverty, and Difeafe. Were you to read the nauseous Impertinencies which are written on these Occafions, and to fee the filly Creatures fighing over ⚫ them, it could not but be Matter of Mirth as well as Pity. A little Prentice Girl of mine has been for fome Time applied to by an Irish Fellow, who dreffes very <fine, and ftruts in a laced Coat, and is the Admiration of Semftreffes who are under Age in Town. Ever • fince I have had fome Knowledge of the Matter, I have debarred my Prentice from Pen, Ink, and Paper. But the other Day he bespoke fome Cravats of me: I went out of the Shop, and left his Mistress to put them up into a Bandbox in order to be fent to him when his Man called. When I came into the Shop again, I took Occafion to fend her away, and found in the Bottom of the Box writen thefe Words, Why would you ruin a harmless a Creature that loves you? then in the Lid, There is no refifting Strephon: I • fearched a little further, and found in the Rim of the • Box, At eleven of Clock at Night come in an Hackney. "Coach at the End of our Street. This was enough to alarm me; fent away the Things, and took my Meafures accordingly. An Hour or two before the appointed Time I examined my young Lady, and found

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⚫her

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her Trunk ftuffed with impertinent Letters, and an old Scrole of Parchment in Latin, which her Lover had ⚫ fent her as a Settlement of fifty Pounds a Year: Among other Things, there was alfo the best Lace I had in my Shop to make him a Prefent for Cravats. I was very glad of this laft Circumftance, because I could very confcienciously swear against him that he had en'ticed my Servant away, and was her Accomplice in robbing me: I procured a Warrant against him accordingly. Every thing was now prepared, and the tender Hour of Love approaching, I who had acted for s my felf in my Youth the fame fenfelefs Part, knew how to manage accordingly: Therefore, after having 'locked up my Maid, and not being fo much unlike her in Height and Shape, as in a huddled way not to pass for her, I delivered the Bundle defigned to be carried ' off to her Lover's Man, who came with the Signal to ⚫ receive them. Thus I followed after to the Coach, ' where when I faw the Mafter take them in, I cryed out Thieves! Thieves! and the Constable with his • Attendants feized my expecting Lover. I kept my felf unobferved till I faw his Croud fufficiently eicreased, and then appeared to declare the Goods to be mine; and had the Satisfaction to fee my Man of • Mode put into the Round house, with the stolen Wares by him, to be produced in Evidence againft him the next Morning. This Matter is notoriously known to be • Fact; and I have been contented to fave my Prentice, ⚫ and take a Year's Rent of this mortified Lover, not to appear further in the Matter. This was fome Penance; but, Sir, is this enough for a Villany of much more pernicious Confequence than the Trifles for which he was to have been indicted? Should not you, and all • Men of any Parts or Honour, put Things upon fo right a Foot, as that fuch a Rafcal fhould not laugh at the Imputation of what he was really guilty, and dread being accused for that for which he was ar• rested?

IN a Word, Sir, it is in the Power of you, and fuch as I hope you are, to make it as infamous to rob a poor Creature of her Honour as her Cloaths. I leave

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⚫ this to your Confideration, only take Leave (which I ⚫ cannot do without fighing) to remark to you, that • if this had been the Senfe of Mankind thirty Years ・ ago, I should have avoided a Life spent in Poverty and Shame.

I am, SIR,

Your most humble Servant,

M. SPECTATOR

'I A

Alice Threadneedle.

Round-houfe, Sept. 9.

Am a Man of Pleasure about Town, but by the Stupidity of a dull Rogue of a Juftice of Peace and ⚫ an infolent Conftable, upon the Oath of an old Harridan, am imprisoned here for Theft, when I defigned ⚫ only Fornication. The Midnight Magistrate, as he conveyed me along, had you in his Mouth, and said, this • would make a pure Story for the SPECTATOR. I hope, Sir, you won't pretend to Wit, and take the Part ⚫ of dull Rogues of Business. The World is so altered of .late Years, that there was not a Man who would knock ⚫ down a Watchman in my Behalf, but I was carried off • with as much Triumph as if I had been a Pick-pocket. At ⚫ this rate there is an End of all the Wit and Humour in the World. The Time was when all the honeft Whoremafters in the Neighbourhood would have rofe against the Cuckolds to my Refcue. If Fornication is to be fcandalous, half the fine Things that have been writ by most of the Wits of the laft Age may be burnt by the • common Hangman. Harkee, Mr. SPEC, do not be queer; after having done fome Things pretty well, don't begin to write at that rate that no Gentleman can read thee. Be true to Love, and burn your Seneca. You do not expect me to write my Name from hence, but I am Your unknown bumble, &c.

Satur