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SIR,

MAGAZINE.

By inferting the following thoughts
on Detraction and Calumny, if
you think them worthy a place in
your useful Mifcellany, you will
oblige,

again all thofe fentiments, I hoped, To the EDITOR of the LADY'S
were vanquished; and revived
thoughts, that i wifhed extinguished
for ever.
I foon found I had all
the struggles to fuftain again; and
overcome with my feelings, I became
nearly defperate. Cool reflection,
nevertheless, once more, kindly in-
terpofed between me and my fate:
I thought it then moft advifable
not to take the leaft notice of what
you had done, hoping that you
would be difcouraged by my filence
from proceeding any further; but
when I faw your hand a fecond

time, I confels I could no longer

retain my refolution, and I there-
fore was determined to write to you.
After this explicit recital, you
may easily conceive my fituation;
yet I must inform you, that if you
expect from it that I fhould favour
your addreffes, believe me, you
will be mistaken; for I will never
confent to any requeft, that may
injure my father's peace; nor will
I drive you to ruin on my account.
I have already kept this letter
three days in my bofom, without
having had an opportunity of deli-
vering it to you. I was yesterday
perufing your laft billet in the gar-
den, when my father appeared in
fight, and was close upon me be-
fore I could recover myfelf. I in-
ftantly hurried it into my bofom,
he faw that my hand trembled, and
noticed my alarm, and infifted to
fee the paper I had concealed. I
could not refufe, for refiftance

would have been ineffectual. Lucki-
ly I had there a letter from a young
lady, the lady
who had
made me the confident of her fecret
affection for the Lord B-. I
availed myself of the fortunate cir-
cumftance, and put it into my fa.
ther's hand. He chid me for fuch
a toolifh correfpondence, and we
walked together to the house.

Adieu! but write to me no more.

Yours, &c.

I. H. PRINCE *.

Little Gray's-Inn-Lane,
Holborn.

DETRACTION and Calumny

of all things are the most hard to be borne. There is no robbery impoverishes a man so much as that of his name and reputation; and there is no robber fo inexcufable, fo. little benefited, and fo richly deferving of punishment, as he who either directly or indirectly traduces the character of any individual, family, church, nation, or

any

other part or parts of the ag-
gregate of mankind. It is a crime
pregnant with evil, big with con-
fequences as fatal as unforeseen. He
that is robbed of his treasure knows
his lofs, and very often has it in
his power to retrieve it; but he
that has his good name, fame, and
reputation filched from him, expe-
riences a lofs which he cannot af
certain. It is a lofs which draws

after it, very often, the loss of eve-
ry thing which is dear or valuable
to the calumniated, never to be
fully retrieved again:

"Who fteals my purse fteals trash :
'tis fomething, nothing:
'Twas mine: 'tis his, and has been
flave to thousands:
But he that filches from me my good

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Reputation is an invaluable bleff ing both to thofe in the higher, middle, and lower orders of fociety; but if it is more valuable to fome than others, it must be to those of the latter defcription, whofe reputation or character is their only fortune, the only fource from which they draw their daily fupport. Take that away, and they become the outcasts of fociety. Deftitute of employ,-exposed to the fcoffs and fneers of a frowning world,-defpairing of ever retrieving their character, from the impracticability that seems to attend the attempt, they are drove to the wretched alternative of preying upon their fellow men for fupport. Thus they run upon the thick boffes of God's buckler (as the fcriptures exprefs it), and, in the end, the punishment which they did not deferve, leads them to a punishment which is their juft due. I fpeak now of thofe who lofe their character in the firft inftance from the horrid afperfions of detraction and calumny, against the deadly poifon of which the most innocent and fair character is not proof.

| fhow the inexcufableness and criminality of thofe, who, for a trifling fauit or affront, will undermine, or at least, with-hold the character of a fervant. If they commit a fault not capital in its nature, (fuch as robbery, &c.) is it not punishment enough to turn them away, and thus to fubject them to the many and great inconveniences that attend being out of place, but must they be inflicted with the worst of all evils,—the iofs of character?

Is revenge to be carried fo far as to purfue the wretched victim to the laft extremity? What with-hold' his character! deprive him of the only means of support, and thus leave him to perifh in the wide world, becaufe, perhaps, he uttered a rafh expreffion in the moment of paffion, which is as peculiar to the poor as the rich, and the former of whom cannot always command their temper any more than the latter! This is the fevere treatment which to my knowledge fome domeftics meet with from their rigid and cenforious employers. I knew a gentleman who difcharged his clerk (who had lived with him near four

If we were to look at the great-years) at a minute's warning, only eft part of the malefactors that because he spoke one word that were ever executed at Tybúrn or offended him. He happened to be elsewhere, and were to trace their late at the office that morning ;-his misconduct back to its first fource, mafter met him, and, with no great we fhould, I am perfuaded, difco- politeness, accofted him in the freet, ver it to have originated in the firft with a "What do you mean by inftance from the lofs of character, coming at this time of the day to an whether that lofs was juft or unjuft. office?" accompanied with menacing It is an observation of one of the expreffions, which he repeated in wifeft men that ever graced fociety, the vulgar tongue fo loud as to octhat, "A good name is rather to be cafion the admiration and astonishchofen than great riches;" and the ment of the fpectators, as well as to reafon is obvious; for a good name draw to their doors fome people to will procure riches, but riches can- know what was the matter. not procure a good name, unless it be a temporary one from flatterers, which is not worth having. The value of a good name (which may be gathered from the wife man's obfervation,and the dreadful confequences that attend the lofs of character, VOL. XXVII.

The clerk, thinking himself rather ill treated in being thus accosted in the street, when, if he had committed any fault, he apprehended he was entitled to the privilege of being reprimanded in private, determined to expoftulate with his employer on

Y

the

the impropriety of haranguing him in the street; which he did in the evening, by ftating, that, if he had committed an error, he should expect to hear of it in private, and that he thought it was not gentlemanlike to call him to account in

the street.

But this

At the last expreffion, the mafter took fire, turned him out of the office, bolted the door for fear he fhould return for the purpose of an explanation, which he never afterwards would admit of, though he went to him repeatedly for that purpofe, as alfo to afk him pardon if he had offended him. gentleman, with all the placidnefs imaginable, refufed to admit of any conceffions, and declared he would never give him a character, but as far as in his power hinder him from employment (notwithstanding he had no other fault to find with him, and often admitted his abilities); which refolution he always kept: and had not this young man met with a gentleman who was poffeffed of more than ufual candour and confidence, and who took him, though a stranger, merely upon the recommendation of a gentleman who knew of his having fived a confiderable time in his laft place, and that he left it for no other reason than on the account of a quarrel, he might have experienced the moft ferious inconveniences. It must be admitted here, that there was no proportion between the crime committed, and the punishment inflicted by this violent master yet, if it had been the crime of robbery, he could not have been more fevere.

God has wifely ordained that we fhould be dependent on each other for happiness, in order to unite fociety with the bond of common interest. He hath fo difpofed and ordered things, that the rich cannot do without the poor, the merchant without the mechanic, &c. And

the man who aims at indepen dency of the world, I mean of its frowns or fmiles, acts more like a ftoic than a christian. Religion, indeed, teaches us an independence of the world; but it is an independence perfectly confonant with the moft ferious endeavours to avoid giving offence, and by our good conduct to obtain the value and efteem of our fellow mortals.

Reputation may be compared to a clean fheet of paper: nothing is more easily foiled; the leaft ftain on it is difcoverable; the least stain, or even the appearance of one, as far as it goes, is detrimental. The following fact, which came within my notice a fhort time fince, is illuftrative of this obfervation. A young woman, who had lived a confiderable time in several reputable families, and had an unexceptionable character, being out of place,was informed of and advised to go after one that was vacant at a reputable houfe in the public bufinefs. The place vacant was that of nurserymaid; and the was to have nothing to do but in the nursery and with the children, as they kept feveral fervants befides. She at first hefitated, under an idea that, should the not be able to stay in it, her character would be thrown away, and, fhe might find it a difficult matter to be received into a private family again, owing to the common prejudice that is entertained against fervants who have lived in a publichoufe. As however fhe had been out of place fome time, and was not able to fupport herself much longer, fhe liftened to the folicitations of her friends, and the urgency of the moment, and went. She liked the place, and would have continued in it but for a difagreeable fellow fervant, who was an old domeftic in the house, and with whom the found it impoffible to live. She therefore left the place on her account, and with as fair a ..character

-

character as fhe went to it. But on, hef application for vacant places, fhe found her former fears had been too well grounded; for when, on being afked for a character, fhe referred them to the last mentioned place, The always met with a repulfe, and fometimes with a fharp and cruel one, viz. "I wonder at the impudence of any fervant coming after this place, who has lived laft at a public houfe."

This young woman now remains out of place, and defpairs of getting into any creditable private family, as all whom he has applied to, make the fame objection. This is a diftreffing, though not perhaps a new cafe; and is an example of the delicacy of a perfon's character, and fhows with what tenderness it ought to be treated, fince this trifling occurrence is attended with fuch inconvenience. Yet, at the same time, we may obferve what a pity it is that people cannot, or rather will not, overcome their little and mean prejudices which are only eftablished by custom, and learn to difcover worth through the maze of any apparent difguife.

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The different fpécies of calumny are as various as deftructive in the feveral proportions, and the calumniator is ever bufy to find out a fomething wherewith to traduce the character of his neighbour and if the fairness of the man's character, whom he has marked out for his victim, be fuch as to render a very foul calumny liable to be detected, he will begin with fome. trifling report, till he by degrees accomplithes his diabolical purpofe. But I cannot better exprels myfelf upon this topic than in the words of the celebrated Dr. Johnfon-"As there are to be found in the fervice of envy, men of every diverfity of temper and degree of underftanding, calumny is diffused by all arts and methods of propagation: nothing is too grofs or too

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refined, too cruel or too trifling, to be practifed: very little regard is had to the rules of honourable hoftility, but every weapon is accounted lawful; and those who cannot make a thruft at life, are content to keep themselves in play with petty malevolence, to teafe with feeble blows, and impotent disturbance. Those who cannot strike with force, can however poifon their weapon, and, weak as they are, give mortal wounds, and bring a hero to the grave: fo true is that obfervation, that many are able to do hurt, but few to do good,"

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Fy God Supreme, who, with

ty an all-feeing eye, furveyeft the tranfactions of thy creatures here on earth, look down on one unworthy of thy goodness, though humbly foliciting thy aid,-who craves thy fupport to fee thofe myfteries explained, the elucidation of which may ftrike her foul with horror; but let thy heavenly affiftance infpire her with fortitude and refignation, to liften to the dictates of thy will."

Such was the conclufion of Matilda's prayer, as the retired to her pillow,

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She

She enjoyed a calm and ferene re-difcourage either his lordship's hopes or addreffes; and, after fome little time spent in mutual inquiries, they feated themselves at the breakfaft table.

pofe till a late hour in the morning, and found herfelf much refreshed. Having defcended to the parlour, neither Leonard, Agnes, nor her brother, had break fafted.

"I am forry," said fhe, "to have made you wait; but this morning I have been uncommonly lazy."

"We have not waited for you alone," answered Alfred cheerfully: "there is another perfon our guest to day. In short, you no doubt recollect, that, when you mentioned leaving the abbey, I told you a ftranger would foon appear, to make you alter your refolution. The time is now arrived that my prophecy is to be fulfilled, and the myfterious behaviour I, have been guilty of, I hope, in fome measure excufed. Look at thofe folding doors, Matilda: the fight of them has at a former time occafioned fenfations of the utmot terror; do not therefore expect the entrance of a ghoft, but a being of flesh and blood. Come forth,' "exclaimed he.

Matilda expected to fee the venerable figure of father Peter.

The doors haftily flew open, when, inftead of the aged fage, an elegant young man fprang forth, and caught her in his arms. Matilda started back, and instantly exclaimed," Mr. Millverne!"

"Not fo," faid Alfred: "he does, I must confefs, greatly refemble that gentleman; but you now fee before you Archibald lord Mill.

verne."

"Do not believe him, charming mifs Maferini," answered the ftranger, "I deny the title; let me only be known to you under the plain name of Millverne,--happy appellation, under which I firft became acquainted with the most charming of her fex."

Matilda was above the little arts of female coquetry, practifed by her fex in general; he did not

Leonard and Agnes wished to: have taken their meal afterwards, out of refpect to lord Millverne; but his noble foul fcorned the empty title he poffeffed, and confidered it of no other confequence, than a more than ufual call upon him to act through life with honour and integrity, as an example to those in a lower fphere, who had never received the advantages of a good education, or the rudiments of virtue from honeft and respectable. parents.

He infifted that no unusual ceremony fhould be observed on his account; and his requeft was complied with. Matilda received the pleasing intelligence that count d'Ollifont was yet living, and that the news they had received of his death, was merely of his own contrivance, executed by his creatures in France; and that there was not a doubt but the cruel proceeding of proving Alfred Maferini a deferter, was alfo effected by schemes of villany from the fame quarter.

Lord Millverne acquainted them that the last intelligence he received of the count, was that he had been fome little time at Paris, but that. his popularity in that city was greatly decreafed, on the discovery of an affaffination he was proved to: bé the author of, and muft certainly have fuffered for the crime, had he not been fcreened by royal power.

"I fall now," continued his lordship, " acquaint you with my adventures fince you left England, till a certain event happened which will close' my narrative, and give room for one to be related by my friend here (pointing to Alfred), who will then have an opportunity of clearing up his own conduct fo

as

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