thoughts of her leap, and married him in the tem

ple of Apollo.

N. B. Her widow's weeds are ftill feen hanging up in the western corner of the temple.

Olphis, the fifherman, having received a box on the ear from Theftylis the day before, and being determined to have no more to do with her, leaped, and efcaped with life.

Atalanta, an old maid, whofe cruelty had feveral years before driven two or three defpairing Lovers to this leap; being now in the fifty-fifth year of her age, and in love with an officer of Sparta, broke her neck in the fall.

Hipparchus being paffionately fond of his own wife who was enamoured of Bathyllus, leaped, and died of his fall; upon which his wife married her galant.

Tettyx, the dancing-mafter, in love with Olym pia an Athenian matron, threw himfelf from the rock with great agility, but was crippled in the fall.

Diagoras, the ufurer, in love with his cookmaid; he peeped feveral times over the precipice, but his heart mifgiving him, he went back and married her that evening.

Cinadus, after having entered his own name in the Pythian records, being afked the name of the perfon whom he leaped for, and being afhamed to difcover it, he was fet afide, and not suffered to leap.

Eunica, a maid of Paphos, aged nineteen, in love with Eurybates. Hurt in the fall, but recovered.

N. B. This was the fecond time of her leaping. Hefperus, a young man of Tarentum, in love with his mafter's daughter. Drowned, the boats not coming in foon enough to his relief.

Sappho, the Lefbian, in love with Phaon, arrived at the temple of Apollo, habited like a bride in gar

ments

ments as white as fnow. She wore a garland of myrtle on her head, and carried in her hand the little mufical inftrument of her own invention. After having fung an hymn to Apello, the hung up her garland on one fide of his altar, and her harp on the other. She then tucked up her veftments, like a Spartan virgin, and amidst thousands of fpectators, who were anxious for her fafety, and offered up vows for her deliverance, marched directly forwards, to the utmoft fummit of the promontory, where after having repeated a ftanza of her own verfes, which we could not hear, the threw herself off the rock with fuch an intrepidity as was never before observed in any who had attemped that dangerous leap. Many who were prefent related, that they faw her fall into the fea, from whence fhe never rofe again; though there were others who affirmed, that fhe never came to the bottom of her leap, but was changed into a fwan as fhe fell, and that they faw her hovering in the air under that fhape. But whether or no the whitenefs and fluttering of her garments might not deceive thofe who looked upon her, or whether the might not really be metamorphofed into that mufical and melancholy bird, is ftill a doubt among the Leftians.

Alaus, the famous Lyrick poet, who had for fome time been paffionately in love with Sappho, arrived at the promontory of Leucate that very evening, in order to take the leap upon her account; but hearing that Sappho had been there before him, and that her body could be no where found, he very generously lamented her fall, and is faid to have written his hundred and twenty-fifth ode upon that occafion.

Leaped

Vellem in amicitia fic erraremus.

C

HOR. Sat. iii. lib. 1. ver. 41.

I wish this error in our friendship reign'd

CREECH.

YOU very often hear people, after a story has been told with fome entertaining circumftances, tell it over again with particulars that deftroy the jeft, but give light into the truth of the narration.. This fort of veracity, though it is impertinent, has fomething amiable in it, becaufe it proceeds from the love of truth, even in frivolous occafions. If fuch honeft amendments do not promife an agreeable companion, they do a fincere. friend; for which reafon one fhould allow them fo much of our time, if we fall into their company, as to fet us right in matters that can do us no manner of harm, whether the facts be one way or the other. Lies which are told out of arrogance and oftentation a man fhould detect in his own defence, becaufe he fhould not be triumphed over; lies which are told out of malice he fhould expofe, both for his own fake and that of the rest of mankind, because every man fhould rife against a common enemy: But the officious liar many have argued it to be excufed, because it does fome man good, and no man hurt. The man who made more than ordinary fpecd from a fight in which the Athenians

were

were beaten, and told them they had obtained a complete victory, and put the whole city into the utmoft joy and exultation, was checked by the magiftrates for his falfehood; but excufed himself by faying, O Athenians! am I your enemy because I gave you two happy days? This fellow did to a whole people what an acquaintance of mine does every day he lives in fome eminent degree to particular perfons. He is ever lying people into good humour, and, as Plato faid, it is allowable in phificians to lie to their patients to keep up their fpirits. I am half doubtful whether my friend's behaviour is not as excufeable. His manner is to exprefs himself furprised at the cheerful countenance of a man whom he obferves diffident of himself; and generally by that means makes his lie a truth. He will, as if he did not know any thing of the circumftance, afk one whom he knows at variance with another, what is the meaning that Mr. fuch-a-one, naming his adverfary, does not applaud him with that heartinefs which formerly he has heard him? He faid indeed, (continues he) I would rather have that man for my friend than any man in England; but for an enemy---This melts the perfon he talks to, who expected nothing but downright rallery from that fide. According as he fees his practices fucceeded, he goes to the oppofite party, and tells him, he cannot imagine how it happens that fome people know one another fo little; you fpoke with so much coldness of a Gentleman who faid more good of you, than, let me tell you, any man living deferves. The fuccefs of one

of these accidents was, that the next time that one of the adversaries fpied the other, he hems after him in the publick ftreet, and they muft crack a bottle at the next tavern, that used to turn out of the other's way to avoid one another's eye-fhot. He will tell one beauty fhe was commended by another, nay, he will fay the gave the woman, he fpeaks

fpeaks to, the preference in a particular for which the herself is admired. The pleasanteft confufion imaginable is made through the whole town by my friend's indirect offices; you fhall have a visit returned after half a year's abfence, and mutual railing at each other every day of that time. They meet with a thousand lamentations for fo long a feparation, each party naming herself for the greateft delinquent, if the other can poffibly be fo good. as to forgive her, which she has no reafon in the world, but from the knowledge of her goodness to hope for. Very often a whole train of railers of each fide tire their horfes in setting matters right which they have faid during the war between the parties; and a whole circle of acquaintance are put into a thousand pleafing paffions and fentiments inftead of the pangs of anger, envy, detraction,

and malice.

The worst evil I ever observed this man's falfehood occafion, has been that he turned detraction into flattery. He is well fkilled in the manners of the world, and by over-looking what men really are, he grounds his' artifices upon what they have a mind to be. Upon this foundation, if two diftant friends are brought together, and the cement feems to be weak, he never refts until he finds new appearances to take off all remains of ill-will, and that by new misunderstandings they are thoroughly reconciled..

SIR,

THere

To the SPECTATOR.

Devonfbire, Nov. 14. 1711, Here arrived in this neighbourhood two days ago one of your gay gentlemen of the town, 'who being attended at his entry with a fervant of 'his own, befides a countryman he had taken up for a guide, excited the curiofity of the village to learn whence and what he might be. The countryman (to whom they applied as most easy of

access)