me,

unlefs fhe had a mind to difturb him in his laft moments; for, Sir, you must know that he has the reputation of an honeft and religious · man, which makes my misfortune fo much the greater. God be thanked he is fince recovered: But his fevere ufage has given me fuch a blow, that I fhall foon fink under it, unless I may be relieved by any impreffion which the reading of this in your paper may make upon him.

́ I am, &c.”`

Of all hardneffes of heart there is none fo inexcufable as that of parents towards their children. An obftinate, inflexible, unforgiving temper is odious upon all occafions; but here it is unnatural. The love, tendernefs, and compaffion, which are apt to arife in us towards thofe who depend upon us, is that by which the whole world of life is upheld. The Supreme Being, by the tranfcendent excellency, and goodness of his nature, extends his mercy towards all his works; and because his creatures have not fuch a fpontaneous benevolence and compaffion towards thofe who are under their care and protec-. tion, he has implanted in them an inftinct, that fupplies the place of this inherent goodness. I have illuftrated this kind of instinct in former papers, and have fhewn how it runs through all the species of brute creatures, as indeed the whole animal creation fubfifts by it.

This inftinct in man is more general and uncircumfcribed than in brutes, as being enlarged by the dictates of reafon and duty. For if we contider ourfelves attentively, we shall find that we are not only inclined to love thofe who defcend from us, but that we bear a kind of rogy, or natural affection, to every thing which relies upon us for its good and prefervation. Dependence is a perpetual call upon humanity, and a greater incite

ment

ment to tenderness and pity than any other motive whatsoever.

The man therefore who, notwithstanding any paflion of refentment, can overcome this powerful instinct, and extinguifh natural affection, debafes his mind even below brutality, fruftrates, as much as in him lies, the great defign of Providence, and ftrikes out of his nature one of the most divine principles that is planted in it.

Among innumerable arguments which might be brought against fuch an unreasonable proceeding, I fhall only infist on one. We make it the condition of our forgiveness that we forgive others. Ia our very prayers we defire no more than to be treated by this kind of retaliation. The cafe therefore before us feems to be what they call a Cafe in Point; the relation between the child and father being what comes nearest to that between a creature and his Creator. If the father is inexorable to the child who has offended, let the offence be of never fo high a nature, how will he addrefs himfelf to the Supreme Being under the tender appellation of a Father, and defire of him fuch a forgivenefs as he himfelf refufes to grant ?

To this I might add many other religious, as well as many prudential confiderations; but if the laftmentioned motive does not prevail, I defpair of fucceeding by any other, and thall therefore conclude my paper with a very remarkable story, which is recorded in an old chronicle published by Freher, among the writers of the German hiftory.

Eginhart, who was fecretary 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 esteem of the whole court. Imma, the daughter of the Emperor, was fo pleafed with his perfon and converfation, that he fell in love with him. As fhe was one of the greatest

beauties

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 be deprived of one whom his heart was so much set upon, conveyed himself one night into the princefs's apartment, and knocking gently at the door, was admitted as a perfon 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 fnow during his stay with the princefs. This very much perplexed him, left the prints of his feet in the Inow might make difcoveries 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 fnow upon her own fhoulders. 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 mi nister across the snow; which she had no fooner done but the returned again with the utmost speed to her Own apartment. The Emperor was extremely troubled and astonished at this accident; but refolved to speak nothing of it until a proper opportunity. In the mean time, Eginhart knowing that what he had done could not be long a fecret, 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 been rewarded for his long fervices. The Emperor 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

know his pleasure. He then called together the most faithful of his counfellors, and acquainting them with his fecretary's crime, afked them their advice in fo delicate an affair. The 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 declared it was his opinion, that Eginhart's punishment would rather increafe than diminish the fhame of his family, and that therefore he thought it the most adviseable 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 fervices 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.

L

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No 182. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28.

Plus aloes quam mellis habet—

Juv. Sat. vi. ver. 180.

The bitter overbalances the sweet.

AS all parts of human life come under my obfer

vation, my reader must not make uncharitable inferences from my speaking knowingly of that fort 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 fol

low

Mr. SPECTATOR,

IT

T is wonderful to me that among the many enormities which you have treated of, you have not mentioned that of wenching, and particularly

larly the infnaring 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 I myfelf am a woman who have been one of the unhappy that have fallen into this miffortune, and that by the infinuation of a very worthlefs 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.

It is the ordinary practice and bufinefs of life, with a set of idle fellows about this town, to write letters, fend meffages, and form appointments with little raw unthinking girls, and leave them after poffeffion of them without any mercy, to thane, infamy, poverty, and difeafe. Were you to read the naufeous impertinencies which are written on thefe occafions, and to fee the filly creatures finging 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 Irifb fellow, who dreffes very fine, and ftruts in a laced coat, and is the admiration of feamftreffes 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 fhop, and left his miftrefs to put them up into a bandbox, in order to be fent to him when his man called. When I came into the fhop again, I took occafion to fend her away, and found in the bottom of the box written these words, Why would you ruin a harmless creature that loves you? Then in the lid, There is no refifting Strephon: I fearched a little 'farther,

VOL. III.

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