WHEN an Argument is over, how many weighty Reafons does a Man recollect, which his Heat and Violence made him utterly forget?

IT is yet more abfurd to be angry with a Man because he does not apprehend the Force of your Reasons, or gives weak ones of his own. If you argue for Reputation, this makes your Victory the eafier; he is certainly in all refpects an Object of your Pity, rather than Anger; and if he cannot comprehend what you do, you ought to thank Nature for her Favours, who has given you fo much the clearer Understanding.

YOU may please to add this Confideration, That among your Equals no one values your Anger, which only preys upon its Mafter; and perhaps you may find is not very confiftent either with Prudence or your Eafe, to punish your felf whenever you meet with a Fool or a Knave.

LASTLY, If you propofe to your felf the true End of Argument, which is Information, it may be a feafonable Check to your Paffion; for if you fearch purely after Truth, 'twill be almost indifferent to you where you find it. I cannot in this Place omit an Obfervation which I have often made, namely, That nothing procures a Man more Efteem and lefs Envy from the whole Company, than if he chooses the Part of Moderator, without engaging directly on either Side in a Difpute. This gives. him the Character of Impartial, furnishes him with an Opportunity of fifting Things to the Bottom, fhewing his Judgment, and of fometimes making handfom Compliments to each of the contending Parties.

I fhall close this Subject with giving you one Caution: When you have gained a Victory, do not pufh it too far; 'tis fufficient to let the Company and your Adversary fee 'tis in your Power, but that you are too generous to make

ufe of it.

X

Wednesday,

N° 198. Wednesday, October 17.

Cerva luporum præda rapacium
Sectamur ultrò, quos opimus
Fallere & effugere eft triumphus.

Hor.

HERE is a Species of Women, whom I fhall diftinguish by the Name of Salamanders. Now a Salamander is a Kind of Heroine in Chastity, that treads upon Fire, and lives in the midft of Flames without being hurt. A Salamander knows no Diftinction of Sex in those the converfes with, grows familiar with a Stranger at first Sight, and is not fo narrow-fpirited as to obferve whether the Perfon fhe talks to be in Breeches or in Petticoats. She admits a Male Vifitant to her Bed-fide, plays with him a whole Afternoon at Piquet, walks with him two or three Hours by Moon-light, and is extremely fcandalized at the Unreafonabenlefs of an Husband, or the Severity of a Parent, that would debar the Sex from fuch innocent Liberties. Your Salamander is therefore a perpetual Declaimer against Jealoufy, and Admirer of the French Good-breeding, and a great Stickler for Freedom in Converfation. In fhort the Salamander lives in an invincible State of Simplicity and Innocence: Her Conftitution is preferv'd in a kind of natural Froft; fhe wonders what People mean by Temptations, and defies Mankind to do their worst. Her Chastity is engaged in a conftant Ordeal, or fiery Trial: (Like good Queen Emma) the pretty innocent walks blindfold among burning Plough-fhares, without being fcorched or fingled by them.

IT is not therefore for the Ufe of the Salamander, whether in a married or fingle State of Life, that I defign the following Paper; but for fuch Females only as are made of Flesh and Blood, and find themselves fubject to human Frailties.

AS

AS for this Part of the fair Sex who are not of the
Salamander Kind, I would moft earnestly advise them to
obferve a quite different Conduct in their Behaviour; and
to avoid as much as poffible what Religion calls Tempta
tions, and the World Opportunities. Did they but know
how many Thousands of their Sex have been gradually
betrayed from innocent Freedoms to Ruin and Infamy;
and how many Millions of ours have begun with Flat-
teries, Proteftations and Endearments, but ended with
Reproaches, Perjury, and Perfidioufnefs; they would fhun
like Death the very firft Approaches of one that might
lead them into inextricable Labyrinths of Guilt and Mi-
fery. I must fo far give up the Caufe of the Male World,
as to exhort the Female Sex in the Language of Chamont
in the Orphan;

Truft not a Man, we are by Nature Falfe,
Diffembling, Subtle, Cruel, and Unconftant:
When a Man talks of Love, with Caution truft him
But if he fwears, he'll certainly deceive thee.

I might very much enlarge upon this Subject, but fhall conclude it with a Story which I lately heard from one of our Spanish Officers, and which may fhew the Danger a Woman incurs by too great Familiarities with a Male Companion.

AN Inhabitant of the Kingdom of Caftile, being a Man of more than ordinary Prudence, and of a grave compofed Behaviour, determined about the fiftieth Year of his Age to enter upon Wedlock. In order to make himself easy in it, he caft his Eye upon a young Woman who had nothing to recommend her but her Beauty and her Education, her Parents having been reduced to great Poverty by the Wars, which for fome Years have laid that whole Country wafte. The Caftilian having made his Addreffes to her and married her, they lived together in perfect Happiness for fome time; when at' length the Husband's Affairs made it neceffary for him to take a Voyage to the Kingdom of Naples where a great Part of his Eftate lay. The Wife loved him too tenderly to be left behind him. They had not been a Shipboard above a Day, when they unluckily fell into the

Hands

Hands of an Algerine Pirate, who carried the whole Company on Shore, and made them Slaves. The Caftilian and his Wife had the Comfort to be under the fame Mafter; who feeing how dearly they loved one another, and gafped after their Liberty, demanded a moft exorbitant Price for their Ranfom. The Caftilian, though he would rather have died in Slavery himself, than have paid fuch a Sum as he found would go near to ruin. him, was fo moved with Compaffion towards his Wife, that he fent repeated Orders to his Friend in Spain, (who happened to be his next Relation) to fell his Eftate, and tranfmit the Money to him. His Friend hoping that the Terms of his Ranfom might be made more reasonable, and unwilling to fell an Estate which he himself had some Profpect of inheriting, formed fo many Delays, that three whole Years paffed away without any thing being done for the fetting them at Liberty.

THERE happened to live a French Renegado in the fame Place where the Caftilian and his Wife were kept Prifoners. As this Fellow had in him all the Vivacity of his Nation, he often entertained the Captives with Accounts of his own Adventures; to which he sometimes added a Song or a Dance, or fome other Piece of Mirth, to divert them during their Confinement. His Acquaintance with the Manners of the Algerines, enabled him likewise to do them feveral good Offices. The Caftilian, as he was one Day in Conversation with this Renegado, discovered to him the Negligence and Treachery of his Correfpondent in Caftile, and at the fame Time asked his Advice how he fhould behave himself in that Exigency: He further told the Renegado, that he found it would be impoffible for him to raise the Money, unlefs he himself might go over to difpofe of his Eftate. The Renegado, after having reprefented to him that his Algerine Mafter would never confent to his Release upon fuch a Pretence, at length contrived a Method for the Caftilian to make his Efcape in the Habit of a Seaman. The Caftilian fucceeded in his Attempt; and having fold his Eitate, being afraid left the Money should mifcarry by the Way, and determining to perifh with it. rather than lofe one who was much dearer to him than his Life, he returned himself in a little Veffel that was going

going to Algiers. It is impoffible to defcribe the Joy he felt upon this Occafion, when he confidered that he fhould foon fee the Wife whom he fo much loved, and endear himself more to her by this uncommon Piece of Generofity.

THE Renegado during the Husband's Abfence, fo infinuated himself into the good Graces of his young Wife, and fo turned her Head with Stories of Gallantry, that he quickly thought him the finest Gentleman fhe had ever converfed with. To be brief, her Mind was quite alienated, from the honeft Caftilian, whom the was taught to look upon as a formal old Fellow unworthy the Poffeffion of fo charming a Creature. She had been inftructed by the Renegado how to manage herself upon his Arrival; fo that the received him with an Appearance of the utmoft Love and Gratitude, and at length perfuaded him to trust their common Friend the Renegado with the Money he had brought over for their Ranfom; as not queftioning but he would beat down the Terms of it, and negotiate the Affair more to their Advantage than they themfelves 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 dispatch 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 inquired 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 Mafter, and partly through the unkind Ufage of his unfaithful Wife, died fome few Months after.

L

Thursday,