the day after to-morrow? If they are from the Gods, their Admonition is not to prepare me to escape from their Decree, but to meet it. I have lived to a Fulness of Days and of Glory; what is there that Cafar has not done with as much Honour as antient Heroes? Cafar has not yet died; Cafar is prepared to die. T

N° 375. Saturday, May 10.

I

Non poffidentem multa vocaveris
Recte beatum: rectiùs occupat
Nomen beati, qui Deorum
Muneribus fapienter uti,

Duramque callet Pauperiem pati,
Pejufque Letho flagitium timet.

Hor.

Have more than once had occafion to mention a noble Saying of Seneca the Philofopher, That a virtuous Perfon struggling with Misfortunes, and rifing above them, is an Object on which the Gods themselves may look down with Delight. I fhall therefore set before my Reader a Scene of this kind of Distress in private Life, for the Speculation of this Day.

1AN eminent Citizen, who had lived in good Fafhion and Credit, was by a Train of Accidents, and by an unavoidable Perplexity in his Affairs, reduced to a low Condition. There is a Modesty ufually attending faultless Poverty, which made him rather chufe to reduce his Manner of Living to his prefent Circumftances, than follicit his Friends in order to fupport the Shew of an Estate when the Substance was gone. His Wife, who was a Woman of Senfe and Virtue, behaved her felf on this Occafion with uncommon Decency, and never appear'd fo amiable in his Eyes as now. Inftead of upbraiding him with the ample Fortune she had brought, or the many great Offers fhe had refused for his fake, fhe redoubled all the Inftances

of

of her Affection, while her Husband was continually pouring out his Heart to her in Complaints that he had ruined the best Woman in the World. He fometimes came home at a time when the did not expect him, and furpriz'd her in Tears, which the endeavour'd to conceal, and always put on an Air of Chearfulness to receive him. To leffen their Expence, their eldest Daughter (whom I fhall call Amanda) was fent into the Country, to the House of an honeft Farmer, who had married a Servant of the Family. This young Woman was apprehenfive of the Ruin which was approaching, and had privately engaged Friend in the Neighbourhood to give her an account of what paffed from time to time in her Father's Affairs. Amanda was in the Bloom of her Youth and Beauty, when the Lord of the Manor, who often called in at the Farmer's House as he follow'd his Country Sports; fell paffionately in love with her. He was a Man of great Generofity, but from a loose Education had contracted a hearty Averfion to Marriage. He therefore entertained a Defign upon Amanda's Virtue, which at prefent be thought fit to keep private. The innocent Creature, who never fufpected his Intentions, was pleased with his Perfon; and having obferved his growing Paffion for her, hoped by fo advantageous a Match the might quickly be in a capacity of fupporting her impoverish'd Relations. day as he called to fee her, he found her in Tears over a Letter fhe had juft receiv'd from her Friend, which gave an account that her Father had lately been ftripped of every thing by an Execution. The Lover, who with some difficulty found out the Cause of her Grief, took this occafion to make her a Propofal. It is impoffible to express Amanda's Confufion when the found his Pretenfions were not honourable. She was now deferted of all her Hopes, and had no power to speak; but rufhing from him in the utmoft Disturbance, locked her felf up in her Chamber. He immediately dispatched a Messenger to her Father with the following Letter.

One

SIR,

།

SIR,

<I Have heard of your Misfortune, and have offer'd your Daughter, if fhe will live with me, to fettle on her four hundred Pounds a year, and to lay down the 'Sum for which you are now diftreffed. I will be fo ⚫ ingenious as to tell you that I do not intend Marriage: But if you are wife, you will use your Authority with her not to be too nice, when he has an opportunity ⚫ of faving you and your Family, and of making her self happy.

I am, &c.

THIS Letter came to the hands of Amanda's Mother; the open'd and read it with great Surprize and Concern. She did not think it proper to explain her self to the Meffenger, but defiring him to call again the next Morning, the wrote to her Daughter as follows:

Dearest Child,

"YOUR haven who pretends Love to

YOUR Father and I have juft now receiv'd a Let

· you, with a Propofal that infults our Misfortunes, and would throw us to a lower degree of Mifery than any thing which is come upon us. How could this barbarous • Man think, that the tenderest of Parents would be • tempted to fupply their Want by giving up the best of • Children to Infamy and Ruin? It is a mean and cruel • Artifice to make this Propofal at a time when he thinks ⚫our Neceffities muft compel us to any thing; but we will not eat the Bread of Shame; and therefore we charge thee not to think of us, but to avoid the Snare which is laid for thy Virtue. Beware of pitying us: It is not fo bad as you have perhaps been told. All things will yet A be well, and I fhall write my Child better News.

I have been interrupted. I know not how I was moved to say things would mend. As I was going on I was ftartled by a Noife of one that knocked at the Door, and hath brought us an unexpected Supply of a Debt which had long been owing. Oh! I will now tell

thee

• thee all. ́It is fome days I have lived almoft without • Support, having convey'd what little Money I could raise to your poor Father Thou wilt weep to think where he is, yet be affured he will be foon at liberty. That cruel Letter would have broke his heart, but I have con•cealed it from him. I have no Companion at prefent, besides little Fanny, who stands watching my Looks as • I write, and is crying for her Sifter: She fays fhe is fure you are not well, having discover'd that my prefent Trouble is about you. But do not think I would thus repeat my Sorrows, to grieve thee: No, it is to intreat thee not to make them infupportable, by adding ⚫ what would be worse than all. Let us bear chear fully an • Affliction, which we have not brought on our selves, ⚫ and remember there is a Power who can better deliver us out of it than by the Lofs of thy Innocence. Hea: ven preserve my dear Child.

Thy Affectionate Mother

THE Meffenger, notwithstanding he promised to deliver this Letter to Amanda, carry'd it first to his Master, who he imagined would be glad to have an opportunity of giving it into her hands himself. His Mafter was impatent to know the Succefs of his Propofal, and therefore broke open the Letter privately to fee the Contents. He was not a little moved at fo true a Picture of Virtue in distress: But at the fame time was infinitely furprized to find his Offers rejected. However, he refolved not to fupprefs the Letter, but carefully fealed it up again, and carried it to Amanda. All his Endeavours to fee her were in vain, till he was affured he brought a Letter from her Mother. He would not part with it, but upon condition that the fhould read it without leaving the Room. While fhe was perufing it, he fixed his Eyes on her Face with the deepest Attention: Her Concern gave a new Softness to her Beauty, and when the burst into Tears, he could no longer refrain from bearing a Part in her Sorrow, and telling her, that he too had read the Letter, and was refolv'd to make Reparation for having been the occafion of it.

My

My Reader will not be difpleafed to fe the fecond Epiftle which he now wrote to Amanda's Mother.

་

MADAM,

Am full of Shame, and will never forgive my self, if I have not your Pardon for what I lately wrote. It was far from my Intention to add Trouble to the Af'flicted; nor could any thing, but my being a Stranger to you, have betray'd me into a Fault, for which, if I live, I shall endeavour to make you amends, as a Son. You cannot be unhappy while Amanda is your Daughter; nor shall be, if any thing can prevent it, which is in the power of,.

MADAM,

Your moft obedient

Humble Sorvant

THIS Letter he fent by his Steward, and foon after went up to Town himself, to compleat the generous Act he had now refolved on. By his Friendship and Affiftance Amanda's Father was quickly in a condition of retrieving his perplex'd Affairs. To conclude, he marry'd Amanda, and enjoy'd the double Satisfaction of having reftored a worthy Family to their former Profperity, and of making himself happy by an Alliance to their Virtues.

Monday,