IF any of my Readers imagine that I have treated thefe Gentlemen in too ludicrous a manner, I must confefs, for my own part, I think reasoning against such Unbelievers upon a Point that shocks the common Senfe of Mankind, is doing them too great an honour, giving them a Figure in the Eye of the World, and making People fancy that they have more in them than they really have. AS for thofe Perfons who have any Scheme of Religious Worship, I am for treating fuch with the utmost Tenderness, and should endeavour to fhew them their Errors with the greatest Temper and Humanity: but as thefe Mifcreants are for throwining down Religion in general, for ftripping Mankind of what themselves own is of excellent ufe in all great Societies, without once offering to establish any thing in the room of it; I think the best way of dealing with them, is to retort their own Weapons upon them, which are thofe of Scorn and Mockery. .X N° 390. Wednesday, May 28. Non pudendo fed non faciendo id quod non decet impudentia nomen effugere debemus. Tall. ANY are the Epiftles I receive from Ladies ex Mtremely afflicted that they lie under the Obfervati on of fcandalous People, who love to defame their Neighbours, and make the unjufteft Interpretation of innocent and indifferent Actions. They defcribe their own Behaviour fo unhappily, that there indeed lies fome Cause of Sufpicion upon them. It is certain, that there is no Authority for Perfons who have nothing elfe to do, to pafs away Hours of Converfation upon the Mifcarriages of other People; but fince they will do fo, they who value their Reputation fhould be cautious of Appearances to their dif disadvantage. But very often our young Women, as well as the middle-aged and the gay Part of those growing old, without entring into a formal League for that purpose, to a Woman agree upon a fhort Way to preferve their Characters, and go on in a Way that at best is only not vicious. The Method is, when an ill-natur'd or talkative Girl has faid any thing that bears hard upon fome part of ano-.. ther's Carriage, this Creature, if not in any of their little Cabals, is run down for the most cenforious dangerous Body in the World. Thus they guard their Reputation rather than their Modefty; as if Guilt lay in being under the Imputation of a Fault, and not in a Commiffion of it. Orbicilla is the kindest poor thing in the Town, but the moft blushing Creature living: It is true fhe has not loft the Senfe of Shame, but fhe has loft the Senfe of Innocence. If he had more Confidence, and never did any thing which ought to ftain her Cheeks, would fhe not be much more modeft without that ambiguous Suffufion, which is the Livery both of Guilt and Innocence? Modefty confifts in being conscious of no Ill, and not in being athamed of having done it. When People go upon. any other Foundation than the Truth of their own Hearts for the Conduct of their Actions, it lies in the power of fcandalous Tongues to carry the World before them, and make the reft of Mankind fall in with the Ill for fear of Reproach. On the other hand, to do what you ought, is the ready way to make Calumny either filent, or ineffectually malicious. Spencer, in his Fairy Queen, fays admirably to young Ladies under the Diftrefs of being defamed'; The beft, faid he, that I can you advife, · So fhall you foon repair your prefent evil Plight. Inftead Inftead of this Care over their Words and Actions, recommended by a Poet in old Queen Befs's Days, the modern Way is to do and fay what you pleafe, and yet be the prettieft fort of Woman in the World. If Fathers and Brothers will defend a Lady's Honour, he is quite as fafe as in her own Innocence. Many of the Diftreffed, who fuffer under the Malice of evil Tongues, are so harmless that they are every day they live afleep 'till twelve at Noon; concern themselves with nothing but their own Perfons 'till two; take their neceffary Food between that time and four; vifit, go to the Play, and fit up at Cards 'till towards the enfuing Morn: and the malicious World fhall draw Conclufions from innocent Glances, fhort Whifpers, or pretty familiar Railleries with fashionable Men, that thefe Fair-ones are not as rigid as Veftals. It is certain, fay thefe goodeft Creatures very well, that Virtue does not confift in constrain'd Behaviour and wry Faces, that must be allow'd; but there is a Deceney in the Aspect and Manner of Ladies contracted from a Habit of Virtue, and from general Reflections that regard a Modeft Conduct, all which may be understood, tho' they cannot be defcribed. A young Woman of this fort claims an Efteem mixed with Affection and Honour, and meets with no Defamation; or if fhe does, the wild Malice is overcome with an undisturbed Perfeverance in her Innocence. To fpeak freely, there are fuck Coveys of Coquets about the Town, that if the Peace were not kept by some impertinent Tongues of their own Sex, which keep them under fome Reftraint, we fhould have no manner of Engagement upon them to keep them in any tolerable Order. AS I am a SPECTATOR, and behold how plainly one Part of Womankind ballance the Behaviour of the other, whatever I may think of Tale-bearers or Slanderers, I cannot wholly fupprefs them, no more than a General would difcourage Spies. The Enemy would eafily furprize him whom they knew hadno Intelligence of their Motions. It is fo far otherwife with me, that I acknowledge I permit a She-Slanderer or two in every Quarter of the Town, to live in the Characters of Coquets, and take all the inno cent cent Freedoms of the reft, in order to fend me Information of the Behaviour of their refpective Sifter-hoods. BUT as the Matter of Refpect to the World, which looks on, is carried on, methinks it is fo very eafie to be what is in the general called virtuous, that it need not coft one Hour's Reflection in a Month to preserve that Appellation. It is pleasant to hear the pretty Rogues talk of Virtue and Vice among each other: She is the lazieft Creature in the World, but I must confefs strictly virtuous: The peevisheft Huffy breathing, but as to her Virtue fhe is without Blemish: She has not the leaft Charity for any of her Acquaintance, but I muft allow rigidly Virtuous. As the unthinking Part of the Male World call every Man a Man of Honour who is not a Coward; fo the Crowd of the other Sex terms every Woman who will not be a Wench Virtuous. T No 391. Thursday, May 29. Non tu prece pofcis emaci, Que nifi feductis nequeas committere Divis; Hand cuivis promptum eft, murmurque humilefque fufurros Mens bona, fama, fides, bac clare, & ut audiat hofpes, Sub raftro crepes argenti mihi feria dextro WHERE Perf HERE Homer reprefents Phanix, the Tutor of Achilles, as perfuading his Pupil to lay afide his Refentments, and give himself up to the Entreaties of his Countrymen, the Poet, in order to make him fpeak in Character, afcribes to him a Speech full of thofe Fables and and Allegories which old Men take delight in relating, and which are very proper for Inttruction. The Gods, fays he, fuffer themselves to be prevailed upon by Entreaties. When Mortals have offended them by their Tranf greffions, they appease them by Vows and Sacrifices. You must know, Achilles that PRAYERS are the Daughters of Jupiter. They are crippled by frequent Kneeling, have their Faces full of Cares and Wrinkles, and their Eyes always caft towards Heaven. They are conftant Attendants on the Goddess ATE, and march behind her. This Goddefs walks forward with a bold and haughty Air, and being very light of foot, runs thro' the whole Earth, grieving and afflicting the Sons of Men. She gets the ftart of PRAYERS, who always follow her, in order to heal thofe Perfons whom she wounds. He who honours these Daughters of Jupiter, when they draw near to him, receives great Benefit from them; but as for him who rejects them, they intreat their Father to give his orders to the Goddess ATE to punish him for his Hardness of Heart. This noble Allegory needs but little Explanation; for whether the Goddess ATE fignifies Injury, as fome have explained it; or Guilt in general, as others; or divine Juftice, as I am the more apt to think; the Interpretation is obvious enough. I fhall produce another Heathen Fable relating to Prayers, which is of a more diverting kind. One would think by fome Paffages in it, that it was compofed by Lucian, or at least by fome Author who has endeavour'd to imitate his Way of Writing; but as Differtations of this nature are more curious than ufeful, I fhall give my Reader the Fable, without any further Enquiries after the Author. MENIPPUS the Philofopher was a fecond time taken up into Heaven by Jupiter, when for hit Entertainment he lifted up a Trap-Door that was placed by his Foot-ftool. At its rifing, there iffued through it fuch a Din of Cries as aftonished the Philofopher. Upon his asking what they meant, Jupiter told him they were the Prayers that were fent up to him from the Earth. Menippus, admidst the Confufion of Voices, which was fo great, that nothing less than the Ear of Jove could diftinguish them, heard the Words, Riches, |