be of perfons whom they have neither any quarrel against, nor can any way be supposed to envy.

BUT this motive, tho' less criminal, is equally fhameful, and ought to make every woman blufh when about to repeat the little affairs of persons with whom he has no manner of concern, to think he finds an incapacity in herself of attending to those of her own, and which, it is not to be doubted, ftand in fufficient need of regulation.

I HAVE feen a fine lady, who has been funk, as it were, in laffitude, half dying with the vapours, and in fuch a lethargy, both of mind and body, that it feemed painful to her even to drawl out a word, or lift up a finger; yet this infenfible to all things elfe, has no fooner heard of fome new intrigue, no matter whether true or falfe, or between perfons of her acquaintance, or thofe fhe only knew the names of, than all the luftre has Returned into her eyes, fmiles have dimpled her heeks, and he has immediately ftarted up, called in a hurry to be drefied, ordered her coach, and noft killed a pair of horfes in galloping round the town with this intelligence.

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So great is the vanity fome people have of being thought to be the firft in hearing any piece of news, that to it they will facrifice all confiderations whatever, or rather confideration is itself abforbed in this ridiculous ambition. An ambition, did I call it ?—Of what ?—Of being a talebearer!-a goffip!-a lover of raking into filth !Shameful character, even to the lowest bred, much more fo for a woman of quality and condition !None, I believe, will be willing to acknowledge

it

it their own, but too many give substantial proofs

that it is fo.

I WILL have the charity to suppose that some are even ignorant themselves, that they have this vice in their compofition; but then I must beg leave to ask them why they are fo?-Has an examination into one's own heart never been recommended?-Nay, has it not often been enjoined as the first and greatest study of our lives?—Is it not a study which the meaneft, as well as the highest ranks of people have it in their power to attend to?—And is it not equally neceffary to both? -All have not a stock of good-nature to enable them to treat their fellow-creatures with that tenderness required of us both by divine and human inftitutions; we ought therefore to fupply that deficiency by principle, which can only flow from reafon and recollection.

WHENEVER We hear any invidious reflections caft upon a perfon, is it too much trouble for us juft to think that there may be a poffibility of their being falfe; or fuppofing them too true, that it is none of our bufinefs to cenfure or condemn their faults, even in our own breaft, much less to give the liberty to others to do fo by favouring the fcandal by our report?

CRUEL in us it is to infult the weakneffes of human nature, but molt bafe and unjust to accuse where there is no real matter for accufation, as is very often the cafe. Those who are fond of intelligence of this kind, fhould, whenever they hear any, put this queftion to their own judgment, "May not thefe people tell me this on purpofe to "amufe me, and because they think it pleafes me?" Of this here is more than a probability; many a fair

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fair reputation has been blafted, merely by the folly I have mentioned, of having fomething new to fay, or thro' a mean defign in the reporters, of ingratiating themfelves with fome perfon, who, to his or her fhame, was known to delight in fcandal.

WOULD every one refolve to give no ear to informations of this nature, how foon would they drop-It is by encouragement that ftories, derogatory to the honour of the perfons mentioned, gather ftrength; and in my opinion, thofe who give attention to them, are equally culpable with the relators. What then mult it be to repeat them to take pleafure in founding the trumpet of infamy, and exulting at their fallen virtue we fhould rather cominiferate, and use our beft endeavours to retrieve? O there are no words to paint a difpofition so barbarous, so inconfiftent with the character of womanhood!

THERE are fome who are poffeffed of a notion, false and abfurd as it is, that the deftruction of other people's reputation is the building up of their own; that whatever good qualities they have, or would be thought to have, will be rendered more confpicuous, by throwing a fhade over thofe of every body else : but this is fo far from anfwering the purpose aimed at by it, that it often gives the hearers a fufpicion that the woman, who is fo fond of expatiating on the faults and follies of her neighbours, does it only with a view of drawing off any attention to her own; nor are they always mittaken who judge in this manner of

detraction.

BUT fuppofing the fubject of our ridicule be ever fo juít, that the errors we condemn are fo obvious, that there is not the leaft room to doubt of

them,

them, are not we certain, alas! that fuch errors will infallibly draw'on the guilty head a train of misfortunes, which ought rather to excite our pity than our mirth?

BESIDES, tho' we may be acquainted with the fault, we feldom can be fo with the circumftances by which the perfon has been, perhaps, eninared into it; and it often happens, that while we are railing at them for it, a fecret conviction may have reached their hearts; they may judge themfelves with the fame feverity we do, and refolve to atone for their past behaviour by the greateit regularity of future conduct. How inhuman is it then to expofe fuch a one and, it is ten to one, difappoint all their good intentions by fo doing; fince nothing is more common, than when a woman finds her reputation intirely ruined by the ditcovery of one fault, she makes no fcruple to commit more, as fhe cannot fuffer more than the has already done! All fenfe of fhame grows. dead within her, and fhe thinks the has nothing to do but go on in defiance of the world, and defpife the cenfures fhe had it not in her power to filence.

IN fine, there is no circumstance whatever which can justify one perfon in vilifying the character of another; and as I believe it is more often done through a certain wantonnefs of the tongue, than any prepenfe malice in the mind, I would have every one, who find in themselves an inclination that way, to keep in memory Shakespear's reflection upon it.

"Good name, in man or woman, "Is the immediate jewel of their fouls:

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" Who

"Who steals my purfe, fteals trafh: 'tis fome"thing, nothing;

"'Twas mine, 'tis his; and has been flave to "thoufands.

“But he that filches from me my good name, "Robs me of that which not enriches him, "And makes me poor indeed."

CURIOSITY is the parent of this vice; if we were not eager to pry into the affairs of others, it would be impoffible for us to know fo much of them as we do -the paffion for finding out fecrets, is in rality fo predominant in moft of us, that it requires a very great fund of good sense and confideration, to enable us to fubdue it: yet if we remember how fevere the men are upon our fex on account of this weakness, we fhould not, methinks, grudge taking a little pains to fhew it is in our power to diveft ourselves of it.

WILL the knowledge of what other people do, make us wifer or happier?" Yes, fome will an"[wer, we may profit by taking example by the

good œconomy of fome, and take warning by "the mistakes of others, not to fall into the fame."

THIS argument might be of fome weight, indeed, were there no written examples of both for our direction; but, thank Heaven, they are numerous of the first fort, and are to be found much cafier in hiftory, than in prefent obfervation. In an age where vice and folly fhine with fo much luftre, the virtuous and the wife chufe to fit in the shade rather than expose themselves to the influence of too warm a fun; their actions therefore must be lefs confpicuous, and confequently can serve as a pattern but to a few; and as for

others,