Continued.

soms of their families, without a wish to wander from

"That dear hut, their home,"

And who reside much in the country, when they do visit town, observe with great satisfaction, in the unsuspecting honesty of their hearts, that our streets are not so much infested with abandoned women as formerly: we wish this were owing to the amendment of morals in our nation: but, alas! we fear it proceeds from a very different cause; and a certain Colonel, who has not long ago published his life and eccentric opinions, facetiously, but very pointedly and justly, says, that the modest women have encroached on the privileges of the Cyprian corps.

The cherished, and perhaps, in many degrees, prudent mistress of a valued friend, hitherto living for one alone, and a stranger to depravity; the beauteous

Insulted Wives, and Revenge.

wife of another; better please the refined sensualist than the unhappy female, betrayed first by man to the continual traffic of her personal charms to secure her from absolute want. He nourishes the criminal passion, takes no pains to check it in its growth, destroys the conjugal tie, and fancies himself, for awhile, free from danger of every kind; and often free of expence, also, till the heavy damages of thousands ring in his car.

The fashionable husband, seldom satisfied with onc, publicly sports his chere amie in a dashing phaeton; and drives her even under the windows of his wife's dressing-room; yet one, perhaps, though modest, not possessed of Lucretian virtue, might never have been faithless, but from the insolent neglect of her husband.

The pangs of her bosom, resulting from his contempt of her person, give birth to the idea of vengeance. The

Conclusion.

masked profligate, under the garb of friendship, sees his time, and profits by it: the husband, the first in fault, then finds his honour wounded; and he has recourse to the forms of the law, as he finds them best calculated for his present purposes; he takes good care to have ampleand incontestable proofs of his disgrace, and the damages he gains enable him to support his mistresses in still greater splendour: and when the ill-got price of his own and his wife's public shame is expended on their rapacity and extravagance, he then goes in his turn to destroy the peace and harmony of families,

THE PRODIGAL'S RETURN.

"Cædimus, inque vicem præbemus crura flagellis; "Vivitur hoc pacto."

PERS.

Ir now wanted about a fortnight to the time, when the Duchess of Pyrmont, and her suite, would quit their present abode, and go for a short time to some fashionable watering-place, or repair to London. When one morning, about four o'clock, the family were awakened by a loud ringing at the gate; and the Marquis of Waltham arrived post from his late guilty excursion.

Successful, satiated by six weeks possession only, he had sent the weeping victim of his seductive arts to her parents; promised to procure her a good husband, but laughed at her folly, when she could imagine him to be serious, at his solemnly swearing before the fall of her virtue, he himself would be that husband.