N° VIII. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1752.

DURATE, ET VOSMET REBUS SERVATE SECUNDIS.

ENDURE AND CONQUER, LIVE FOR BETTER FATE.

N this family, which in a few weeks

VIRG.

IN in a f, Melifta pusy yet he feared too much the anger power: though he reverenced her vir

foon became a favourite: the good fquire feemed to confider her as his child, and Mifs as her filter; fhe was taught dancing and musick, introduced to the beft company, elegantly dreffed, and allow ed fuch fums as were neceffary for trivial expences. Youth feldom fuffers the dread of to-morrow to intrude upon the enjoyment of to-day, but rather regards prefent felicity as the pledge of future: Meliffa was probably as happy as if the had been in the actual poffeffion of a fortune, that, to the eafe and fplendor which the enjoyed already, would have added stability and independence.

She was now in her eighteenth year, and the only fon of her benefactor was just come from the univerfity to spend the winter with his father in town. He was charmed with her perfon, behaviour, and difcourfe; and what he could not but admire, he took every opportunity to commend. She foon perceived that he fhewed particular marks of refpect to her, when he thought they would not be perceived by others; and that he endeavoured to recommend himfelf by an officious affiduity, and a diligent attention to the moft minute circumstances that might contribute to her pleasure. But this behaviour of the young gentleman, however it might gratify her vanity, could not fail to alarm her fear: fhe forefaw, that if what she had remarked in his conduct fhould be perceived by his father or fifter, the peace of the family would be destroyed; and that, fhe muft either be fhipwrecked in the ftorm, or thrown overboard to appeafe it. She therefore affected not to perceive, that more than a general complaifance was intended by her lover; and hoped that he would thus be discouraged from making an explicit declaration: but though he was mortified at her difregard of that which he knew she could not but fee, yet he determined to addrefs her in fuch terms as fhould not leave this provoking neutrality in her

of his father to think of making her his wife; and he was too deeply enamoured of her beauty, to relinquith his hopes of poffeffing her as a miftrefs. An opportunity for the execution of his purpofe was not long wanting: the received his general profeffions of love with levity and merriment; but when the perceived that his view was to feduce her to proftitution, the burit into tears, and fell back in agony unable to speak. He was immediately touched with grief and remorfe; his tenderness was alarmed at her diftrefs, and his esteem encreased by her virtue; he catched her in his arms, and as an atonement for the infult fhe had received, he offered her marriage: but as her chastity would not fuffer her to become his miftrefs, neither would her gratitude permit her to become his wife: and as foon as the was fufciently recollected, the entreated him never more to urge her to violate the obligation she was under either to herfelf or to her bene. factor. Would not,' faid fhe, the prefence of a wretch whom you had feduced from innocence and peace to remorfe and guilt, perpetually upbraid you; and would you not always fear to be betrayed by a wife, whofe 'fidelity no kindnefs couid fecure; who had broken all the bands that restrain the generous and the good; and who, by an act of the molt flagitious ingratitude, had at once reached the pinnacle of guilt, to which others afcend by imperceptible gradations?'

Thefe objections, though they could. neither be obviated nor evaded, had yet no tendency to fubdue defire: he loved: with greater delicacy, but with more ardour; and as he could not always forbear expoftulations, neither could the always filence them in fuch a manner as might molt effectually prevent their being repeated. Such was one morning the fituation of the two lovers: he had taken her hand into his, and was fpeaking with great eagernels; while the re

garded

22

garded him with a kind of timorous complacency, and liftened to him with an attention which her heart condemned: his father, in this tender moment, in which their powers of perception were mutually engroffed by each other, came near enough to hear that his heir had made propofals of marriage, and retired without their knowledge.

As he did not dream that fuch a propofal could poffibly be rejected by a girl in Meliffa's fituation, imagining that every woman believed her virtue to be inviolate, if her perfon was not proftituted, he took his meatures accordingly. It was near the time in which his family had been used to remove into the Country: he, therefore, gave orders, that every thing fhould be immediately prepared for the journey, and that the coach fhould be ready at fix the next morning, a man and horfe being dif patched in the mean time to give notice of their arrival. The young folks were a little furprized at this fudden removal; but though the fquire was a good-natured man, yet as he governed his family with high authority, and as they perceived fomething had offended him, they did not enquire the reafon, nor indeed did they fufpect it. Meliffa packed up her things as ufual: and in the morning the young gentleman and his fitter having by their father's orders got into the coach, he called Meliffa into the parlour; where in a few words, but with great acrimony, he reproached her with having formed a defign to marry his fon without his confent, an act of ingratitude which he faid juftified him in upbraiding her with the favours which he had already conferred upon her, and in a refolution he had taken that a bank bill of fifty pounds, which he then put into her hand, should be the laft: adding that he expected she should within one week leave the house.

To this

heavy charge the was not in a condition
to reply; nor did he stay to fee whether
fhe would attempt it, but haftily got
into the coach, which immediately drove
from the door.

Thus was Meliffa a third time, by a
fudden and unexpected defertion, ex-
pofed to penury and distress, with this
aggravation, that eafe and affluence were
becorae habitual; and that though the
was not fo helpless as at the death of
her uncle, he was expofed to yet greater

danger; for few that have been used to
flumber upon down, and wake to fefti-
vity, can refift the allurements of vice,
who ftill offers eafe and plenty, when
the alternative are a flock-bcd and a gar-
ret, fhort meals, coarfe apparel, and
perpetual labour.

Meliffa, as foon as the had recovered
from the ftupor which had feized her
upon fo aftonishing and dreadful a change
of fortune, determined not to accept the
bounty of a person who imagined her to
be unworthy or it; nor to attempt her
juftificati, while it would render her
veracity fapected, and appear to pro-
cced only from the hope of being re-
ftored to tate of fplendid dependence,
from which jealouly or caprice might
again at any time remove her, without
caufe and without notice. She had not,
indeed, any hope of being ever able to
defend herself against her accufer upon
equal terms; nor did fhe know how to
fubfift a fingle day, when the had re-
turned his bill and quitted his houfe:
yet fuch was the dignity of her spirit,
that the immediately inclofed it in a blank
cover, directed to him at his country
been left to take care of the house, fent
feat, and calling up the maid who had
her immediately with it to the pott-office.
The tears then burit out, which the agi-
tation of her mind had before restrained;
and when the fervant returned, she told
her all that had happened, and afked
her advice what the fhould do. The
girl, after the first emotions of wonder
and pity had fubfided, told her that she
had a fifter who lodged in a reputable
houfe, and took in plain-work, to whom
fhe would be welcome, as the could af-
fist her in her business, of which she had
often more than fhe could do; and with
whom he might continue till föme more
eligible fituation could be obtained.
Meliffa liftened to this propofal as to the
voice of Heaven; her mind was fud-
denly relieved from the moft tormenting
perplexity, from the dread of wandering
about without money or employment,
the infults of the rabble: fhe was in
expofed to the menaces of a beadle, or
hafte to fecure her good fortune, and
felt fome degree of pain left the fhould
ther; the therefore went immediately
lofe it by the earlier application of ano-
with the maid to her fifter, with whom
would
it was foon agreed that Meliffa fhould
work for her board and lodging; for the

would not confent to accept as a gift, that which the could by any means deferve as a payment.

While Meliffa was a journeywoman to a perfon, who but a few weeks before would have regarded her with envy, and approached her with confufion; it happene i that a fuit of linen was brought from the milliner's wrapped up in a news paper: the linen was put into the work basket, and the paper being thrown carelessly about, Meliffa at laft catched it up, and was about to read it; but perceiving that it had been published a fortnight, was just going to put it into the fire, when by an accidental glance the faw her father's name: this immediately engaged her attention, and with great perturbation of mind the read an advertisement, in which her father, faid to have left his friends about eighteen years before, and to have entered either into the army or the navy, was directed to apply to a perfon in Staple's Inn, who could inform him of fomething greatly to his advantage. To this perfon Melita applied with all the ardour of curiofity, and all the tumult of expectation fhe was informed that the elder brother of the perfon mentioned in the advertisement was lately dead, unmarried; that he was poffeffed of fifteen hundred a year, five hundred of which had defcended to him from his father, and one thousand had been left him by an uncle, which upon his death, there being no male heir, had been claimed by his fifters; but that a miftrefs who had lived with him many years, and who had been treated by the fuppofed heireffes with too much feverity and contempt, had in the bitternefs of her refentment published the advertisement, having heard in the family that there' was a younger brother abroad.

The conflict of different paffions that were at once excited with uncommon violence in the breaft of Meliffa, deprived her for a time of the power of reflection; and, when he became more calm, the knew not by what method to attempt the recovery of her right: her mind was bewildered amidit a thousand poffibilities, and diftreffed by the appre henfion that all might prove ineffectual. After much thought and many projects, the recollected that the captain, whofe fervant brought her to England, could probably afford her more afliftance than any other perfon: as he had been often

pointed out to her in publick places by the fquire, to whom her story was well known, he was acquainted with his perfon, and knew that within a few months he was alive. She foon obtained directions to his houfe; and being readily admitted to a conference, fhe told him, with as much prefence of mind as fhe could, that he was the perfon whom his compaffion had contributed to preferve when an infant; in confirmation of which the produced his letter, and the certificate which it inclofed; that by the death of her father's elder brother, whofe family fhe had never known, he was become entitled to a very confiderable eitate; but that the knew not what evidence would be neceffary to fupport her claim, how fuch evidence was to be produced, nor with whom to entrust the management of an affair in which wealth and influence would be employed against her. The old captain received her with that eafy politenefs which is almoft peculiar to his profeffion, and with a warmth of benevolence that is feidom found in any: he congratulated her upon fo happy and unexpected an event; and, without the parade of oftentatious liberality, without extorting an explicit confeffion of her indigence, he gave her a letter to his law-. yer, in whom he faid fhe might with the utmoft fecurity confide, and with whom fhe would have nothing more to do than to tell her ftory. And do not,' faid be,

doubt,of fuccefs, for I will be ready to teftify what I know of the affair,whenever I thall be called upon; and the woman who was prefent at your birth, and brought you over, ftill lives with me, and tipon this occafion may do you fignal fervice.'

Meliffa departed, melted with gratitude and elated with hope. The gentleman to whom the captain's letter was a recommendation, profecuted her claim with fo much skill and affiduity, that within a few months fhe was put into the poffeffion of her eftate. Her first case was to wait upon the captain, to whom fhe now owed not only life but a fortune: he received her acknowledgments with a pleafure, which only thofe who merit it can enjoy; and infifted that the fhould draw upon him for fuch fums as the thould want before her rents became due. She then took very handfome readyfurnished lodgings, and determined immediately to justify her conduct to the fquire, whofe kindness the fill remem

bered,

to

24
bered, and whofe refentment he had
forgiven. With this view the fet out in
a chariot and fix, attended by two fer-
vants in livery on horieback, and pro-
ceeded to his country-feat, from whence
the family was not returned: fhe had
lain at an inn within fix miles of the
up
place; and when the chariot drove
the door, as it was early in the morning,
fhe could perceive the fervants run to
and fro in a hurry, and the young lady
and her brother gazing through the win-
dow to fee if they knew the livery; the
remarked every circumftance which de-
noted her own importance with exulta-
tion; and enjoyed the folicitude which
her prefence produced among thofe from
whole fociety fhe had fo lately been
driven with disdain and indignation.

She now encreafed their wonder, by
fending in a fervant to acquaint the old
gentleman that a lady defired to fpeak
with him about urgent bufinefs, which
would not, however, long detain him:
he courteously invited the lady to honour
him with her commands, hafted into his
beft parlour, adjusted his wig, and put
himself in the best order to receive her.
She alighted, and difplayed a very rich
undrefs, which correfponded with the
elegance of her chariot, and the modish
appearance of her fervants. She con-
trived to hide her face as fhe went up the
walk, that the might not be known too
foon; and was immediately introduced
to her old friend, to whom the foon dif-
covered herself to his great aftonifhment,
and before he had recovered his prefence
of mind, the addreffed him to this effect.
You fee, Sir, an orphan who is under
the greateft obligations to your boun-
ty, but who has been equally injured
by your fufpicions. When I was a de-
"pendent upon your liberality, I would
not affert my innocence, because I
could not bear to be fufpected of falfé-
hood: but I allert it now I am the
poffeffor of a paternal eftate, because I
cannot bear to be fufpected of ingrati-

tude. That your fon preffed me to marry him, is true; but it is alfo true that I refused him, because I would not difappoint your hopes and impoverith your pofterity. The old gentleman's confufion was encreased by the wonders that crowded upon him: he first made fome attempts to apologize for his fufpicions with awkwardness and hefitation; then doubting the truth of appearance, he broke off abruptly, and remained filent; then reproaching himself, he began to congratulate her upon her good fortune, and again defifted before he had finished the compliment. Meliffa perceived his perplexity, and gueffed the caufe; fhe was therefore about to account more particularly for the fudden change of her circumstances; but Mifs, whofe maid had brought her intelligence from the fervants, that the lady's name great who was with her papa was Meliffa, and that fhe was lately come to a by the death of her uncle, could no longer reftrain the impatience of her affection and joy; the rushed into the room and fell upon her neck, with a transport that can only be felt by friendship, and exWhen this tender preffed by tears.

eftate

filence was paft, the fcruples of doubt
were foon obviated; the reconciliation
was reciprocal and fincere; the father
led out his gueft, and prefented her to
to them both.
his fon with an apology for his conduct

Meliffa had befpoke a dinner and beds
at the inn; but he was not fuffered to
return. Within a few weeks fhe became
the daughter of her friend, who gave
her hand to his fon, with whom the
hared many years that happiness which
is the reward of virtue. They had fe-
veral children, but none furvived them;
and Meliffa, upon the death of her huf-
band, which happened about feven years
ago, retired wholly from town to her
eftate in the country, where the lived be-
loved, and died in peace.

N° IX. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1752.

Εν πρότεροις θῆκη διδασκαλίακα

VET. EPIGR.

HE HUNG THE INSTRUCTIVE SYMBOL O'ER HIS DOOR.

TO THE ADVENTURER.
SIR,

Should be forry to take off your at-
tention from matters of greater mo-
ment, and to divert you from the fpe-

culation of faults, that prefent themselves directly before your eyes, by defiring you to contemplate the enormities that hang over your head. It has been cuftomary, I know, with you writers of

effays,