'whose reputations suffer by it, I hope you will not 'think it improper to give the public some accounts of this nature. You must know, Sir, I am pro

voked to write you this letter by the behaviour of an infamous woman, who having passed her youth ' in a most shameful state of prostitution, is now one ' of those who gain their livelihood by seducing others, 'that are younger than themselves, and by establishing a criminal commerce between the two sexes. Among several of her artifices to get money, she 'frequently persuades a vain young fellow, that such a woman of quality, or such a celebrated toast, en'tertains a secret passion for him, and wants nothing but an opportunity of revealing it; nay, she has " gone so far as to write letters in the name of a " woman of figure, to borrow money of one of these 'foolish Roderigo's, which she has afterwards ap" propriated to her own use. In the mean time, the person who has lent the money, has thought a lady • under obligations to him, who scarce knew his name; ' and wondered at her ingratitude when he has been

with her, that she has not owned the favour, though at the same time he was too much a man of honour to put her in mind of it.

"When this abandoned baggage meets with a man who has vanity enough to give credit to relations of this nature, she turns him to very good account, by repeating praises that were never uttered, and delivering messages that were never sent. As the house of this shameless creature is frequented by 'several foreigners, I have heard of another artifice, "out of which she often raises money. The foreigner 'sighs after some British beauty, whom he only knows by fame; upon which she promises, if he can be secret, to procure him a meeting. The 'stranger, ravished at his good fortune, gives her a présent, and in a little time is introduced to some 'imaginary title; for your must know that this cup

ning purveyor has her representatives upon this occasion, of some of the finest ladies in the kingdom. By this means, as I am informed, it is usual enough 'to meet with a German Count in foreign countries, 'that shall make his boasts of favours he has receiv 'ed from women of the highest ranks, and the most 'unblemished characters. Now, Sir, what safety is 'there for a woman's reputation, when a lady may 'be thus prostituted as it were by proxy, and be re6 puted an unchaste woman; as the hero in the ninth 'book of Dryden's Virgil is looked upon as a cow'ard, because the phantom which appeared in his ' likeness ran away from Turnus? You may depend upon what I relate to you to be matter of fact, and 'the practice of more than one of these female panders. If you print this letter, I may give you some farther accounts of this vicious race of women.

• Your humble servant,

BELVIDERA.'

I shall add two other letters on different subjects to fill up my paper.

• Mr. Spectator,

'I AM a country clergyman, and hope you will 'lend me your assistance in ridiculing some little indecencies which cannot so properly be exposed 'from the pulpit.

'A widow lady, who straggled this summer from 'London into my parish for the benefit of the air, " as she says, appears every Sunday at Church with many fashionable extravagancies, to the great asto'nishment of my congregation.

เ

'But what gives me most offence is her theatrical 'manner of singing the psalms. She introduces ' above fifty Italian airs into the hundredth psalm, 'whilst we begin 'All people' in the old solemn tune ' of our forefathers, she in a quite different key runs

divisions on the vowels, and adorns them with the 6 graces of Nicolini; if she meets with eke or aye, which are frequent in the metre of Hopkins and • Sternhold, we are certain to hear her quavering them half a minute after us to some sprightly airs of the opera.

I am very far from being an enemy to church music; but fear this abuse of it may make my parish ridiculous, who already look on the singing'psalms as an entertainment, and not part of their ⚫ devotion: besides, I am apprehensive that the infection may spread, for Squire Squeekum, who by his voice seems, if I may use the expression, to be cut for an Italian singer, was last Sunday practis"ing the same airs.

I know the lady's principles, and that she will plead the toleration, which (as she fancies) allows her non-conformity in this particular; but I beg you to acquaint her, that singing the psalms in a different tune from the rest of the congregation, is < a sort of schism not tolerated by that act.

'I am, Sir,

Your very humble servant,

• Mr. Spectator,

R. S.

IN your paper upon temperance, you prescribe "to us a rule of drinking out of Sir William Tem

ple, in the following words: " the first glass for "myself, the second for my friends, the third for "good-humour, and the fourth for mine enemies."

Now, Sir, you must know, that I have read this 'your Spectator, in a club whereof I am a member; . when our president told us, there was certainly an er❝ror in the print, and that the word "glass" should be ""bottle"; and therefore has ordered me to inform you of this mistake, and to desire you to publish the

L.

following erratum: In the paper of Saturday, October 13, col. 3, line 11, for "glass" read" bottle."

THERE is a call upon mankind to value and esteem those who set a moderate price upon their own merit; and self-denial is frequently attended with unexpected blessings, which in the end abundantly recompense such losses as the modest seem to suffer in the ordinary occurrences of life. The curious tell us, a determination in our favour or to our disadvantage is made upon our first appearance, even before they know any thing of our characters, but from the intimations men gather from our aspect. A man, they say, wears the picture of his mind in his countenance; and one man's eyes are spectacles to his who looks at him to read his heart. But though that way of raising an opinion of those we behold in public is very fallacious, certain it is, that those, who by their words and actions take as much upon themselves, as they can but barely demand in the strict scrutiny of their deserts, will find their account lessen every day. A modest man preserves his character, as a frugal man does his fortune; if either of them live to the height of either, one will find losses, the other errors, which

he has not stock by him to make up. It were therefore a just rule to keep your desires, your words and actions, within the regard you observe your friends have for you; and never, if it were in a man's power, to take as much as he possibly might either in preferment or reputation. My walks have lately been among the mercantile part of the world; and one gets phrases naturally from those with whom one converses: I say then, he that in his air, his treatment of others, or an habitual arrogance to himself, gives himself credit for the least article of more wit, wisdom, goodness, or valour than he can possibly produce if he is called upon, will find the world break in upon him, and consider him as one who has cheated them of all the esteem they had before allowed him. This brings a commission of bankruptcy upon him; and he that might have gone on to his life's end in a prosperous way, by aiming at more than he should, is no longer proprietor of what he really had before, but his pretensions fare as all things do which are torn instead of being divided.

But

There is no one living would deny Cinna the applause of an agreeable and facetious wit; or could possibly pretend that there is not something inimitably unforced and diverting in his manner of delivering all his sentiments in his conversation, if he were able to conceal the strong desire of applause which he betrays in every syllable he utters. they who converse with him, see that all the civilities they could do to him, or the kind things they could say to him, would fall short of what he expects; and therefore instead of shewing him the esteem they have for his merit, their reflections turn only upon that they observe he has of it himself.

If you go among the women, and behold Gloriana trip into a room with that theatrical ostentation of her charms, Mirtilla with that soft regularity in her motion, Chloe with such an indifferent familiarity,