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I intended to give you the detail, of my fully at length, but find my felf incapable of it. You muit, therefore, be content with the leading circumstances, and judge from them of the more minute: by this method, I fhall avoid a narration I am unable to make, and offend you, it may be, lefs by my prefumption and vanity, once more hoping, that you will recollect, you ordered me to give you the account.

You must remember our visit to Hampton Court, and cannot forget the circumstance which took place in the gardens; an attempt to particularife it would only ferve to fhew my own conceit; and befides, I could not do it. Thefe circumftances, however, muit be ftill fresh in your memory; and, I will confefs, they are the foundation upon which I have built fuch a ftupendous edifice of mifery.

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From

LETTER VI.

FRANCES CROMWELL to
CHARLES WALLER.

WHY do you intreat me to do an act which will not alleviate your diftrefs, but which cannot fail to have the most cruel confequences to me? Why do you with me to write to you, when I can neither attempt to confole you, nor, with- . out drawing down ruin upon me, favour your hopes? Do you think, because I have been indiscreet enough to anfwer one of your let

These were the caufe of my difquiet; and any thing further, that I could add, would be merely acceffary. You are in poffeffion of the outline, and muft finish the picture with any colouring of unhapters in order to undeceive you, that pinefs or folly that you please.

Now, madam, have I complied with your requeft; and what I with to add, is, that I throw myfelf upon your generofity; and, if I might venture to afk any thing, it would be that you will not let me become the object of your derifion

and fcorn.

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I fhall proceed to any lengths, and not fhrink back with horror from a precipice on the top of which I am tottering? Or is it because you have drank deeply of a cup of poifon, and would willingly have a companion in misfortune, that you hold out the dreadful chalice to my

hand?

If, however, you would delight in that draught, if you could contemplate my ruin with joy, if it will afford you the fmalleft fatisfaction to know that you alone are not borne down by mifery, if it be a confolation to you to know that there is another as wretched as yourfelf, let a gleam of pleasure light up thy care worn countenance, for be affured the fufferings you complain of are only to be equalled by thofe which I feel.

As I have thus frankly confefled that your affection is returned, and

and that I love you (for why, confcience infinuated, that I had

fhould I attempt to conceal what you have difcovered by my actions?) I will not hesitate to give you a narration of its beginning and progrefs; and, in the relation, if any thing fhould appear harsh to you, or grate your feelings, I hope you will reflect that all the difgrace attaches to me, who formed fuch unworthy opinions.

no right to the station I held, and
that the refpe&t I received from all
ranks of people, was the effect of
fear. It convinced me that the
former was gained by an unjust
ufurpation and cruelty, and the
latter would most unquestionably
diminish in
in proportion as the
power of my father declined; con-
fequently that the violent difference
that I imagined to fubfist between
our refpective stations, was merely
ideal. Befides the conduct of the
protector to you convinced me,
that ambition did not think it be-
low its dignity to be intimate with
merit. Then I would recollect the
fafcinating charms of your conver-
fation, and the graces of your mind,
polifhed to the highest degree of
literary fplendour. Thefe circum-

When I first perceived that my heart was not indifferent to you, alarmed at the idea, I fpared no pains to overcome a paffion in its early state, which, young as I was, I had fenfe enough to perceive, was pregnant with difafter. I thought abfence the most likely method to overcome it, and, therefore, entreated my father to per"mit me to visit a relation in a diftant part of the country; but inftances united to fhew me how vain this I was totally mistaken: for I it was to attempt my cure by havwas fo far from finding any benefiting recourfe to pride, and, I thereby the change of fituation, that it fore gave actually increased my diforder. In my reveries, your image eternally prefented itself to my view, and all that folitude feemed to effect, was to render it more interefting; and for want of a proper diffipa-ful to aid her endeavours. From tion of thought, love became the only fubject of my contemplations, and took a deeper root in my heart than ever. As this was the cafe, and feeing that every day I remained in the country, only added to my torment, I returned to my father's houfe,thinking it more prudent even to truft myfelf in your prefence, than to perifh by retirement.

When I came home, I did not, however, give myself up to defpair; but was determined to combat with my inclination in the best manner I was able; for this purpose I ufed frequently to fet before my mind how little it became a perfon of my fuperior fituation to entertain the least affection for a man fo infinitely beneath me, as pride tght me to confider you; but

When a woman has found her vanity of no fervice to her upon fuch an occafion, it is not furprifing that she should not be able to raise any other force fufficiently power

this time, I gave myfelf over as loft, and abandoned myfelf to love, as to a conquering and triumphant enemy, whom I was no longer able to refift.

I had flattered myself, however, that if I was unfortunate enough to be in fuch a fituation, I could at least conceal the flame of it, and avert the calamities it portended, by burying the fecret for ever in my bofom. I had fo far reconciled myfelf to this idea, that I began to feel a fort of tranquil mifery-a lethargy of grief, and looked forward to death with calmnefs, though I fometimes wished for it with anxiety, as a certain relief from what I endured. Judge then, into what an agitation your fift letter threw me. It awakened

SIR,

By inferting the following thoughts on Detraction and Calumny, if you think them worthy a place in your ufeful Mifcellany, you will oblige,

Yours, &c.

I. H. PRINCE *.
Little Gray's-Inn-Lane,
Holborn.

DE

ETRACTION and Calumny of all things are the most hard to be borne. There is no robbery impoverishes a man fo much as that of his name and reputation; and there is no robber fo inexcufable, fo little benefited, and fo richly deferving of punishment, as he who either directly or indirectly tra duces the character of any individual, family, church, nation, or

again all thofe fentiments, I hoped, | To the EDITOR of the LADY'S were vanquished; and revived MAGAZINE. thoughts, that I wished extinguished for ever. I foon found I had all the struggles to fuftain again; and overcome with my feelings, I became nearly defperate. Cool reflection, nevertheless, once more, kindly interpofed between me and my fate : I thought it then most advisable not to take the leaft notice of what you had done, hoping that you would be difcouraged by my filence from proceeding any further; but when I faw your hand a fecond time, I confefs I could no longer retain my refolution, and I therefore was determined to write to you. After this explicit recital, you may easily conceive my fituation; yet I must inform you, that if you expect from it that I fhould favour your addreffes, believe me, you will be mistaken; for I will never confent to any requeft, that may injure my father's peace; nor will I drive you to ruin on my account. I have already kept this letter three days in my bofom, without having had an opportunity of delivering it to you. I was yefterday perufing your last billet in the garden, when my father appeared in fight, and was close upon me before I could recover myfelf. I inftantly hurried it into my bofom, he faw that my hand trembled, and noticed my alarm, and infifted to fee the paper I had concealed. I could not refufe, for refiftance would have been ineffectual. Luckily I had there a letter from a young lady, the lady who had made me the confident of her fecret affection for the Lord B, I availed myfelf of the fortunate circumftance, and put it into my fa. ther's hand. He chid me for fuch a foolish correfpondence, and we walked together to the houfe.

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Adieu! but write to me no more.

any

other part or parts of the aggregate of mankind. It is a crime pregnant with evil, big with confequences as fatal as unforeseen. He that is robbed of his treasure knows his lofs, and very often has it in his power to retrieve it; but he that has his good name, fame, and reputation filched from him, experiences a lofs which he cannot afcertain. It is a lofs which draws

after it, very often, the loss of every thing which is dear or valuable to the calumniated, never to be fully retrieved again:

"Who fteals my purse steals trash: 'tis fomething, nothing: 'Twas mine: 'tis his, and has been flave to thousands:

But he that filches from me my good

name,

Robs me of that which not enriches him,

But makes me poor indeed.”

SHAKESPEARE,

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Reputation is an invaluable bleffing both to thofe in the higher, middle, and lower orders of fociety; but if it is more valuable to fome than others, it must be to those of the latter defcription, whose reputation or character is their only fortune, the only fource from which they draw their daily fupport. Take that away, and they become the outcafts of fociety. Deftitute of employ, expofed to the fcoffs and fneers of a frowning world,-defpairing of ever retrieving their character, from the impracticability that feems to attend the attempt, they are drove to the wretched alternative of preying upon their fellow men for fupport. Thus they run upon the thick boffes of God's buckler (as the fcriptures exprefs it), and, in the end, the punishment which they did not deferve, leads them to a punishment which is their just due. I speak now of those who lofe their character in the first inftance from the horrid afperfions of detraction and calumny, against the deadly poifon of which the most innocent and fair character is not proof.

If we were to look at the greateft part of the malefactors that were ever executed at Tyburn or elsewhere, and were to trace their mifconduct back to its first fource, we should, I am perfuaded, difcover it to have originated in the first inftance from the lofs of character, whether that loss was juft or unjuft. It is an obfervation of one of the wifeft men that ever graced fociety, that, "A good name is rather to be chofen than great riches ;" and the reafon is obvious; for a good name will procure riches, but riches cannot procure a good name, unless it be a temporary one from flatterers, which is not worth having. The value of a good name (which may be gathered from the wife man's obfervation,and the dreadful confequences that attend the lofs of character, VOL. XXVII.

fhow the inexcufablenefs and crimi nality of thofe, who, for a trifling fault or affront, will undermine, or at least, with-hold the character of a fervant. If they commit a fault not capital in its nature, (fuch as robbery, &c.) is it not punishment enough to turn them away, and thus to fubject them to the many and great inconveniences that attend being out of place, but muft they be inflicted with the worst of all evils, the loss of character?

Is revenge to be carried fo far as to purfue the wretched victim to the laft extremity? What! with-hold his character! deprive him of the only means of fupport, and thus leave him to perish in the wide world, becaufe, perhaps, he uttered a rafh expreffion in the moment of paffion, which is as peculiar to the poor as the rich, and the former of whom cannot always command their temper any more than the latter! This is the fevere treatment which to my knowledge fome domeftics meet with from their rigid and cenforious employers. I knew a gentleman who difcharged his clerk (who had lived with him near four years) at a minute's warning, only because he spoke one word that offended him. He happened to be late at the office that morning ;-his mafter met him, and, with no great politeness, accofted him in the street, with a "What do you mean by coming at this time of the day to an office?"accompanied with menacing expreffions, which he repeated in. the vulgar tongue fo loud as to occafion the admiration and astonishment of the fpectators, as well as to draw to their doors fome people to know what was the matter.

The clerk, thinking himself rather ill treated in being thus accofted in the street, when, if he had committed any fault, he apprehended he was entitled to the privilege of being reprimanded in private, determined to expoftulate with his employer on

Y

the

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the impropriety of haranguing him in the street; which he did in the evening, by ftating, that, if he had committed an error, he should expect to hear of it in private, and that he thought it was not gentlemanlike to call him to account in the street.

At the laft expreffion, the mafter 'took fire, turned him out of the office, bolted the door for fear he fhould return for the purpofe of an explanation, which he never afterwards would admit of, though he went to him repeatedly for that purpofe, as alfo to afk him pardon if he had offended him. But this gentleman, with all the placidnefs imaginable, refufed to admit of any conceflions, and declared he would never give him a character, but as far as in his power hinder him from employment (notwithstanding he had no other fault to find with him, and often admitted his abilities); which refolution

he

the man who aims at indepen. dency of the world, I mean of its frowns or fmiles, acts more like a ftoic than a chriftian. Religion, indeed, teaches us an independence of the world; but it is an inde pendence perfectly confonant with the most ferious endeavours to avoid giving offence, and by our good conduct to obtain the value and esteem of our fellow mortals.

Reputation may be compared to a clean fheet of paper: nothing is more easily foiled; the leaft ftain on it is difcoverable; the least stain, or even the appearance of one, as far as it goes, is detrimental. The following fact, which came within my notice short time fince, is il luftrative of this obfervation. A young woman, who had lived a confiderable time in feveral reputable families, and had an unexceptionable character, being out of place, was informed of and advifed to go after one that was vacant at a reputable houfe in the public bufinefs. The place vacant was that of nurfery. maid; and fhe was to have nothing to do but in the nursery and with the children, as they kept feveral fervants befides. She at firft hefitated, under an idea that, should she not be able to ftay in it, her character would be thrown away, and the might find it a difficult matter to be received into a private family

always kept: and had not this young man met with a gentleman who was poffeffed of more than ufual candour and confidence, and who took him, though a ftranger, merely upon the recommendation of a gentleman who knew of his having \ fived a confiderable time in his laft place, and that he left it for no other reafon than on the account of a quarrel, he might have experienced the moft ferious inconve-again, owing to the common preniences. It must be admitted here, that there was no proportion between the crime committed, and the punishment inflicted by this violent mafter yet, if it had been the crime of robbery, he could not have been more severe.

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judice that is entertained against fervants who have lived in a publichouse.-As however fhe had been out of place fome time, and was not able to fupport herfelf much longer, fhe liftened to the folicitations of her friends, and the urgency of the, moment, and went. She liked the place, and would have continued in it but for a disagreeable fellow fervant, who was an old domeftic in the houfe, and with whom the found it impoffible to live. She therefore left the place on her account, and with as fair a character

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