It is certainly a very silly thing for people to quarrel who must be friends again, unless they choose rather to live asunder, than submit silently to many things they cannot approve. I will not pretend to determine what provocation is sufficient to justify such a breach, nor to say that it cannot be justified, since even the best of women have parted from their husbands, although they seem sincerely to lament their separation. Nor does their conduct accuse them to have done it lightly, or upon the account of taking their pleasure, which would soon be discovered, as in such circumstances all eyes are upon them, and they must live more reserved than the rest of the world, or else they would quickly be liable to such a censure as must vindicate the conduct of their husbands.

And though, in all quarrels betwixt a man and his wire, if it comes to a hot dispute, there are faults in both parties; yet the weaker vessel is so little considered, merely for being weak, that they are often blamed much more than they deserve; which censure they can no way prevent so well, as by a strict observance of their relative duties, and to have a conscience void of offence towards God and the world.

Nothing upon earth can be said to afford satisfaction, only as our imagination makes it appear so at a distance; and this prospect is dressed by fancy in such various shapes, that what would be a delight to one, is a real misery to another; and age or possession does sometimes give the same persons such different notions, that they grow sick at the very things they languished for before. This is probably the reason why old people are so much for denying young ones those innocent diversions they are grown weary of themselves; though perhaps at the same time they may gratify their own foible in something equally ridiculous. It is this contrariety in the mind that makes matrimony so uneasy; for when

one sets up a separate Diana to worship, their heart cannot be full of affection to one another, and if both are bigotted in their own way, it too often ruins not only themselves, but also their innocent children. But you, madam, are not in danger of falling into this error, being of too complying a nature to bring yourself and others into any inconvenience upon that score, and 1 rejoice to hear how unmoved you appear under so great a provocation. I confess, that a husband's keeping another before one's eyes, is the cruelest thing he can do; yet even in that case it is most prudent to show no forwardness; for the mistress will be sure to entertain him with mirth and caressing, which will make the wife's frowns seem more intolerable, and such women never fail to magnify all domestic accidents. Such are indeed the greatest enemies to conjugal love; for them the gentlemen put on their best countenances, and with them they pass their most pleasing hours; the indignation is reserved for the wives of their bosom, who must share in nothing but their grievances, till at last they become partners in their wants, the unavoidable consequences of such courses. Some few instances we have seen of husbands who have been reclaimed by a wife's tenderness, before the intrigue has gone too far, but none I believe were ever hectored out of it. Modesty is the highest ornament of a woman, and the casting it off becomes a sin both against God and nature. For my part, if I commit a fault against my sex, in being for so much resignation, they must pardon me; for I cannot advise others to more obedience than I would wish to practise myself; and I entreat all those who despise me, as being so tame a fool, that they would banish all anger out of their minds for one year, and then tell me if they have not more content in forgiving than returning a reproach.

I fear I have already exceeded the bounds of a letter,

for which I ought to make an apology, but more words would give you trouble; therefore I will only beg of you to excuse and love,

Your ever sincere and affectionate friend.

LETTER LXXIII.

From a Lady to her Friend, whose Lover had basely left her, and married another.

My dear Friend,-Our expectation of happiness is generally so ill placed, that it is no wonder we meet with perpetual disappointments. When our choice arises from passion, we have so very blind a guide as will inevitably lead us to destruction; for though love appears then gentlest, yet our affections are so much the right of our Almighty Creator, that as often as we fix them immoderately upon any of the fading objects here below, we are certainly guilty of sacrilege to the divine goodness, which fault is commonly punished by the very thing we doat on. This, I doubt not, has been your case, and not yours alone, for soon or late few escape that mischief, especially amongst our weaker sex, whose tender nature leaves them most exposed to ruin; and though they see others shipwrecked before their eyes, will yet venture out to sea on the same bottom, insensible of danger till they perish, and often fall unpitied. Men have a thousand advantages over us, but in the

affairs of courtship, they add cunning to all their other accomplishments, and are as zealous to deceive, as if their lives would be made happy by the cheat. However, they will find it a sad mistake, at least if perjury is to be accounted for, although your false traitor. like many others,

may look on that time as at a great distance. But 1 suppose he thinks himself excused, as being more knave than fool, which title indeed is so highly due to him, that I believe none will do him such manifest wrong as to dispute it; and I am sure the blacker he appears, the greater reason you have to bless that Providence which permitted him to break the contract; for, without doubt, he that proved so ill a lover to the best of mistresses, would have made an intolerable husband to the best of wives; and ill usage would have cost you more than his infidelity. I am sensible a heart so generous and constant as yours, cannot easily efface the deep impression he has made in it; that must be the work of time with God's assistance, which I hope will never fail you. I do assure you, I am deeply touched with every thing that concerns you, nor is it without great regret that I submit to my unhappy circumstances detaining me from being the companion of your melancholy hours, which I should endeavour with all my power to divert.

You say it is a daily aggravation to your trouble, to think you suffered yourself to be so easily imposed on; but that, as I told you before, is our common fate, although all impostors are not equally industrious to be wicked; and you ought not to condemn your own judg. ment for want of sagacity to discover a cheat, as it would be to arraign the conduct of almost all the hu

man race.

Pardon me, dear madam, for troubling you so far, Indeed, I might have told you at first what I must mention now, and what you know already, that He only can give us comfort, whom we seldom regard but when we are driven to it by necessity. Solomon, who had tried all the alluring charms of love and beauty, whose quality and riches gave him an opportunity to gratify every inclination, without any bounds to his wishes,

could call them all "vanity and vexation of spirit." It is no wonder, then, if every one of us discover the same truth to our own cost. Let us therefore resolve, as much as we can, to submit our wills to the will of our heavenly Father, who sees all our actions, and has so decreed, that our way to everlasting happiness should be through the wilderness of affliction.

I am, dear Madam, your sincere friend.

LETTER LXXIV.*

Against Discontent and Repining.

Truly am I grieved, that, whenever I undertake to be the messenger of glad tidings, I should frustrate my own design, and communicate to my good intelligence a taint of sadness. Forebodings and dismal calculations are, I am convinced, very useless, and I think very pernicious speculations-" sufficient for the day is the evil thereof." And yet how apt we are, when imminent trials molest us, to increase the burden by melancholy ruminations on future evils!-evils which exist only in our own imaginations, and which, should they be realised, will certainly arrive in time to oppress us sufficiently, without our adding to their existence by previous apprehension, and thus voluntarily incurring the penalty of misfortunes yet in preparation, and trials yet unborn. Let us guard, then, I beseech you, against those ungrateful divinations into the womb of futurity; we know our affairs are in the hand of One who has wisdom to do for us beyond our narrow prudence, and we cannot, by taking thought, avoid any afflictive dispensation which God's providence may have in store for us. Let us therefore enjoy with thankfulness the present sunshine, without adverting to the coming storm. Few and transitory are the intervals of calm and settled day with which we are cheered in the From Henry Kirk White, to a Friend