tery in it. To confefs the truth, I mean to compliment myfelf; and I know not how to do it more effectually, than by thus fignifying to my readers, that in the conduct of this work, I have not been thought unworthy of your correfpondence.

I am,

[5]

W

THE

ORL D.

NUMB. 53. THURSDAY, Jan. 3, 1754

T

To Mr. FITZ-ADAM.

HERE are very few employments which require a greater degree of care and circumfpection than that of conducting a public paper. Double meanings are so much the delight of all converfations, that people seldom chuse to take things in their obvious fenfe; but are putting words and fentences to the torture, to force confeffions from them which their authors never meant, or if they had, would have deferved a whipping for.

FOR this reafon I take all the pains I can to be understood but one way. And indeed, were I to publish nothing in thefe papers, but what I write myself, I fhould be very little apprehenfive of double constructions. But, it feems, I have not been fufficiently guarded against the fubtilties of my correfpondents. AMANDA's letter in my laft paper has been difcovered to be a manifeft defign to remove the lace trade from Ludgate-hill to Duke's-court. Some people make no confcience of declaring that I am the

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by which they expel him their community and though he may continue to profess the opinions of Quakerifm, they look upon him to be no member of their church, and no otherwife a brother, than as every man is defcended from one common father.

I MAKE no doubt but that the Quakers have copied this piece of policy from the ladies: but as moft copies are obferved to fall short of the fpirit of their originals, this induftrious, prudent and opulent fet of people will, I hope, excufe me, if I prefer a firft and finished defign to an imperfect imitation of it.

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THE Quakers have never, that I know of, excommunicated a member for one fingle failure nor upon frequent repetitions of it have they fo driven him from the commerce of mankind, as to make him defperate in vice, or to kill him with defpair. How nobly fevere are the ladies to the poítates from purity! To be once frail, is for ever to be infamous. A fall from virtue, however circumstanced, or however repented of, can admit of no extenuation. They look upon the offender and the offence with equal deteftation;: and poftpone business, nay, even pleasure itself, for the great duty of detraction, and for configning to perpetual infamy a fifter who has difhonoured them.

THIS fettled and unalterable hatred of impurity cannot be fufficiently admired, if it be confidered how delicately the bofoms which harbour it are formed, and how eafy it is to move them to pity and compaffion in all other inftances: efpecially if we add to this confideration, its having force enough to tear up

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by the roots those fincere and tender friendships, which all handfome women, in a state of virtue, are so well known to feel for one another.

NOTHING can so strongly convince me of the truth of these female friendships, as the arguments which fhallow and fuperficial men have thought proper to bring against them. They tell us that no handfome woman ever faid a civil thing of one as handsome as herfelf: but, on the contrary, that it is always the delight of both to leffen the beauty and to detract from the reputations of each other.

ADMITTING the accufation to be true, how eafy is it to fee through the good-natured disguise of this behaviour? Thefe generous young creatures are fo apprehenfive for their companions, that they deny them beauty in order to fecure them from the attempts of libertines. They know that the principal ornament of beauty is virtue; and that without both a lady is feldom in danger of an obftinate purfuit: for which reafon they very prudently deny her the poffeffion of either. The lady thus obliged, is doing in return the fame agreeable fervice to her beautiful acquaintance; and is wondering what the men can fee in fuch trifling creatures to be even tolerably civil to them. Thus under the appearance of envy and ill-nature, they maintain inviolable friendships, and live in a mutual intercourfe of the kindeft offices. Nay, to fuch a pitch of enthufiafm have thefe friendships been fometimes carried, that I have known a lady to be under no apprehenfions for herfelf, though purfued by half the rakes in the town, who has abfolutely fainted away at seeing one of these

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rakes only playing with the fan of her handfome friend.

THE fame difcreet behaviour is obferved by almost every lady in her affairs with a man. If fhe would exprefs her approbation of him, the phrafe is, "What a ridiculous animal ! When approbation is grown into love, it is, "Lord, how I deteft him!" But when the rifes to a folemn declaration of, "I'll die a thousand "deaths rather than give him my confent," we are then fure that the fettlements are drawing, or that she has packed up her clothes, and intends leaping into his arms without any ceremony whatsoever.

THERE may poffibly be cavillers at this behaviour of the ladies, as well as unbelievers in female friendship; but I dare venture to affirm that every man will honour them for their extraordinary civilities and good humour to the feducers of their fex. Should a lady object to the company of fuch men, it would naturally be faid that the fufpected her own virtue, and was confcious of carrying paffions about her, which were in danger of being kindled into flames by every fpark of temptation. And this is the obvious reafon why the ladies are fo particularly obliging to thefe gentlemen both in public and private. Those gentle fouls, indeed, who have the purity of their fex more at heart than the reft, may good-naturedly intend to make converts of their betrayers; but I cannot help thinking that the meetings upon thefe occafions fhould be in the prefence of a third perfon: for men are fometimes fo obftinate in their errors, and are able to defend them with fo much fophiftry, that for

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