one to his Lady in the Country, wherein he in formed her, that by the Time she should receive that, he should be no more, having put an End to a Life which was become a Burthen to him, and advifing her not to lay it too much to Heart, but to compofe herfelt as well as poffible, &c. The fecond was to a Gentleman, who was both his Neighbour in the Country (but was then in Town) and ufed to do Bufinefs for him: Therein he a quainted -him as he had done his Lady, that, by the Time he received that Letter, he fhould have put an End to his Days, which were now grown infupportable to him, and desired him to come to fuch a Tavern, and take Care of his Body. The third was to a great Man, to whom he had long been a trufty Tool, wherein he gave him the fame Information as the two former, thanked him for all paft Favours, and took his final Leave of him.

When he had thus fettled all Preliminaries, and nothing remained but to finish the grand Affair, he takes a Hackney Coach, orders the Man to flop at a Gunsmith's, where he provides himself with a Pair of Piftols, Powder, and Ball, and then drives to the Tavern mentioned in his Letter to his Friend, where he discharges the Coachman, bids the Drawer fhew a Room, calls for Wine, and when it was brought, fhuts himself in. Thus far all was according to Form, and he had acted tolerably well the Part of an old Roman, the Laws of whofe Country not only connived at, but even approved of, and were favourable to Suicide: But, alas! when it came to the Push, when the critical Moment drew nigh that was to determine his Fate, to his great Dilap ppointment and Mortification, he found what he had never before diftruited, that he had no Courage, but was a m er Chicken.

The fame falfe Heart, which so many Years before had fo little Compaffion or Tenderness for

the

the Tears and Sorrows of a beautiful young Lady, and might confequently have been imagined defti tute of any Feeling, felt now, on a fudden, to his great Surprize, a mighty Tenderness for the worthlefs Carcafe wherein it was lodged; infomuch that he could not prevail upon his dear felf to make any Holes therein, though he had already proceeded fo far, that he had rendered Death in a manner unavoidable, and neceffary, unless he would fubmit to the cutting Humiliation, of feeing himfelt become the Ridicule, Laughing-ftock, and Contempt of the whole Town; a Punishment more mortifying, to a Man of any Spirit, than even Death itself!

Being reduced therefore, defervedly, by his own Folly to fuch a wretched Alternative; neither knowing how to live with Honour, nor having fufficent Fortitude to put what he had refolved in Execution; undetermined what to do, yet neceffitated to go from where he was, unless he would be furprized by the People, who, as he had Reason to expect, would foon be there to enquire after him, in Confequence of the two Letters he had fent to the great Man, and the Gentleman that was his Agent; the best Thing he could think of, was to pay his Reckoning, and leave Word he was gone into the Park, imagining perhaps he might have Courage enough to leap into Rofamond's Pond, tho' he had not to fire a Piftol. But, if he thus fancied, he was therein mistaken a second Time; for the fame Pufillanimity accompanying him thither, he was forced likewife to decamp from thence, Re infetta, and the firft News that was heard of him, fome Time afterwards, was, that he was fafe and found at his Seat in the Country.

In the mean while, the two Letters beforementioned being received, let any one imagine the Shock and Surprize it muft caufe in his Friends; however, as it was now fuppofed paft Remedy, all the

one

one could do, was to pity and lament his Fate, and all that remained for the other, was to comply with his Requeft. Accordingly the latter went in a Coach, with proper Perfons to take Care of his Corpfe, as had been defired, and Meffengers were difpatched by the former to enquire after the Particulars of this unexpected Catastrophe; but it will be hard to fay which were moft amazed, either the Perfons in fearch after him, on being told what Meffage he had left at the Tavern, efpecially when on following him into the Park, they could hear nothing there of him, nor yet at any other Places where they made the like Enquiry, or of the People of the Tavern, when they were again ftrictly examined about him, and acquainted with the Reasons for fuch a Scrutiny.

In fhort, as he was a Perfon generally known, all the Town was in an Uproar for fome Days, nor was the Country at firft in lefs Confufion; for his Lady, on the Receipt of his fhocking Letter, having dispatched Meffengers to enquire into it, and they bringing back Word, that no Tidings could be heard of him, neither could his Body be found, every one was in the dark concerning his Fate, and formed a hundred various Conjectures, till foon after when he again made his Appearance fuddenly at his Country Seat, as was before obferved.

This News becoming once publick, Aftonishment gave Way to very different Emotions, and the Man whom before every one pitied, was now become univerfally the Object of Derifion and Contempt; nor could any one imagine with what Face he could ever again fhew his Head in public, where he might be well affured, the Eyes of all Men would be fixed upon him wherever he went ; where he muft expect, that all Perfons of Reputation would fhun his Company, and where he could

not

not fail of daily meeting with a thousand Affronts, which he must be confcious of having juftly merited. Such was the defpicable State to which this bafe Falfyfier of his Oaths, and once haughty Tranf. greffor of the Third Commandment, faw himself reduced in this Life! A State fo truly miferable, that it can only be furpaffed by that confummate Wretchedness, which, without due Repentance, awaits all fuch Profligates in the next!

Let us now go on to the other Example promifed, which, in fome Refpects, is yet more flagrant, and more remarkable than the former; and which alfo, like the former, did not go unpunished even in this World. This was of a Colonel in the Army, a Man of Wit and Pleafure, and a great Favourite of a certain Nobleman of the first Rank, lately deceafed, who being with him at Windfor, at a Time when the Court was there, fell violently in Love with a beauteous and modeft Virgin, (though but of mean Extraction, as only being Daughter to a Gardener belonging to the Caftle) infomuch that nothing but the Enjoyment of her would fatisfy him.

To his great Surprize and Disappointment, however, he found her ftrictly virtuous; and on making his Addreffes to her, in the manner he had always till then found prevalent with Perfons of her Station, namely, with the most vehement Affeverations and Proteftations, of an unalterable Conftancy, which were backed with Presents of no fmail Value to one in her Circumstances, became foon fenfible, fhe was equally Proof against his Bribes and his Flatteries. Hereupon he renewed his Attacks, offering fresh Prefents of ftill more confiderable Value, and even a handfome Settlement for Life; but all in vain, fhe remained immoveable. Being now at his Wits End, and fully determined to enjoy her at any Rate, but making her his Wife,

he

he endeavoured to get her out of Town on fome pretended Party of Pleafure; intending probably in that Cafe to have recourse to Force, as hoping afwards to make it up eafily by Money; but all to no Purpofe; the young Maiden, equally prudent and virtuous, would not be decoyed out of the Caftle by him.

Mortified hereat to the laft Degree, but ftill burning with Luft, for it deferves no better Name, and no longer knowing what Course to take, he grew melancholly, penfive, and peevish, infomuch that he ceafed to be the agreeable Companion he was heretofore. The Nobleman, his Patron, who had taken a Fancy to him chiefly on that Account, having obferved this fudden Alteration in his Temper, asked what ailed him. To which he, for fome Time, declined giving any direct Answer, as being afhamed, no doubt, of his Weakness; the proud Man not confidering, that a virtuous Maiden, be her Parentage ever fo mean, is greatly fuperior to the greatest Villain. Being preffed however earneftly by the Nobleman to difclofe the Caufe of his Sadness, he at laft acquainted him with his Paffion, recounting alfo every Particular that had paffed between the lovely Fair One and himself, and concluding with an Oath, that he no longer knew what Means to have recourfe to, though he could never be eafy in his Mind till he had enjoyed, or, in plain English, ruined her.

On hearing this Account related in the moft lamentable Tone, the Nobleman, who, though otherwife a Man of ftrict Honour, was a great Latitudinarian in Matters of Love, and who probably did not believe there was any fuch Thing as a virtuous Maiden, not having ever met with fuch Repulle himself, even from Perfons of a much higher Rank, burst into a violent Fit of Laughter, full in the Colonel's Face; whereat the latter was quite

con