ture Favours. He boafted of having a Ring, which made him invifible.

The next Day the King fent for him, and caufed him to be arrested; they secured the Ring, and found feveral Papers upon him, which were inconteftable Proofs of his Trea fon. Rofimond came once more to Court, to fue for a Pardon in Behalf of his Brother, but to no Purpose. Bramintes was beheaded;

and thus the Ring proved more fatal to him, than it had been ufeful to his Brother.

The King, to make fome Amends to Rofmond for the Lofs of his Brother, returned

him

him his Ring, as a Treasure of ineftimable Value; but the difconfolate Rafimond thought it no Recompence at all.

He returned immediately to look for his Fairy in the Grove. Take back, faid he to her, your Ring. My Brother's Fate now convinces me of the Truth of what you told nite, though before I did not rightly comprehend it. Keep to yourself the fatal Caufe of my poor Brother's Death. Alas! he might have still been living; he might not have thus overwhelmed his aged Parents with Shame and Grief! He might have been wife and happy, if it had never been in his Power to gratify his Paffions. O, how dangerous is it to have Power fuperior to other Men! Take back your Ring. Unhappy he, to whom it is next given! The only Favour I have to beg is, that you will never part with it again to any Friend of mine.

OBSERVATION S.

THE Affembly had been fo attentive to this long Story, that it was not till it was finished, that each of them found out her little Appetite called aloud for Supper,

which

which their Governess perceiving, only obferved to them, how dangerous Power was, unless accompanied with Prudence, Wisdom, and Moderation; and that, though every one afpires to acquire it, it oftener brings in her Train, Pain, Mifery, and Destruction, than Pleasure, Peace and Happiness.

The Affembly paid the ufual Compliments, which Hunger obliged them to in as few Words as poffible; and then, having ap pointed Mifs Sally Readwell for the next Night, they flew away, like fo many Birds on the Wing, to Supper, which they seemed much to ftand in Need of,

I

THE EIGHTH

NIGHT.

Cannot, my little Schoolfellows, but approve of the juft Sentiments, which the laft Oration we attended to contained; and yet, when inftances are given of the ill Conduct of young Ladies, fomething should be faid on the other Side of the Queston, wherein their Virtues may be fet in their proper Light. That this Aflembly may not break

up, without leaving fomething impressed on our Minds, which may tend to convince us that no human Being is infallible, it shall now be my Bufinefs, to give you the Cha racter of Arietta (by Way of Contraft to that of Phillis or Brunetta) as I find it in the Writings of one of our best English Authors.

Arietta is vifited by all Perfons of both Sexes, who have any Pretences to Wit or good Breeding. She is in that Time of Life, which is neither affected with the Follies of Youth, or Infirmities of Age; and her Converfation is fo mixed with Gaiety and Prudence, that she is agreeable both to the young and the old. Her Behaviour is very free, without being in the least blameable; as she is out of the Track of any ambitious Pursuits of her own, her Vifitants entertain her with Accounts of themselves very freely, whether they concern their Paffions or their Interests.

Í made her a Vifit this Afternoon, (fays my Author) having been formerly introduced to her Acquaintance by an intimate Friend. I found her accompanied with one Perfon only, a common-place Talker, who, upon my Entrance, arofe, and after a very flight H

Civility

Civility fat down again; then turning to Arietta, purfued his Difcourfe, which I found was upon the old Topick of Conftancy. He went on with great Facility in repeating what he talks every Day of his Life; and, with the Ornament of infignificant Laughs and Gestures, enforced his Arguments by Quota tions out of Plays and Songs, which allude to the Perjuries of the Fair, and the general Levity of Women.

Methought he ftrove to fhine more than ordinary in his talkative Way, that he might infult my Silence, and diftinguish himself before a Woman of Arietta's Tafte and Judg. ment. She had often an Inclination to interrupt him; but could find no Opportunity, till the Larum ceafed itself, which it did not till he had repeated and murdered the cele brated Story of the Ephefan Matron.

Arietta feemed to regard this Piece of Raillery as an Outrage done to her Sex; and indeed I have always obferved that Women, whether out of a nice Regard to their Honour, or what other Reafon I cannot tell, are more fenfibly touched with thofe general Afperfions, which are caft upon their Sex,

than