I did not know how to

make her fenfible of

I even doubted my

the impropriety of it. own judgement of the matter. I had for fome time lived fo much out of the gay world, that I did not know but Maria's very great freedom of manner might be the fashionable behaviour of the people she had been accuftomed to fee: if fo, how was fhe to blame? or why fhould I be uneafy, knowing her to be a woman of honour, furely incapable of fo base an action as endeavouring to alienate my husband's affection from me? By fuch reafonings I ftrove to quell the first emotions (jealous, if you will have them fo) that rofe in my breaft. But, alas, Mr MIRROR, to what purpose! I have every hour fresh cause of uneafinefs.

About

a week ago, I went fuddenly into the parlour, and found Maria fitting on Mr B.'s knee, her head leaning on his fhoulder: he looked a little out of countenance; but she was not in the leaft diftreffed at my appearance, but afked me, with her ufual good humour, what made me look fo grave? then flapping Mr B. gently on the cheek, faid, "It is your fault,

you harsh thing you! when I knew her formerly, the used to be all life and fpirits.". He answered, (coldly I thought), that it was

his with ever to fee me in fpirits, and that he was forry he was not fo happy as to hit on a method to make me fo. I turned my head afide, to hide the ftarting tear. Maria, as if gueffing at my emotion, put her arm about my neck, and, drawing round my averted face, faid, in a loud whifper, " My dear, Mrs "B. how can you indulge fuch weakness?" Mr B. fnatch'd up his hat, and left the room; I heard the word "childish," as he shut the door. I remember the time when he could not bear the leaft cloud on my looks, without tenderly inquiring the caufe; but now he feems often to forget that I am prefent, while Maria engroffes his whole attention. I have been for fome days deprived of his company, and have spent the time in reflecting seriously on my fituation. The more I confider it, the more it appears to me of a particular and diAtreffing nature. I have at laft determined to request your opinion of it, and, through the channel of your paper, to give Maria a hint, that, to keep clear of the groflhefs of vice, is not fufficient for the delicacy of the female character; and that the woman who, by an alluring and refined coquetry, engages the thoughts and interefts the feelings of a mar

ried man, is a more dangerous, and perhaps not a less criminal companion, than the avowed wanton who excites a fhort-lived paffion, foon extinguished by remorfe, and, if I may be allowed the expreffion, fully compenfated for by the returning tenderness of the repenting husband.

I am, &c.

E. B.

To the AUTHOR of the MIRROR.

Mr MIRROR,

I Married, for love, a moft charming wo

man, who has made me the happy father of two very fine children: I have a thousand a-year eftate, and enjoy a most perfect flate of health; yet a very flight and contemptible caufe was near deftroying all thofe fair profpects of happiness, by interrupting the harmony of a union founded on mutual liking, and cemented by mutual efteem. In your obfervations on the female world, you have fuffered to escape your notice, a dangerous Q_3

and

and moft deftructive race, whofe hearts, hardened by vanity, are equally impenetrable to the fhafts of love and infenfible of the charms of friendship: yet the bufinefs of their lives is, to excite paffions they never mean to gratify, and fentiments' they are incapable of returning. My dear Mrs B. unfortunately for us both, fome months ago, renewed an intimacy, formed in her childish days, with one of thofe females. To Maria I was introduced as the husband of her friend; as fuch, I was received by her, without referve, and foon treated with the most flattering distinction. Maria poffeffes all thofe powers of allurement which men for ever condemn, and can never withstand: She can affume every shape that is fitted to captivate the fenfes or delight the imagination, and can vary her appearance at pleafure. So confummate is her art, that one could not, for an inftant, fufpect her of any defign in her behaviour; and even at this mo. ment, that an accident has laid open her whole character to me, I fhould not answer for my refolution, were fhe to enter the room, and fmilingly take my hand, as was her frequent cuftom, with fuch a mixture of fweetnefs and tendernefs in her looks! I almoft fear I

fhould be weak enough to forget that my opinion of her is founded on the clearest proofs of her diffembling arts, and stand before her felf-condemned, as the defamer of innocence and undefigning fimplicity.

Luckily I am out of her reach: I left my own houfe immediately upon the discovery I made of the fair hypocrite's real difpofition. I mean to fend for my dear Mrs B. and with her pay a vifit to the capital, and there ufe all' my efforts to make her amends for any uneafinefs my foolish infatuation may have given her; but first I wished to make this publicacknowledgement of it; and, as Maria deferves no mercy, I fhall fhow her none, except concealing her family-name.

For five months, Mr MIRROR, the Proteus-like animal had found out a thoufand Was I in fpirits,

different ways to charm me.

fhe was all life and good humour; when in a graver mood, I found her all fenfe and ferioufnefs. If what I had been reading excited in me a tender and not unpleafing melancholy, the fympathetic tear ftood ready in her A few days fince, upon my reading to her the ftory of La Roche, fo beautifully told in your papers, the wept, leaning upon my fhoulder;

eye.