fuch fervants! pray be gone, and fee when you will have the honour to be fo infulted again. Servants infulted-a fine time-Infulted! Get down stairs, you flut, or the footman fhall infult you.

The last day of the laft week was now coming, and my kind coufin talked of fending me down in the waggon to preferve me from bad courfes. But in the morning fhe came and told me that she had one trial more for me; Euphemia wanted a maid, and perhaps I might do for her; for, like me, fhe must fall her creft, being forced to lay down her chariot upon the lofs of half her fortune by bad fecurities, and with her way of giving her money to every body that pretended to want it, fhe could have little beforehand; therefore I might ferve her; for, with all her fine fenfe, fhe must not pretend to be nice..

I went immediately, and met at the door a young gentlewoman, who told me she had herself been hired that morning, but that she was ordered to bring any that offered up ftairs. I was accordingly introduced to Euphemia, who, when I came in, laid down her book, and told me, that fhe fent for me not to gratify an idle curiofity, but left my disappointment might be made ftill more grating by incivility; that fhe was in pain to deny any thing, much more what was no favour; that fhe faw nothing in my appearance which did not make her wish for my company; but that another, whofe claims might perhaps be equal, had come before me. The thought of being fo near to fuch a place, and miffing it, brought tears into my eyes, and my fobs hinder'd me from returning my acknowledgements. She rofe

up

up confused, and fuppofing by my concern that I was diftreffed, placed me by her, and made me tell her my ftory; which when he had heard, fhe put two guineas in my hand, ordering me to lodge near her, and make use of her table till fhe could provide for me. I am now under her protection, and know not how to fhew my gratitude better than by giving this account to the RAMBLER.

ZOSIMA.

NUMB. 13. TUESDAY, May 1, 1750.

Commiffumque teges & vino tortus & iré.

And let not wine or anger wrest

Th' intrufted fecret from your breaft.

HOR.

FRANCIS.

T is related by Quintus Curtius, that the Perfians

always conceived an invincible contempt of a man, who had violated the laws of fecrecy; for they thought, that, however he might be deficient in the qualities requifite to actual excellence, the negative virtues at least were in his power, and though he perhaps could not speak well if he was to try, it was ftill easy for him not to speak.

In forming this opinion of the eafiness of secrecy they seem to have confidered it as oppofed, not to treachery, but loquacity, and to have conceived the man, whom they thus cenfured, not frighted by menaces to reveal, or bribed by promises to betray, VOL. IV.

G

but

but incited by the mere pleasure of talking, or fome other motive equally trifling, to lay open his heart without reflection, and to let whatever he knew flip from him, only for want of power to retain it. Whether, by their fettled and avowed fcorn of thoughtlefs talkers, the Perfians were able to diffuse to any great extent the virtue of taciturnity, we are hindered by the distance of those times from being able to discover, there being very few memoirs remaining of the court of Perfepolis, nor any diftinct accounts handed down to us of their office-clerks, their ladies of the bed-chamber, their attorneys, their chambermaids, or their footmen.

In these latter ages, though the old animofity against a prattler is ftill retained, it appears wholly to have loft its effect upon the conduct of mankind; for fecrets are fo feldom kept, that it may with some reafon be doubted, whether the ancients were not mistaken in their firft poftulate, whether the quality of retention be fo generally bestowed, and whether a fecret has not fome fubtle volatility, by which it escapes imperceptibly at the finallest vent, or fome power of fermentation, by which it expands itself fo as to burst the heart that will not give it way.'

Those that study either the body or the mind of man, very often find the most specious and pleafing theory falling under the weight of contrary experience; and instead of gratifying their vanity by inferring effects from caufes, they are always reduced at laft to conjecture caufes from effects. That it is eafy to be fecret, the fpeculatift can demonftrate in his retreat, and therefore thinks himfelf juftified in placing confidence; the man of the world knows,

that,

that, whether difficult or not, it is uncommon, and therefore finds himself rather inclined to fearch after the reason of this universal failure in one of the most important duties of fociety.

The vanity of being known to be trufted with a fecret is generally one of the chief motives to disclose it; for however abfurd it may be thought to boast an honour by an act which fhews that it was conferred without merit, yet most men feem rather inclined to confess the want of virtue than of importance, and more willingly fhew their influence, though at the expence of their probity, than glide through life with no other pleasure than the private consciousness of fidelity; which, while it is preferved, must be without praise, except from the fingle person who tries and knows it.

There are many ways of telling a fecret, by which a man exempts himself from the reproaches of his confcience, and gratifies his pride, without fuffering himself to believe that he impairs his virtue. He tells the private affairs of his patron, or his friend, only to those from whom he would not conceal his own; he tells them to those, who have no temptation to betray the truft, or with a denunciation of a certain forfeiture of his friendship, if he discovers that they become publick.

Secrets are very frequently told in the first ardour of kindness, or of love, for the fake of proving, by fo important a facrifice, fincerity or tenderness; but with this motive, though it be strong in itself, vanity concurs, fince every man defires to be most esteemed by thofe whom he loves, or with whom he converses, with whom he paffes his hours of plea

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fure,

To Mrs. Standish I went, and, after having waited fix hours, was at last admitted to the top of the stairs, when he came out of her room, with two of her company. There was a fmell of punch. So, young woman, you want a place; whence do you come ?-From the country, madam.-Yes, they all come out of the country. And what brought you to town, a bastard? Where do you lodge? At the Seven-Dials? What, you never heard of the foundling-house! Upon this, they all laughed fo obftreperously, that I took the opportunity of sneaking off in the tumult.

I then heard of a place at an elderly lady's. She was at cards; but in two hours, I was told, fhe would fpeak to me. She asked me if I could keep an account, and ordered me to write. I wrote two lines out of fome book that lay by her. She wondered what people meant, to breed up poor girls to write at that rate. I fuppofe, Mrs. Flirt, if I was to see your work, it would be fine stuff!-You may walk. I will not have love-letters written from my house to every young fellow in the street.

Two days after, I went on the fame pursuit to Lady Lofty, dreffed, as I was directed, in what little ornaments I had, because fhe had lately got a place at court. Upon the first fight of me, the turns to the woman that showed me in, Is this the lady that wants a place? Pray what place wou'd you have, miss? a maid of honour's place? Servants now-a-days !—Madam, I heard you wanted— Wanted what? Somebody finer than myself! A pretty fervant indeed-I should be afraid to speak

to