white-washes, mixing colours, cutting out patches, consulting my glass, suiting my complexion, tearing off my tucker, sinking my stays.'-Rhadamanthus, without hearing her out, gave the sign to take her off. Upon the approach of the keeper of Erebus her colour faded, her face was puckered up with wrinkles, and her whole person lost in deformity.

I was then surprised with a distant sound of a whole troop of females that came forward laughing, singing, and dancing. I was very desirous to know. the reception they would meet with, and withal was very apprehensive that Rhadamanthus would spoil their mirth: but at their nearer approach the noise grew so very great that it awakened me.

I lay some time, reflecting in myself on the oddness of this dream, and could not forbear asking my own heart, what I was doing? I answered myself, that I was writing Guardians. If my readers make as good a use of this work as I design they should, I hope it will never be imputed to me as a work that is vain and unprofitable.

I shall conclude this paper with recommending to them the same short self-examination. If every one of them frequently lays his hand upon his heart, and considers what he is doing, it will check him in all the idle, or, what is worse, the vicious moments of life, lift up his mind when it is running on in a series of indifferent actions, and encourage him when he is engaged in those which are virtuous and laudable. In a word, it will very much alleviate that guilt which the best of men have reason to acknowledge in their daily confessions, of leaving undone those things which they ought to have done, and of doing those things which they ought not to have done.'

VOL. III.

STORY.

SIR,

STORY. No. 159.

HAVING read over your paper of Tuesday last, in which you recommend the pursuits of wisdom and knowledge to those of the fair sex who have much time lying upon their hands, and among other motives make use of this, That several women, thus accomplished, have raised themselves by it to considerable posts of honour and fortune: I shall beg leave to give you an instance of this kind, which many now living can testify the truth of, and which I can assure you is matter of fact.

About twelve years ago I was familiarly acquainted with a gentleman, who was in a post that brought him a yearly revenue sufficient to live very handsomely upon. He had a wife, and no child but a daughter, whom he bred up, as I thought, too high for one that could expect no other fortune than such a one as her father could raise out of the income of his place; which, as they managed it, was scarce sufficient for their ordinary expenses. Miss Betty had always the best sort of clothes, and was hardly allowed to keep company but with those above her rank; so that it was no wonder she grew proud and haughty towards those she looked upon as her inferiors. There lived by them a barber who had a daughter about miss's age, that could speak French, had read several books at her leisure hours, and was a perfect mistress of her needle and in all kinds of female manufacture. She was at the same time a pretty, modest, witty girl. She was hired to come to miss an hour or two every day, to talk French with her and teach her to work:

but

but miss always treated her with great contempt; and, when Molly gave her any advice, rejected it with.

scorn.

About the same time several young fellows made their addresses to miss Betty, who had indeed a great deal of wit and beauty, had they not been infected. with so much vanity and self-conceit. Among the rest was a plain sober young man, who loved her: almost to distraction. His passion was the common talk of the neighbourhood, who used to be often discoursing of Mr. T's angel, for that was the name he always gave her in ordinary conversation. As his circumstances were very indifferent, he being a younger brother, Mrs. Betty rejected him with disdain; insomuch that the young man, as is usual among those who are crossed in love, put himself aboard the fleet, with a resolution to seek his fortune and forget his mistress. This was very happy for him; for in a very few years, being concerned in several captures, he brought home with him an estate of about twelve thousand pounds,

Mean while days and years went on, miss lived high and learnt but little, most of her time being employed in reading plays and practising to dance, in which she arrived at great perfection: when of a sudden, at a change of ministry, her father lost his place, and was forced to leave London, where he could no longer live upon the foot he had formerly done. Not many years after I was told the poor gentleman was dead, and had left his widow and daughter in a very desolate condition: but I could not learn where to find them, though I made what inquiry I could and I must own, I immediately suspected Z 2 their

verside wo.A not suffer then to ve seen o vlered wy any of their former acquaint "K I had khangoing alter them for soine years, word i happed, non long ago, as i was asking at a house for a geplee mar. Í had some, busines wilt, to se led into a parious by a bandaoine young, woran, who I preact by fans.ed was that very daugher I had so long wuga in vain. My #spicion lustrated, when I observed ber to b'oen at the sight of me, and to gold, as 11 muta as posbe, looking upon or speaking to 'Madam,' said I, are you not Mirs, sob a one?' At which words the tears ran down her cheeks, and she would fan have retired without giving me an answers but I stopped her; and being to wait a while for the gendieman I was to speak to, I resolved not to lose this opportunity of satisfying my curiosity. I could not wol discern by her dress, which was gented though not fine, whether she was the mistress of the house, or only a servant; but supposing her to be the first, I sin glad, madam,' said I, fafter having long inquired after you, to have so happily met with you, and to find you mistress of so fine a place." These words were like to have spoiled all, and threw her into such a disorder, that it was some time before she could recover herself; but as soon as she was able to spak, Sir,' said she, you are mistaken; I am but a servant. Her voice fell in these last words, and she burst again into tears. I was sorry to have occasioned in her so much grief and confusion, and said what I could to comfort her. Alas, sir,' said she, my condition is much better than I deserve, I have the kindest and best of women for my mistress. She is wife to the gentleman you come to speak withal.

You

You know her very well, and have often seen her with me.' To make my story short, I found that my late friend's daughter was now a servant to the barber's daughter, whom she had formerly treated so disdainfully. The gentleman at whose house I now

fell in love with Moll, and, being master of a great fortune, married her, and lives with her as happily, and as much to his satisfaction, as he could desire. He treats her with all the friendship and respect possible, but not with more than her behaviour and good qualities deserve. And it was with a great deal of pleasure I heard her maid dwell so long upon her commendation. She informed me, that after her father's death her mother and she lived for a while together in great poverty. But her mother's spirit could not bear the thoughts of asking relief of any of her own or her husband's acquaintance: so that they retired from all their friends, until they were providentially discovered by this new-married woman, who heaped on them favours upon favours. Her mother died shortly after, who, while she lived, was better pleased to see her daughter a beggar than a servant. But, being freed by her death, she was taken into this gentlewoman's family, where she now lived, though much more like a friend or a companion than like a servant.

I went home full of this strange adventure; and about a week after chancing to be in company with Mr. T. the rejected lover, whom I mentioned in the beginning of my letter, I told him the whole story of his angel, not questioning but he would feel, on this occasion, the usual pleasures of a resenting lover when he hears that fortune has avenged him of the