mistaken? he was neither extravagant, nor ill-natured, C nor debauched I fuffered however more with him than with all my others. He was fplenatick. I was forced to fit whole Days hearkening to his imaginary Ails; it was impoffible to tell what would please him; what he liked when the Sun fhined, made him fick when it rained; he had no Distemper, but lived in 'conftant Fear of them all: my good Genius dictated to me to bring him acquainted with Doctor Gruel; from that Day he was always contented, because he had Names for all his Complaints; the good Doctor 'furnished him with Reasons for all his Pains, and Prefcriptions for every Fancy that troubled him, in hot Weather he lived upon Juleps, and let Blood to prevent Fevers; when it grew cloudy he generally ap prehended a Confumption; to fhorten the Hiftory of this wretched Part of my Life, he ruined a good Conftitution by endeavouring to mend it, and took feve<ral Medicines, which ended in taking the grand Remedy, which cured both him and me of all our Uneafineffes. After his Death, I did not expect to bear any more of Mr. Waitfort, I knew he had renounced me to all his Friends, and been very witty upon my Choice, which he affected to talk of with great Indif ferency; I gave over thinking of him, being told that he was engaged with a pretty Woman and a great Fortune; it vexed me a little, but not enough to make me neglect the Advice of my Coufin Wishwell, that · came to fee me the Day my Lord went into the Country with Ruffel; fhe told me experimentally, nothing put an unfaithful Lover and a dear Husband fo foon out of ones Head, as a new one; and, at the fame time, propos'd to me a Kinfman of hers; You un⚫derftand enough of the World (faid fhe) to know Money is the most valuable Confideration; he is very rich, and I am fure cannot live long; he has a Cough that must carry him off foon. I knew afterwards the had given the felf-fame Charaéter of me to him; but however I was fo much perfuaded by her, I haftned 6 on the Match, for fear he fhould die before the time came, he had the fame Fears, and was fo preffing, ́ I married 'I married him in a Fortnight, refolving to keep it private a Fortnight longer. During this Fortnight Mr. 'Waitfort came to make me a Vifit; he told me he had waited on me fooner, but had that Refpect for me, he would not interrupt me in the first Day of Affliction for my dead Lord; that as foon as he heard I was at Liberty to make another Choice, he ⚫ had broke off a Match very advantageous for his For'tune, just upon the Point of Conclufion, and was forty times more in Love with me than ever. ་ ་ my I never ' received more Pleasure in my Life than from this De 'claration, but I compofed my Face to a grave Air, ' and faid the News of his Engagement had touched me to the Heart, that in a rafh jealous Fit, I had, 'married a Man I could never have thought on if I had not loft all hopes of him. Good-natured Mr., Waitfort had like to have dropped down dead at hearing this, but went from me with fuch an Air as plainly fhewed me he laid all the Blame upon himfelf, and. ' hated thofe Friends that had advised him to the Fatal, Application; he seemed as much touched by my Mif'fortune as his own, for he had not the leaft Doubt I 'was ftill paffionately in Love with him. The Truth of the Story is, my new Husband gave me Reason to repent I had not ftaid for him; he had married me for my Money, and I foon found he loved Money to 'Distraction; there was nothing he would not do to get it, nothing he would not fuffer to preferve it; the fmallest Expence keep him awake whole Nights, and when he paid a Bill, 'twas with as many Sighs, and after as many Delays, as a Man that endures the 'Lofs of a Limb. I heard nothing but Reproofs for • Extravagancy whatever I did. I faw very well that he would have ftarved me, but for lofing my Joinand he fuffered Agonies between the Grief of feeing me have fo good a Stomach, and the Fear that if he made me faft, it might prejudice my Health. I • did not doubt he would have broke my Heart, if I 'did not break his, which was allowed by the Law of Self-defence. The Way was very easy. I refolved to fpend as much Money as I could, and before he was D 3 tures; aware aware of the Stroke, appeared before him in a two ⚫ thousand Pound Diamond Necklace; he faid nothing, but went quietly to his Chamber, and, as it is thought, compofed himfelt with a Dofe of Opium. I behaved my felf fo well upon the Occafion, that to this Day I believe he died of an Apoplexy. Mr. Waitfort was • refolved not to be too late this time, and I heard from him in two Days. I am almoft out of my Weed at this prefent Writing, and very doubtful whether I'll marry him or 10. I do not think of a Seventh, for the ridiculous Reafon you mention, but out of pure Morality that I think fo much Conftancy fhould be rewarded, tho' I may not do it after all perhaps. I ⚫ do not believe all the unreafonable Malice of Mankind can give a Pretence why I fhould have been conftant to the Memory of any of the Deceased, or have spent much time in grieving for an infolent, infignificant, negligent, extravagant, fplenatick, or covetous Husband; my first infulted me, my fecond was nothing to me, my third difgufted me, the fourth would have ruined me, the fifth tormented me, and the fixth ⚫ would have ftarved me. If the other Ladies you name would thus give in their Husbands Pictures at length, you would fee they have had as little Reafon as my felf to lose their Hours in weeping and wailing. Friday, No. 574. Friday, July 30. Non poffidentem multa vocaveris Duramque callet pauperiem pati. Hor. Was once engaged in Difcourfe with a Rofcrufian I about the great Secret. mean thofe of them who are not profeffed Cheats) are over-run with Enthufiafm and Philofophy, it was very amusing to hear this religious Adept defcanting on his pretended Difcovery. He talked of the Secret as of a Spirit which lived within an Emerald, and converted every thing that was near it to the highest Perfection it is capable of. I gives a. Luftre, fays he, to the Sun, and Water to the Diamond. It irradiates every Metal, and enriches Lead with all the Properties of Gold. It heightens Smoak into Flame, Flame into Light, and Light into Glory. He further added, that a lingle Ray of it diffipates Pain, and Care, and Melancholy from the Perfon on whom it falls. In fhort, fays he, its Prefence naturally changes every Place into a kind of Heaven. After he had gone on for fome Time in this unintelligible Cant, I found that he jum bled natural and moral Ideas together into the faine Difcourfe, and that his great Secret was nothing elfe but Content. THIS Virtue does indeed produce, in fome measure, all thofe Effects which the Alchymift ufually afcribes to what he calls the Philofopher's Stone, and if it does not bring Riches, it does the fame thing, by banishing the Defire of them. If it cannot remove the Disquietudes arifing out of a Man's Mind, Body, or Fortune, it makes him eafie under them. It has indeed a kind ly Influence on the Soul of Man, in refpect of every Being to whom he ftands related. It extinguishes all Murmur, Repining, and Ingratitude towards that Being who has allotted him his Part to act in 'this World. It destroys all inordinate Ambition, and every Tendency to Corruption, with regard to the Community wherein he is placed. It gives Sweetness to his Converfation, and a perpetual Serenity to all his Thoughts. AMONG the many Methods which might be made ufe of for the acquiring of this Virtue, I fhall only mention the two following. First of all, A Man should always confider how much he has more than he wants; and Secondly, How much more unhappy he might be than he really is. FIRST of all, A Man fhould always confider how much he has more than he wants. I am wonderfully pleafed with the Reply which Arifiippus made to one who condoled him upon the Lofs of a Farm; Why, faid he, I have three Farms still, and you have but one; fo that I ought rather to be afflicted for you, ihan you for me. On the contrary, foolish Men are more apt to confider what they have loft than what they poffefs; and to fix their Eyes upon those who are richer than themselves, rather than on those who are under greater Difficulties. All the real Pleasures and Conveniences of Life lie in a narrow Compafs; but it is the Humour of Mankind to be always looking forward, and ftraining after one who has got the Start of them in Wealth and Honour. For this Reafon, as there are none can be properly called rich, who have not more than they want; there are few rich Men in any of the politer Nations but among the middle Sort of People, who keep their Wishes within their Fortunes, and have more Wealth than they know how to enjoy. Persons of a higher Rank live in a kind of fplendid Poverty, and are perpetually wanting, because inftead of acquiefcing in the folid Pleasures of Life, they endeavour to outvy one another in Shadows and Appearances. Men of Senfe have at all times beheld with a great deal of Mirth this filly Game that is playing over their Heads, and by |