Minnie Sy Cr Ea Tee A IN Te Fe Si 
~ 
it be their fortune to remain finele, an equal fame will attend 
them by that delicacy and eafe of behaviour towards the men, 
which form the genuine characteriftics of virtue. If once this 
honeft fpecies of ambition forfakes them, and an: anxiety. after 
foreign admiration feizes them, they, become the mark of every 
profligate wretch,.or fluttering infect; who may perhaps finge 
his wings, but at the fame time is fure to impair the brightnefs 
of the. luminary. Every foft look, and every little levity, be- 
comes encouragement; and the enduring of one free action is. 
fure to lay a foundation for another. . The man of gallantry 
prefumes on appearances, miftakes culpable vanity for. vitious 
inclinations, and in the end, moft defervedly, fuffers. for his. er= 
ror: he is difgracefully driven from the chateau by infulting do- 
mettics ; or fuffers ftill more marked mortifications, at the com- 
mand of the infulted fair. She diftrefles. her poor hufband 
with her complaints: fhe wonders at the fellow’s impudence. 
Alas! what can the unhappy fpoufe reply, but what muft add 
to her and his own mifery? He may (but it is more likely his. 
fufpicions may take an unhappy turn at the fame time) he may, . 
I fay, allow her to be innocent at. the bottom; but he will re- 
proach her with having given the gallant every reafon to expect: 
an eafy conqueft: he may alfo unjuftly conceive a jealoufy that: 
there may have been, or that there {till may be, moments when: 
poor virtue may be caught napping, and the fum of female dif-. 
honour effected. His peace of mind is gone; and mutual. 
wretchednefs becomes the price of the mere moments of levity, , 
or the love of tranfient admiration. 
Every attempt for that purpofe becomes criminal; fince:the 
conclufion is often as uncertain as it is unexpected. To call. 
aloud : 
bol 
