was celebrated at her Fathers House:  When that was over, the generous Husband did not proportion his Provision for her to the Circumstances of her Fortune, but considered his Wife as his Darling, his Pride, and his Vanity, or rather that it was in the Woman he had chosen that a Man of Sense could shew Pride or Vanity with an Excuse, and therefore adorned her with rich Habits and valuable Jewels.  He did not however omit to admonish her that he did his very utmost in this; that it was an Ostentation he could not but be guilty of to a Woman he had so much Pleasure in, desiring her to consider it as such; and begged of her also to take these Matters rightly, and believe the Gems, the Gowns, the Laces would still become her better, if her Air and Behaviour was such, that it might appear she dressed thus rather in Compliance to his Humour that Way, than out of any Value she her self had for the Trifles.  To this Lesson, too hard for Woman, Hortensius added, that she must be sure to stay with her Friends in the Country till his Return.  As soon as Hortensius departed, Sylvana saw in her Looking-glass that the Love he conceiv’d for her was wholly owing to the Accident of seeing her:  and she is convinced it was only her Misfortune the rest of Mankind had not beheld her, or Men of much greater Quality and Merit had contended for one so genteel, tho bred in Obscurity; so very witty, tho never acquainted with Court or Town.  She therefore resolved not to hide so much Excellence from the World, but without any Regard to the Absence of the most generous Man alive, she is now the gayest Lady about this Town, and has shut out the Thoughts of her Husband by a constant Retinue of the vainest young Fellows this Age has produced:  to entertain whom, she squanders away all Hortensius is able to supply her with, tho that Supply is purchased with no less Difficulty than the Hazard of his Life.

Now, Mr. SPECTATOR, would it not be a Work becoming your Office to treat this Criminal as she deserve[s]?  You should give it the severest Reflections you can:  You should tell Women, that they are more accountable for Behaviour in Absence than after Death.  The Dead are not dishonour’d by their Levities; the Living may return, and be laugh’d at by empty Fops, who will not fail to turn into Ridicule the good Man who is so unseasonable as to be still alive, and come and spoil good Company.

  I am, SIR,
  your most Obedient Humble Servant.

All Strictness of Behaviour is so unmercifully laugh’d at in our Age, that the other much worse Extreme is the more common Folly.  But let any Woman consider which of the two Offences an Husband would the more easily forgive, that of being less entertaining than she could to please Company, or raising the Desires of the whole Room to his disadvantage; and she will easily be able to form her Conduct.  We have indeed carry’d Womens Characters too much into publick Life, and you shall see them now-a-days affect a sort