of having done it.  When People go upon any other Foundation than the Truth of their own Hearts for the Conduct of their Actions, it lies in the power of scandalous Tongues to carry the World before them, and make the rest of Mankind fall in with the Ill, for fear of Reproach.  On the other hand, to do what you ought, is the ready way to make Calumny either silent or ineffectually malicious.  Spencer, in his Fairy Queen, says admirably to young Ladies under the Distress of being defamed;

  ’The best, said he, that I can you advise,
    Is to avoid th’ Occasion of the Ill;
  For when the Cause, whence Evil doth arise,
    Removed is, th’ Effect surceaseth still. 
  Abstain from Pleasure, and restrain your Will,
    Subdue Desire, and bridle loose Delight: 
  Use scanted Diet, and forbear your Fill;
    Shun Secrecy, and talk in open sight: 
  So shall you soon repair your present evil Plight. [1]’

Instead of this Care over their Words and Actions, recommended by a Poet in old Queen Bess’s Days, the modern Way is to do and say what you please, and yet be the prettiest sort of Woman in the World.  If Fathers and Brothers will defend a Lady’s Honour, she is quite as safe as in her own Innocence.  Many of the Distressed, who suffer under the Malice of evil Tongues, are so harmless that they are every Day they live asleep till twelve at Noon; concern themselves with nothing but their own Persons till two; take their necessary Food between that time and four; visit, go to the Play, and sit up at Cards till towards the ensuing Morn; and the malicious World shall draw Conclusions from innocent Glances, short Whispers, or pretty familiar Railleries with fashionable Men, that these Fair ones are not as rigid as Vestals.  It is certain, say these goodest Creatures very well, that Virtue does not consist in constrain’d Behaviour and wry Faces, that must be allow’d; but there is a Decency in the Aspect and Manner of Ladies contracted from an Habit of Virtue, and from general Reflections that regard a modest Conduct, all which may be understood, tho’ they cannot be described.  A young Woman of this sort claims an Esteem mixed with Affection and Honour, and meets with no Defamation; or if she does, the wild Malice is overcome with an undisturbed Perseverance in her Innocence.  To speak freely, there are such Coveys of Coquets about this Town, that if the Peace were not kept by some impertinent Tongues of their own Sex, which keep them under some Restraint, we should have no manner of Engagement upon them to keep them in any tolerable Order.

As I am a SPECTATOR, and behold how plainly one Part of Womankind ballance the Behaviour of the other, whatever I may think of Talebearers or Slanderers, I cannot wholly suppress them, no more than a General would discourage Spies.  The Enemy would easily surprize him whom they knew had no Intelligence of their Motions.  It is so far otherwise with me, that I acknowledge I permit a She-Slanderer or two in every Quarter of the Town, to live in the Characters of Coquets, and take all the innocent Freedoms of the rest, in order to send me Information of the Behaviour of their respective Sisterhoods.