When she had spoke this, she deliver’d the Duke a Paper reciting her Story.  He read it with all the Emotions that Indignation and Pity could raise in a Prince jealous of his Honour in the Behaviour of his Officers, and Prosperity of his Subjects.

Upon an appointed Day, Rhynsault was sent for to Court, and in the Presence of a few of the Council, confronted by Sapphira:  the Prince asking, Do you know that Lady?  Rhynsault, as soon as he could recover his Surprize, told the Duke he would marry her, if his Highness would please to think that a Reparation.  The Duke seem’d contented with this Answer, and stood by during the immediate Solemnization of the Ceremony.  At the Conclusion of it he told Rhynsault, Thus far have you done as constrain’d by my Authority:  I shall not be satisfied of your kind Usage of her, without you sign a Gift of your whole Estate to her after your Decease.  To the Performance of this also the Duke was a Witness.  When these two Acts were executed, the Duke turn’d to the Lady, and told her, it now remains for me to put you in quiet Possession of what your Husband has so bountifully bestow’d on you; and order’d the immediate Execution of Rhynsault.

T.

[Footnote 1:  Founded upon note N to the Memoir of Charles of Burgundy in Bayle’s Dictionary, where the authorities cited are Pontus Heuterus and others.  It is not in Comines.]

* * * * *

No. 492.  Wednesday, September 24, 1712.  Steele.

  ‘Quicquid est boni moris Levitate extinguiter.’

  Sen.

  Tunbridge, Sept. 18.

  Dear Mr. SPECTATOR,

’I am a young Woman of Eighteen Years of Age, and, I do assure you, a Maid of unspotted Reputation, founded upon a very careful Carriage in all my Looks, Words and Actions.  At the same time I must own to you, that it is with much constraint to Flesh and Blood that my Behaviour is so strictly irreproachable; for I am naturally addicted to Mirth, to Gaiety, to a Free Air, to Motion and Gadding.  Now what gives me a great deal of Anxiety, and is some Discouragement in the Pursuit of Virtue, is, that the young Women who run into greater Freedoms with the Men are more taken Notice of than I am.  The Men are such unthinking Sots, that they do not prefer her who restrains all her Passions and Affections and keeps much within the Bounds of what is lawful, to her who goes to the utmost Verge of Innocence, and parlies at the very Brink of Vice, whether she shall be a Wife or a Mistress.  But I must appeal to your Spectatorial Wisdom, who, I find, have passed very much of your Time in the Study of Woman, whether this is not a most unreasonable Proceeding.  I have read somewhere, that Hobbes of Malmesbury asserts, that continent Persons have more of what they contain, than those who give a loose to their Desires.  According to this Rule, let there