PLINY to HISPULLA. [2]

’As I remember the great Affection which was between you and your excellent Brother, and know you love his Daughter as your own, so as not only to express the Tenderness of the best of Aunts, but even to supply that of the best of Fathers; I am sure it will be a pleasure to you to hear that she proves worthy of her Father, worthy of you, and of your Ancestors.  Her Ingenuity is admirable; her Frugality extraordinary.  She loves me, the surest Pledge of her Virtue; and adds to this a wonderful Disposition to Learning, which she has acquir’d from her Affection to me.  She reads my Writings, studies them, and even gets them by heart.  You’d smile to see the Concern she is in when I have a Cause to plead, and the Joy she shews when it is over.  She finds means to have the first News brought her of the Success I meet with in Court, how I am heard, and what Decree is made.  If I recite any thing in publick, she cannot refrain from placing her self privately in some Corner to hear, where with the utmost delight she feasts upon my Applauses.  Sometimes she sings my Verses, and accompanies them with the Lute, without any Master, except Love, the best of Instructors.  From these Instances I take the most certain Omens of our perpetual and encreasing Happiness; since our Affection is not founded on my Youth and Person, which must gradually decay, but she is in love with the immortal Part of me, my Glory and Reputation.  Nor indeed could less be expected from one who had the Happiness to receive her Education from you, who in your House was accustomed to every thing that was virtuous and decent, and even began to love me by your Recommendation.  For, as you had always the greatest Respect for my Mother, you were pleased from my Infancy to form me, to commend me, and kindly to presage I should be one day what my Wife fancies I am.  Accept therefore our united Thanks; mine, that you have bestowed her on me, and hers, that you have given me to her, as a mutual Grant of Joy and Felicity.’

[Footnote 1:  [scandalous]]

[Footnote 2:  Bk iv. ep. 19.]

* * * * *

No. 526.  Monday, November 3, 1712.  Steele.

  ‘—­Fortius utere Loris.’

  Ovid.

I am very loth to come to Extremities with the young Gentlemen mention’d in the following Letter, and do not care to chastise them with my own Hand, till I am forc’d by Provocations too great to be suffer’d without the absolute Destruction of my Spectatorial Dignity.  The Crimes of these Offenders are placed under the Observation of one of my chief Officers, who is posted just at the entrance of the Pass between London and Westminster.  As I have great Confidence in the Capacity, Resolution and Integrity of the Person deputed by me to give an Account of Enormities, I doubt not but I shall soon have before me all proper Notices which are requisite