cannot imagine, Sir, how troubled I am for this unhappy Lady’s Misfortune; and beg you would insert this Letter, that the Husband may reflect upon this Accident coolly.  It is no small Matter, the Ease of a virtuous Woman for her whole Life:  I know she will conform to any Regularities (tho’ more strict than the common Rules of our Country require) to which his particular Temper shall incline him to oblige her.  This Accident puts me in mind how generously Pisistratus the Athenian Tyrant behaved himself on a like Occasion, when he was instigated by his Wife to put to death a young Gentleman, because being passionately fond of his Daughter, he kissed her in publick as he met her in the Street; What (says he) shall we do to those who are our Enemies, if we do thus to those who are our Friends?  I will not trouble you much longer, but am exceedingly concern’d lest this Accident may cause a virtuous Lady to lead a miserable Life with a Husband, who has no Grounds for his Jealousy but what I have faithfully related, and ought to be reckon’d none.  ’Tis to be fear’d too, if at last he sees his Mistake, yet People will be as slow and unwilling in disbelieving Scandal as they are quick and forward in believing it.  I shall endeavour to enliven this plain honest Letter, with Ovid’s Relation about Cybele’s Image.  The Ship wherein it was aboard was stranded at the mouth of the Tyber, and the Men were unable to move it, till Claudia, a Virgin, but suspected of Unchastity, by a slight Pull hawled it in.  The Story is told in the fourth Book of the Fasti.

    ’Parent of Gods, began the weeping Fair,
    Reward or punish, but oh! hear my Pray’r. 
    If Lewdness e’er defil’d my Virgin Bloom,
    From Heav’n with Justice I receive my Doom;
    But if my Honour yet has known no Stain,
    Thou, Goddess, thou my Innocence maintain;
    Thou, whom the nicest Rules of Goodness sway’d,
    Vouchsafe to follow an unblemish’d Maid. 
    She spoke, and touch’d the Cord with glad Surprize,
    (The truth was witness’d by ten thousand Eyes)
    The pitying Goddess easily comply’d,
    Follow’d in triumph, and adorn’d her Guide;
    While_ Claudia, blushing still far past Disgrace,
    March’d silent on with a slow solemn Pace: 
    Nor yet from some was all Distrust remov’d,
    Tho’ Heav’n such Virtue by such Wonders prov’d.’

  I am, Sir,
  Your very humble Servant,
  Philagnotes.

  Mr.  SPECTATOR,

’You will oblige a languishing Lover, if you will please to print the enclosed Verses in your next Paper.  If you remember the Metamorphosis, you know Procris, the fond Wife of Cephalus, is said to have made her Husband, who delighted in the Sports of the Wood, a Present of an unerring Javelin.  In process of time he was so much in the Forest, that his Lady suspected he was pursuing