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ever fince the beauteous Cecilia has made fuch a Figure as the now does in the Circle of Charming Women, Cynthie has been fecretly one of her Adorers. Lætitia has been the finest Woman in Town these three Months, and fo long Cynthia has acted the Part of a Lover very aukwardly in the Prefence of Flavia. Flavia has been too blind towards him, and has too fincere an Heart of her own to obferve a thousand things which would have discovered this Change of Mind to any one lefs engaged than fhe was. Cynthio was mufing yefterday in the Piazza in Covent-Garden, and was faying to himself that he was a very ill Man to go on in vifiting and profeffing Love to Flavia, when his Heart was enthralled to another. It is an Infirmity that I am not conftant to Flavia; but it would be ftill a greater Crime, fince I cannot continue to love her, to profefs that I do. To marry a Woman with the Coldness that ufually indeed comes on after Marriage, is ruining ones felf with ones Eyes open; befides it is really doing her an Injury. This laft Confideration, forfooth, of injuring her in perfifting, made him refolve to break off upon the firft favourable Opportunity of making her angry. When he was in this Thought, he faw Robin the Porter, who waits at Will's Coffee-houfe, paffing by. Robin, you must know, is the best Man in Town for carrying a Billet; the Fellow has a thin Body, fwift Step, demure Looks, fufficient Senfe, and knows the Town. This Man carried Cynthio's firft Letter to Flavia, and by frequent Errands ever fince, is well known to her. The Fellow covers his Knowledge of the Nature of his Meffages with the most exquisite low Humour imaginable: The firft he obliged Flavia to take, was by complaining to her that he had a Wife and three Children, and if the did not take that Letter, which, he was fure, there was no Harm in, but rather Love, his Family must go fupperlefs to Bed, for the Gentleman would pay him according as he did his Business. Robin therefore Cynthio now thought fit to make use of, and gave him Orders to wait before Flavia's Door, and if the called him to her, and asked whether it was Cynthio who paffed by, he should at first be loth to own it was, but upon Importunity confefs it. There needed not much. Search into that Part of the Town to find a well-dreffed

Huffy

Huffy fit for the Purpofe Cynthio defign'd her. As foon as he believed Robin was pofted, he drove by Flavia's Lodgings in an Hackney Coach and a Woman in it. Robin was at the Door talking with Flavia's Maid, and Cynthis pulled up the Glafs as surprised, and hid his Affociate. The Report of this Circumftance foon flew up Stairs, and Robin could not deny but the Gentleman favoured his Mafter; yet if it was he, he was fure the Lady was but his Coufin whom he had seen ask for him; adding that he believed he was a poor Relation, because they made her wait one Morning till he was awake. Flavia immediately writ the following Epiftle, which Robin brought to Will's.

SIR,

June 4, 1712. T is in vain to deny it, bafeft, falfeft of Mankind;

I'my Maid, as well as the Bearer, faw you.

The injur'd Flavia.

AFTER Cynthia had read the Letter, he asked Robin how the looked, and what she said at the Delivery of it. Robin faid the fpoke fhort to him, and called him back again, and had nothing to fay to him, and bid him and all the Men in the World go out of her Sight; but the Maid followed, and bid him bring an Answer.

CYNTHIO returned as follows.

Madam,

TH

June 4, Three Afternoon, 1712. HAT your Maid and the Bearer has seen me very often is very certain; but I defire to know, being 'engaged at Picquet, what your Letter means by 'tis in • vain to deny it. I shall stay here all the Evening.

Your amazed Cynthio.

AS foon as Robin arrived with this, Flavia answered: Dear Cynthio,

I

Have walked a Turn or two in my Anti-Chamber fince I writ to you, and have recovered my felf from ⚫ an impertinent fit which you ought to forgive me, and

• defire

' defire you would come to me immediately to laugh off a Jealoufy that you and a Creature of the Town went 7 by in a Hackney-Coach an Hour ago.

I am Your most humble Servant,

FLAVIA.

I will not open the Letter which my Cynthio writ upon the Mifapprehenfion you must have been under ' when you writ, for want of hearing the whole Circum⚫ stance.

ROBIN came back in an Inftant, and Cynthio an

fwered:

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Madam,

IT

Half an Hour, fix Minutes after Three, June 4, Will's Coffee-boufe. T is certain I went by your Lodging with a Gentlewoman to whom I have the Honour to be known, fhe is indeed my Relation, and a pretty fort of Woman. But your starting Manner of Writing, and owning you have not done me the Honour fo much as to open my Letter, has in it fomething very unaccoun⚫able and alarms one that has had Thoughts of passing his Days with you. But I am born to admire you with ⚫ all your little Imperfections.

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CYNTHIO.

ROBIN run back, and brought for Answer;

E

XACT Sir, that are at Will's Coffee-house fix Minutes after Three, June 4; one that has had Thoughts, and all my little Imperfections. Sir, come to me immediately, or I fhall determine what may perhaps not be very pleafing to you.

FLAVIA.

ROBIN gave an Account that she looked exceffive angry when the gave him the Letter; and that he told her, for the asked, that Cynthio only looked at the Clock, taking Snuff, and writ two or three Words on the Top of the Letter when he gave him his.

NOW

NOW the Plot thickened fo well, as that Cynthio faw he had not much more to accomplish being irreconcilably banished, he writ,.

Madam,

I

Have that Prejudice in Favour of all you do, that it is not poffible for you to determine upon what will not be very pleafing to

Your Obedient Servant,

CYNTHIO.

THIS was delivered, and the Answer returned, in a little more than two Seconds.

S.IR,

Is

S it come to this? You never loved me; and the Creature you were with is the propereft Perfon for your Affociate. I defpife you, and hope I fhall foon hate you as a Villain to

ROBIN ran back, with

Madam,

Y

The Credulous Flavia:

OUR Credulity when you are to gain your Point, and Sufpicion when you fear to lose it, make it a - very hard Part to behave as becomes

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ROBIN had a Crown for his Afternoon's Work; and this is published to admonish Cecilia to avenge the Injury done to Flavia.

T

Saturday,

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YPOCRISY at the fashionable End of the Town is

Hvery different from Hypocrify in the City. The

tuous.

modifh Hypocrite endeavours to appear more vicious than he really is, the other kind of Hypocrite more virThe former is afraid of every thing that has the Shew of Religion in it, and would be thought engaged in many Criminal Gallantries and Amours, which he is not guilty of. The latter affumes a Face of Sanctity, and covers a Multitude of Vices under a feeming Religious Deportment.

BUT there is another kind of Hypocrify, which differs from both these, and which I intend to make the Subject of this Paper: I mean that Hypocrify, by which a Man does not only deceive the World, but very often imposes on himself; That Hypocrify which conceals his own Heart from him, and makes him believe he is more virtuous than he really is, and either not attend to his Vices, or mistake even his Vices for Virtues. It is this fatal Hypocrify and Self-deceit, which is taken notice of in thefe Words, Who can understand bis Errors? cleanfe thou me from fecret Faults.

IF the open Profeffors of Impiety deserve the utmost Application and Endeavours of Moral Writers to recover them from Vice and Folly, how much more may those day a Claim to their Care and Compaffion, who are walking in the Paths of Death, while they fancy themselves engaged in a Course of Virtue! I fhall endeavour, therefore, to lay down fome Rules for the Discovery of those Vices that lurk in the fecret Corners of the Soul, and to fhew my Reader those Methods by which he may arrive at a true and impartial Knowledge of himself. The ufual Means prefcribed for this Purpose, are to examine our felves by the Rules which are laid down for our Di

rection

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