they were liable to part with them; and when bereft of them, refign them with a greatness of mind which fhows they know their value and duration. The contempt of pleasure is a certain preparatory for the contempt of pain: Without this the mind is, as it were, taken fuddenly by an unforeseen event; but he who has always, during health and profperity, been abstinent in his fatisfactions, enjoys, in the worst of diffi culties, the reflection, that his anguish is not aggravated with the comparison of past pleasures which upbraid his prefent condition.

7ully tells us a ftory of Pompey, which gives us a good tafte of the pleafant manner the men of wit and philofophy had in old times of alleviating the diftrefles of life, by the force of reafon and philofophy. Pompey when he came to Rhodes, had a curiofity to vifit the fa mous philofopher Poffidonius; but finding him in his fick bed, he bewailed the misfortune that he should not hear a difcourfe from him. But you may, anfwered Poffidonius, and immediately entered into the point of Stoical philofophy, which fays, pain is not an evil. During the difcourfe, upon every puncture he felt from his diftemper, he fmiled and cried out, Pain, pain, be as impertinent and troublesome as you please, I never fhall own thou art an evil.

IT

SPECTATOR, Vol. IV. No. 312. T.

CELIA-Her Hiftory.

Tis not neceffary to look back into the firft years* of this young lady, whofe ftory is of confequence, only as her life has lately met with paffages very uncommon. She is now in the twentieth year of her. age, and owes a ftrict but cheerful education to the care of an aunt, to whom he was recommended by her dying father, whofe decease was haftened by an inconfolable affliction for the lofs of her mother.' As Calia is the offspring of the moft generous paffion that has been known in our age, fhe is adorned with as much beauty and grace as the most celebrated of her fex pof

fefs; but her domeftic life, moderate fortune, and re1igious education, gave her but little opportunity, and lefs inclination, to be admired in public affemblies. Her abode has been for fome years at a convenient diftance from the Cathedral of St. Paul's, where her aunt and fhe chose to refide, for the advantage of that rapturous way of devotion which gives extacy to the pleafures of innocence,, and in fome measure is the immediate poffeffion of those heavenly enjoyments for which they are addreffed.

As you may trace the ufual thoughts of men in their Countenances, there appeared in the face of Celia a cheerfulness, the conftant companion of unaffected virtue, and a gladness which is as infeparable from true piety. Her every look and motion fpoke the peaceful, mild, refigning, humble inhabitant that animated her beauteous body. Her air difcovered her body a mere machine of her mind, and not that her thoughts were employed in ftudying graces and attractions for her perfon. Such was Calia when fhe was first feen by Palamede, at her ufual place of worship. Palamede is a young man of twenty-two, well-fashioned, learned, genteel, and difcreet; the fon and heir of a gentleman of a very great eftate, and himself poffeff ed of a plentiful one by the gift of an uncle. He be came enamoured with Calia; and after having learned her habitation, had addrefs enough to communicate his paffion and circumftances with fuch an air of good fenfe and integrity, as foon obtained permiffion to vifit and profefs his inclinations towards her. Palamede's prefent fortune and future expectations were no way prejudicial to his addreffes; but after the lovers had paffed fometime in the agreeable entertainment of a fuccessful courtship, Calia one day took occafion to interrupt Palamede in the midft of a very pleafing difcourfe of the happiness he promised himself in fo accomplished a companion, and affuming a ferious air, told him, there was another heart to be won before he gained hers, which was that of his father. Palamede feemed much disturbed at the overture, and lamented to her, that his father was one of thofe too provident

parents who only place their thoughts upon bringing riches into their families by marriages, and are wholly infenfible of all other confiderations. But the ftrict

nefs of Calia's rules of life made her infift upon this demand and the fon, at a proper hour, communicated to his father the circumftances of his love, and the merit of the object. The next day the father made her a vifit. The beauty of her perfon, the fame of her virtue, and a certain irresistible charm in her whole behaviour on fo tender and delicate an occafion, wrought fo much upon him, in spite of all prepoffeffions, that he haftened the marriage with an impatience equal to that of his fon. Their nuptials were celebrated with a privacy fuitable to the character and modefty of Caha; and from that day, until a fatal one laft week, they lived together with all the joy and happiness which attended minds entirely united.

It fhould have been intimated, that Palamede is a ftudent of the Temple, and ufually retired thither early in the morning, Calia ftill fleeping.

It happened a few days fince, that fhe followed him thither to communicate to him fomething fhe had omitted in her redundant fondness to speak of the evening before. When the came to his apartment, the fervant there told her, fhe was coming with a letter to her. While Calia, in an inner room, was reading an apology from her husband, that he had been fuddenly taken by fome of his acquaintance to dine at Brentford, but that he fhould return in the evening, a country girl, decently clad, afked if these were not the cham bers of Mr. Palamede: She was anfwered, they were, but that he was not in town. The ftranger afked when he was expected home: The fervant replied, fhe would' go in and afk his wife. The young woman repeated the word wife, and fainted. This accident raised no lefs curiofity than amazement in Calia, who caufed her to be removed into the inner room. Upon proper applications to revive her, the unhappy young creature returned to herself, and faid to Calia, with an earnest and befeeching tone, are you really Mr. Palamede's wife? Calia replies, "I hope I do not look as if I

were any other, in the condition you fee me." The ftranger anfwered, "No, madam, he is my husband :" At the fame inftant fhe threw a bundle of letters into Celia's lap, which confirmed the truth of what she afferted. Their mutual innocence and forrow made them look at each other as partners in diftrefs, rather than rivals in love. The fuperiority of Calia's underftanding and genius, gave her an authority to examine into this adventure, as if the had been offended, and the other the delinquent. The ftranger fpoke in the following manner:

"Madam, if it fhall please you, Mr. Palamede having an uncle of a good estate near Winchefer, was bred up at the fchool there, to gain the more of his good-will by being in his fight. His uncle died, and left him the eftate, which my hufband now has. When he was a mere youth, he fet his affections on me; but when he could not gain his ends, he married me; making me and my mother, who is a farmer's widow, fwear we would never tell it upon any account whatsoever, for that it would not look well for him to marry fuch an one as me; befidés that his father would cut him off of the eftate. I was glad to have him in an honeft way, and he now and then came and ftaid a night at our houfe. But very lately he came down to fee us, with a fine young gentleman, his friend, who ftaid behind there with us, pretending to like the place for the fummer; but ever since mafter Palamede went, he has attempted to abuse me, and I ran hither to acquaint him with it, and avoid the wicked intentions of his falfe friend."

Calia had no farther room for doubt, but left her rival in the fame agonies fhe felt herself. Palamede returns in the evening, and finding his wife at his chambers, learned all that had paffed, and haftened to Calia's lodgings.

It is much easier to imagine than exprefs the fentiments of either the criminal or the injured at this en'counter. As foon as Palamede had found way for fpeech, he confeffed his marriage, and his placing his companion on purpose to vitiate his wife, that he night

break through a marriage made in his nonage, and devote his riper and knowing years to Calia. She made him no answer, but retired to her closet. He returned to the temple, where he foon after received: from her the following letter:

SIR,

YOU, who this morning were the beft, are now the worst of men who breathe the vital air. I am at once overwhelmed with love, hatred, rage, and difdain. Can infamy and innocence live together? feel the weight of the one too ftrong for the comfort of the other. How bitter, Heaven, how bitter is my portion! How much have I to fay! But the infant which I bear about me, ftirs with my agitation. I am, Palamede, to live in hame, and this creature to be heir to it. Farewn for ever.

TATLER, Vol. IV. No. 198

CATO-Tragedy of.

I have made it a rule to myself not to publish any thing on a Saturday, but what fhall have fome analogy to the duty of the day enfuing. It is an unfpeakable pleasure to me, that I have lived to fee the time when I can obferve fuch a law to myself and yet turn my difcourfe upon what is done at the play-houfe. I am fure the reader knows I am going to mention the trage dy of Cato. The principal character is moved by no confideration, but refpect to that fort of virtue, the fense of which is retained in our language under the words public fpirit. All regards to what is domeftic are wholly laid afide, and the hero is drawn as having by this motive fubdued inftinct itfelf, and taking comfort from the diftreffes of his family, which are brought upon them by their adherence to caufe of truth and liberty. There is nothing uttered by Cato, but what is worthy of the beft of men; and the fentiments which are given him, are not only the most warm fe