136. Various Causes of Death-Country 137. Advantages of illustrious Birth- how contaminated Pride of Mrs. 138. On Regard for Posterity .... 139. History of Lions-Story of Androcles ......... 141. On Wit-Life of the Author 142. Danger of Masquerades-Letter from 143. Account of the Terrible Club 144. Variety of Humour among the English 146. History of Lions-Story of Sir George STEELE 152. Comparative Merit of the two Sexes, 154. Lucifer's Account of a Masquerade 155. Utility of Learning to the Female Sex 156. History and Economy of Ants...... 158. Proper Employment of Time; a Vision .... ... 160. Conjectures of concealed Meanings un- ..... 163. Letter from an insulted Chaplain- 164. On Translations-Speech of Pluto, 165. Miseries of Folly and Vice at the Head 168. Character of a Mistress of a Family from the Book of Proverbs-Trans- THE GUARDIAN. N° 123. SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 1713. -Hic murus aheneus esto, Nil conscire sibi IMITATED. HOR. 1 Ep. i. 60. True, conscious honour, is to feel no sin: POPE. THERE are a sort of knights-errant in the world, who, quite contrary to those in romance, are perpe.. tually seeking adventures to bring virgins into distress, and to ruin innocence. When men of rank and figure pass away their lives in these criminal pursuits and practices, they ought to consider that they render themselves more vile and despicable than any innocent man can be, whatever low station his fortune or birth have placed him in. Title and ancestry render A a good man more illustrious, but an ill one more contemptible. "Thy father's merit sets thee up to view, CATO. I have often wondered that these deflourers of innocence, though dead to all the sentiments of virtue and honour, are not restrained by compassion and humanity. To bring sorrow, confusion, and infamy, into a family, to wound the heart of a tender parent, and stain the life of a poor deluded young woman with a dishonour that can never be wiped off, are circumstances, one would think, sufficient to check the most violent passion in a heart which has the least tincture of pity and good-nature. Would any one purchase the gratification of a moment at so dear a rate, and entail a lasting misery on others, for such a transient satisfaction to himself; nay, for a satisfaction that is sure, at some time or other, to be followed with remorse? I am led to the subject by two letters which came lately to my hands. The last of them is, it seems, the copy of one sent by a mother to one who had abused her daughter; and though I cannot justify her sentiments at the latter end of it, they are such as might arise in a mind which had not yet recovered its temper after so great a provocation. I present the reader with it as I received it, because I think it gives a lively idea of the affliction' which a fond parent suffers on such an occasion. SIR, -shire, July, 1713. The other day I went into the house of one of my tenants, whose wife was formerly a servant in our |