THE FEMALE SPECTATOR. BOOK XIII. There is a luft in man no charm can tame, N HARV. JUV, OTHING more plainly fhews a weak and degenerate mind, than taking a delight in whispering about every idle story we are told to the prejudice of our neighbours: this is a fault charged more generally on our sex than the other; and I am forry to fay, with but too much juftice. Some will have it, that this unlucky propensity in us proceeds from a greater fhare of envy and malice in our natures; others, lefs fevere, afcribe it meerly to a want of fomething elfe wherewith to employ ourfelves. This latter is certainly the most true, becaufe we often find women, who in no other refpect can be accufed of ill-nature, yet take a prodigious pleasure in report A 3 ing ing every little fcandal they hear, even though it be of perfons whom they have neither any quarrel againft, nor can any way be supposed to envy. BUT this motive, tho' lefs criminal, is equally fhameful, and ought to make every woman blush when about to repeat the little affairs of perfons with whom he has no manner of concern, to think she finds an incapacity in herself of attending to those of her own, and which, it is not to be doubted, ftand in fufficient need of regulation. I HAVE feen a fine lady, who has been funk, as it were, in laffitude, half dying with the va pours, and in fuch a lethargy, both of mind and body, that it feemed painful to her even to drawl out a word, or lift up a finger; yet this infenfible to all things elfe, has no fooner heard of fome new intrigue, no matter whether true or falfe, or between perfons of her acquaintance, or those fhe only knew the names of, than all the luftre has returned into her eyes, fmiles have dimpled her cheeks, and fhe has immediately ftarted up, called in a hurry to be dreffed, ordered her coach, and almost killed a pair of horses in galloping round the town with this intelligence. So great is the vanity fome people have of being thought to be the first in hearing any piece of news, that to it they will facrifice all confiderations whatever, er rather confideration is itself abforbed in this ridiculous ambition-An ambition, did I call it of what?of being ? a talebearer!a goffip!-a lover of raking into filth! - Shameful character, even to the lowest bred, much more fo for a woman of quality and condition! None, I believe, will be willing to acknow acknowledge it their own, but too many give subftantial proofs that it is fo. I WILL have the charity to fuppofe that some are even ignorant themfelves, that they have this vice in their compofition; but then I must beg leave to ask them why they are fo ?-Has an examination into ones own heart never been recommended? Nay, has it not often been enjoined as the first and greatest study of our lives?-Is it not a study which the meaneft, as well as the highest rank of people have it in their power to attend to? And is it not equally neceffary to both? -All have not a ftock of good-nature to enable them to treat their fellow-creatures with that tenderness required of us both by divine and human inftitutions; we ought therefore to fupply that deficiency by principle, which can only flow from reafon and recollection. WHENEVER we hear any invidious reflections caft upon a perfon, is it too much trouble for us juft to think that there may be a poffibility of their being falfe; or fuppofing them too true, that it is none of our business to censure or condemn their faults, even in our own breast, much less to give the liberty to others to do so by favouring the scandal by our report? CRUEL in us it is to infult the weakneffes of human nature, but most base and unjust to accuse where there is no real matter for accufation, as is very often the cafe.-Those who are fond of intelligence of this kind, fhould, whenever they hear any, put this question to their judgment, May not thefe people tell me this on purpose to amufe me, and because they think it pleases me?-Of this here is more than a probability; many a fair reputation A 4 has has been blafted, meerly by the folly I have mentioned, of having fomething new to fay, or thro' a mean defign in the reporters, of ingratiating themselves with fome perfon, who, to his or her fhame, was known to delight in scandal. WOULD every one refolve to give no ear to informations of this nature, how foon they would drop-It is by encouragement that ftories, derogatory to the honour of the perfons mentioned, gather ftrength; and in my opinion, those who give attention to them, are equally culpable with the relators. What then must it be to repeat them to take pleasure in founding the trumpet of infamy, and exulting at their fallen virtue, we fhould rather commiferate, and use our best endeavours to retrieve?-O there are no words to paint a difpofition fo barbarous, fo inconfiftent. with the character of womanhood! THERE are fome who are poffeffed of a notion, falfe and abfurd as it is, that the deftruction of other peoples reputation is the building up of their own; that whatever good qualities they have, or would be thought to have, will be rendered more confpicuous, by throwing a shade over those of every body elfe: but this is fo far from anfwering the purpose aimed at by it, that it often gives the hearers a fufpicion that the woman, who is fo fond of expatiating on the faults and follies of her neighbour, does it only with a view of drawing off any attention to her own; nor are they always mistaken who judge in this manner of detraction. BUT fuppofing the fubject of our ridicule be ever fo juft, that the errors we condemn are so obvious, that there is not the least room to doubt of them, |