Si non eraffet, fecerrat ille minus.-MART. i. 22.
Had he not err'd, his glory had been lef

HAT which we call gallantry to women, feems to be the heroic virtue of private perfons; and there never breathed one man, who did not, in that part of his days wherein he was recommending himself to his mistress, do fomething beyond his ordinary courfe of life. As this has a very great effect, even upon the moft flow and common men, fo, upon fuch as it finds qualified with virtue and merit, it fhines out in proportionable degrees of excellence. It gives new grace to the most eminent accomplishments; and he who of himself has either wit, wisdom, or valour, exerts each of thefe noble endowments when he becomes a lover, with a certain beauty of action above what was ever obferved in him before. And all who are without any one of thefe qualities, are to be looked upon as the rabble of mankind.

I was talking after this manner in a corner of this place with an old acquaintance, who, taking me by the hand, faid, Mr. Bickerstaff, your difcourfe recalls to my mind a story which I have longed to tell you ever fince I read that article, wherein you defire your friends to give you accounts of obfcure merit. The story I had of him is literally true, and well known to be fo in the country wherein the circumftances were tranfacted. He acquainted me with the names of the perfons concerned, which I shall change into feigned ones, there being a respect

due to their families that are still in being, as well as that the names themselves would not be fo familiar to an English ear. The adventure really happened in Denmark; and if I can remember all the paffages, I doubt not but it will be as moving to my readers as it was to me.

Clarinda and Chloe, two very fine women, were bred up as fifters in the family of Romeo, who was the father of Chloe and the guardian of Clarinda. Philander, a young gentleman of a good perfon and a charming converfation, being a friend of old Romeo's, frequented his house, and by that means was much in conversation with the young ladies, though still in the presence of the father and the guardian. The ladies both entertained a fecret paffion for him, and could fee well enough, notwithstanding the delight which he really took in Romeo's conversation, that there was something more in his heart which made him fo affiduous a vifitant. Each of them thought herself the happy woman; but the perfon beloved was Chloe. It happened that both of them were at a play in a carnival evening, when it is the fashion there (as well as in moft countries of Europe) both for men and women to appear in masks and disguises. It was on that memorable night in the year 1679, when the playhouse by some unhappy accident was fet on fire. Philander, in the first hurry of the difafter, immediately ran where his treasure was, burst open the door of the box, fnatched the lady up in his arms and with unspeakable refolution and good fortune carried her off fafe. He was no fooner out of the crowd but he fet her down, and grafping her in his arms, with all the raptures of a deferving lover, "How happy am I," fays he, "in an opportunity to tell you I love you more than all things, and of fhewing you the fincerity of my paffion at the very first declaration of it." "My dear, dear Philander," fays the lady, pulling off her mask, "this is not a time for art; you are much dearer to me than the life you have preferved; and the joy of my perfect deliverance does not tranfport me so much as the paffion which occafioned it." Who can tell the grief, the astonishment, the terror, that appeared in the face of Philander, when he faw the perfon he spoke to was Clarinda. After a short pause, "Madam," fays he, with the looks of a dead man, "we are both mistaken," and immediately flew

away, without hearing the diftreffed Clarinda, who had just · ftrength to cry out, "Cruel Philander! Why did you not leave me in the theatre?" Crowds of people immediately gathered about her, and after having brought her to herself, conveyed her to the house of the good, old, unhappy Romeo. Philander was now preffing against a whole tide of people at the doors of the theatre, and striving to enter with more earnestness than any there endeavoured to get out. He did it

at last, and with much difficulty forced his way to the box where his beloved Chloe ftood, expecting her fate amidst this fcene of terror and distraction. She revived at the fight of Philander, who fell about her neck with a tenderness not to be expreffed, and amidst a thousand fobs and fighs told her his love and his dreadful mistake. The ftage was now in flames and the whole houfe full of fmoke; the entrance was quite barred up with heaps of people, who had fallen upon one another as they endeavoured to get out; fwords were drawn, fhrieks heard on all fides, and in fhort, no poffibility of an escape for Philander himself, had he been capable of making it without his Chloe. But his mind was above fuch a thought and wholly employed in weeping, condoling, and comforting. He catches her in his arms, The fire furrounds them, while -I cannot go on

Were I an infidel, misfortunes like this would convince me that there must be a hereafter; for who can believe, that fo much virtue could meet with fo great distress without a following reward. As for my part I am fo old-fashioned, as firmly to believe, that all who perish in fuch generous enterprises, are relieved from the further exercise of life; and Providence, which fees their virtue confummate and manifeft, takes them to an immediate reward, in a being more fuitable to the grandeur of their fpirits. What else can wipe away our tears, when we contemplate fuch undeferved, fuch irreparable diftreffes? It was a fublime thought in some of the heathens of old: