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No. XLIV. Saturday, April 7, 1753.

Arcanum neque tu fcrutaberis ullius unquam ; Commiffumque teges, et vino tortus, et ira.

Strive not

Your patron's bofom to explore;
And let not wine or anger wrest

'Th' intrufted fecret from your breaft.

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FRANCIS.

Io ow the following paper to an unknown correspon dent, who fent it to Mr. Payne a few days ago, directed to the Adventurer. As I have no objection to the general principles upon which it is written, I have taken the first opportunity to communicate it to the public: the fubject is unquestionably of great importance; aud as I think it is far from being exhausted, it may poffibly produce another lucubration.

Amongst all the beauties and excellencies of the ancient writers, of which I profefs myself an admirer, there are none which strike me with more veneration, than the precepts they have delivered to us for our conduct in fociety. The fables of the poets, and the narrations of the historians, amaze and delight us with their respective qualifications; but we feel ourselves particularly concerned, when a moral virtue, or a focial obligation is fet before us, the practice of which is our indifpenfible duty: and, perhaps, we are more ready

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to

to obferve thefe inftructions, or at leaft acquiefce fooner in the propriety of them, as the authority of the teacher is unquestionable, the addrefs not particularly confined or levelled, and the cenfure confequently lefs dogmatical.

Of all the virtues which the ancients poffeffed, the zeal and fidelity of tlreir friendships appear to me as the highest diftinctions of their characters. Private perfons, and particular affinities amongst them, have been long celebrated and admired: and if we examine their conduct as companions, we shall find, that the rites of their religion were not more facred, more ftrongly ratified, or more feverely preferved, than their laws of fociety.

The table of friendship, and the altar of facrifice, were equally uncontaminated: the myfteries of Bacchus were enveloped with as many leaves as those of Ceres; and the profanation of either deity excluded the offenders from the affemblies of men; the revealer was judged accurfed, and impiety was thought to ac company his fteps.

Without inveighing against the practice of the pre-fent times, or comparing it with that of the past, I shall only remark, that if we cannot meet together upon the honeft principles of focial beings, there is reason to fear, that we are placed in the most unfortunate and lamentable æra fince the creation of mankind. It is not the increase of vices infeparable from humanity that alarms us, the riots of the licentious, or the outrages of the profligate; but it is the abfence of that integrity, the neglect of that virtue, the contempt of that honour, which by connecting individuals formed fociety, and without which fociety can no longer fubfift. C6

Few.

Few men are calculated for that clofe connection, which we distinguish by the appellation of friendship; and we well know the difference between a friend and an acquaintance: the acquaintance is in a post of progreffion; and after having paffed through a course of proper experience, and given fufficient evidence of his merit, takes a new title, and ranks himself higher. He must now be confidered as in a place of confequence; in which all the ornaments of our nature are neceffary to support him. But the great requifites, thofe without which all others are useless, are fidelity and taciturnity. He must not only be fuperior to loquacious imbecillity, he must be well able to reprefs the attacks of curiofity, and to refift those powerful engines that will be employed against him, wine and refentment. Such are the powers that he must conftantly exert, after a truft is repofed in him and that he may not overload himself, let him not add to his charge, by his own inquiries; let it be a devolved, not an acquired commiffion. Thus accoutred,

-Sub iifdem

:

Sic trabibus, fragilemque mecum.
Salvat Phafelon.

-They who myfteries reveal,

Beneath my roof shall never live,

Shall never hoift with me the doubtful fail.

FRANCIS.

There are as few inftigations in this country to a breach of confidence, as fincerity can rejoice under. The betrayer is for ever shut out from the ways of

men,

men, and his discoveries are deemed the effects of malice. We wifely imagine, he must be actuated by other motives than the promulgation of truth; and we receive his evidence, however we may use it, with contempt. Political exigencies may require a ready reception of fuch private advices; but though the neceffities of government admit the intelligence, the wisdom of it but barely encourages the intelligencer. There is no name fo odious to us, as that of an Informer. The very alarm in our streets at the approach of one, is a fufficient proof of the general abhorrence of this character.

Since thefe are the confequential conditions upon. which men acquire this denomination, it may be asked, what are the inducements to the treachery. I do not fuppofe it always proceeds from the badness of the mind; and indeed I think it is impoffible that it should: weakness discovers what malignity propagates; till at laft, confirmation is required, with all the folemnity of proof, from the first author of the report; who only defigned to gratify his own loquacity, or the importunity of his companion. An idle vanity inclines us to enumerate our parties of mirth and friendship; and we believe our importance is increased, by a recapitulation of the difcourfe, of which we were fuch diftinguished fharers and to fhew that we were esteemed fit to be entrusted with affairs of great concern and privacy, we notably give in our detail of them.

There is, befides, a very general inclination amongst us to hear a fecret, to whomfoever it relates, known or unknown to us, of whatever import, ferious or trifling, fo it be but a fecret: the delight of telling it, and of hearing it, are nearly proportionate and equal. The

poffeffor

poffeffor of the valuable treasure appears indeed rather to have the advantage; and he feems to claim his fuperiority. I have discovered at once in a large com. pany, by an air and deportment that is affumed upon fuch occafions, who it is that is conscious of this happy charge: he appears restless and full of doubt for a confiderable time; has frequent confultations with himself, like a bee undetermined where to settle in a variety of fweets; till at last one happy ear attracts him more forcibly than the rest, and there he fixes, " ftealing and giving odours."

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In a little time it becomes a matter of great amazement, that the whole town is as well acquainted with the story, as the two who were fo bufily engaged; and the confternation is greater, as each reporter is confident, that he only communicated it to one person. "A report," fays Strada, “thus tranfmitted from one " is like a drop of water at the top of a houfe; " it defcends but from tile to tile, yet at last makes its

to one,

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way to the gutter, and then is involved in the gene"ral ftream." And if I may add to the comparifon,. the drop of water, after its progress through all the channels of the ftreets, is not more contaminated with filth and dirt, than a fimple ftory, after it has paffed. through the mouths of a few modern tale-bearers.

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