overwhelmed with infamy and the reproach of mankind, which they feel more severely than those who have less integrity, and, consequently, a worse opinion of others than they have, are exposed, for a time, to all the torment of conscious turpitude. The blush of guilty confufion often inflames the complexion of innocence, and disorders her lovely features. To be refcued from undeserved affliction, Imogen flies for relief to the review of her former conduct; and, furprized at the accufation, and indignant of the charge, she triumphs in confcious virtue. False to his bed! what is to be falfe? To lie in watch there, and to think on him? Yet resentment is so natural in cafes of heinous injury, that it arifes even in minds of the mildest temper. It arises, however, without any excessive or unseemly agitaN2 tion: tion: Its duration is exceedingly tranfient. It is governed in its utterance by the memory of former friendship: And, if the blame can be transferred to any infidious or fly seducer who may have prompted the evil we complain of, we wreck upon them the violence of our displeasure. I false! thy confcience witness, Iachimb The resentment of Imogen is of short continuance: It is a sudden solitary flash, extinguished instantly in her forrow. Poor I am stale, a garment out of fashione It is not the malice of a crafty step-dame that moves the heart of Imogen to complain; nor the wrath of her incensed and deluded parent; nor that she, bred up in softness, § The word painting in this passage is a substantive noun, synonimous to portrait, softness, and little accustomed to suffer hardships and forrow, should wander amid folitary rocks and desarts, exposed to perils, famine, and death: It is, that she is forsaken, betrayed, and persecuted by him, on whose constancy she relied for protection, and to whose tenderness she entrusted her repose. Of other evils she is not insensible; but this is the " fupreme crown " of her grief." Cruelty and ingratitude are abhorred by the spectator, and resented by the sufferer. But, when the temper of the person injured is peculiarly gentle, and the author of the injury the object of confirmed affection, the mind, after the first emotion, is more apt to languish in despondency than continue inflamed with resentment. The sense of misfortune, rather than the sense of injury, rules the difpofition of Imogen, and, instead of venting invective, she laments the mifery of her condition. Poor I am ftale, a garment out of fashion; And, for I am richer than to hang by the walls, I must be ript.-To pieces with me ! If a crime is committed by a person with whom we are unconnected, or who has no pretenfions to pre-eminent virtue, we feel indignation against the individual; but form no conclufions against the species. The case is different, if we are connected with him by any tender affection, and regard him as of superior merit. Love and friendship, according to the immutable conduct of every passion, lead us to magnify, in our imaginations, the diftinguished qualities of those we love. The reft of mankind are ranked in a lower order, and are valued no otherwise than as they resemble this illustrious model. But, perceiving depravity where we expected perfection, mortified and difappointed, that appearances of rectitude, believed by us most fincere and unchangeable, were merely specious and exterior, we become fufpicious suspicious of every pretenfion to merit, and regard the rest of mankind, of whose integrity we have had less positive evidence, with cautious and unkind referve. True honest men being heard, like false Æneas, Were, in his time, thought false: And Sinon's weeping Did scandal many a holy tear; took pity Imogen, conscious of her innocence, convinced of Leonatus's perfidy, and overwhelmed with forrow, becomes careless of life, and offers herself a willing sacrifice to her husband's cruelty. Be thou honest: Do thou thy master's bidding: When thou seest him, A little witness my obedience. Look! I draw the sword myself: take it, and hit The innocent manfion of my love, my heart: Pr'ythee, dispatch: The lamb intreats the butcher. Where's thy knife? Thou |