your Wife. By the latter I shall see whether you can keep a Secret; and if it
is no otherwise material, it will be a wholesome Exercise to your Mind; for the
Practice of any Virtue is a kind of mental Exercise, and serves to maintain the
Health and Vigour of the Soul.«
    »I faithfully promise both,« cries Booth. And now the Breakfast entered the
Room, as did soon after Amelia, and Mrs. Atkinson.
    The Conversation ran chiefly on the Masquerade; and Mrs. Atkinson gave an
Account of several Adventures there; but whether she told the whole Truth with
regard to herself, I will not determine. For certain it is, she never once
mentioned the Name of the noble Peer. Amongst the rest, she said there was a
young Fellow that had preached a Sermon there upon a Stool, in Praise of
Adultery she believed; for she could not get near enough to hear the
Particulars.
    During that Transaction, Booth had been engaged with the blue Domino in
another Room, so that he knew nothing of it; so that what Mrs. Atkinson now
said, only brought to his Mind the Doctor's Letter to Colonel Bath; for to him
he supposed it was written; and the Idea of the Colonel being a Lover to Amelia
struck him in so ridiculous a Light, that it threw him into a violent Fit of
Laughter.
    The Doctor, who, from the natural Jealousy of an Author, imputed the
Agitation of Booth's Muscles to his own Sermon, or Letter on that Subject, was a
little offended, and said gravely: »I should be glad to know the Reason of this
immoderate Mirth. Is Adultery a Matter of Jest in your Opinion?«
    »Far otherwise,« answer'd Booth. »But how is it possible to refrain from
Laughter at the Idea of a Fellow preaching a Sermon in Favour of it at such a
Place.«
    »I am very sorry,« cries the Doctor, »to find the Age is grown to so
scandalous a Degree of Licentiousness; that we have thrown off not only Virtue,
but Decency. How abandoned must be the Manners of any Nation where such Insults
upon Religion and Morality can be committed with Impunity? No Man is fonder of
true Wit and Humour than myself; but to profane sacred Things with Jest and
Scoffing is a sure Sign of a weak and a wicked Mind. It is the very Vice which
Homer attacks in the odious Character of Thersites. The Ladies must excuse my
repeating the Passage to you, as I know you have Greek enough to