ing neglected; and makes the drawers abroad, his valet de chambre and footman at home, know, he is not to be provoked without danger. This is not the Fire that animates the noble Marinus, a youth of good nature, affability, and moderation. He commands his fhip as an Intelligence moves its orb: He is the vital life, and his officers the limbs of the machine. His vivacity is feen in doing all the offices of life with readiness of spirit, and propriety in the manner of doing. them. To be ever active in laudable purfuits, is the diftinguishing character of a man of merit; while the common behaviour of every gay coxcomb of Fire is, to be confidently in the wrong, and dare to perfift in it, Will's Coffee-house, Auguft 29. It is a common objection against writings of a fatirical mixture, that they hurt men in their reputations, and confequently in their fortunes and poffeffions: but a Gentleman who frequents this room declared, he was of opinion it ought to be fo, provided fuch performances lad their proper reftrictions. The greatest evils in human fociety are fuch as no law can come at ; as in the cafe of ingratitude, where the manner of obliging very often leaves the benefactor without means of demanding justice, though that very circumftance fhould be more binding to the perfon who has received the benefit. On fuch an occafion, fhall it be poffible for the malefactor to escape and is it not lawful to fet marks upon perfons,who live within the law, and do bafe things? fhall not we ufe the fame protection of those laws to punish them, which they have to defend themselves? We shall there-fore take it for a very moral action to find a good appel,lation for offenders, and to turn them into ridicule uncer feigned names. I am advertised by a letter, of August the twenty-fifth, that the name of Coppersmith has very much wanted explanation in the city, and by that means unjustly given,, thofe who are confcious they deferve it themselves, to an honeft and worthy citizen belonging to the Copperoffice; but that word is framed out of a moral confideration of wealth amongst men, whereby he, that has gotten by any any part of it by injustice and extortion, is to be thought: in the eye of virtuous men fo much the poorer for fuch gain. Thus all the gold which is torn from our neighbours, by making advantage of their wants, is Copper; and I authorize the Lombards to diftinguish themselves accordingly. All the honeft, who make a reafonable profit, both for the advantage of themfelves and those they deal with, are Goldfmiths; but those who tear unjustly all they can, Copperfmiths. At the fame time [. defire him who is moft guilty, to fit down fatisfied with riches and contempt, and be known by the title of "The Copperfmith;" as being the chief of that re fpected, contemptible fraternity.. This is the cafe of all others mentioned in our Lucu-brations; particularly of Stentor, who goes on in his. vociferations at Saint Paul's with fo much obftinacy, that he has received admonition from Saint Peter's for it, from a person of eminent wit and piety; but who is by old age reduced to the infirmity of fleeping at a fervice, to which he has been fifty years attentive; and whofe death, whenever it happens, may, with that of the faints, well be called,,Falling asleep for the innocence of his. life makes him expect it as indifferently as he does his. ordinary reft. This gives him a chearfulness of fpirit to rally on his own weakness, and hath made him write to Stentor to hearken to my admonitions. Brother Stentor,. faid he, for the repofe of the church, hearken to Bickerfaf; and confider that while you are fo devout at Saint Paul's, we cannot fleep for you at Saint Peter's. : From my own Apartment, August 29.. There has been lately fent me a much harder queftion than was ever yet put to me, fince I profeffed Aftrology;; to wit, how far, and to what age, women ought to make their Beauty their chief concern? The regard and care of their faces and perfons are as variously to be confidered, as their complexions themselves differ; but if one may tranfgrefs against the careful practice of the fair Sex fo much as to give an opinion against it, I humbly prefume, that lefs care, better applied, would encreafe their empire, and make it last as long as life.. Whereas now, from their own example, we take our efteem of their merit from it; for it is very juft, that the who values herself only on her Beauty, thould be regarded by others on no other confideration. There is certainly a liberal and pedantic education among women, as well as men; and the merit lafts aċcordingly. She therefore that is bred with freedom, and in good company, confiders men according to their refpective characters and diftinctions; while fhe, that is locked up from fuch observations, will confider her father's butler, not as a butler, but as a man. In like manner, when men converfe with women, the well-bred and intelligent are looked upon with an obfervation fuitable to their different talents and accomplishments, without refpect to their Sex; while a mere woman can be obferved under no confideration but that of a woman; and there can be but one reafon for placing any value upon her, or lofing time in her company. Wherefore I am of opinion, that the rule for pleafing long is, to obtain fuch qualifications as would make them fo, were they not women. Let the beauteous Cleomira then fhew us her real face, and know that every stage of life has its peculiar charms, and that there is no neceffity for fifty to be fifteen : That childish colouring of her cheeks is now as ungraceful, as that shape would have been when her face wore its real countenance. She has fenfe, and ought to know, that if he will not follow Nature, Nature will follow her. Time then has made that perfon which had, when I vifited her grandfather, an agreeable bloom, fprightly air, and foft utterance, now no lefs graceful in a lovely afpect, an awful manner, and maternal wifdom. But her heart was fo fet upon her firft character, that she neglects and repines at her prefent; not that he is against a more stayed conduct in others, for fhe recommends gravity, circumfpection, and feverity of countenance to her daughter. Thus, against all chronology, the girl is the Sage, the mother the fine Lady. But thefe great evils proceed from an unaccountable wild method in the education of the better half of the world, the Women. We have no fuch thing as a ftandard for good breeding. I was the other day at my Lady Wealthy's, and afked one of her daughters, how the did? She answered, fhe never converfed with men. The fame day I vifited at lady Plantwell's, and asked her daughter the fame queftion. She anfwers, What is that to you, you old thief? And gives me a flap on the fhoulders. I defy any man in England, except he knows the family before he enters, to be able to judge whether he fhall be agreeable or not, when he comes into it. You find either fome odd old woman, who is permitted to rule as long as the lives, in hopes of her death, and to interrupt all things; or fome impertinent young woman, who will talk filily upon the ftrength of looking beautifully. I will not anfwer for it, but it may be, that I (like all other old fellows) have a fondness for the fashions and manners which prevailed when I was young and in fashion myfelf. But certain it is, that the tafte of grace and Beauty is very much lowered. The fine women they fhew me now-a-days are at beft but pretty girls to me who have feen Sacharissa, when all the world repeated the poems fhe infpired; and Villaria, when a youthful King was her fubject. The Things you follow, and make fongs on now, fhould be fent to knit, or fit down to bobbins or bone-lace: They are indeed neat, and fo' are their fempftreffes; they are pretty, and fo are their hand-maids. But that graceful motion, that awful mien, and that winning attraction, which grew upon them from the thoughts and conversations they met with in my time, are now no more feen. They tell me I am old: 1 am glad I am fo; for I do not like your prefent young Ladies. Thofe among us, who fet up for any thing of decorum, do fo mistake the matter, that they offend on the other fide. Five young Ladies, who are of no fmall fame for their great severity of manners, and exemplary behaviour, would lately go no where with their lovers but to an organ-loft in a church; where they had a cold treat, and fome few opera fongs, to their great refreshment and edification. Whether these prudent perfons had not been as much fo, if this had been done at a tavern, is not very hard to determine. It is fuch filly starts and incoherences as these, which undervalue the the beauteous Sex, and puzzle us in our choice of sweetnefs of temper and fimplicity of manners, which are the only tafting charms of woman. But I must leave this important fubject, at prefent, for fome matters which prefs for publication; as you will obferve in the following letter: Dear Sir, T with a rifing family; though at this time, zeal to my country, not intereft, calls me out. The city"forces being shortly to take the field, all good Pro"teftants would be pleased that their arms and valour "fhould fhine with equal luftre. A council of war was lately held, the Honourable Colonel Mortar being "prefident. After many debates, it was unannimously "refolved, That Major Blunder, a most expert officer, "should be detached for Birmingham to buy arms, and "to prove his fire-locks on the fpot, as well to prevent: expence, as difappointment in the day of battle. The "Major, being a perfon of confummate experience,. "was invefted with a difcretionary power. He knew "from antient ftory, that fecuring the rear, and making 66 a glorious retreat, was the most celebrated piece of "conduct. Accordingly fuch measures were taken to prevent furprize in the rear of his arms, that even "Pallas herself, in the fhape of ruft, could not invade them. They were drawn into close order,. firmly, "embodied, and arrived fecurely without touch-holes. "Great and national actions deferve popular applause; "and as praise is no expence to the Public, therefore,. "dearest Kinfman, I communicate this to you, as well, "to oblige this nursery of heroes, as to do juftice to my native country. Lam London, Aug. 26, Your moft affectionate kinfman, Offspring Twig, 4. A wars |