his Death approaching, offered Sacrifices on the Mountains to the Perfian Jupiter, and the Sun, according to the Cuftom of the Perfians; for those are the Words of the Hiftorian. Nay, the Epicureans and Atomical Philofophers fhewed a very remarkable Modesty in ⚫ this Particular; for though the Being of a God was intirely repugnant to their Schemes of natural Philofophy, they contented themselves with the Denial of a Pro⚫vidence, afferting at the fame Time the Existence of ⚫ Gods in general; because they would not fhock the common Belief of Mankind, and the Religion of their " Country.

L

N° 187. Thursday, October 4.

T

length.

Miferi quibus

Intentata nites

Hor.

HE Intelligence given by this Correspondent is fo important and ufeful, in order to avoid the Perfons he fpeaks of, that I fhall infert his Letter at

Mr. SPECTATOR,

Do not know that you have ever touched upon a certain fpecies of Women, whom we ordinarily call Jilts. You cannot poffibly go upon a more ufeful Work, than the Confideration of thefe dangerous Animals. The Coquette is indeed one Degree towards the Jilt; but the Heart of the former is bent upon admiring her felf, ⚫ and giving falfe Hopes to her Lovers; but the latter is not contented to be extremely amiable, but the must • add to that Advantage a certain Delight in being a • Torment to others. Thus when her Lover is in the full Expectation of Succéfs, the Jilt thall meet him with a fudden Indifference, and Admiration in her Face at his being furprized that he is received like a Stranger, and a Caft of her Head another Way with a pleafant Scorn

4.

⚫ of

་

⚫ of the Fellow's Infolence. It is very probable the Lover goes home utterly aftonifhed and dejected, fits down to 'his Scrutoir, fends her word in the most abject Terms, " That he knows not what he has done; that all which 6 was defirable in this Life is fo fuddenly vanished from him, that the Charmer of his Soul fhould withdraw the 'vital Heat from the Heart which pants for her. He continues a mournful Abfence for fome time, pining in B Secret, and out of Humour with all things which he meets with. At length he takes a Refolution to try his Fate, and explain with her refolutely upon ⚫ her unaccountable Carriage. He walks up to her Apartment, with a thoufand Inquietudes and Doubts in what Manner he fhall meet the first Caft of her Eye; ' when upon his firft Appearance fhe flies towards him, < wonders where he has been, accufes him of his Abfence, and treats him with a Familiarity as furprifing as her former Coldnefs. This good Cerrefpondence continues till the Lady obferves the Lover grows happy in it, and then she interrupts it with fome new Inconfiftency of Behaviour. For (as I juft now faid) the Happiness of a Jilt confifts only in the Power of making others uneafy. But fuch is the Folly of this Sect of Women, that they carry on this pretty skittish Behaviour, till they have no Charms left to render it fupportable. Corinna, that ufed to torment all who converfed with her with falfe Glances, and little heedlefs unguarded Motions, that were to betray 'fome Inclination towards the Man fhe would infnare, finds at prefent all fhe attempts that Way unregarded; and is obliged to indulge the Jilt in her Conftitution, by laying Artificial Plots, writing perplexing Letters 'from unknown Hands, and making all the young Fellows in Love with her, till they find out who fhe is. Thus as before the gave Torment by difguifing her * Inclination, fhe now is obliged to do it by hiding her • Perfon.

AS for my own Part, Mr. SPECTATOR, it has * been my unhappy Fate to be jilted from my Youth upward; and as my Tafte has been very much towards Intrigue and having Intelligence with Women of Wit, my whole Life has paffed away in a Series of • Impe

D 2

Impofitions. I fhall, for the Benefit of the prefent 6 Race of young Men, give fome Account of my Loves.

6

I know not whether you have ever heard of the famous Girl about Town called Kitty: This Creature ⚫ (for I must take Shame upon my felf) was my Mistress in the Days when Keeping was in Fashion. Kitty, under the Appearance of being Wild, Thoughtless, ⚫ and Irregular in all her Words and Actions, concealed the moft accomplished Jilt of her Time. Her Negligence had to me a Charm in it like that of Chastity, ⚫ and Want of Defires feemed as great a Merit as the Conqueft of them. The Air fhe gave her felf was that of a Romping Girl, and whenever I talked to her ⚫ with any Turn of Fondness, she would immediately • fnatch off my Periwig, try it upon her felf in the Glafs, clap her Arms a Kimbow, draw my Sword, and make • Paffes on the Wall, take off my Cravat, and feize it to • make fome other Ufe of the Lace, or run into fome ⚫ other unaccountable Rompishness, till the Time I had appointed to pass away with her was over: I went from her full of Pleafure at the Reflexion that I had the keeping of fo much Beauty in a Woman, who, as fhe was too heedlefs to please me, was alfo too unat<tentive to form a Defign to wrong me. Long did I divert every Hour that hung heavy upon me in the Company of this Creature, whom I looked upon as neither Guilty nor Innocent, but could laugh at my felf for my unaccountable Pleasure in an Expence upon her, till in the End it appeared my pretty Infenfible was ⚫ with Child by my Footman.

6

THIS Accident roufed me into a Difdain against • all Libertine Women, under what Appearance foever they hid their Infincerity, and I refolved after that Time to converfe with none but thofe who lived within the • Rules of Decency and Honour. To this End I formed my felf into a more regular Turn of Behaviour, and began to make Vifits, frequent Affemblies, and lead out Ladies from the Theatres, with all the other infignificant Duties which the profeffed Servants of the Fair place themselves in conftant Readiness to perform. In a very little time, (having a plentiful Fortune) Fathers and Mothers began to regard me as a good Match,

&.

and

' and I found eafy Admittance into the best Families in 'Town to obferve their Daughters; but I, who was born to follow the Fair to no Purpose, have by the Force of my ill Stars made my Application to three Jilts fucceffively. 'HYENA is one of thofe who form themselves into a melancholy and indolent Air, and endeavour to gain Admirers from their Inattention to all around them. Hyena can loll in her Coach, with fomething fo fixed in her Countenance, that it is impoffible to con'ceive her Meditation is employed only on her Drefs and ⚫her Charms in that Pofture. If it were not too coarse a Simile, I should fay Hyena, in the Figure fhe affects to appear in, is a Spider in the midst of a Cobweb, that is fure to deftroy every Fly that approaches it. The Net Hyana throws is fo fine, that you are taken in it before you can obferve any Part of her Work. I attempted ⚫ her for a long and weary Seafon, but I found her Paffion went no farther than to be admired; and the is of ! that unreasonable Temper, as not to value the Inconftancy of her Lovers, provided she can boast she once had their Addreffes.

'BIBLIS was the fecond I aimed at, and her Vanity lay in purchafing the Adorers of others, and not in rejoicing in their Love itself. Biblis is no Man's Mistress, but every Woman's Rival. As foon as I found this, I fell in Love with Chloe, who is my prefent Pleasure and Torment. I have writ to her, danced with her, and fought for her, and have been her Man in the Sight and Expectation of the whole Town these three Years, and thought my felf near the End of my Wishes; when the other Day fhe called me into her Closet, and told me, with a very grave Face, that fhe was a Woman of Honour, and fcorned to deceive a Man who loved her with ⚫ fo much Sincerity as fhe faw I did; and therefore she muft inform me, that she was by Nature the most in'conftant Creature breathing, and begg'd of me not to marry her; If I infifted upon it, I fhould; but that she was lately fallen in Love with another. What to do or fay I know not, but defire you to inform me, and you will infinitely oblige,

SIR, Your most humble Servant,
Charles Yellow.'

ADVERTISEMENT.

Mr. Sly, Haberdasher of Hats, at the Corner of De vereux-Court in the Strand, gives Notice, That he has prepared very neat Hats, Rubbers, and Brushes, for the Ufe of young Tradesmen in their laft Year of Apprenticeship, at reasonable Rates.

N® 188.

Friday, October 5.

Latus fum Laudari à te Laudato viro.

H

Tull.

ge

E is a very unhappy Man who fets his Heart upon being admired by the Multitude, or affects a neral and undistinguishing Applause among Men. What pious Men call the Teftimony of a good Confcience, fhould be the Measure of our Ambition in this Kind; that is to fay, a Man of Spirit fhould contemn the Praife of the Ignorant, and like being applauded for nothing but what he knows in his own Heart he deferves. Befides which the Character of the Perfon who com mends you is to be confidered, before you fet a Value upon his Efteem. The Praise of an ignorant Man is only Good-will, and you fhould receive his Kindness as he is a good Neigbour in Society, and not as a good Judge of your Actions in Point of Fame and Reputation. The Satyrift faid very well of popular Praife and Acclamations, Give the Tinkers and Coblers their Prefents again,and learn to live of your felf. It is an Argument of a loose and ungoverned Mind to be affected with the promifcuous Approbation of the Generality of Mankind; and a Man of Virtue fhould be too delicate for fo coarse an Appetite of Fame. Men of Honour fhould endeavour only to please the Worthy, and the Man of Merit fhould defire to be tried only by his Peers. I thought it a noble Sentiment which I heard Yefterday uttered in Conversation; I know, faid a Gentleman, a Way to be greater than any Man: If he has Worth in him, I can rejoice in his Superiority to me ;

and

that