defigns to begin with that cluster of wife-heads, as they are found fitting every evening from the left fide of the fire, at the Smyrna, to the door. This will be of great fervice for us, and I have authority to promise an exact journal of their deliberations, the publication of which I am to be allowed for pin-money. In the mean time I caft my eye upon a new book, which gave me a more pleafing entertainment, being a fixth part of mifcellany poems, published by Jacob Tonfon, which I find, by my brother's notes upon it, no way inferior to the other volumes. There are, it seems, in this a collection of the best pastorals that have hitherto appeared in England, but among them none fuperior to that dialogue between Sylvia and Dorindo, written by one of my own fex, where all our little weaknesses are laid open in a manner more just and with truer raillery than ever man yet hit upon: Only this I now difcern, From the things thou'dft have me learn ; From paft or prefent beauties rise. But to reaffume my first design, there cannot be a greater instance of the command of females than in the prevailing charms of the heroine in the play which was acted this night, called, "All for Love; or, The World well Loft." The enamoured Anthony refigns glory and power to the force of the attractive Cleopatra, whofe charms were the defence of her diadem against a people otherwise invincible. It is fo natural for women to talk of themselves, that it is to be hoped all my own fex, at least, will pardon me that I could fall into no other discourse. If we have their favour, we give ourselves very little anxiety for the rest of our readers. I believe I fee a fentence of Latin in my brother's day-book of wit which seems applicable on this occafion, and in contempt of the critics, Triftitiam et metus Tradam protervis in mare Creticum Portare ventis. HOR. I. OD. xxvi. 2. Y brother has made an excurfion into the country, and the work against Saturday lies upon me. I am very glad I have got pen and ink in my hand, for I have for fome time longed for his abfence, to give a right idea of things, which I thought he put in a very odd light, and fome of them to the disadvantage of my own fex. It is much to be lamented, that it is neceffary to make difcourfes and publish treatises, to keep the horrid creatures, the men, within the rules of common decency. Turning over the papers of memorials or hints for the enfuing difcourfes, I find a letter fubfcribed by Mr. Truman. "SIR, "I am lately come to town, and have read your works with much pleasure. You make wit fubfervient to good principles and good manners. Yet, because I defign to buy the Tatlers' for my daughters to read, I take the freedom to defire you for the future, to fay nothing about any combat between Alexander and Thaleftris." This offence gives me occafion to exprefs myself with the refentment I ought, on people who take liberties of speech before that fex of whom the honoured names of mother, daughter, and fifter are a part; I had like to have named wife in the number, but the senseless world are so mistaken in their fentiments of pleasure, that the most amiable term in human life is become the derifion of fools and fcorners. My brother and I have at least fifty times quarrelled upon this topick. I ever argue, that the frailties of women are to be imputed to the falfe ornaments which men of wit put upon our folly and coquetry. He lays all the vices of men upon women's fecret approbation of libertine characters in them. I did not care to give up a point; but, now he is out of the way, I cannot but own I believe there is very much in what he afferted; for, if you will believe your eyes, and own that the wickedest and wittieft of them all marry one day or other, it is impoffible to believe that if a man thought he should be for ever incapable of being received by a woman of merit and honour, he would perfist in an abandoned way, and deny himself the poffibility of enjoying the happiness of well-governed defires, orderly fatisfactions, and honourable methods of life! If our sex were wife, a lover fhould have a certificate from the last woman he served, how he was turned away, before he was received into the service of another. But, at present, any vagabond is welcome, provided he promises to enter into our livery. It is wonderful that we will not take a footman without credentials from his last master; and, in the greatest concern of life, we make no fcruple of falling into a treaty with the most notorious offender in his behaviour against others. But this breach of commerce between the sexes proceeds from an unaccountable prevalence of custom, by which a woman is to the last degree reproachable for being deceived, and a man fuffers no lofs of credit for being a deceiver. Since this tyrant humour has gained place, why are we represented in the writings of men in ill figures for artifice in our carriage, when we have to do with a profeffed impoftor? When oaths, imprecations, vows, and adorations, are made use of as words of course, what arts are not necessary to defend us from fuch as glory in the breach of them? As for my part, I am refolved to hear all, and believe none of them, and therefore folemnly declare no vow shall deceive me but that of marriage; for I am turned of twenty, and being of a small fortune, fome wit, and (if I can believe my lovers and my glass) handsome, I have heard all that can be faid towards my undoing, and shall therefore, for warning fake, give an account of the offers that have been made me, my manner of rejecting them, and my affistances to keep my refolution. In the fixteenth year of my life I fell into the acquaintance of a lady extremely well known in this town for the quick advancement of her husband, and the honours and diftinctions which her industry has procured him and all who belong to her. This excellent body fat next to me for fome months at church, and took the liberty (which she said her years and the zeal she had for my welfare gave her claim to) to affure me that she observed some parts in my behaviour which would lead me into errors, and give encouragement to some to entertain hopes I did not think of. "What made you,” said she, "look through your fan at that lord, when your eyes should have been turned upwards, or closed in attention upon better objects ?" I blushed, and pretended fifty odd excufes,but confounded myself the more. She wanted nothing but to fee that confufion, and goes on-"Nay, child, do not be troubled that I take notice of it,—my value for you made me speak it; for though he is my kinsman, I have a nearer regard to virtue than any other confideration." She had hardly done speaking, when this noble lord came up to us and led her to her coach. My head ran all that day and night on the exemplary carriage of this woman, who could be fo virtuously impertinent as to admonish one she was hardly acquainted with. However, it struck upon the vanity of a girl, that, it may poffibly be, his thoughts might have been as favourable of me as mine were amorous of him; and as unlikely things as that have happened, if he should make me his wife. She never mentioned this more to me; but I still in all publick places stole looks at this man, who eafily obferved my paffion for him. It is fo hard a thing to check the return of agreeable thoughts, that he became my dream, my vifion, my food, my wish, my torment. That minifter of darknefs, the lady Sempronia, perceived too well the temper I was in, and would one day after evening fervice needs take me to the park. When we were there, my lord paffes by-I flushed into a flame. “Mrs. Distaff,” says she, “you may very well remember the concern I was in upon the first notice I took of your regard to that lord; and forgive me, who had a tender friendship for your mother (now in the grave), that I am vigilant of your conduct." She went on with much feverity, and after great folicitation prevailed on me to go with her into the country, and there fpend the enfuing fummer out of the way of a man fhe faw I loved, and one whom she perceived meditated my ruin, by frequently defiring her to introduce him to me, which she abfolutely refused, except he would give his honour that he had no other defign but to marry me. To her country-house a week or two after we went. There was at the farther end of her garden a kind of wilderness, in the middle of which ran a soft rivulet by an arbour of jessamine; in this place I ufually paffed my retired hours, and read some romantic or poetical tale till the close of the evening. It was near that time in the heat of the summer, when gentle winds, foft murmurs of water, and notes of nightingales had given my mind an indolence which added to that repofe of foul twilight, and the end of a warm day naturally throws upon the fpirits. It was at fuch an hour, and in fuch a ftate of tranquillity I fat, when, to my inexpreffible amazement, I faw my lord walking towards me, whom I knew not till that moment to have been in the country. I could observe in his approach, the perplexity which attends a man big with defign; and I had, while he was coming forward, time to reflect that I was betrayed, the fenfe of which gave me a refentment fuitable to such a baseness: but when he entered into the bower where I was, my heart flew towards him, and I confess a certain joy came into my mind, with a hope that he might then make a declaration of honour and paffion. This threw my eye upon him with such tenderness as gave him power, with a broken accent, to begin. "Madam,- -you will wonder- -for it is certain you must have observedthough I fear you will mifinterpret the motives--But by heaven and all that's facred! if you could Here he |