viz. a thick wadded callico wrapper, a musk-coloured velvet mantle lined with squirrel skins, eight night-shifts, four pair of silk stockings curiously darned, six pair of laced shoes, new and old, with the heels of half two inches higher than their fellows; a quilted petticoat of the largest size, and one of canvas and whale-bone hoops; three pair of stays, bolstered below the left shoulder, two pair of hips of the newest fashion, six roundabout aprons with pockets, and four striped muslin night-rails very little frayed; a silver pot for coffee or chocolate, the lid much bruised; a broad brimmed flat silver plate for sugar with Rhenish wine; a silver ladle for plumb-porridge; a silver cheese-toaster with three tongues, an ebony handle, and silvering at the end; a silver posnet to butter eggs; one caudle and two cordial-water cups, two cocoa-cups, and an ostrich's egg, with rims and feet of silver, a marrow-spoon with a scoop at the other end, a silver orange-strainer, eight sweet-meat spoons made with forks at the end, an agate-handle knife and fork in a sheath, a silver tongue-scraper, a silver tobacco-box, with a tulip graved on the top; and a Bible bound in shagreen, with gilt leaves and clasps, never opened but once. Also a small cabinet, with six drawers inlaid with red tortoise-shell, and brass gilt ornaments at the four corners, in which were two leather forehead-cloaths, three pair of oiled dog-skin gloves, seven cakes of superfine Spanish wool, half-adozen of Portugal dishes, and a quire of paper from thence; two pair of bran-new plumpers, four black-lead combs, three pair of fashionable eye-brows, two sets of ivory teeth, little the worse for wearing, and one pair of box for common use; Adam and Eve in bugle-work, without fig-leaves, upon canvas, curiously wrought with her ladyship's own hand; several filligrane curiosities; a crotchet of one hundred and twenty-two diamonds, set strong and deep in silver, with a rump-jewel after the same fashion; bracelets of braided hair, pomander and seed-pearl; a large old purple velvet purse embroidered, and shutting with a spring, containing two pictures in minia *This was the wine denoted by the name of Sack. It was so called from its being imported in sacks, or borachios, and it was used with sugar. ture, the features visible; a broad thick gold ring with a handin-hand engraved upon it, and within this poesy, "While life does last, I'll hold thee fast ;" another set round with small rubies and sparks, six wanting; another of Turkey stone, cracked through the middle; an Elizabeth and four Jacobus's, one guinea, the first of the coin, an angel with a hole bored through, a broken half of a Spanish piece of gold, a crownpiece with the breeches, an old nine-pence bent both ways by Lilly the almanack maker for luck at langteraloo, and twelve of the shells called blackmoor's teeth; one small amber box with apoplectic balsam, and one silver gilt of a larger size for cashu and carraway comfits, to be taken at long sermons, the lid enamelled, representing a Cupid fishing for hearts, with a piece of gold on his hook; over his head this rhyme, "Only with gold, You me shall hold." In the lower drawer was a large new gold repeating watch made by a Frenchman; a gold chain, and all the proper appurtenances hung upon steel swivels, to wit, lockets with the hair of dead and living lovers, seals with arms, emblems and devices cut in cornelian, agate, and onyx, with cupids, hearts, darts, altars, flames, rocks, pickaxes, roses, thorns, and sun-flowers; as also variety of ingenious French mottos; together with gold etuys for quills, scissars, needles, thimbles, and a spunge dipped in Hungary water, left but the night before by a young lady going upon a frolic incog. There was also a bundles of letters, dated between the years one thousand six hundred and seventy and one thousand six hundred and eighty two, most of them signed Philander, the rest Strephon, Amyntas, Corydon, and Adonis ; together with a collection of receipts to make pastes for the hands, pomatums, lip-salves, white-pots, beautifying cream, water of talc* and frog spawn water; decoctions for clearing the complexion, and an approved medicine to procure abortion. Whoever can discover the aforesaid goods, so that they * Water of talc was in repute as a cosmetic among the ladies of Ben Jonson's age. It had its name from curing a malady incident to sheep, which was so called, may be had again, shall have fifty guineas for the whole, or proportionable for any part. 66 N.B. Her ladyship is pleased to promise ten pounds for the packet of letters over and above, or five for Philander's only, being her first love. 'My lady bestows those of Strephon to the finder, being so written, that they may serve to any woman who reads them." P.S. As I am a patron of persons who have no other friend to apply to, I cannot suppress the following complaint: "SIR, "I am a blackmoor boy, and have, by my lady's order, been christened by the chaplain. The good man has gone farther with me, and told me a great deal of good news; as, that I am as good as my lady herself as I am a Christian, and many other things: but for all this, the parrot, who came over with me from our country, is as much esteemed by her as I am. Besides this, the shock-dog has a collar that cost almost as much as mine. I desire also to know, whether now I am a Christian, I am obliged to dress like a Turk, and wear a turban. I am, sir, "Your most humble servant, POMPEY. * * Blackamoor boys were at this date in much request as pages to ladies of fashion. They were generally named Pompey, and wore a silver collar round their neck. ADVICE TO A NORTHERN LASS. No. 247. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1710. [STEELE.] Edepol, næ nos æquè sumus omnes invisæ viris Propter paucas, quæ omnes faciunt dignæ ut videamur malo. How unjustly TER. Hecyr. II. iii. 1. Do husbands stretch their censure to all wives By MRS. JENNY DISTAFF, Half-sister to MR. BICKERSTAFF. My brother having written the above piece of Latin, desired me to take care of the rest of the ensuing paper. Towards this he bid me answer the following letter, and said, nothing I could write properly on the subject of it would be disagreeable to the motto. It is the cause of my sex, and I therefore enter upon it with great alacrity. The epistle is literally thus: "MR. BICKERSTAFF, Edenburgh, Oct. 23. "I presume to lay before you an affair of mine, and begs you'le be very sinceir in giving me your judgment and advice in this matter, which is as follows: "A very agreeable young gentleman, who is endowed with all the good qualities that can make a man complete, has this long time maid love to me in the most passionat manner that was posable. He has left nothing unsaid to make me believe his affections real; and, in his letters, expressed himself so hansomly and so tenderly, that I had all the reason imaginable to believe him sincere. In short, he positively has promised me he would marry me but I find all he said nothing; for when the question was put to him, he would not; but still would continue my humble servant, and would go on at the ould rate, repeating the assurences of his fidelity, and at the same time has none in him. He now writs to me in the same endearing style he ust to do, would have me spake to no man but himself. His estate is in his own hand, his father being dead. My fortune at my own disposal, mine being also dead, and to the full answers his estate. Pray, sir, be ingeinous, and tell me cordially, if you dont think I shall do myself an injury if I keep company, or a corospondance any longer with this gentleman. I hope you will faver an honest North-Britain, as I am, with your advice in this amour; for I am resolved just to follow your directions. Sir, you will do me a sensable pleasure, and very great honour, if you will please to insirt this poor scrole, with your answer to it, in your Tatler. Pray fail not to give me your answer; for on it depends the happiness of "MADAM, "Disconsolat ALMEIRA." "I have frequently read over your letter, and am of opinion, that, as lamentable as it is, it is the most common of any evil that attends our sex. I am very much troubled for the tenderness you express towards your lover, but rejoice at the same time that you can so far surmount your inclination for him, as to resolve to dismiss him when you have my brother's opinion for it. His sense of the matter he desired me to communicate to you. Oh Almeira! the common failing of our sex is to value the merit of our lovers rather from the grace of their address, than the sincerity of their hearts. He has expressed himself so handsomely! Can you say that, after you have reason to doubt his truth? It is a melancholy thing, that in this circumstance of love, which is the most important of all others in female life, we women who are, they say, always weak, are still weakest. The true way of valuing a man, is to consider his reputation among the men. For want of this necessary rule towards our conduct, when it is too late, we find ourselves married to the outcasts of that sex; and it is generally from being disagreeable among men, that fellows endeavour to make themselves pleasing to us. The little accomplishments of coming into a room with a good |