To compleat my fufferings, fhe has teafed me for this quarter of a year laft paft, to remove into one of the fquares at the other end of the town, promising for my encouragement, that I fhall have as good a cockloft as any gentleman in the fquare; to which the honourable Oddly Enville, Efq; always adds, like a jack· a-napes as he is, that he hopes it will be as near the court as poffible. In fhort, Mr. Spectator, I am fo much out of my na tural element, that to recover my old way of life I would be content to begin the world again, and be plain Jack Anvil; but alas! I am in for life, and am bound to fubfcribe myself, with great forrow of heart, Greater than this,, of a quite different kind. Mr. Spectator, W POOLY HEN you talk of the fubject of love, and the relations arifing from it, methinks you should take care to leave no fault unobferved which concerns the state of marriage. The great vexation that I have obferved in it, is that the wedded couple feem to want opportunities of being often enough alone together, and are forced to quarrel and be fond before company. Mr. Hotfpur and his lady, in a room full of their friends, are ever faying fomething fo fmart to each other, and that but juft within rules, that the whole company ftand in the utmoft anxiety and fufpence for fear of their falling into extremities ⚫ which 13 which they could not be prefent at. On the other fide, Tom Faddle and his pretty fpoufe wherever they come are billing at fuch a rate, as they think muft do our hearts good to behold them. Cannot you poffibly propofe a mean between being wafps and doves in public? 'I fhould think if you advised to hate or love fincerely it would be better: for if they would be fo difcreet as to hate from the very bottom of their hearts, their averfion would be too ftrong for little gibes every mo· ment; and if they loved with that calm and noble value which dwells in the heart, with a warmth like that of life-blood, they would not be fo impatient of their paffion as to fall into obfervable fondnefs. This method, in each cafe, would fave appearances; but as thofe who offend on the fond fide are by much the fewer, I would have you begin with them, and go on to take notice of a mcft impertinent licence married women take, not only to be very loving to their spoufes in public, but alfo make naufeous allufions to private familiarities, and the like. Lucina is a lady of the greatest difcretion, you must know, in the world; and withal very much a phyfician: upon the ftrength of thefe two qualities thee is nothing fhe will not fpeak of before us virgins; and the every day talks with a very grave air in fuch a manner, as is very improper fo much as to be hinted at, but to obviate the greatest extremity. Thofe whom they call good bodies, notable people, hearty neighbours, and the pureft goodeft company in the world, " are the great offenders in this kind. Here I think I have laid before you an open field for pleafantry; and hope you will fhew thefe people that at least they are not witty in which you will fave from many a blush a daily fufferer, who is very much. Your moft humble fervant, Sufanna Loveworth.' Mr. 1 • Mr. Spectator, IN N your's of Wednesday the 30th paft, you and your correfpondents are very fevere on a fort of men, ⚫ whom you call male coquets; but without any other reason, in my apprehenfion, than that of paying a thallow compliment to the fair-fex, by accufing foine men of imaginary faults, that the women may not feem to "be the more faulty fex; though at the fame time you fuppofe there are fome fo weak as to be impofed upon by fine things and falfe addreffes. I cannot perfuade myself that your design is to debar the fexes the benefit of each other's conversation, within the rules of honour; nor will you, I dare fay, recommend to them, or encourage the common tea-table talk, much less that of politics and matters of ftate: and if these are forbidden fubjects of difcourfe, then, as long as there are any women in the world who take a pleasure in hearing themfelves praised, and can bear the fight of a man proftrate at their feet, fo long I fhall make no wonder that there are thofe of the other fex who will pay them most impertinent humiliations. We should have few people fuch fools as to practife flattery, if all were so wife as to defpife it. I do not deny but you would do a meritorious act, if you could prevent all impofitions on the fimplicity of young women; but I must confess I do not apprehend you have laid the fault on the proper perfon, and if I trouble you with my thoughts upon it, I promise myself your pardon. Such of the fex as are raw and innocent, and moft expofed to thefe attacks, have, or their parents are much to blame if they have not, one to advise and guard them, and are obliged themfelves to take care of them; but if thefe, who ought to 'hinder men from all opportunities of this fort of converfation, instead of that encourage and promote it, the fufpicion is very juft that there are fome private reafons < for it; and I will leave it to you to determine on which fide a part is then acted. Some women there are who are arrived at years of difcretion, I mean are got out of the hands of their parents and governors, and are fet up for themfelves, who yet are liable to thefe attempts; but if these are prevailed upon, you must excuse me if I lay I 4 the the fault upon them, that their wifdom is not grown ⚫ with their years. My client, Mr. Strephon, whom you ⚫ fummoned to declare himself, gives you thanks, however for your warning, and begs the favour only to enlarge his time for a week, or to the last day of the term, and then he will appear gratis, and pray no day over. • Your's, • Mr. Spectator, I Philanthropos. Was laft night to vifit a lady whom I much efteem, and always took for my friend; but met with fo very different a reception from what I expected, that I' cannot help applying myself to you on this occafion. In the room of that civility and familiarity I ufed to be treated with by her, an affected ftrangeness in her looks, and coldnefs in her behaviour, plainly told me 'I was not the welcome gueft which the regard and ten⚫derness she has often expreffed for me gave me reason to ⚫ flatter myself to think I was. Sir, this is certainly a great fault, and I affure you a very common one; there. 'fore I hope you will think it a fit fubject for some part of a Spectator. Be pleafed to acquaint us how we muft behave ourselves towards this valetudinary friendship, fubject to fo many heats and colds, and you will oblige, Sir, your humble fervant, I SIR, Miranda. late Cannot forbear acknowledging the delight your Spectators on Saturdays have given me; for they are writ in the honeft fpirit of criticism, and called to mind the following four lines I had read long fince in a prologue to a play called Julius Cæfar, which has ⚫ deserved a better fate. The verfes are addreffed to the • little critics. T my "Shew your fmall talent, and let that fuffice ye; "But grow not vain upon it, I advise ye. "For every fop can find out faults in plays: N° 301 Thursday, February 14. Poffint ut juvenes vifere fervidi Dilapfam in cineres facem. Hor. Od. 13. 1: That all may laugh to fee that glaring light, WE 4. ver. 26. ANON. E are generally so much pleased with any little accomplishments, either of body or mind, which have once made us remarkable in the world, that we endeavour to perfuade ourselves it is not in the power of time to rob us of them. We are eternally parfuing the fame methods which first procured us the ap-plauses of mankind. It is from this notion that an author writes on, though he is come to dotage; without ever confidering that his memory is impaired, and that he hath loft that life, and thofe fpirits, which formerly raifed his fancy, and fired his imagination. The fame folly hinders a. man from fubmitting his behaviour to his age, and makes Clodius, who was a celebrated dancer at five and twenty, ftill love to hobble in a minuet, though he is paft threefcore. It is this, in a word, which fills the town with elderly fops, and fuperannuated coquettes. Canidia, a lady of this latter fpecies, paffed by me yesterday in her coach. Canidia was an haughty beauty of the laft age, and was followed by crowds of adorers, whofe paffions only pleafed her, as they gave her opportunities of playing the tyrant. She then contracted that awful caft of the eye and forbidding frown, which she has not yet laid afide, and has still all the infolence of beauty without its charms. If the now attracts the eyes of any beholders, it is only by being remarkably ridiculous; even |
