6 fame Nature. I was the other Day, a little out of • Countenance at a Question of my little Daughter Harriot, who asked me with a great deal of Innocence, why I never told them of the Generals and Admirals that had been in my Family. As for my eldest Son Oddly, he has been fo fpirited up by his Mother, that if ⚫ he does not mend his Manners I fhall go near to difinherit him. He drew his Sword upon me before he ' was nine Years old, and told me that he expected to ⚫ be used like a Gentleman; upon my offering to correct him for his Infolence, my Lady Mary ftept in between us, and told me, that I ought to confider there was. 'fome Difference between his Mother and mine. She is perpetually finding out the Features of her own Relations in every one of my Children, tho' by the way, I have a little Chub-faced Boy as like me as he can stare, if I durft fay fo; but what moft angers me, when she fees me playing with any of them upon my Knee, fhe has begged me more than once to converfe with the • Children as little as poffibly, that they may not learn any of my aukward Tricks. YOU muft farther know, fince I am opening my • Heart to you, that the thinks her felf my Superior in Senfe, as much as she is in Quality, and therefore treats me like a plain well-meaning Man, who does not know the World. She dictates to me in my own Bufinefs, ⚫ fets me right in Point of Trade, and if I difagree with ⚫ her about any of my Ships at Sea, wonders that I will difpute with her, when I know very well that her 'Great Grandfather was a Flag-Officer. TO compleat my Sufferings, fhe has teised me for 'this Quarter of a Year laft pait, to remove into one of the Squares at the other End of the Town, promifing ' for my Encouragement, that I fhall have as good a • Cock-loft as any Gentleman in the Square; to which ⚫ the Honourable Oddly Enville, Efq; always adds, like a Jack-a-napes as he is, that he hopes 'twill be as near the Court as poffible. • IN fhort, Mr. SPECTATOR, I am so much out of 6 my natural 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 my felf, with great Sorrow of Heart, Your humble Servant, John Enville, Knt. N° 3༠༠. 6 Wednesday, February 13. Diverfum vitio vitium propè majus. Hor. Mr. SPECTATOR, W HEN you talk of the Subject of Love, and the Relations arising from it, methinks you fhould take care to leave no Fault unobserved 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. Hotspur and his Lady, in a Room full of their Friends, are ever saying something fo fmart to each other, and that but just within Rules, that the whole Company ftand in the utmoft Anxiety and Sufpence for fear of their falling into Extremities ⚫ which they could not be present at. On the other Side, Tom Faddle and his pretty Spouse wherever they come are billing at fuch a Rate, as they think muft do our Hearts good to behold 'em. Cannot you poffibly propofe a Mean between being Wafps and Doves in Publick? 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 Moment; 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 Appea rances; but as those who offend on the fond Side are by • much 6 6 much the fewer, I would have you begin with them,' and go on to take notice of a most impertinent Licence married Women take, not only to be very loving to their Spouses in publick, but also make naufeous Allufions to private Familiarities, and the like. Lucina is a • Lady of the greatest Discretion, you must know, in the • World; and withal very much a Phyfician: Upon the Strength of these two Qualities there is nothing fhe • will not fpeak of before us Virgins; and fhe 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. Those whom they call good Bodies, notable People, hearty Neighbours, and the purest goodeft Company in the World, are the great Offenders in this Kind. Here I think I have laid before you an open Field for Pleasantry; and hope you will fhew these People that at least they are not witty: In which will fave from many a Blush a daily Sufferer, who is < very much Mr. SPECTATOR, you Your most humble Servant, IN yours 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 Reafon, in my Apprehenfion, than that of paying a 'fhallow Compliment to the fair Sex, by accufing fome Men of imaginary Faults, that the Women may not 'feem to be the more faulty Sex; though at the fame time you suppose there are fome fo weak as to be impofed upon by fine Things and falfe Addreffes. I can't perfuade my felf that your Defign is to debar the Sexes the Benefit of each other's Converfation within the • Rules of Honour; nor will you, I dare fay, recommend to 'em, or encourage the common Tea-Table Talk, much less that of Politicks and Matters of State : And if these are forbidden Subjects of Difcourfe, then, as long as there are any Women in the World who take a Pleasure in hearing themfelves praifed, and can bear the Sight of a Man proftrate at their Feet, fo long I shall make no Wonder that there are those of the other Sex who will pay them thofe impertinent Humiliations. • We We fhould have few People fuch Fools as to practife Flattery, if all were fo wife as to despise it. I don't deny but you would do a meritorious Act, if you could prevent all Impofitions on the Simplicity of young Women; but I must confefs I don't apprehend you have * laid the Fault on the proper Perfon, and if I trouble you with my thoughts upon it, I promise my felf your Pardon. Such of the Sex as are raw and innocent, and ⚫ most exposed to these Attacks, have, or their Parents are much to blame if they have not, one to advise and guard 'em, and are obliged themselves to take care of 'em; but if these, who ought to hinder Men from all Opportunities of this fort of Converfation, inftead of that encourage and promote it, the Sufpicion is very juft that there are some private Reasons for it; and I'll ⚫ leave it to you to determine on which Side a Part is then acted. Some Women there are who are arrived at Years of Discretion, I mean are got out of the Hands of their Parents and Governours, and are fet up for themfelves, who yet are liable to these Attempts; but if thefe are prevailed upon, you must excufe me if Llay the Fault upon them, that their Wisdom 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'll appear gratis, and pray no Day ⚫ over. Yours, Mr. SPECTATOR, Philanthropos, Was laft Night to vifita 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 my felf to you on this Occafion. In the room of that Civility and Familiarity I used to be treated with by her, an affected Strangeness in her Looks, and Coldness in her Behaviour, plainly told me I was not the welcome Guest which the Regard and Tenderness she has often expreffed for me gave me Reafon to flatter my felf to think I was. Sir, this is certainly a great Fault, and I affure you a very common ⚫ one; one; therefore I hope you will think it a fit fubject, ⚫ for fome Part of a Spectator. Be pleafed to acquaint us ⚫ how we must behave our felves towards this valetudinary Friendship, fubject to fo many Heats and Colds, and you will oblige, 6 6 SIR, I SIR, Your humble Servant, Miranda. Cannot forbear acknowledging the Delight your late Spectators on Saturdays have given me; for it is writ in the honeft Spirit of Criticifm, and called to 6 my Mind the following four Lines I had read long fince in a Prologue to a Play called Julius Cæfar, which has ⚫ deferved a better Fate. The Verfes are addreffed to the little Criticks. T Shew your Small Talent, and let that fuffice ye; For every Fop can find out Faults in Plays: D. G. N° 301. Thursday, February 14. Point ut Juvenes visere fervidi Dilapfam in cineres facem. Hor. E are generally so much pleased with any little W Accomplishments, either of Body or Mind, which have once made us remarkable in the World, that we endeavour to perfuade our felves it is not in the Power of Time to rob us of them. We are eternally pursuing the fame Methods which firft procured us the Applaufes of Mankind. It is from this Notion that an Author writes on, tho' he is come to Dotage; without ever confidering that his Memory is impaired, and that he has loft that Life, and thofe Spirits, which formerly raised his Fancy, and fired his Imagination. The fame Folly hinders a Man from fubmitting his BehaVOL. IV. I viour |