She ordered her husband to buy in a couple of fresh coach-horses; and with no other loss than the death of two footmen, and a church-yard cough brought upon her coachman, she was clear in the world on the 10th of February last, and keeps so before-hand, that she pays every body their own, and yet makes daily new acquaintances.' I know not whether this agreeable visitant was fired with the example of the lady I told her of, but she immediately vanished out of my sight; it being, it seems, as necessary a point of good-breeding, to go off as if you stole something out of the house, as it is to enter as if you came to fire it. I do not know one thing that contributes so much to the lessening the esteem men of sense have to the fair sex, as this article of visits. A young lady cannot be married, but all impertinents in town must be beating the tattoo from one quarter of the town to the other, to show they know what passes. If a man of honour should once in an age marry a woman of merit for her intrinsic value, the envious things are all in motion in an instant, to make it known to the sisterhood as an indiscretion, and publish to the town how many pounds he might have had to have been troubled with one of them. After they are tired with that, the next thing is, to make their compliments to the married couple and their relations. They are equally busy at a funeral, and the death of a person of quality is always attended with the murder of several sets of coach-horses and chairmen. In both cases, the visitants are wholly unaffected, either with joy or sorrow. For which reason, their congratulations and condolences are equally words of course; and one would be thought wonderfully ill-bred, that should build upon such expressions as encouragements to expect from them any instance of friendship. Thus are the true causes of living, and the solid pleasures in life, lost in show, imposture, and impertinence. As for my part, I think most of the misfortunes in families arise from the trifling way the women have in spending their time, and gratifying only their eyes and ears, instead of their reason and understanding. A fine young woman, bred under a visiting mother, knows all that is possible for her to be acquainted with by report, and sees the virtuous and the vicious used so indifferently, that the fears she is born with are abated, and desires indulged, in proportion to her love of that light and trifling conversation. I know I talk like an old man ; but I must go on to say, that I think the general reception of mixed company, and the pretty fellows that are admitted at those assemblies, give a young woman so false an idea of life, that she is generally bred up with a scorn of that sort of merit in a man, which only can make her happy in marriage; and the wretch, to whose lot she falls, very often receives in his arms a coquette, with the refuse of an heart long before given away to a coxcomb. * ** Having received from the society of upholders sundry complaints of the obstinate and refractory behaviour of several dead persons, who have been guilty of very great outrages and disorders, and by that means elapsed the proper time of their interment; and having, on the other hand, received many appeals from the aforesaid dead persons, wherein they desire to be heard before such their interment; I have set apart Wednesday, the 21st instant, as an extraordinary court-day for the hearing of both parties. If, therefore, any one can alledge why they, or any of their acquaintance, should or should not be buried, I desire they may be ready with their witnesses at that time, or that they will for ever after hold their tongues. N.B. This is the last hearing on this subject. +++ The advertisement against the spurious and incorrect edition of the Lucubrations, in a small volume, is reprinted at the end of No. 106. to which is likewise subjoined, among others, the following advertisement: Whereas the author of a certain printed paper has published many mal-t-s and scurr-1-s reflections upon sir J. W. bart. These are to undeceive and satisfy the world, that the tuition of the young lady therein mentioned is appointed to him by the will of her late father, and was neither perverted, nor an heiress; as is very well known to all her relations; and that his story of a presentation to a certain living in Gloucestershire is entirely mistaken and false.' No. 110. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1709.* Quæ lucis miseris tam dira cupido? VIRG. Æn. vi. 721. PITT. SHEER-LANE, DEC. 21. As soon as I had placed myself in my chair of judicature, I ordered my clerk, Mr. Lillie', to read to * ADDISON's and STEELE's.-This paper is ascribed to Addison and Steele, on the authority of the list, &c. J-n Hy, M. See Tatler, No. 74. note. t It appears from an advertisement in Tatler, No. 101. that Charles Lillie had a shop in the corner of Beaufort-buildings in the Strand, where he sold snuff of various kinds, perfumes, &c. and took in letters for the Tatler, Spectator, &c. which were directed to him at the desire of Steele, who befriended him greatly. A contemporary writer, and a most illiberal censurer of our author and his publications, speaking of Steele, says, ' He sets himself out as a noble creature, that is, as it were, the basis and support of multitudes, meaning, I suppose, John Nutt, John Morphew, Charles Lillie,' &c. Examiner, vol. i. No. 11. Oct. 12, 1710. When the original publication of the Tatler, Spectator, &c. in folio, was discontinued, Charles Lillie was permitted to print for his own benefit the remaining letters not made use of in them, under such restrictions as Steele, from principle, seems to have laid down for himself. Accordingly many, if not all, of these letters, some of them from eminent persons, and well worthy of preservation, were published in two volumes 8vo, in 1725, with a dedication full of respect and gratitude to sir Richard Steele, subscribed Charles Lillie. The knight's permission of the publication prefixed to the first volume, seems to have been written hastily, and is as follows: ‹ MR. LILLIE, "You have communicated to me a design you have to print letters to the Tatler and Spectator, not made use of in them. I have a great deal of business, and very ill health, therefore, must desire you to excuse me from looking over them: but if you take care that no person or family is offended at any of them, or any thing in them be published contrary to re the assembly, who were gathered together according to notice, a certain declaration, by way of charge, to open the purpose of my session, which tended only to this explanation, that as other courts were often called to demand the execution of persons dead in law; so this was held to give the last orders relating to those who are dead in reason. The solicitor of the new Company of Upholders near the Hay-market appeared in behalf of that useful society, and brought in an accusation of a young woman, who herself stood at the bar before me. Mr. Lillie read her indictment, which was in substance, That, whereas, Mrs. Rebecca Pindust, of the parish of Saint Martin in the Fields, had, by the use of one instrument called a looking-glass, and by the farther use of certain attire, made either of cambric, muslin, or other linen wares, upon her head, attained to such an evil art and magical force in the motion of her eyes and turn of her countenance, that she the said Rebecca had put to death several young men of the said parish; and that the said young men had acknowledged in certain papers, commonly called love-letters, which were produced in court, gilded on the edges, and sealed with a particular wax, with certain amorous and enchanting words wrought upon the said seals, that they died for the said Rebecca: and, whereas the said Rebecca persisted in the said evil practice; this way of life the said society construed to be, according to former edicts, a state of death, and demanded an order for the interment of the said Rebecca.' ligion and good manners, you have my leave to do what you please with them. I wish you all prosperity, &c. Signed, RICH. STEELE. Dated York-buildings, March 2, 1723-4.' This is not the place to enter into any very particular account of these volumes, which have been mentioned in a note on Tatler, No. 13. and which there will be frequent occasion to mention in the course of this work. At present, it is sufficient to refer the reader to the book itself, which is not a very scarce one, and has a proper explanatory preface prefixed to it. I looked upon the maid with great humanity, and desired her to make answer to what was said against her. She said, 'It was indeed true, that she had practised all the arts and means she could, to dispose of herself happily in marriage, but thought she did not come under the censure expressed in my writings for the same; and humbly hoped I would not condemn her for the ignorance of her accusers, who, according to their own words, had rather represented her killing, than dead.' She farther alleged, That the expressions mentioned in the papers written to her were become mere words, and that she had been always ready to marry any of those who said they died for her; but that they made their escape, as soon as they found themselves pitied or believed.' She ended her discourse, by desiring I would for the future settle the meaning of the words I die,' in letters of love. 6 Mrs. Pindust behaved herself with such an air of innocence, that she easily gained credit, and was acquitted. Upon which occasion, I gave it as a standing rule, that any persons, who in any letter, billet, or discourse, should tell a woman he died for her, should, if she pleased, be obliged to live with her, or be immediately interred upon such their own confession, without bail or mainprize.' 6 It happened, that the very next who was brought before me was one of her admirers, who was indicted upon that very head. A letter, which he acknowledged to be his own hand, was read, in which were the following words, Cruel creature, I die for you.' It was observable that he took snuff all the time his accusation was reading. I asked him, how he came to use these words, if he were not a dead man ?' He told me, he was in love with the lady, and did not know any other way of telling her so; and that all |