eldelt fon is the honourable Oddly Enville, Efq. and our eldest daughter Harriot Enville. Upon her first coming into my family, the turned off a parcel of very careful fervants, who had been long with me, and introduced in their ftead a couple of black-a-moors, and three or four very genteel fellows in Jaced liveries, beides her French-woman, who is perpetually making a noife in the house in a language which nobody understands, except my Lady Mary. She next fet herself to reform every room of my houfe, having glazed all my chimney pieces with lookingglaffes, and planted every corner with fuch heaps of china, that I am obliged to move about my own houfe with the greatest caution and circumfpection, for fear of hurting fome of our brittle furniture. She makes an illumination once a week with wax-candles in one of the largest rooms, in order, as the phrates it, to fee company. At which time the always defires me to be abroad, or to confine myfelf to the cock-loft, that I may not difgrace her anong her vifitants of quality. Her footmen, as I told you before, are fuch beaux, that I do not much care for asking them quef tions; when I do, they antwer me with a faucy frown, and fay that every thing which I find fault with, was done by my Lady Mary's order. She tells me that the intends they fhall wear fwords with their next liveries, having lately obferved the footmen of two or three perfons of quality hanging behind the coach with fwords by their fides. As foon as the first honey-moon was over, I reprefented to her the unreasonablenefs of thofe daily innovations which the nade in my family; but he told me I was no longer to confider myself as Sir John Anvil, but as her husband; and added with a frown, that I did not feem to know who he was. I was furprifed to be treated thus, after fuch familiarities as had paffed between us. But he has fince given me to know, that whatever freedoms the may fometimes indulge me in, the expects in general to be treated with the respect that is due to her birth and quality, Our children have been trained up from their infancy with fo many accounts of their mother's family, that they know the flories of all the great men and women it has produced. Their mother tells them, that fach an que

commanded in fuch a fea-engagement, that their great grandfather had a horfe fhot under him at Edge Hill, that their uncle was at the fiege of Buda, and that her mother danced in a ball at court with the Duke of Monmouth; with abundance of fiddle-faddle of the fame nature. I was the other day a little out of countenance at a queftion of my little daughter Harriot, who afked 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 eldeft fon Oddly, he has been so fpirited up by his mother, that if he does not mend his manners I fhall go near to difinherit him. He drew his fword upon me before he was nine years old, and told me that he expected to be ufed like a gentleman; upon my offering to correct him for his infolence, my Lady Mary stept 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, though by the way I have a little chub-faced boy as like me as he can itare, if I durft say so; but what most angers me, when the fees me playing with any of them upon my knee, he has begged me more than once to converfe with the children as little as poffible, that they may not learn any of my aukward tricks.

You must farther know, fince I am opening my heart to you, that he thinks herfelf my fuperior in fenfe, as much as he 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 business, 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 fufferings, the has teazed me for this quarter of a year last paft, to remove into one of the fquares at the other end of the town, promifing for my encouragement, that I shall have as good a cock-loft as any gentleman in the fquare; to which the honourable Oddly Enville, Efq, always adds, like a jackanapes 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 natural eleinent, that

MR. SPECTATOR,

THEN

you

talk of the fubiect W of love, and the relations arifof love, and the relations arif ing 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 fo fmart to each other, and that but just their friends, are ever faying fomething within rules, that the whole company stand in the utmoft anxiety and fufpence for fear of their falling into extremities which they could not be prefent at. On the other fide, Tom Faddle and his pretty poufe, wherever they come, are billing at fuch a rate, as they think mult do our hearts good to behold them. Cannot you poilibly 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 difcrect 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 appearances; but as those 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 molt impertinent licence married women take, not only to be very loving to their fpoufes in public, but alio make naufeous allufions to private

POOLY.

familiarities, and the like. Lucina is a lady of the greateft difcretion, you muft know, in the world; and withal very much a phyfician: upon the ftrength of thefe two qualities there is nothing the will not fpeak of before us virgins 3 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, Thofe whom they call good bodies, notbut to obviate the greateft extremity. able people, hearty neighbours, and the Here I think I have laid before you an pureit goodeft company in the world, are the great offenders in this kind. 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 most humble fervant,

SUSANNA LOVEWORTH.

MR. SPECTATOR,

IN your's of Wednesday the 30th past,

you and your correlpondents are very fevere on a fort of men, whom you call male coquettes; but without any other reafon, in my apprehenfion, than that of paying a thallow compliment to the fair-fex, by accui fome 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 addrelles. I cannot perfuade myself that your defign is to debar the fexes the benefit of each other's converfation,, 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 state: and if

thefe

thefe are forbidden fubjects of difcourfe, then, as long as there are any women in the world who take a pleasure in hearing themselves 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 fo 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 confefs I do not apprehend you have laid the fault on the proper perfon, and if I trouble you with my thoughts upon it, I promife myfelf your pardon. Such of the fex 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 advife and guard them, and are obliged theinfelves to take care of them; but if thefe, who ought to hinder men from all opportunities of this fort of conversation, instead of that encourage and promote it, the fufpicion is very just 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 these attempts; but if these are prevailed upon, you must excufe me if I lay the fault upon them, that their wifilom 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,

PHILANTHROPOS.

MR. SPECTATOR,

I 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 used to be treated with by her, an affected strangenefs in her looks, and coldness in her behaviour, plainly told me I was not the welcome guest which the regard and tenderness fhe has often expreffed for me gave me reafon to flatter myself to think I was. Sir, this is certainly a great fault, and I affure you a very common one; therefore I hope you will think it a fit fubject for some part of a Spectator. Be pleafed to acquaint us how we must behave ourselves towards this valetudinary friendship, fubject to fo many heats and colds, and you will oblige, Sir, your humble fervant,

W E are generally fo much pleafed

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 pursuing the fame methods which first procured us the applaufes 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 raised 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 past 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 fhe has not yet laid afide, and has ftill all the infolence of beauty without it's charms. If the now attracts the eyes of any beholders, it is only by being remarkably ridiculous; even her own fex laugh at her affectation; and the men, who always enjoy an ill-natured pleafure in feeing an imperious beauty humbled and neglected, reward her with the fame fatisfaction that a free nation fees a tyrant in difgrace.

Will Honeycomb, who is a great admirer of the gallantries in King Charles the. Second's reign, lately communicat

ANON.

}

SINCE my waking thoughts have

never been able to influence you in my favour, I am refolved to try whether my dreams can make any impreffion on you. To this end I fhall give you an account of a very odd one which my fancy prefented to me last night, within a few hours after I left you.

Methought I was unaccountably conveyed into the most delicious place mine eyes ever beheld: it was a large valley divided by a river of the pureft water I had ever feen. The ground on each fide of it rofe by an eafy afcent, and was covered with flowers of an infinite variety, which as they were reflected in the water doubled the beauties of the place, or ra ther formed an imaginary fcene more beautiful than the real. On each fide of the river was a range of lofty trees, whose boughs were loaded with almott as many birds as leaves. Every tree was full of harmony.

I had not gone far in this pleafant valley, when I perceived that it was terminated by a moft magnificent temple. The ftructure was ancient, and regular. On the top of it was figured the god Saturn, in the fame fhape and drefs that the poets ufually reprefent Tine.

As I was advancing to fatisfy my curiofity by a nearer view, I was stopped by an object far more beautiful than any I had before difcovered in the whole place. I fancy, Madam, you will eafly 4 D

guefs

guefs that this could hardly be any thing but yourself; in reality it was fo; you lay extended on the flowers by the fide of the river, fo that your hands, which were thrown in a negligent pofture, almoft touched the water. Your eyes were closed; but if your fleep deprived me of the fatisfaction of feeing them, it left me at leisure to contemplate feveral other charms, which difappear when your eyes are open. I could not but admire the tranquillity you flept in, efpecially when I confidered the uneafinefs you produce in fo many others.

While I was wholly taken up in these reflections, the doors of the temple flew open, with a very great noise; and lifting up my eyes, I faw two figures, in human fhape, coming into the valley. Upon a nearer furvey, I found them to be Youth and Love. The first was incircled with a kind of purple light, that Spread a glory over all the place; the other held a flaming torch in his hand. I could obferve, that all the way as they came towards us, the colours of the flowers appeared more lively, the trees fhot out in bloffoms, the birds threw themselves into pairs, and ferenaded them as they paffed; the whole face of nature glowed with new beauties. They were no fooner arrived at the place where you lay, when they feated themselves on each fide of you. On their approach, methought I faw a new bloom arife in your face, and new charms diffuse themselves over your whole perfon. You appeared more than mortal; but, to my great furprife, continued fait afleep, though the two deities made feveral gentle efforts to awaken you.

I

After a fhort time, Youth difplaying

a pair of wings, which I had not before taken notice of, flew off. Love ftill remained, and holding the torch which he had in his hand before your face, you still appeared as beautiful as ever. The glaring of the light in your eyes at length awakened you; when, to my great furprife, inftead of acknowledging the fa vour of the deity, you frowned upon him, and ftruck the torch out of his hand into the river. The god, after having regarded you with a look that fpoke at once his pity and difpleasure, flew away. Immediately a kind of gloom overfpread the whole place. At the fame time I faw an hideous spectre enter at one end of the valley. His eyes were funk into his head, his face was pale and withered, and his skin puckered up in wrinkles. As he walked on the fides of the bank the river froze, the flowers faded, the trees fhed their bloffoms, the birds dropped from off the boughs, and fell dead at his feet. By thefe marks I knew him to be Old Age. You were seized with the utmost horror and amazement at his approach. You endeavoured to have fled, but the phantom caught you in his arms. You may eafily guefs at the change you fuffered in this embrace. For my own part, though I am still too full of the dreadful idea, I will not fhock you with the de fcription of it. I was fo startled at the fight that my fleep immediately left me, and I found myself awake, at leisure to confider of a dream which seems too extraordinary to be without a meaning. I am, Madam, with the greatest passion, your most obedient, moft humble fervant, &c.

VIRG. ÆN. V. VER. 343.

Read what I give for the entertainment of this day with a great deal of pleature, and publish it just as it came to my hands. I fhall be very glad to find there are many gueffed at for Emilia.

MR. SPECTATOR.

X

IF this paper has the good fortune to be honoured with a place in your writings, I fhall be the more pleased, because the character of Emilia is not an imaginary but a real one. I have industriously