"nuptials between us are interrupted. My father fays "he has a much better offer for me than you can make, "and has ordered me to break off the treaty between us. If it had proceeded, I fhould have behaved myself "with all fuitable regard to you, but as it is, I beg we may be ftrangers for the future. Adieu. "LYDIA." 66 This great indifference on this fubject, and the mercenary motives for making alliances, is what I think lies naturally before you, and I beg of you to give me your thoughts upon it. My anfwer to Lydia was as follows, which I hope you will approve; for you are to know the woman's family affect a wonderful ease on these occafions, though they expect it should be painfully received on the man's fide. "MADAM, "I HAVE received yours, and knew the prudence "of your houfe fo well, that I always took care to be "ready to obey your commands, though they should be to fee you no more. Pray give my fervice to all the good family." Memorandum. The cenfor of marriage to confider this letter, and report the common ufages on fuch treaties, with how many pounds or acres are generally efteemed fufficient reafon for preferring a new to an old pretender; with his opinion what is proper to be determined in fuch cafes for the future. Mr. SPECTATOR, ‹ THERE is an elderly perfon lately left off buf• nefs and fettled in our town, in order, as he thinks, to retire from the world; but he has brought with him ⚫ fuch an inclination to tale-bearing, that he disturbs both himfelf and all our neighbourhood. Notwithstanding this frailty the honeft gentleman is fo happy as to have no enemy at the fame time he has not one friend who will venture to acquaint him with his weakness. It is not to be doubted but if this failing were fet in a proper light, he would quickly perceive the indecency and evil confequences of it. Now, fir, this being an infirmity which I hope may be corrected, and knowing that he pays much deference to you, I beg that when you are at leifure, to give us a fpeculation on goffiping, you would think of my neighbour: you will hereby oblige feveral who will be glad to find a reformation in their gray haired friend: and how becoming will it be for him, inftead of pouring forth words at all adventures, "to fet a watch before the door of his mouth, to refrain his tongue," to check its impetuofity, and guard against the fallies of that little pert, förward, bufy perfon; which, under a fober conduct, might prove a useful member of a fociety, in compliance with whofe intimations, I have taken the liberty to make this addrefs to you. • I am, Sir, Your most obscure fervant,. Mr. SPECTATOR,. Feb. 16, 1712. C THIS is to petition you in behalf of myself and many more of your gentle readers, that at any time when you may have private reafons against letting us know what you think yourself, you would be pleased to pardon us fuch letters of your correfpondents as feem to be of no ufe but to the printer. It is further our humble request, that you would' fubftitute advertisements in the place of fuch epiftles; and that in order hereunto Mr. Buckley may be authorised to take up of your zealous friend Mr. Charles. Lillie, any quantity of words he fhall from time to time 6 have occafion for. The many useful parts of knowledge which may be communicated to the public this way, will, we hope, be a confideration in favour of your petitioners. And your petitioners, &c. Note, That particular regard be had to this petition; and the papers marked letter R may be carefully examined for the future. T. N° 311. Tuesday, February 26. · ་ Nec Veneris pharetris macer eft, aut lampade fervet: He fighs, adores, and courts her ev'ry hour: < Mr. SPECTATOR,, DRYDEN I AM amazed that among all the variety of charac 6 ters, with which you have enriched your speculations, you have never given us a picture of those audacious young fellows among us, who commonly go by the name of fortune-ftealers. You must know, fir, I am one who live in a continual apprehenfion of this fort of people that lie in wait, day and night, for our children, and may be confidered as a kind of kidnappers within the law. I am the father of a young heirefs, whom I begin to look upon as marriageable, and who has looked 6 upon herfelf as fuch for above thefe fix years. She is. now in the eighteenth year of her age. The fortune• hunters have already caft their eyes upon her, and take care to plant themselves in her view whenever the appears in any public affembly. I have myself caught a young jackanapes with a pair of filver fringed gloves in the very fact. You must know, fir, I have kept her. as a prifoner of flate.ever fince he was in her teens. Her chamber-windows are cross-barr'd; flie is not per⚫mitted to go out of the house but with her keeper, who is a ftayed relation of our own; I have likewife forbid her the ufe of pen and ink, for this twelve-month late ་ paft, and do not suffer a band-box to be carried into ⚫her room before it has been fearched. Notwithstanding thefe precautions, I am at my wits end for fear of any fudden furprife. There were, two or three nights ago, fome fiddles heard in the street, which I am afraid portend me no good; not to mention a tall Irishman, that has been feen walking before my houfe more than once this winter. My kinfwoman likewife informs me, that the girl has talked to her twice or thrice of a gen⚫tleman in a fair wig, and that she loves to go to church more than ever fhe did in her life. She gave me the flip about a week ago, upon which my whole houfe was in alarm. I immediately difpatched a hue and cry after her to the 'Change, to her mantua-aker, and to the young ladies that vifit her; but after above an hour's fearch the returned of her felf, having been taking a walk, as she told me, by Rofamond's pond. I have hereupon turned off her woman; doubled her guards, and given new inftructions to my relation, who, to give her her due, keeps a watchful eye over all her motions. This, fir, keeps me in a perpetual anxiety, and makes me very often watch when my daughter fleeps, as I am afraid she is even with me in her turn. Now, fir, what I would defire of you is, to represent to this fluttering tribe of young fellows, who are for making their fortunes by thefe indirect means, that ftealing a man's daughter for the fake of her portion, is but a kind of a tolerated robbery; and that they • make but a poor amends to the father, whom they plunder after this manner, by going to bed with his child. Dear fir, be fpeedy in your thoughts on this fubject, that, if poffible, they may appear before the difbanding of the army. · 'I am, Sir, Themistocles, the great Athenian general, being asked whether he would choose to marry his daughter to an indigent man of merit, or to a worthless man of an eftate, replied, that he fhould prefer a man without an eftate, to an estate without a man. The worst of it is, our 253 modern fortune-hunters are thofe who turn their heads that way, because they are good for nothing else. If a young fellow finds he can make nothing of Coke and Littleton, he provides himself with a ladder of ropes, and by that means very often enters upon the premises. The fame art of fcaling has likewife been practifed with good fuccefs by many military engineers. Stratagems of this nature make parts and industry fuperfluous, and cut short the way to riches. Nor is vanity a lefs motive than idleness to this kind of mercenary pursuit. A fop, who admires his perfon in a glass, foon enters into a refolution of making his fortune by it, not queftioning but every woman that falls in his way will do him as much juftice as he does himself. When an heiress fees a man throwing particular graces into his ogle, or talking loud within her hearing, the ought to look to herself; but if withal the obferves a pair of red heels, a patch, or any other particularity in his dress, the cannot take too much care of her perfon. These are baits not to be trifled with, charms that have done a world of execution, and made their way into hearts which have been thought impregnable. The force of a man with these qualifications is fo well known, that I am credibly informed there are feveral female undertakers about the 'Change, who upon the arrival of a likely man out of a neighbouring kingdon, will furnish him with proper drefs from head to foot, to be paid for at a double price on the day of marriage. We must however diftinguish between fortune-hunters and fortune-stealers. The first are thofe afliduous gentlemen who employ their whole lives in the chace, without ever coming at the quarry. Suffenus has combed and powdered at the ladies for thirty years together, and taken his ftand in a fide-box, until he is grown wrinkled under their eyes. He is now laying the fame fnare for the present generation of beauties, which he practifed on their mothers. Cottilus, after having made his applications to more than you meet with in Mr. Cowley's ballad of miftreffes, was at laft fmitten with a city lady of 20,000l. fterling; but died of old age before he could bring matters to bear. Nor muft I here omit my worthy friend Mr, HONEYCOMB, who has often told us in the |