No 268. will be faithful and juft to all, and constant and loving to them? who with care and diligence will look after and improve the eftate, and without grudging allow 'whatever is prudent and convenient? rather, how few are there who do not place their happiness in outfhining others in pomp and fhow? and that do not "think within themselves when they have married fuch a rich perfon, that none of their acquaintance shall appear fo fine in their equipage, fo adorned in their perfons, or fo magnificent in their furniture as themfelves? Thus their heads are filled with vain ideas; and I heartily wish I could fay that equipage and fhow were not the chief good of fo many women as I fear • it is.

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After this manner do both fexes deceive themfelves, and bring reflections and difgrace upon the moft happy and most honourable state of life; whereas if they would but correct their depraved tafte, moderate ⚫ their ambition, and place their happiness upon proper objects, we fhould not find felicity in the marriage ⚫ftate fuch a wonder in the world as it now is.

<

Sir, if you think these thoughts worth inferting among your own, be pleased to give them a better drefs, and let them pafs abroad; and you will oblige • Your admirer,

Mr. SPECTATOR,

· A. B.'

AS I was this day walking in the ftreet, there happened to pass by on the other fide of the way a beauty, whofe charms were fo attracting, that it ⚫ drew my eyes wholly on that fide, infomuch that I neglected my own way, and chanced to run my nofe directly against a poft; which the lady no fooner perceived, but fell out into a fit of laughter, though at the fame time fhe was fenfible that herself was the cause of my misfortune, which in my opinion was the greater aggravation of her crime. I being buty wiping off the blood which trickled down my face, had not time to acquaint her with her barbarity as alfo with my refolution, viz. never to look out of my way for one of her fex more: therefore, that

you

your humble fervant may be revenged, he defires to infert this in one of your next papers, which he hopes will be a warning to all the reft of the womengazers, as well as to poor

Mr. SPECTATOR,

ANTHONY GAPE.'

• I DESIRE to know in your next, if the merry game of the parfon has loft his cloke," is not mightily in vogue amongst the fine ladies this Christmas; be'cause I fee they wear hoods of all colours, which I fuppofe is for that purpofe; if it is, and you think it proper, I will carry fome of those hoods with me to our ladies in Yorkshire; because they injoined me to bring them something from London that was very new. If you can tell any thing in which I can obey their commands more agreeably, be pleased to inform me, and you will extremely oblige

‹ Mr. SPECTATOR,

Your humble fervant.'

Oxford, Dec. 29.

SINCE you appear inclined to be a friend to the diftreffed, I beg you would affift me in an affair under 'which I have fuffered very much. The reigning 'toaft of this place is Patetia; I have pursued her with 'the utmost diligence this twelve-month, and find nothing ftands in my way but one who flatters her more 'than I can. Pride is her favourite paffion; therefore if you will be fo far my friend as to make a favour"able mention of me in one of your papers, I believe I 'fhould not fail in my addreffes. The fcholars ftand ia rows, as they did to be fure in your time, at her pew-door; and the has all the devotion paid to her by a croud of youths who are unacquainted with the fex, and have inexperience added to their paflion: however, if it fucceeds according to my vows, you 'will make me the happiest man in the world, and the 'moft obliged amongst all

Your humble fervants.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

I CAME to my miftrefs's toilet this morning, for I am admitted when her face is ftark naked: fhe frowned, and cried pifh when I faid a thing that I ftole; and I will be judged by you whether it was < not very pretty. Madam, faid I, you fhall forbear < that part of your drefs; it may be well in others, but you cannot place a patch where it does not hide a beauty.'

T.

N° 269.

Tuesday, January 8.

I

me,

OVID. Ars Am. lib. 1. ver. 241.

DRYDEN.

And brings our old fimplicity again.

WAS this morning furprifed with a great knocking at the door, when my landlady's daughter came up to and told me, that there was a man below defired to speak with me. Upon my afking her who it was, fhe told me it was a very grave elderly perfon, but that the did not know his name. I immediately went down to him, and found him to be the coachman of my worthy friend fir ROGER DE COVERLEY. He told me that his mafter came to town laft night, and would be glad to take a turn with me in Gray's-Inn walks. As I was wondering in myfelf what had brought fir ROGER O town, not having lately received any letter from him, he told me that his matter was coine up to get a fight of prince Eugene, and that he defired I would immediately meet him.

I was not a little pleafed with the curiofity of the old knight, though I did not much wonder at it, having heard him fay more than once in private difcourfe, that he looked upon prince Eugenio, for fo the

knight always calls him, to be a greater man than Scanderbeg.

I was no fooner come into Gray's-Inn walks, but I heard my friend upon the terrace hemming twice or thrice to himself with great vigour, for he loves to clear his pipes in good air, to make ufe of his own phrafe, and is not a little pleased with any one who takes notice of the strength which he ftill exerts in his morning hems.

I was touched with a fecret joy at the fight of the good old man, who before he faw me was engaged in converfation with a beggar-man that had afked an alms of him. I could hear my friend chide him for not finding out fome work; but at the fame time faw him put his hand in his pocket and give him fix-pence.

Our falutations were very hearty on both fides, confifting of many kind fhakes of the hand, and feveral affectionate looks which we caft upon one another. After which the knight told me my good friend his chaplain was very well, and much at my fervice, and that the Sunday before he had made a moft incom→ parable fermon out of Dr. Carrow. I have left, fays he, all my affairs in his hands, and being willing to lay an obligation upon him, have depofited with him thirty marks, to be diftributed among his poor parishio

ners.

He then proceeded to acquaint me with the welfare of Will Wimble. Upon which he put his hand in his fob and prefented me in his name with a tobaccoftopper, telling me that Will had been bufy all the beginning of the winter in turning great quantities of them; and that he made a prefent of one to every gentleman in the country who has good principles, and fmokes. He added, that poor Will was at prefent under great tribulation, for that Tom Touchy had taken the law of him for cutting fome hazel sticks out of one of his hedges.

Among other pieces of news which the knight brought from his country-feat, he informed me that Moll White was dead; and that about a month after her death the wind was fo very high, that it blew down the end of one of his barns. But for my own part, fays fir

ROGER, I do not think that the old woman had any hand in it.

He afterwards fell into an account of the diverfions which had paffed in his houfe during the holidays; for fir ROGER, after the laudable cuftom of his ancestors, always keeps open house at Christmas. I learned from him that he had killed eight fat hogs for this feason, that he had dealt about his chines very liberally amongst his neighbours, and that in particular he had fent a ftring of hogs-puddings, with a pack of cards to every poor family in the parish. I have often thought, fays fir ROGER, it happens very well that Christmas should fall out in the middle of winter. It is the most dead uncomfortable time of the year, when the poor people would fuffer very much from their poverty and cold, if they had not good chear, warm fires, and Christmas gambols to fupport them. I love to rejoice their poor hearts at this feafon, and to see the whole village merry in my great hall. I allow a double quantity of malt to my fmall bear, and set it a running for twelve days to every one that calls for it. I have always a piece of cold beef and a mince pie upon the table, and am wonderfully pleased to see my tenants pafs away a whole evening in playing their innocent tricks, and finutting one another. Our friend Will Wimble is as merry as any of them, and fhews a thousand roguish tricks upon thefe occafions.

I was very much delighted with the reflection of my old friend, which carried fo much goodness in it. He then launched out into the praise of the late act of parliament for fecuring the church of England, and told me with great fatisfaction, that he believed it already began to take effect, for that a rigid diffenter who chanced to dine at his houfe on Christmas day, had been obferved to eat very plentifully of his plumbporridge.

After having difpatched all our country matters, fir ROGER made feveral inquiries concerning the club, and particularly of his old antagonist fir ANDREW FREEPORT. He asked me with a kind of finile, whether fir ANDREW had not taken the advantage of his abfence, to vent among them fome of his republican doctrines; but foon