HOW YOUNG KROR

Tuesday, November 18.

N° 539.

Heteroclyta funto.

Quæ Genus.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

I

Am a young Widow of a good Fortune and Family, and just come to Towns where I find I have Clufters of pretty Fellows come already to vifit me, fome dying with Hopes, others with Fears, tho they never faw me. Now what I would beg of you, would be to know whether I may venture to ufe these pert Fellows with the fame Freedom as I did my Country Acquaintance. I ' defire your Leave to use them as to me fhall feem meet, without Imputation of a Jilt; for fince I make Declara 'tion that not one of them fhall have I think I ought to be allowed the Liberty of infulting those who have the Vanity to believe it is in their power to make me break that Refolu

me,

❝tion.

tion. There are Schools for learning to ufe Foils, frequented by those who never defign to fight: and this useless way of aiming at the Heart, without 'defign to wound it on either fide, is the Play with which I am refolv'd to divert my felf: The Man who pretends to win, I fhall use like him who comes into a Fencing-School to pick 'a Quarrel. I hope, upon this Foundation, you will give the free use of the natural and artificial Force of my Eyes, Looks, and Geftures. As for verbal Promifes, I will make none, but fhall have no Mercy on the con'ceited Interpreters of Glances and Motions. I am particularly skill'd in the downcaft Eye, and the Recovery into a fudden full Afpect, and away again, as you may have feen fometimes practised by us Country Beauties beyond all that you have obferved in Courts and Cities. Add to this, Sir, that I have a ruddy heedlefs Look, which covers Artifice the best of any thing. Tho' I can dance very well, I affect a tottering untaught way of walking, by which I appear an eafy Prey; and never exert my inftructed Charms till I find I have

"en

es!

'engaged a Purfuer. Be pleased, Sir, to print this Letter, which will certainly begin the Chace of a rich Widow: 'The many Foldings, Escapes, Returns and Doublings which I make, I fhall 'from time to time communicate to you, for the better Inftruction of all Females 'who fet up, like me, for reducing the prefent exorbitant Power and Infolence of Man.

I am, SIR,

Your faithful Correfpondent,.

Relicta Lovely!

Dear Mr. SPECTATOR, "Depend upon your profefs'd Refpect for virtuous Love, for your 'immediate answering the Defign of this Letter; which is no other than to lay before the World the Severity of certain Parents who defire to fufpend the Marriage of a difcreet young Woman of Eighteen, three Years longer, for no other Reason but that of 'her being too young to enter into that • State, As to the Confideration of 'Riches, my Circumstances are fuch that 'I cannot be fufpected to make my Ad'dreffes to her on fuch low Motives as

• Ava

6

'Avarice or Ambition. If ever Innocence, Wit and Beauty, united their 'utmoft Charms, they have in her. "I wish you would expatiate a little on this Subject, and admonifh her Parents that it may be from the very Im'perfection of Human Nature it felf, and not any perfonal Frailty of her or me, that our Inclinations baffled at present may alter; and while we are arguing with our felves to put off the Enjoyment of our prefent Paffions, our Affections may change their Objects in the Operation. It is a very delicate Subject to talk upon; but if it 'were but hinted, I am in hopes it 'would give the Parties concern'd fome 'Reflection that might expedite our Happiness. There is a Poffibility, and, 'I hope I may fay it without Imputation of Immodefty to her I love with "the highest Honour; I fay, there is a 'Poffibility this Delay may be as pain-, ful to her as it is to me. If it be as much, in muft be more, by reason, of the fevere Rules the Sex are un'der in being denied even the Relief ' of Complaint. If you oblige me in, this, and I fucceed, I promife you 6 a Place at my Wedding, and a Treat

men

ment fuitable to your Spectatorial

Dignity.

SIR,

Your most humble Servant,

Euftace.

Yefterday heard a young Gentleman, that look'd as if he was just come to the Town and a Scarf, upon Evil-fpeaking; which Subject, you know, Archbishop Tillotson has fo nobly handled in a Sermon in his Folio. As foon as ever he had named his Text, and had opened a little the Drift of his Difcourfe, I was in great hopes he had been one of Sir ROGER's Chap lains. I have conceived fo great an Idea of the charming Difcourfe above, that I fhould have thought one part of my Sabbath very well spent in hearing 'a Repetition of it. But alas! Mr. SPECTATOR, this Reverend Divine gave us his Grace's Sermon, and yet I don't know how; even I, that I am fure have read it at least twenty times, 'could not tell what to make of it, and was at a lofs fometimes to guess what the Man aim'd at. He was fo juft indeed, as to give us all the Heads and the

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