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SIR,

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Middle-Temple, October 26, 1714. THOUGH you have formerly made Eloquence the fubject of one or more of your papers, "I do not remember that you ever confidered it as ⚫ poffeffed by a fet of people, who are fo far from making Quintilian's rules their practice, that I dare fay for them, they never heard of fuch an author, and yet are no lefs mafters of it than Tully or Demofthenes among the ancients, or whom you please among the moderns. The perfons I am fpeaking of are our common beggars about this town; and that what I fay is true, I appeal to any man who has a heart one degree fofter than a ftone. As for my part, who do not ** pretend to more humanity than my neighbours, I have oftentimes gone from my chambers with money in my pocket, and returned to them not only pennylefs, but deftitute of a farthing, without bestowing of it any other way than on these seeming objects of pity. In short, I have feen more eloquence in a Look from one of those despicable creatures, than in the Eye of the fairest She I ever faw, yet no one a greater admirer of that sex ⚫ than myself. What I have to defire of you is to lay down fome directions in order to guard against thefe powerful orators, or elfe I know nothing to the contrary, but I must myself be forced to leave the profeffion of the law, and endeavour to get the qualifications neceffary to that more profitable one of begging. But in which foever of these two capacities I fhine, I fhall always defire to be your conftant reader, and ever will be Your most humble fervant : 1 J. B.'

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SIR, 10 136,

UPON

Pos reading a Spectator last week, where Mrs. Fanny Fickle fubmitted the choice of a lover for life to your decifive determination, and ima

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gining I might claim the favour of your advice in an affair of the like, but much more difficult nature, I called for pen and ink, in order to draw the characters of feven humble fervants, whom I have equally encouraged for fome time. But, alas! while I was reflecting on the agreeable fubject, and contriving an advantageous defcription of the dear perfon I was most inclined to favour, I happened to look into my glass. The fight of the small-pox, out of which I am just recovered, tormented me at once with the lofs of my captivating arts and my captives. The confufion I was in on this unhappy, unfeasonable difcovery, is inexpreffible. Believe me, Sir, I was fo taken up with the thoughts of your fair correfpondent's cafe, and fo intent upon my own defign, that I fancied myfelf as triumphant in my conquefts as

ever.

Now, Sir, finding I was incapacitated to a* muse myself on that pleafing fubject, L refolved to apply myself to you, or your cafuiftical agent, for advice in my prefent circumftances. Lam fenfible the tincture of my fkin, and the regularity of my features, which the malice of my late illness has altered, are irrecoverable; yet do not difpair, but that lofs, by your affiftance, may in fome measure be reparable, if you will pleafe to propofe a way for the recovery of one only of my fugitives. :

One of them is in a more particular manner < beholden to me than the reft; he for fome private reasons being defirous to be a lover incognito, always addreffed me with Billet-doux, which I was fo careful of in my ficknefs, that Ì secured the key of my love-magazine under my head, and hearing a noife of opening a lock in my chamber, endangered my life by getting out of bed, to prerent, if it had been attempted, the discovery of that amour.

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I have formerly made ufe of all thofe artifices,

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which our fex daily practises over yours, to draw as it were undefignedly, the eyes of a whole congregation to my pew; I have taken a pride in the ⚫ number of admirers at my afternoon levée; but am'now quite another creature. I think, could I regain the attractive influence I once had, if I • had a legion of fuitors, I fhould never be ambi• tious of entertaining more than one. I have almoft contracted an antipathy to the trifling dif⚫ courses, of impertinent lovers, though I muft needs ⚫own, I have thought it very odd of late, to hear gen⚫tlemen, instead of their ufual complacencies, fall into difputes before me of politicks, or elfe weary me with the tedious repetiton of how thankful I ought to be, and fatisfied with my recovery out of fo dangerous a diftemper: This, though I am ⚫ very fenfible of the blefling, yet I cannot but diflike, because fuch advice from them rather feems to infult than comfort me, and reminds me too • much of what I was; which melancholy confi⚫deration I cannot yet perfectly furmount, but hope your fentiments on this head will make it fupportable.

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To fhow you what a value I have for your dictates, these are to certify the perfons concerned, ⚫ that unless one of them returns to his colours, (if I ་ may fo call them now) before the winter is over, I ⚫ will voluntarily confine myfelf to a retirement, where I will punish them all with my needle. I will ⚫ be revenged on them by deciphering them on a carpet, humbly begging admittance, myself fcornfully refufing it. If you difapprove of this, as favouring too much of malice, be pleafed to 'acquaint me with a draught you like better, and it fhall be faithfully performed by

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The unfortunate

• MONIMIA.'

VOL. VIII.

X

MONDAY,

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No 614.

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER I.

Si mihi non animo fixum, immotumque federet,
Ne cui me vinclo vellem fociare jugali,
Poftquam primus amor deceptam morte fefellit
Si non pertafum thalami, tadæque fuiffet;
Huic uni forfan potui fuccumbere culpa.

VIRG. Æn. iv. ver. 15.

Were I not refolv'd against the yoke Of hapless marriage; never to be curs'd With fecond love fo fatal was the firft; To this one error I might yield again.

DRYDEN.

THE following account hath been transmitted to me by the Love-cafuift.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

HAving in fome former papers taken care of the two ftates of virginity and marriage, and being willing that all people should be served in their turn, I this day drew out my drawer of widows, where I met with several cafes, to each whereof I have returned fatiffactory anfwers by the poft. The cafes are as • follow.

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2. Whether Amoret be bound by a promise of 'marriage to Philander, made during her husband's • life?

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2. Whether Sempronia, having faithfully given a promise to two feveral perfons during the laft fickness of her husband, is not thereby left at liberty to chufe which of them fhe pleafes, or to reject them both for the fake of a new • lover?

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Cleora afks me, whether the be obliged to con• tinue fingle, according to a vow made to her husband at the time of his prefenting her with a dia

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mond necklace; fhe being informed by a very pretty young fellow of a good confcience, that fuch vows are in their nature finful?

Another enquires, whether the hath not the right of widowhood, to difpofe of herself to a Gentleman of great merit, who preffes very hard; her husband being irrecoverably gone in a con• fumption?

An unreasonable creature hath the confidence to afk, whether it be proper for her to marry a man who is younger than her eldest • fon?

A fcrupulous well-fpoken matron, who gives ་ me a great many good words, only doubts whe⚫ther fhe is not obliged in confcience to fhut up her two marriageable daughters, until fuch 'time as fhe hath comfortably difpofed of herfelf?

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Sophronia, who feems by her phrafe and fpelling to be a perfon of condition, fets forth, that whereas the hath a great eftate, and is but a woman, fhe defires to be informed, whether the 'would not do prudently to marry Camillus, a very idle tall young fellow, who hath no fortune of his own, and confequently hath nothing else to do but to manage hers.'

Before I fpeak of widows, I cannot but obferve one thing, which I do not know how to account for ; a widow is always more fought after, than an old maid of the fame age. It is common enough among ordinary people, for a ftale virgin to fet up a fhop in a place where he is not known; where the large thumb-ring, supposed to be given her by her husband, quickly recommends her to fome wealthy neighbour, who takes a liking to the jolly widow, that would have overlooked the venerable fpinfter.

The truth of it is, if we look into this set of women, we find, according to the different charac

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