N° 175 Thursday, September 20, 1711.

Proximus à tectis ignis defenditur agrè.

I

Ovid. Rem. Am. v. 625.

"To fave your houfe from neighb'ring fire is hard." TATE.

SHALL this day entertain my readers with two or three letters I have received from my correfpondents: the firft discovers to me a fpecies of females which have hitherto efcaped my notice, and is as follows.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

IAM AM a young gentleman of a competent fortune, and a fufficient tafte of learning, to spend five or 'fix hours every day very agreeably among my books. • That I might have nothing to divert me from my stu⚫dies, and to avoid the noises of coaches and chairmen, I have taken lodgings in a very narrow street not far from Whitehall; but it is my misfortune to be fo pofted, that my lodgings are directly opposite to those • of a JEZEBEL. You are to know, Sir, that a JEZEBEL (fo called by the neighbourhood from difplaying her pernicious charms at her window) appears conftantly dreffed at her fafh, and has a thousand little ⚫ tricks and fooleries to attract the eyes of all the idle young fellows in the neighbourhood. I have seen more than fix perfons at once from their feveral windows obferving the Jezebel I am now complaining of. I at first looked on her myself with the highest contempt, could divert myself with her airs for half an • hour, and afterwards take Plutarch with great up my tranquillity of mind; but was a little vexed to find that in less than a month he had confiderably stolen

upon my time, fo that I refolved to look at her no ⚫ more. But the Jezebel, who, as I fuppofe, might

think it a diminution to her honour, to have the • number of her gazers leffened, refolved not to part with me fo, and began to play fo many new tricks at her window, that it was impoffible for me to forbear obferving her. I verily believe she put herself to the expence of a new waxx-baby on purpose to plague me; fhe used to dandle and play with this figure as impertinently as if it had been a real child: fometimes he would let fall a glove or a pin-cushion in the street, and fhut or open her cafement three or four times in a minute. When I had almoft weaned myself from this, 6 The came in her fhift-fleeves, and dreffed at the window. I had no way left but to let down my curtains, ⚫ which I submitted to though it confiderably darkened 'my room, and was pleafed to think that I had at laft got the better of her; but was furprised the next morning to hear her talking out of her window quite across the street, with another woman that lodges over me: I am fince informed, that the made her a vifit, and got acquainted with her within three hours after the fall of my window-curtains.

Sir, I am plagued every moment of the day, one way or other, in my own chambers; and the Jezebel has the fatisfaction to know, that though I am not looking at her, I am liftening to her impertinent dialogues, that pafs over my head. I would immediately change my lodgings, but that I think it might look like a plain confeffion, that I am conquered; and befides this, I am told that molt quarters of the town are infefted with thefe creatures. If they are ◄ ́so, I am fure it is fuch an abuie, as a lover of learning and filence ought to take notice of.

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Lam, SIR,

Yours, &c.'

I am afraid, by fome lines in this letter, that my young ftudent is touched with a diftemper which he hardly feem. to dream of, and is too far gone in it to receive advice. However, hall animadvert in due

time on the abufe which he mentions, having myself obferved a neft of JEZEBELS near the Temple, who make it their diverfion to draw up the eyes of young Templars, that at the fame time they may fee them ftumble in an unlucky gutter which runs under the window.

• Mr. SPECTATOR,

I

HAVE lately read the conclufion of your fortyfeventh Speculation upon BUTTS with great pleafure, and have ever fince been thoroughly perfuaded that one of thefe gentlemen is extremely neceffary to enliven converfation. I had an entertainment laft week upon the water for a lady to whom I make my addreffes, with feveral of our friends of both fexes. To divert the company in general, and to fhew my miftrefs in particular my genius for raillery, I took ' one of the most celebrated Butts in town along with me. It is with the utmost shame and confufion that I must acquaint you with the fequel of my adventure. As foon as we were got into the boat, I played a fentence or too at my Butt which I thought very fsmart, ⚫ when my ill genitis, who I verily believe infpired him. purely for my deftruction, fuggefted to him fuch a re"ply, as got all the laughter on his fide. Í was dafhed at fo unexpected a turn; which the Butt perceiving, refolved not to let me recover myself, and pursuing his victory, rallied and toffed me in a moft unmerciful and barbarous manner until we came to Chelsea. I had fome fmall fuccefs while we were eating cheesecakes; but coming home, he renewed his attacks with his former good-fortune, and equal diverfion to the whole company. In fhort, Sir, I must ingenuously own that I was never fo handled in all my life; and to complete my misfortune, I am fince told that the Butt, Aufhed with his late victory, has made a visit or two to the dear object of my wishes, fo that I am at once in danger of lofing all my pretenfions to wit, and my mistress into the bargain. This, Sir, is a true account of my prefent troubles, which you are the more obliged to affift me in, as you were yourself

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• in

in a great meafure the cause of them, by recommending to us an inftrument, and not inflructing us ⚫ at the fame time how to play upon it.

I have been thinking whether it might not be highly ⚫ convenient, that all BUTTS fhould wear an infcrip⚫tion affixed to fome part of their bodies, fhewing on ⚫ which fide they are to be come at, and that if any of them are perfons of unequal tempers, there fhould be fome method, taken to inform the world at what time it is fafe to attack them, and when you had best to let them alone. But, fubmitting these matters to your more ferious confideration,

I am, Sir, yours, &c.'

I have, indeed, feen and heard of feveral young gentlemen under the fame misfortune with my prefent correfpondent. The best rule I can lay down for them to avoid the like calamities for the future, is thoroughly to confider, not only WHETHER their companions are weak, but WHETHER themselves are Wits.

The following letter comes to me from Exeter, and being credibly informed that what it contains is matter of fact, I shall give it my reader as it was fent to me. Exeter, Sept. 7.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

You
OU were pleafed in a late Speculation to take

notice of the inconvenience we lie under in the country, in not being able to keep pace with the fashion*. But there is another misfortune which we are fubject to, and is no lefs grievous than the former, which has hitherto escaped your obfervation. I mean, the having things palmed upon us for London fashions, which were never once heard of there.

A lady of this place had fome time fince a box of the newest ribbons fent down by the coach. Whether it was her own malicious invention, or the wantonness of a London milliner, I am not able to inform you; but, among the reft, there was one cherry-coloured ribband, confifting of about half a dozen yards, made

See SPECT. No 119.

' up

up in the figure of a small head-drefs. The aforefaid lady had the affurance to affirm, amidst a circle of female inquifitors, who were prefent at the opening ' of the box, that this was the neweft fashion worn at court. Accordingly the next Sunday, we had feveral 'females, who came to church with their heads dressed wholly in ribbands, and looked like fo many victims ready to be facrificed. This is ftill a reigning mode among us. At the fame time we have a fet of gen⚫tlemen who take the liberty to appear in all public places without any buttons to their coats, which they fupply with feveral little filver hafps, tho' our freshest advices from London make no mention of any fuch fashion; and we are fomething fhy of affording matter to the Button-makers for a fecond petition,

• What I would humbly propofe to the public is, that there may be a fociety erected in London, to con'fift of the most skilful perfons of both fexes, for the INSPECTION OF MODES AND FASHIONS; and that hereafter no perfon or perfons fhall prefume to appear fingularly habited in any part of the country, with out a teftimonial from the aforefaid fociety, that their ⚫ drefs is answerable to the mode at London. By this means, Sir, we fhall know a little whereabout we are. • If you could bring this matter to bear, you would very much oblige great numbers of your country friends, among the rest,

*In the year 1709 the Button-makers prefented a Petition to Parliament, the nature and contents of which may be learnt from an Act paffed in confequence of it: The preamble of which sets forth, that "Whereas the maintenance and fubfiftence of many "thousands of men, women, and children, within this kingdom "of Great-Britain depends upon the making of filk, mohair, gimp, "and thread Buttons and Button-holes with the needle, &c."And a late and unforeseen practice of making and binding Button"holes with cloth, ferge, &c. to the utter ruin of numerous fa→ "milies, &c." See the Statutes paffed in the 8th year of Queen Anne, 1709. P.

By Mr. Euftace Budgell. See SPECT. N° 555, Vol. VII.