'the World it is not for want of Charms that I ftand fo long unafked; and if you do not 'take Measures for the immediate Redress of us Rigids, as the Fellows call us, I can move with a speaking Mien, can look fignificantly, can lifp, can trip, can loll, can ftart, can blush, can rage, can weep, if I muft do it, and can be frighted as agreeably as any She in England. All which is humbly fubmitted to your Spectatorial Confideration with all Humility, by T Your most humble Servant, Matilda Mohair. N° 493 Thursday, September 25. Qualem commendes etiam atque etiam adfpice, ne mox IT ANON. T is no unpleasant matter of Speculation to confider the recommendatory Epistles that pafs round this Town from hand to hand, and the abuse People put upon one another in that kind. It is indeed come to that pafs, that instead instead of being the Teftimony of Merit in the Perfon recommended, the true Reading of a Letter of this fort is, The Bearer hereof is fo uneafy to me, that it will be an Act of Charity in you to take him off my Hands; whether you prefer him or not, it is all one, for I have no manner of Kindness for him, or Obligation to bim or his; and do what you please as to that. As negligent as Men are in this respect, a Point of Honour is concerned in it; and there is nothing a Man fhould be more ashamed of, than paffing a worthlefs Creature into the Service or Interefts of a Man who has never injur'd you. The Women indeed are a little too keen in their Refentments, to trespass often this way: But you fhall fometimes know that the Mistress and the Maid fhall quarrel, and give each other very free Language, and at last the Lady fhall be pacified to turn her out of doors, and give her a very good Word to any body else. Hence it is that you fee, in a Year and Half's time, the fame Face a Domestick in all parts of the Town. Good-breeding and Good-nature lead People in a great measure to this Injustice: When Suitors of no Confideration will have Confidence enough to press upon their Superiors, thofe in Power are tender of fpeaking the Exceptions they have against them, and are mortgaged into Promises out of their Impatience of Importunity. In this latter cafe, it would be a very useful Inquiry to know the Hiftory of Recommendations :. I 2 dations: There are, you must know, certain Abettors of this way of Torment, who make it a Profeffion to manage the Affairs of Candidates: These Gentlemen let out their Impudence to their Clients, and fupply any Defective Recommendation, by informing how fuch and fuch a Man is to be attacked. They will tell you, get the leaft Scrap from Mr. Such-aone, and leave the reft to them. When one of these Undertakers have your Business in hand, you may be fick, abfent in Town or Country, and the Patron fhall be worried, or you prevail. I remember to have been shewn a Gentleman fome Years ago, who punish'd a whole People for their Facility in giving their Credentials. This Perfon had belonged to a Regiment which did Duty in the Weft-Indies, and by the Mortality of the Place happened to be commanding Officer in the Colony. He oppreffed his Subjects with great frankness, till he became fenfible that he was heartily hated by every Man under his Command. When he had carried his Point, to be thus deteftable, in a pretended Fit of Dif-humour, and feigned Uneafinefs of living where he found he was fo univerfally unacceptable, he communicated to the Chief Inhabitants a Defign he had to return for England, provided they would give him ample Testimonials of their Approbation. The Planters came into it to a Man, and in proportion to his deferving the quite contrary, the Words Juftice, Generofity, and Courage, were were inferted in his Commiffion, not omitting the general Good-liking of People of all Conditions in the Colony. The Gentleman returns for England, and within a few Months after came back to them their Governor on the Strength of their own Teftimonials. SUCH a Rebuke as this cannot indeed happen to eafy Recommenders, in the ordinary course of things from one hand to another; but how would a Man bear to have it faid to him, the Perfon I took into Confidence on the Credit you gave him, has proved false, unjust, and has not answered any way the Character you gave me of him? I CANNOT but conceive very good hopes of that Rake Jack Toper of the Temple, for an honeft Scrupuloufnefs in this Point. A Friend of his meeting with a Servant that had formerly lived with Jack, and having a mind to take him, fent to him to know what Faults the Fellow had, fince he could not please fuch a careless Fellow as he was. His Anfwer was as follows: SIR, for me. away me was TE HOMAS that lived with me turned because he was too good You know I live in Taverns; he is an orderly fober Rafcal, and thinks much to fleep in an Entry till two in a Morning. 'He told me one day when he was dreffing me, that he wondred I was not dead before now, fince I went to Dinner in the Evening, and went to Supper at two in the Morning. We were coming down Effex• Street one Night a little fluftred, and I was giving him the Word to alarm the Watch; he had the Impudence to tell me it was against the Law. You that are married, ' and live one Day after another the fame Way, and fo on the whole Week, I dare fay will like him, and he will be glad to have his Meat in due Seafon. The Fel'low is certainly very honeft. My Service ' to your Lady. Yours, J. T. NOW this was very fair Dealing. Jack knew very well, that tho' the Love of Order made a Man very aukward in his Equipage, it was a valuable Quality among the queer People who live by Rule; and had too much good Senfe and Good-nature to let the Fellow ftarve, because he was not fit to attend his Vivacities. I SHALL end this Difcourfe with a Letter of Recommendation from Horace to Claudius Nero. You will fee in that Letter a flowness to ask a Favour, a ftrong Reason for being unable to deny his good Word any longer, and that it is a Service to the Perfon to whom he recommends, to comply with what is asked: All which are neceffary Circumftances, both in Juftice and Good-breed ing, |