we endeavoured to conceal-were as familiar to him as to ourselves. To be fure, Mr. SPECTATOR, he is a very learned and wife Man. Being impatient to know my Fortune, having paid my refpects in a Family-Jacobus, he told me (after his manner) among feveral other things, that in a Year and nine Months I should fall ill of a new Fever, be given over by my Physicians, but fhould with much difficulty recover! 'That the first time I took the Air after

wards, I fhould be addrefs'd to by a young 'Gentleman of a plentiful Fortune, good Senfe, and a generous Spirit. Mr. SPECTATOR, he is the pureft Man in the World, for all he faid is come to pass, and 'I am the happiest She in Kent. I have 'been in queft of Mr. Campbell these three 'Months, and cannot find him out. Now hearing you are a dumb Man too, I thought you might correspond, and be able to tell me fomething; for I think myself highly oblig'd to make his Fortune, as he has mine. ''Tis very poffible your Worship, who has Spies all over this Town, can inform me how to fend to him: If you can, I befeech you be as speedy as poffible, and you will highly oblige

Your conftant Reader and Admirer,

Dulcibella Thankley.

ORDERED, That the Infpector I employ about Wonders, inquire at the GoldenLion, oppofite to the Half-Moon Tavern in Drury-Lane, into the Merits of this filent Sage, and report accordingly.

excalyxoidosiste

N°475 Thursday, September 4

Que res in fe neque Confilium, neque modum Habet ullum, eam confilio regere non potes.

T

Ter. Eun. A&t. 1. Sc. I.

Advice is thrown away, where the Cafe admits of neither Counsel nor Moderation.

T is an old Obfervation, which has been made of Politicians who would rather in

gratiate themselves with their Sovereign, than promote his real Service, that they accommodate their Counfels to his Inclinations, and advise him to fuch Actions only as his Heart is naturally fet upon. The Privy-Counfellor of one in Love muft obferve the fame Conduct, unless he would forfeit the Friendship of the Perfon who defires his Advice. I have known feveral odd Cafes of this Nature. Hipparchus was going to marry a common Woman, but being refolv'd to do nothing without the Advice of his Friend Philander; he confulted him upon the Occafion. Philander

lander told him his Mind freely, and reprefented his Miftrefs to him in fuch ftrong Colours, that the next Morning he receiv'd a Challenge for his pains, and before Twelve o'Clock was run through the Body by the Man who had asked his Advice. Celia was more prudent on the like Occafion; fhe defired Leonilla to give her Opinion freely upon a young Fellow who made his Addreffes to her. Leonilla to oblige her, told her with great Franknefs, that the looked upon him as one of the moft worthlefs Celia, forfeeing what a Character fhe was to expect, begged her not to go on, for that fhe had been privately married to him above a Fortnight. The Truth of it is, a Woman feldom asks Advice before she has bought her WeddingClothes. When fhe has made her own Choice, for Form's fake the fends a Congé d'elire to her Friends.

IF we look into the fecret Springs and Motives that fet People at work on thefe Occafions, and put them upon asking Advice which they never intend to take; I look upon it to be none of the leaft, that they are incapable of keeping a Secret which is fo very pleafing to them. A Girl longs to tell her Confident, that the hopes to be married in a little time, and, in order to talk of the pretty Fellow that dwells fo much in her Thoughts, asks her very gravely, what she would advise her to do in a case of so much Difficulty.

Difficulty. Why elfe fhould Meliffa, who had not a Thousand Pound in the World, go into every Quarter of the Town to ask her Acquaintance whether they would advise her to take Tom Townly, that made his Addreffes to her with an Eftate of five Thousand a Year? 'Tis very pleasant on this Occafion, to hear the Lady propofe her Doubts, and to fee the Pains she is at to get over them.

I MUST not here omit a Practice that is in ufe among the vainer Part of our own Sex, who will often ask a Friend's Advice in relation to a Fortune whom they are never likely to come at. WILL HONEYCOMB, who is now on the Verge of Threefcore, took me afide not long fince, and asked me in his moft ferious Look, whether I would advise him to marry my Lady Betty Single, who, by the way, is one of the greatest Fortunes about Town. I ftar'd him full in the Face upon fo strange a Question; upon which he immediately gave me an Inventory of her Jewels and Estate, adding, that he was refolved to do nothing in a matter of fuch consequence without my Approbation. Finding he would have an Anfwer, I told him, if he could get the Lady's Confent he had mine. This is about the tenth Match which, to my Knowledge, WILL has confulted his Friends upon, without ever opening his Mind to the Party herself.

I

I HAVE been engaged in this Subject by
the following Letter, which comes to me
from fome notable young Female Scribe, who,
by the Contents of it, feems to have carried
Matters fo far, that fhe is ripe for asking Ad-
vice; but as I would not lofe her Good-will,
nor forfeit the Reputation which I have with
her for Wisdom, I fhall only communicate
the Letter to the Publick, without returning
any Answer to it.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

NOW, Sir, the thing is this: Mr. Shapely
is the prettieft Gentleman about Town.
He is very tall, but not too tall neither. He
'dances like an Angel. His Mouth is made
'I don't know how, but 'tis the prettiest that
I ever faw in my Life. He is always
laughing, for he has an infinite deal of
'Wit. If you did but fee how he rolls his
Stockings! He has a thousand pretty Fan-
cies, and I am fure, if you faw him, you
'would like him. He is a very good Scholar,
and can talk Latin as faft as English. I
' with you could but fee him dance. Now
you must understand poor Mr. Shapely has
no Estate; but how can he help that, you
'know? And yet my Friends are so unrea-
fonable as to be always teazing me about
⚫ him, because he has no Eftate; but I am fure
he has that that is better than an Eftate; for
he is a Good-natured, Ingenious, Modeft,
Civil;