THE SPECTATOR. N°252 Wednesday, December 19, 1711. Erranti, paffimque oculos per cuncta ferenti. Virg. Æn. 2. ver. 570. Exploring ev'ry place with curious eyes. Mr. SPECTA T O R, you Am very forry to find by your difcourfe upon the eye, that you have not thoroughly studied the nature and force of that part of a beauteous face. " Had ever been in love, you would have faid ten thousand things, which it feems did not occur to you: Do but reflect upon the nonfenfe it makes men talk, the flames which it is faid to kindle, the transport it raises, the dejection it caufes in the braveft men; and if you do believe those things are expreffed to an extravagance, yet you will own, that the influence of it is very great which moves men to that extravagance. Certain it is, that the whole ftrength of the mind is fometimes feated there; that a kind look imparts all, that a year's difcourfe could give you, in one What matters it what the fays to you, fee ་ moment. A 5 how how fhe looks, is the language of all who know what love is. When the mind is thus fummed up and expreffed in a glance, did you never obferve a fud• den joy arise in the countenance of a lover? Did you never fee the attendance of years paid, over-paid in an inftant? You a SPECTATOR, and not know that the intelligence of affection is carried on by the eye only; that good-breeding has made the tongue falfify the heart, • and act a part of continual constraint, while nature has • preferved the eyes to herself, that she may not be difguifed or mifreprefented. The poor bride can give her • hand, and fay, I do, with a languishing air, to the man fhe is obliged by cruel parents to take for mercenary rea fons, but at the fame time fhe cannot look as if the loved; her eye is full of forrow, and reluctance fits in a tear, while the offering of the facrifice is performed in what we call the marriage ceremony. Do you never go to plays? Cannot you diftinguish between the eyes of those who go to fee, from thofe who come to be feen? I am a woman turned of thirty, and am on the ⚫ obfervation a little; therefore if you or your correfpon'dent had confulted me in your difcourfe on the eye, I could have told you that the eye of Leonora is flily watch⚫ful while it looks negligent; fhe looks round her without the help of the glaffes you fpeak of, and yet seems to be employed on objects direaly before her. This < eye is what affects chance-medley, and on a fudden, as if it attended to another thing, turns all its charms against an ogler. The eye of Lufitania is an inftrument of premeditated murder; but the defign being visible, deftroys the execution of it; and with much more beauty than that of Leonora, it is not half so mischievous. There is a brave foldier's daughter in town, that by her eye has been the death of more than ever her father made fly before him. A beautiful eye makes filence eloquent, a kind eye makes contradiction, an affent, an enraged eye makes beauty deformed. This little 'member gives life to every other part about us, and I believe the ftory of Argu.simplies no more than that the eye is in every part, that is to fay, every other part would be mutilated, were not its force reprefented more . ' by "by the eye than even by itfelf. But this is heathen 'Greek to thofe who have not converfed by glances. This, Sir, is a language in which there can be no deceit, nor can a skilful obferver be impofed upon by looks even among politicians and courtiers. If you do me the honour to print this among your fpeculations, "I fhall in my next make you a prefent of fecret hiftory, by tranflating all the looks of the next affembly of "Ladies and Gentlemen into words, to adorn fome'future paper. Iam, SIR, your faithful friend Dear Mr. SPECTATOR, Mary Heartfree. Have a fot of a husband that lives a very fcandalous » 'baucheries; and is immovable to all the arguments I can urge to him. I would gladly know whether in fome cafes a cudgel may not be allowed as a good "figure of fpeech, and whether it may not be lawfully "ufed by a female orator. Mr. SPECTATOR, T Your humble fervant, Barbara Crabtree, Hough I am a practitioner in the law of fome ftanding, and have heard many eminent plead"ers in my time, as well as other eloquent fpeakers "of both universities, yet I agree with you, that "women are better qualified to fucceed in oratory "than the men, and believe this is to be refolved into "natural caufes. You have mentioned only the volu bility of their tongue; but what do you think of the filent flattery of their pretty faces, and the perfuafion which even an infipid difcourfe carries with it when flowing from beautiful lips, to which it would be cruel to deny any thing? It is certain too, that they are poffeffed of fome fprings of rhetorick which men want, fuch as tears, fainting fits, and the like, which I have seen employed upon occafion with good 'fuccefs. You must know I am a plain man and love my 'money; yet I have a spouse who is fo great an orator in A 6 "thiss |