'P.S. I FORGOT to tell you, that the pretty gentleman is the moft complaifant creature in the world, and is always of my mind; but the other, forfooth, fancies he has as much wit as myself, flights my lap-dog, and hath the infolence to contradict me when he thinks I am 'not in the right. About half an hour ago, he main⚫tained to my face, that a patch always implies a pimple." As I look upon it to be my duty rather to fide with the parents than the daughter, I fhall propofe fome confiderations to my gentle querift, which may incline her to comply with thofe, under whofe direction fhe is and at the fame time convince her, that it is not impoffible but fhe may, in time, have a true affection for him who is at prefent indifferent to her; or, to ufe the old family maxim, that, If he marries first, love will come after. Or Let THE only objection, that the feems to infinuate against the gentleman propofed to her, is his want of complaifance, which, I perceive, fhe is very willing to return. Now, I can difcover from this very circumftance, that she and her lover, whatever they may think of it, are very good friends in their hearts. It is difficult to determine, whether love delights more in giving pleafure or pain. Let Mifs Fickle afk her own heart, if the doth not take a fecret pride in making this man of good fenfe look very filly. Hath the ever been better pleased, than when her behaviour hath made her lover ready to hang himself? doth fhe ever rejoice more, than when she thinks she hath driven him to the very brink of a purling ftream? her confider, at the fame time, that it is not impoffible but her lover may have difcovered her tricks, and hath a mind to give her as good as fhe brings. I remember a handfome young baggage that treated a hopeful Greek of my acquaintance, juft come from Oxford, as if he had been a Barbarian. The firft week, after she had fixed him, he took a pinch of fnuff out of his rival's box, and apparently touched the enemy's little finger. She became a profeffed enemy to the arts and fciences, and fearce ever wrote a letter to him without wilfully mispelling his The young scholar, to be even with her, railed at coquettes as foon as he had got the word; and did not want parts to turn into ridicule her men of wit and plea name. fure fure of the town. After having irritated one another for the space of five months, fhe made an affignation with him fourfcore miles from London. But as he was very well acquainted with her pranks, he took a journey the quite contrary way. Accordingly they met, quarrelled, and in a few days were married. Their former hoftilities are now the subject of their mirth, being content at prefent with that part of love only, which beftows pleasure. WOMEN, who have been married fome time, not having it in their heads to draw after them a numerous train of followers, find their fatisfaction in the poffeffion of one man's heart. I know very well, that ladies in their bloom defire to be excufed in this particular. But when time hath worn out their natural vanity, and taught them difcretion, their fondnefs fettles on its proper object. And it is probably for this reafon, that among hufbands, you will find more that are fond of women beyond their prime, than of those that are actually in the infolence of beauty. My reader will apply the fame obfervation to the other fex. I NEED not infift upon the neceffity of their pursuing one common intereft, and their united care for their children, but shall only obferve, by the way, that married perfons are both more warm in their love, and more hearty in their hatred, than any others whatfoever. Mutual favours and obligations which may be supposed to be greater here than in any other ftate, naturally beget an intenfe affection in generous minds. As, on the contrary, perfons who have beftowed fuch favours, have a particular bitterness in their refentments, when they think themselves ill-treated by thofe of whom they have deserved so much. BESIDES, Mifs Fickle may confider, that as there are often many faults concealed before marriage, fo there are fometimes many virtues unobferved. To this we may add the great efficacy of custom, and conftant converfation, to produce a mutual friendship and benevolence in two perfons. It is a nice reflection, which I have heard a friend of mine make, that you may be fure a woman loves a man, when she uses his expreffions, tells his ftories, or imitates his manner. This gives a fecret delight; for imitation is a kind of artlefs flattery, and mightily favours the powerful principle of felf-love. It is cer No 605. tain, that married perfons, who are poffeffed with a mutual esteem, not only catch the air and way of talk from one another, but fall into the fame traces of thinking and liking. Nay, fome have carried the remark fo far as to affert, that the features of man and wife grow, in time, to refemble one another. Let my fair correfpondent ́ therefore confider, that the gentleman recommended will have a good deal of her own face in two or three years; which she must not expect from the beau, who is too full of his dear felf to copy after another. And I dare appeal to her own judgment, if that perfon will not be the handfomeft, that is the moft like herself. We have a remarkable instance to our prefent purpose in the hiftory of king Edgar, which I fhall here relate, and leave it with my fair correfpondent to be applied to herself. It was THIS great monarch, who is fo famous in British fto- .ry, fell in love, as he made his progrefs through his kingdom, with a certain duke's daughter, who lived near Winchefter, and was the most celebrated beauty of the age. His importunities, and the violence of his paffion, were fo great, that the mother of the young lady promised him to bring her daughter to his bed the next night, though in her heart fhe abhorred fo infamous an office. no fooner dark than fhe conveyed into his room a young maid of no difagreeable figure, who was one of her attendants, and did not want address to improve the opportunity for the advancement of her fortune. She made fo good ufe of her time, that when the offered to rife a little before day, the king could by no means think of parting with her. So that finding herself under a neceffity of dif covering who fhe was, she did it in fo handfome a manner, that his majefty was exceeding gracious to her, and took her ever after under his protection, infomuch that our chronicles tell us he carried her along with him, made her his firft minifter of state, and continued true to her alone, till his marriage with the beautiful Elfrida. NO N° 606. Wednesday, October 13. Longum cantu folata laborem Argato conjux percurrit pectine telas. Virg. Georg. I. V. 294. The good-wife shoots the shuttle through the boom, • Mr SPECTATOR, : I HAVE a couple of nieces under my direction, who fo often run gadding abroad, that I don't know where to have them. Their drefs, their tea, and their vifits, take up all their time, and they go to bed as tired with doing nothing, as I am after quilting a whole under-petticoat. The only time they are not idle, is while they read your Spectators; which being dedicated to 'the interefts of virtue, I defire you to recommend the long neglected art of needle-work. Thofe hours which in this age are thrown away in drefs, plays, vifits, and the like, were employed, in my time, in writing out receipts, or working beds, chairs, and hangings for the family. For my part, I have plied my needle thefe fifty years, and by my good-will would never have it out ' of my hand. It grieves my heart to fee a couple of proud idle flirts fipping their tea for a whole afternoon, in a room hung round with the industry of their greatgrandmother. Pray, Sir, take the laudable mystery of embroidery into your ferious confideration, and as you have a great deal of the virtue of the laft age in you, continue your endeavours to reform the prefent. I am, &c.' In obedience to the commands of my venerable correfpondent, I have duly weighed this important subject, and promife myself, from the arguments here laid down, that all the fine ladies of England will be ready, as foon as their mourning is. over, to appear covered with the work of their own hands. WHAT WHAT a delightful entertainment must it be to the fair fex, whom their native modefty, and the tenderness of men towards them, exempts from public business, to pass their hours in imitating fruits and flowers, and tranfplanting all the beauties of nature into their own dress, or raifing a new creation in their closets and apartments ? How pleafing is the amufement of walking among the fhades and groves planted by themselves, in furveying heroes flain by their needle, or little Cupids which they have brought into the world without pain! THIS is, methinks, the most proper way wherein a lady can fhew a fine genius, and I cannot forbear wishing, that feveral writers of that sex had chosen to apply themselves rather to tapestry than rhime. Your paftoral poeteffes may vent their fancy in rural landfkips, and place defpairing fhepherds under filken willows, or drown them in a stream of mohair. The heroic writers may work ap battles as fuccefsfully, and enflame them with gold, or stain them with crimson. Even those who have only a turn to a fong or an epigram, may put many valuable ftitches into a purfe, and croud a thousand graces into a pair of garters. IF I may, without breach of good manners, imagine that any pretty creature is void of genius, and would perform her part herein but very aukwardly, I muft nevertheless infift upon her working, if it be only to keep her out of harm's way. ANOTHER argument for bufying good women in works of fancy, is, because it takes them off from scandal, the ufual attendant of tea-tables, and all other unactive scenes of life. While they are forming their birds and beasts, their neighbours will be allowed to be the fathers of their own children and Whig and Tory will be but feldom mentioned, where the great difpute is, whether blue or red is the more proper colour. How much greater glory would Sophronia do the general, if he would chufe rather to work the battle of Blenheim in tapestry, than fignalize herself with fo much vehemence against those who are Frenchmen in their hearts. A THIRD reafon that I fhall mention, is the profit that is brought to the family where thefe pretty arts are encouraged. It is manifeft that this way of life not only keeps |