fo well in it, that as the Magicians facrificed their Books to the Flames upon the Preaching of an Apoftle, many of the Women threw down their Head-dreffes in the Middle of his Sermon, and made a Bonfire of them within Sight of the Pulpit. He was fo renowned, as well for the Sanctity of his Life as his Manner of Preaching, that he had often a Congregation of Twenty thoufand People; the Men placing themselves on the one Side of his Pulpit, and the Women on the other, that appeared (to use the Similitude of an ingenious Writer) like a Foreft of Cedars with their Heads reaching to the Clouds. He fo warmed and animated the People against this monitrous Ornament, that it lay under a kind of Perfecution; and whenever it appeared in publick was pelted down by the Rabble, who flung Stones at the Perfons that wore it. But notwithftaning this Prodigy vanished while the Preacher was among them, it began to appear again fome Months after his Departure, or to tell it in Monfieur Paradin's own Words, The • Women that, like Snails in a Fright, had drawn in their • Horns, fhot them out again as foon as the Danger was

over. This Extravagance of the Womens Head-dreffes in that Age is taken notice of by Monfieur d' Argentré in the History of Bretagne, and by other Hiftorians as well as the Perfon I have here quoted.

IT is ufually obferved, That a good Reign is the only proper Time for the making of Laws against the Exorbitance of Power; in the fame manner an exceffive Headdrefs may be attacked the moft effectually when the Fafhion is against it. I do therefore recommend this Paper to my female Readers by way of Prevention.

I would defire the fair Sex to confider how impoffible it is for them to add any thing that can be ornamental to what is already the Mafter-piece of Nature. The Head has the most beautiful Appearance, as well as the highest Station, in a human Figure. Nature has laid out all her Art in beautifying the Face; She has touched it with Vermilion, planted in it a double Row of Ivory, made it the Seat of Smiles and Blufhes, lighted it up and enlivened it with the Brightnefs of the Eyes, hung it on each Side with curious Organs of Senfe, given it Airs and Graces that cannot be defcribed, and furrounded it with fuch a flowing Shade of Hair as fets all its

Beauties

Beauties in the most agreeable Light: In fhort, fhe fems to have defigned the Head as the Cupola to the moft glorious of her Works; and when we load it with such a Pile of fupernumerary Ornaments, we destroy the Symmetry of the human Figure, and foolishly contrive to call off the Eye from great and real Beauties, to childish Gewgaws, Ribbands, and Bone-lace. L

Saturday, June 23.

N°

99.

-Turpi fecernis Honeftum.

Hor.

T

HE Club, of which I have often declared my felf a Member, were last Night engaged in a Difcourfe upon that which paffes for the chief Point of Honour among Men and Women; and started a great many Hints upon the Subject, which I thought were entirely new I fhall therefore methodize the feveral Reflexions that arose upon this Occafion, and prefent my Reader with them for the Speculation of this Day; after having premifed, that if there is any thing in this Paper which feems to differ with any Paffage of laft Thursday's, the Reader will confider this as the Sentiments of the Club, and the other as my own private Thoughts, or rather thofe of Pharamond.

THE great Point of Honour in Men is Courage, and in Women Chastity. If a Man lofe his Honour in one Rencounter, it is not impoffible for him to regain it in another; a Slip in a Woman's Honour is irrecoverable. I can give no Reafon for fixing the Point of Honour to thefe two Qualities, unless it be that each Sex fets the greatest Value on the Qualification which renders them the moft amiable in the Eyes of the contrary Sex. Had Men chofen for themfelves, without regard to the Opinions of the fair Sex, I should believe the Choice would have fallen on Wifdom or Virtue; or had Women determined their own Point of Honour, it is probable that Wit or Good-nature would have carried it against Chastity.

NO.

NOTHING recommends a Man more to the female Sex than Courage; whether it be that they are pleafed to fee one who is a Terror to others fall like a Slave at their Feet, or that this Quality fupplies their own princi- . pal Defect, in guarding them from Infults, and avenging their Quarrels, or that Courage is a natural Indication of a strong and sprightly Constitution. On the other Side nothing makes a Woman more efteemed by the oppofite Sex than Chastity; whether it be that we always prize those most who are hardest to come at, or that nothing befides Chastity, with its collateral Attendants, Truth, Fidelity, and Conftancy, gives the Man a Property in the Perfon he loves, and confequently endears her to him above all things.

I am very much pleafed with a Paffage in the Infcrip tion on a Monument erected in Westminster-Abbey to the late Duke and Dutchefs of Newcastle: Her Name was Margaret Lucas, youngest Sifter to the Lord Lucas of Colchester; a noble Family, for all the Brothers were valiant, and all the Sifters virtuous.

6

6

IN Books of Chivalry, where the Point of Honour is strained to Madness, the whole Story runs on Chastity and Courage. The Damfel is mounted on a white Palfrey, as an Emblem of her Innocence; and, to avoid Scandal, must have a Dwarf for her Page. She is not to think of a Man, 'till fome Misfortune has brought a Knight-Errant to her Relief. The Knight falls in Love, and did not Gratitude reftrain her from murdering her Deliverer, would die at her Feet by her Difdain. However, he muft wafte many Years in the Defart, before her Virgin Heart can think of a Surrender. The Knight goes off, attacks every thing he meets that is bigger and ftronger than himself, feeks all Opportunities of being knock'd on the Head, and after feven Years Rambling returns to his Mistress, whofe Chastity has been attacked in the mean time by Giants and Tyrants, and undergone as many Trials as her Lover's Valour.

IN Spain, where there are ftill great Remains of this romantick Humour, it is a tranfporting Favour for a Lady to caft an accidental Glance on her Lover from a Window, tho' it be two or three Stories high; as it is VOL. II.

D

ufual

ufual for the Lover to affert his Paffion for his Mistress, in fingle Combat with a mad Bull.

THE great Violation of the Point of Honour from Man to Man, is giving the Lye. One may tell another he whores, drinks, blafphemes, and it may pafs unrefented; but to fay he lyes, tho' but in jeft, is an Affront that nothing but Blood can expiate. The Reason perhaps may be, because no other Vice implies a want of Courage fo much as the making of a Lye; and therefore telling a Man he lyes, is touching him in the moft fenfible Part of Honour, and indirectly calling him a Coward. I cannot omit under this Head what Herodotus tells us of the ancient Perfians, That from the Age of five Years to twenty they inftruct their Sons only in three things, to manage the Horse, to make use of the Bow, and to speak Truth.

THE placing the Point of Honour in this falfe kind of Courage, has given occafion to the very Refuse of Mankind, who have neither Virtue nor common Sense, to fet up for Men of Honour. An English Peer, who has not been long dead, used to tell a pleasant Story of a French Gentleman that vifited him early one Morning at Paris, and after great Profeffions of Respect, let him know that he had it in his Power to oblige him; which, in short, amounted to this, that he believ'd he could tell his Lordfhip the Perfon's Name who juftled him as he came out from the Opera; but before he would proceed, he begged his Lordship that he would not deny him the Honour of making him his Second. The English Lord, to avoid being drawn into a very foolish Affair, told him that he was under Engagements for his two next Duels to a Couple of particular Friends. Upon which the Gentleman immediately withdrew, hoping his Lordship would not take it ill if he meddled no farther in an Affair from whence he himself was to receive no Advantage.

THE beating down this falfe Notion of Honour, in fo vain and lively a People as thofe of France, is defervedly looked upon as one of the most glorious Parts of their prefent King's Reign. It is pity but the Punishment of these mifchievous Notions fhould have in it forne particular Circumstances of Shame and Infamy; that those who are Slaves to them may fee, that inftead of advancing their Reputations they lead them to Ignominy and Dishonour.

DEATH

DEATH is not fufficient to deter Men who make it their Glory to defpife it; but if every one that fought a Duel were to ftand in the Pillory, it would quickly leffen the Number of these imaginary Men of Honour, and put an end to fo abfurd a Practice.

WHEN Honour is a Support to virtuous Principles, and runs parallel with the Laws of God and our Country, it cannot be too much cherished and encouraged : But when the Dictates of Honour are contrary to those of Religion and Equity, they are the greatest Depravations of human Nature, by giving wrong Ambitions and falfe Ideas of what is good and laudable; and should therefore be exploded by all Governments, and driven out as the Bane and Plague of human Society.

N° 100. Monday, June 25.

L

Nil ego contulerim jucundo fanus amico.

Hor.

A

Man advanced in Years that thinks fit to look back upon his former Life, and calls that only Life which was paffed with Satisfaction and Enjoyment, excluding all Parts which were not pleasant to him, will find himself very young, if not in his Infancy. Sickness, Ill-humour, and Idlenefs, will have robbed him of a great Share of that Space we ordinarily call our Life. It is therefore the Duty of every Man that would be true to himself, to obtain, if poffible, a Difpofition to be pleased, and place himself in a conftant Aptitude for the Satisfactions of his Being. Inftead of this, you hardly fee a Man who is not uneafy in Proportion to his Advancement in the Arts of Life. An affected Delicacy is the common Improvement we meet with in those who pretend to be refined above others: They do not aim at true Pleasures themselves, but turn their Thoughts upon observing the falfe Pleasures of other Men. Such People are Valetudinarians in Society, and they fhould no more come into Company than a fick Man fhould come into the Air: If a Man is too weak to bear what is a Refreshment to Men in Health, he muft ftill keep his

D 2

Cham