ing to the most fashionable airs and motions that are now practifed at court. The ladies who carry fans under me are drawn up twice a-day in my great hall, where they are inftructed in the ufe of their arms, and exercised by the following words. of command. Handle your fans, Flutter your fans. By the right obfervation of these few plain words. * of command, a woman of tolerable genius, who ' will apply herself diligently to her exercife for the fpace of but one half-year, fhall be able to give her fan all the graces that can poffibly enter into that little modifh machine. But to the end that my readers may form to themselves a right notion of this Exercife, I beg leave to explain it to them in all its parts. When 'my female regiment is drawn up in array, with every one her weapon in her hand, upon my giv. ing the word to handle their fans, each of them shakes her fan at me with a smile, then gives her right-hand woman a tap upon the fhoulder, then preffes her lips with the extremity of her fan, then lets her arms fall in an eafy motion, and 'ftands in a readinefs to receive the next word of ❝ command. All this is done with a close fan, and ' is generally learned in the first week. The next motion is that of unfurling the fan, ' in which are comprehended several little flirts and vibrations, as also gradual and deliberate open'ings, with many voluntary fallings afunder in the < fan itself, that are seldom learned under a month's "practice. This part of the Exercife pleases the fpectators more than any other, as it discovers on ' a fudden a fudden an infinite number of Cupids, garlands, "altars, birds, beafts, rainbows, and the like agree⚫able figures, that difplay themselves to view, whilft every one in the regiment holds a picture in her • hand. Upon my giving the word to discharge their fans, they give one general crack that may be heard at a confiderable diftance when the wind 'fits fair. This is one of the most difficult parts ' of the Exercife; but I have several ladies with me, 'who at their firft entrance could not give a pop ' loud enough to be heard at the farther end of a room, who can now discharge a fan in fuch a manner, that it fhall make a report like a pocket'pistol. I have likewife taken care (in order to 'hinder young women from letting off their fans in wrong places or unfuitable occafions) to fhew I upon what fubject the crack of a fan inay come in properly: I have likewise invented a fan, with which a girl of fixteen, by the help of a little wind which is inclofed about one of the largest 'fticks, can make as loud a crack as a woman of fifty with an ordinary fan. When the fans are thus difcharged, the word of command in courfe is to ground their fans. This teaches a lady to quit her fan gracefully when the throws it afide in order to take up a 'pack of cards, adjust a curl of hair, replace a falling pin, or apply herself to any other matter ' of importance. This part of the exercise, as it only confifts in toffing a fan with an air upon a long table (which stands by for that purpose) may be learned in two days time as well as in a twelve' month. When my female regiment is thus difarmed, I generally let them walk about the room for fome time; when on a fudden (like ladies that look upon their watches after a long vifit) they all of them haften to their arms, catch them up in a hurry, • hurry, and place themselves in their proper ftations upon my calling out. Recover your fans. This part of the exercife is not difficult, provided " a woman applies her thoughts to it.. The Fluttering of the fan is the last, and indeed 'the mafter-piece of the whole exercife; but if a lady does not mifpend her time, fhe may make herfelf miftrefs of it in three months. I generally lay afide the dog-days, and the hot time of the 'fummer for the teaching this part of the exercise; 'for as foon as ever I pronounce Flutter your fans, the place is filled with fo many zephyrs and gen'tle breezes, as are very refreshing in that season ' of the year, though they might be dangerous to ladies of a tender conftitution in any other.. There is an infinite variety of motions to bẹ 'made use of in the Flutter of a fan: There is the < angry flutter, the modeft flutter, the timorous. flutter, the confused flutter, the merry flutter, and the amorous flutter. Not to be tedious, there is fcarce any emotion of the mind which does not 6 produce a suitable agitation in the fan; infomuch, that if I only fee the fan of a difciplined lady, I know very well whether the laughs, frowns, or blushes. I have feen a fan fo very angry, that it ❝ would have been dangerous for the abfent lover who provoked it to have come within the wind of " it; and at other times fo very languishing, that I have been glad for the lady's fake the lover was at a fufficient distance from it. I need not add, that a fan is either a prude or coquette, accord-. ing to the nature of the perfon who bears it. To conclude my letter, I muft acquaint you that I have from my own obfervations compiled a little treatife for the use of my scholars, intitled The paffions of the fan; which I will communicate. to you, if you think it may be of use to the pub❝lick. I fhall have a general review on Thursday: 6. next; very welcome if you 'I am, &c. 'next; to which P. S. I teach young gentlemen the whole art of gallanting a fan. N. B. I have several little plain fans made for this purpose, to avoid expence.' No. 103. THURSDAY, JUNE 28. -Sibi quivis . Speret idem, fudet multum, fruftraque laboret, All men will try, and hope to write as well, M Y friend the divine having been used with words of complaifance (which he thinks could be properly applied to no one living, and 1 think could be only fpoken of him, and that in his abfence) was fo extremely offended with the exceffive way of speaking civilities among us, that he made a difcourfe againit it at the club; which he concluded with this remark, that he had not heard one compliment made in our fociety fince its commencement. Every one was pleafed with this conclufion; and as each knew his good-will to the reft, he was convinced that the many profeffions of kindness and fervice, which we ordinarily meet with, are not natural where the heart is well inclined; but are a proflitution of fpeech, feldom intended to meant any part of what they exprefs, never to mean all they exprefs. Our reverend friend, upon this topic, pointed to us two or three paragraphs on this fubject, in the first sermon of the first volume of the late late archbishop's pofthumous works. I do not know that ever I read any thing that pleafed me more, and as it is the praise of Longinus, that he speaks of the fublime in a ftile fuitable to it, fo one may fay of this author upon fincerity, that he abhors any pomp of rhetorick on this occafion, and treats. it with a more than ordinary fimplicity, at once to be a preacher and an example. With what command of himself does he lay before us in the language and temper of his profeffion, a fault, which by the leaft liberty and warmth of expreffion would be the most lively wit and fatire? But his heart was better difpofed, and the good man chaftifed the great wit in such a manner, that he was able to speak as follows. Amongst too many other inftances of the great corruption and degeneracy of the age wherein we live, the great and general want of fincerity • in conversation is none of the leaft. The world is grown fo full of diffimulation and compliment, ⚫ that mens words are hardly any fignification of their thoughts; and if any man meafure his words by his heart, and speak as he thinks, and do not ex' prefs more kindness to every man, than men ufually have for any man, he can hardly escape the 'cenfure of want of breeding. The old English plainness and fincerity, that generous integrity of nature, and honefty of difpofition, which always < argues true greatnefs of mind, and is ufually accompanied with undaunted courage and refolution, is in a great measure loft among us: There ' hath been a long endeavour to transform us into ' foreign manners and fafhions, and to bring us to a fervile imitation of none of the best of our neigh<bours in fome of the worst of their qualities. The dialect of converfation is now-a-days fo fwelled with vanity and compliment, and fo furfeited (as I may fay) of expreffions of kindness and respect, that if a nian that lived an age or two ago thould return |