and fell back, then recovered with a foft Air, and made a Bow to the next, and fo to one or two more, and then took the Crofs of the Room, by paffing by them in a continued Bow till C he arrived at the Perfon he thought " proper particularly to entertain. This he did with fo good a Grace and Af furance, that it is taken for the pre"fent Fashion; and there is no young Gentlewoman within feveral: Miles of this Place has been kiffed ever fince his firft Appearance among us. We "Country Gentlemen cannot begin again and learn these fine and referved 6. Airs; and: our Converfation is at a Stand, till we have your Judgment for or against Kiffing, by way of Civility or Salutation; which is impa"tiently expected by your Friends of "both Sexes, but by none fo much as

Mr. SPECTATOR,

Your humble Servant, Ruftick Spightly. Decem. 3, 17P1. Was the other Night at Philafter, where I expected to hear your fa"mous Trunk-maker, but was unhappily disappointed of his Company, and faw another Perfon who had the like

• Am

Ambition to distinguish himself in a noisy manner, partly by Vociferation or talking aloud, and partly by his bodily Agility. This was a very lufty Fellow, but withal a fort of Beau, who getting into one of the SideBoxes on the Stage before the Curtain drew, was difpofed to fhew the "whole Audience his Activity by leaping over the Spikes; he pafs'd from thence to one of the ent'ring Doors, ❝ where he took Snuff with a tolerable good Grace, difplay'd his fine Cloaths, 'made two or three feint Paffes at the "Curtain with his Cane, then faced about and appear'd at t'other Door: "Here he affected to furvey the whole House, bow'd and fmil'd at random, and then fhew'd his Teeth (which were fome of them indeed very white:) After this he retir'd behind the Curtain, and obliged us with feveral Views of his Perfon from every Opening.

'DURING the Time of acting, *he appeared frequently in the Prince's Apartment, made one at the HuntingMatch, and was very forward in the Rebellion. If there were no Injunctions to the contrary, yet this Pra

• Etice

'ctice must be confefs'd to diminish 'the Pleasure of the Audience, and for 'that Reafon prefumptuous and unwarrantable: But fince Her Majefty's late Command has made it criminal, you have Authority to take notice ' of it.

SIR, Your humble Servant,

WHOUGH you have confidered virtuous Love in

T most of its Diftreffes, I do not remember that you have given us any Differtation

upon the Absence of Lovers, or laid 'down any Methods how they should 'fupport themselves under those long "Separations which they are fometimes • forced

'forced to undergo. I am at present in this unhappy Circumftance, having parted with the best of Husbands, who is abroad in the Service of his 'Country, and may not poffibly return 'for fome Years. His warm and gene

rous Affection while we were toge'ther, with the Tenderness which he 'expreffed to me at parting, make his 'Abfence almost infupportable. I think ' of him every moment of the Day, and meet him every Night in my Dreams. Every thing I fee puts me in mind of him. I apply my felf with more than ordinary Diligence to the care of his Family and his Eftate; but this 'instead of relieving me, gives me but fo many Occafions of withing for his Return. I frequent the Rooms where 'I used to converse with him, and not 'meeting him there, fit down in his

Chair, and fall a weeping. I love to 'read the Books he delighted in, and to converfe with the Perfons whom he 'efteemed. I vifit his Picture a hun'dred times a day, and place my felf "over against it whole Hours together." I pafst a great part of my time in the

Walks where I used to lean upon his Arm, and recollect in my Mind the

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Discourses which have there paffed between us: I look over the feveral Profpects and Points of View which we ufed to furvey together, fix my Eye upon the Objects which he has made 'me take notice of, and call to mind a 'thousand agreeable Remarks which he has made on thofe Occafions. I write to him by every Conveyance, and, contrary to other People, am always in good Humour when an Eaft Wind blows, because it feldom fails of bring "ing me a Letter from him. Let me intreat you, Sir, to give me your Ad'vice upon this Occafion, and to let me "know how I may relieve my felf in "this my Widowhood

I am, SIR,

Your moft bumble Servant,

ASTERIA.

ABSENCE is what the Poets call' Death in Love, and has given Occafion to abundance of beautiful Complaints in thofe Authors who have treated! of this Paffion in Verfe. Ovid's Epiftles are full of them. Otway's Monimia talks very tenderly upon this Subject.