tained two or three Women of us (for there was no Man befides himself) with Language as indecent as ever was 'heard upon the Water. The Imper'tinent Obfervations which the Coxcomb made upon our Shame and Confufion were fuch, that it is an unfpeakable Grief to reflect upon them. As much as you have declaimed against Duelling, I hope you will do us the Juftice to declare, that if the Brute has Courage enough to fend to the "Place where he faw us all alight toge'ther to get rid of him, there is not ' one of us but has a Lover who fhall avenge the Infult. It would certainly 'be worth your Confideration, to look into the frequent Misfortunes of this kind, to which the Modeft and Innocent are expofed, by the licentious Behaviour of fuch as are as much Strangers to good Breeding as to Virtue. Could we avoid hearing what we do not approve, as eafily as we can feeing what is difagreeable, there were fome Confolation; but fince, at a Box in a Play, in an Affembly of Ladies, ' or even in a Pew at Church, it is in the Power of a grofs Coxcomb to utter what a Woman cannot avoid hearVOL. VII.

C

ing,

ing, how miferable is her Condition who comes within the Power of fuch Impertinents? and how neceffary is it to repeat Invectives against fuch a Behaviour? If the Licentious had C not utterly forgot what it is to be modeft, they would know that offended C Modesty labours under one of the great'eft Sufferings to which humane Life can be expofed. If one of these 'Brutes could reflect thus much, tho' they want Shame, they would be moved, by their Pity, to abhor an impudent Behaviour in the Prefence of the 'Chafte and Innocent. If you will oblige us with a Spectator on this Subject, and procure it to be pafted againft every Stage-Coach in GreatBritain, as the Law of the Journey, you will highly oblige the whole Sex, for which you have profeffed fo great an Efteem; and, in particular, the two Ladies, my late Fellow-Sufferers, and,

SIR, Your most humble Servant,

Rebecca Ridinghood.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

T

HE Matter which I am now going to fend you, is an unhappy

Story

Story in low Life, and will recommend it felf, fo that you must excuse the Manner of expreffing it. A poor idle drunken Weaver in Spittle-Fields has a faithful laborious Wife, who by her Frugality and Industry had laid by her as much Money as purchased her a Ticket in the prefent Lottery. She had hid this very privately in the bottom of a Trunk, and had given her Number to a Friend and Confident, who had promised to keep the Secret, and bring her News of the Succefs. The poor Adventurer was one Day gone abroad, when her careless Husband, fufpecting the had faved fome Money, fearches every Corner, till at length he finds this fame Ticket; which he immediately carries abroad, fells, and fquanders away the Money, without his Wife's fufpecting any thing of the matter. A Day or two after this, this Friend, who was a 'Woman, comes and brings the Wife word, that he had a Benefit of five hundred Pounds. The poor Creature overjoyed, flies up Stairs to her Husband, who was then at work, and defires him to leave his Loom for that "Even

C2

"Evening, and come and drink with a Friend of his and hers below. The 'Man received this chearful Invitation as bad Husbands fometimes do, and after a crofs word or two, told her he 'wou'd'nt come. His Wife with Tenderness renewed her Importunity, and at length faid to him, My Love! I have within thefe few Months, unknown to you, fcraped together as 'much Money as has bought us a Tick6 ket in the Lottery, and now here is Mrs. Quick comes to tell me, that 'tis come up this Morning a five hundred 'Pound Prize. The Husband replies immediately, You lye, you Slut, you have no Ticket, for I have fold it. The poor Woman upon this faints away in a Fit, recovers, and is now run diftracted. As fhe had no Design to defraud her Husband, but was willing only to participate in his good Fortune, every one pities her, but thinks her Husband's Punishment but juft. This, Sir, is Matter of Fact, and would, if the Perfons and Circumftances were greater, in a wellwrought Play be called Beautiful Diftrefs. I have only sketched it out ' with

with Chalk, and know a good Hand can make a moving Picture with worfe Materials, SIR, &c.

५

Mr. SPECTATOR,

I

I

Am what the World calls a warm Fellow, and by good Success in Trade I have raised my self to a Capacity of making fome Figure in the World; but no matter for that. have now under my Guardianfhip a couple of Nieces, who will certainly make me run mad; which you will not wonder at, when I tell you they are Female Virtuofo's, and during the three Years and a half that I have had them under my Care, they never in the leaft inclined their Thoughts towards any one fingle Part of the Character of a notable Woman. Whilft they should have been confidering the proper Ingredients for a Sack-Poffet, you should hear a Difpute concerning the magnetical Virtue of the Loadftone, or perhaps the Preffure of the Atmosphere: Their Language is pcculiar to themselves, and they scorn to exprefs themselves on the meanest Trifle with Words that are not of a C 3 Latin

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