No. 310, rigidly virtuous in the World, and yet their Nicety will permit them, at the Command of Parents, to go to Bed to the most utter Stranger that can be pro posed to them. As to me my self, I was introduced by the Father of my Mistress; but find I owe my being at first received to a Comparison of my Estate with that of a former Lover, and that I am now in a like Manner turned off, to give Way to an humble Servant still richer than I am. What makes this Treat ment_the_more extravagant, is, that the young Lady is in the Management of this Way of Fraud, and obeys her Father's Orders on these Occasions without any Manner of Reluctance, but does it with the same Air that one of your Men of the World would signify the Necessity of Affairs for turning another out of Office. When I came home last Night I found this Letter from my Mistress. "Sir, I hope you will not think it is any Manner of Dis respect to your Person or Merit, that the intended Nuptials between us are interrupted. My Father says he has a much better Offer for me than you can make, and has ordered me to break off the Treaty between us. If it had proceeded, I should have behaved my self with all suitable Regard to you; but as it is, I beg we may be Strangers for the Future. Adieu. Lydia." This great Indifference on this Subject, and the mer cenary Motives for making Alliances, is what I think lies naturally before you, and I beg of you to give me your Thoughts upon it. My Answer to Lydia was as follows, which I hope you will approve; for you are to know the Woman's Family affect a wonderful Ease on these Occasions, tho' they expect it should be pain fully received on the Man's Side. "Madam, I have received yours, and knew the Prudence of your House so well, that I always took Care to be ready to obey your Commands, tho' they should be to to see you no more. Pray give my Service to all the No. 310. good Family, Adieu. The Opera Subscrip tion is full. Clitophon." Monday, Feb, 25, "' 1712. Memorandum. The Censor of Marriage to consider this Letter, and report the common Usages on such Treaties, with how many Pounds or Acres are gener ally esteemed sufficient Reason for preferring a new to an old Pretender; with his Opinion what is proper to be determined in such Cases for the future. 'Mr. SPECTATOR, There is an elderly Person, lately left off Business and settled in our Town, in order, as he thinks, to retire from the World; but he has brought with him such an Inclina tion to Tale-bearing, that he disturbs both himself and all our Neighbourhood. Notwithstanding this Frailty, the honest Gentleman is so happy as to have no Enemy; At the same time he has not one Friend who will venture to acquaint him with his Weakness. It is not to be doubted but if this Failing were set in a proper Light, he would quickly perceive the Indecency and evil Consequences of it. Now, Sir, this being an Infirmity which I hope may be corrected, and knowing that he pays much Deference to you, I beg that, when you are at Leisure to give us a Speculation on Gossiping, you would think of my Neigh bour: You will hereby oblige several who will be glad to find a Reformation in their gray-hair'd Friend: And how becoming will it be for him, instead of pouring forth Words at all Adventures, to set a Watch before the Door of his Mouth, to refrain his Tongue, to check its Impetuosity, and guard against the Sallies of that little, pert, forward, busy Person which, under a sober Conduct, might prove a useful Member of a Society, In Compliance with whose Intimations, I have taken the Liberty to make this Address to you. I am, Sir, Your most obscure Servant, II 165 Philanthropos,' Mr. No. 310. 'Mr. SPECTATOR, Feb. 16, 1712, This is to petition you, in Behalf of my self and many more of your gentle Readers, that at any Time when you may have private Reasons against letting us know what you think your self, you would be pleased to pardon us such Letters of your Correspondents as seem to be of no Use but to the Printer. It is further our humble Request, that you would substitute Advertisements in the Place of such Epistles; and that in Order hereunto Mr. Buckley may be author ized to take up of your zealous Friend Mr. Charles Lillie, any Quantity of Words he shall from time to time have Occasion for, The many useful Parts of Knowledge which may be communicated to the Publick this Way, will, we hope, be a Consideration in Favour of your Petitioners. And your Petitioners, &c Note, That particular Regard be had to this Petition; and the Papers marked Letter R may be carefully ex amined for the future. No. 311, V [ADDISON,] I Tuesday, February 26, Nec pharetris Veneris macer est aut lampade fervet 'Mr. SPECTATOR T AM amazed that among all the Variety of Char acters, with which you have enriched your Specula tions, you have never given us a Picture of those audacious young Fellows among us, who commonly go by the Name of Fortune Stealers. You must know, Sir, I am one who live in a continual Apprehension of this Sort of People, that lie in wait, Day and Night for our Children, and may be considered as a Kind of Kidnappers within the Law, I am the Father of a Young Heiress, whom I begin to look upon as marriageable, and who has looked upon her self as such for above these Six Years. She is now in the eighteenth Year of her Age. The Fortune-hunters 1712. have already cast their Eyes upon her, and take care No. 311. to plant themselves in her View whenever she appears Tuesday, in any publick Assembly, I have my self caught Feb. 26, a young Jackanapes, with a Pair of Silver fringed Gloves, in the very Fact. You must know, Sir, I have kept her as a Prisoner of State ever since she was in her Teens, Her Chamber Windows are cross-barred, she is not permitted to go out of the House but with her Keeper, who is a stayed Relation of my own; I have likewise forbid her the Use of Pen and Ink for this Twelve-Month last past, and do not suffer a Ban box to be carried into her Room before it has been searched. Notwithstanding these Precautions, I am at my Wits End for fear of any sudden Surprize. There were, two or three Nights ago, some Fiddles heard in the Street, which I am afraid portend me no Good; not to mention a tall Irish-Man, that has been seen walking before my House more than once this Winter. My Kinswoman likewise informs me, that the Girl has talked to her twice or thrice of a Gentleman in a fair Wig, and that she loves to go to Church more than ever she did in her Life. She gave me the Slip about a Week ago, upon which my whole House was in Alarm I immediately dispatched a Hue-and-Cry after her to the Change, to her Mantua-maker, and to the young Ladies that visit her; but after above an Hour's Search she returned of herself, having been taking a Walk, as she told me, by Rosamond's Pond. hereupon turned off her Woman, doubled her Guards, and given new Instructions to my Relation, who, to give her her due, keeps a watchful Eye over all her Motions. This, Sir, keeps me in a perpetual Anxiety, and makes me very often watch when my Daughter sleeps, as I am afraid she is even with me in her Turn Now, Sir, what I would desire of you, is, to represent to this fluttering Tribe of young Fellows, who are for making their Fortunes by these indirect Means, hat stealing a Man's Daughter for the Sake of her Portion, is but a Kind of tolerated Robbery; and that hey make but a poor Amends to the Father, whom hey plunder after this Manner, by going to Bed with I have No. 311, his Child. Dear Sir, be speedy in your Thoughts on Tuesday, this Subject, that, if possible they may appear before the Feb. 26, Disbanding of the Army, 1712. I am, Sir Your most obedient humble Servant, Themistocles, the great Athenian General, being asked whether he would chuse to marry his Daughter to an indigent Man of Merit, or to a worthless Man of an Estate, replied, That he should prefer a Man without an Estate, to an Estate without a Man. The worst of it is, our modern Fortune-Hunters are those who turn their Heads that Way, because they are good for Nothing else. If a young Fellow finds he can make Nothing of Cook and Littleton, he provides himself with a Ladder of Ropes, and by that Means very often enters upon the Premises. The same Art of Scaling has likewise been practised with good Success by many Military Ingineers, Strata gems of this Nature make Parts and Industry superfluous and cut short the Way to Riches. Nor is Vanity a less Motive than Idleness to this Kind of mercenary Pursuit, A Fop who admires his Person in a Glass, soon enters into a Resolution of making his Fortune by it, not questioning but every Woman that falls in his Way will do him as much Justice as he does himself. When an Heiress sees a Man throwing particular Graces into his Ogle, or talking loud within her Hearing, she ought to look to herself; but if withall she observes a Pair of Red-Heels a Patch, or any other Particularity in his Dress, she cannot take too much Care of her Person. These are Baits not to be trifled with, Charms that have done World of Execution, and made their Way into Hearts which have been Thought impregnable. The Force of a Man with these Qualifications is so well known that I am credibly inform'd there are several Female Undertakers about the Change, who upon the Arrival of a likely Man out of a neighbouring Kingdom, will furnish |
