make up the amity, as they call it, between man and woman. It is the permission of such intercourse that makes a young woman come to the arms of her husband, after the disappointment of four or five passions which she has successfully had for different men, before she is prudentially given to him for whom she has neither love nor friendship. For what should a poor creature do that has lost all her friends? There's Marinet the agreeable, has, to my knowledge, had a friendship for Lord Welford, which had like to break her heart; then she had so great a friendship for Colonel Hardy, that she could not endure any woman else should do anything but rail at him. Many and fatal have been disasters between friends who have fallen out, and their resentments are more keen than ever those of other men can possibly be. But in this it happens unfortunately, that as there ought to be nothing concealed from one friend to another, the friends of different sexes very often find fatal effects from their unanimity.1 For my part, who study to pass life in as much innocence and tranquillity as I can, I shun the company of agreeable women as much as possible; and must confess that I have, though a tolerable good philosopher, but a low opinion of platonic love. For which reason I thought it necessary to give my fair readers a caution against it, having, to my great concern, observed the waist of a platonist lately swell to a roundness which is inconsistent with that philosophy. T. 1 This sentence underwent revision when the collected edition was prepared; it was more coarsely expressed in the original folio issue. No. 401. Tuesday, June 10, 1712 I [BUDGELL. In amore hæc omnia insunt vitia: Injuriæ, Bellum, pax rursum TER., Eun., Act i. sc I. SHALL publish, for the entertainment of this day, an odd sort of a packet, which I have just received from one of my female correspondents. 'Mr. SPECTATOR, SINCE you have often confessed that you are not displeased your paper should sometimes convey the complaints of distressed lovers to each other, I am in hopes you will favour one who gives you an undoubted instance of her reformation, and at the same time a convincing proof of the happy influence your labours have had over the most incorrigible part of the most incorrigible sex. You must know, sir, I am one of that species of women, whom you have often characterised under the name of Jilts, and that I send you these lines, as well to do public penance for having so long continued in a known error, as to beg pardon of the party offended. I the rather choose this way, because it in some measure answers the terms on which he intimated the breach between us might possibly be made up, as you will see by the letter he sent me the next day after I had discarded him; which I thought fit to send you a copy of, that you might the better know the whole case. 'I must further acquaint you, that before I jilted him there had been the greatest intimacy between us for an year and half together, during all which time I cherished his hopes and indulged his flame. I leave you to guess after this what must be his surprise when, upon his pressing for my full consent one day, I told him I wondered what could make him fancy he had ever any place in my affections. His own sex allow him sense, and all ours goodbreeding. His person is such as might, without vanity, make him believe himself not incapable to be beloved. Our fortunes indeed, weighed in the nice scale of interest, are not exactly equal, which by the way was the true cause of my jilting him, and I had the assurance to acquaint him with the following maxim, that I should always believe that man's passion to be the most violent who could offer me the largest settlement. I have since changed my opinion, and have endeavoured to let him know so much by several letters, but the barbarous man has refused them all; so that I have no way left of writing to him, but by your assistance. If we can bring him about once more, I promise to send you all gloves and favours, and shall desire the favour of Sir Roger and yourself to stand as godfathers to my first boy. I am, SIR, Your most obedient most humble Servant, "PHILANDER to AMORET. ""MADAM, "I AM so surprised at the question you were pleased to ask me yesterday, that I am still at a loss what to say to it. At least my answer would 31 be too long to trouble you with, as it would come from a person who, it seems, is so very indifferent to you. Instead of it, I shall only recommend to your consideration the opinion of one whose sentiments on these matters I have often heard you say are extremely just. 'A generous and constant passion,' says your favourite author, in an agreeable lover, where there is not too great a disparity in their circumstances, is the greatest blessing that can befall a person beloved; and if overlooked in one, may perhaps never be found in another.' "I do not, however, at all despair of being very shortly much better beloved by you than Antenor is at present; since whenever my fortune shall exceed his, you were pleased to intimate your passion would increase accordingly. "The world has seen me shamefully lose that time to please a fickle woman, which might have been employed much more to my credit and advantage in other pursuits. I shall therefore take the liberty to acquaint you, however harsh it may sound in a lady's ears, that though your love fit should happen to return, unless you could contrive a way to make your recantation as well known to the public, as they are already apprised of the manner with which you have treated me, you shall never more see • “SIR, PHILANDER." ""AMORET to PHILANDER. "UPON reflection I find the injury I have done both to you and myself to be so great, that though the part I now act may appear contrary to 1 Cicero. that decorum usually observed by our sex, yet I purposely break through all rules, that my repentance may in some measure equal my crime. I assure you, that in my present hopes of recovering you, I look upon Antenor's estate with contempt. The fop was here yesterday in a gilt chariot and new liveries, but I refused to see him. Though I dread to meet your eyes after what has passed, I flatter myself that amidst all their confusion you will discover such a tenderness in mine, as none can imitate but those who love. I shall be all this month at Lady D's in the country; but the woods, the fields, and gardens without Philander, afford no pleasures to the unhappy AMORET." 'I must desire you, dear Mr. Spectator, to publish this my letter to Philander as soon as possible, and to assure him that I know nothing at all of the death of his rich uncle in Gloucestershire.' X. No. 402. WE Wednesday, June 11, 1712 -quæ sibi spectator tradit [STEELE. -HOR., Ars Poet. 181.1 ERE I to publish all the advertisements I receive from different hands and persons of different circumstances and quality, the very mention of them, without reflections on the several subjects, would raise all the passions which can be 1 The folio issue has no motto. |