Once Delia flept, on eafy Mofs reclin'd, SUCH good Offices as these, and fuch friendly Thoughts and Concerns for one another, are what make up the Amity, as they call it, between Man and Woman. IT is the Permiffion of fuch Intercourfe, that makes a young Woman come to the Arms of her Husband, after the Disappointment of four or five Paffions which fhe has fucceffively had for different Men, before she is prudentially given to him for whom he has neither Love nor Friendship. For what fhould a poor Creature do that has loft 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 the had fo great a Friendship for Colonel Hardy, that the could not endure any Woman elfe fhould do any thing but rail at him. Many and Fatal have been Difafters between Friends who have fallen out, and thefe Refentments are more keen than ever thofe of other Men can poffibly 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. FOR my part, who ftudy to pass Life in as much Innocence and Tranquillity as I can, I fhun the Company of agreeable Women as much as poffible; and muft confefs that I have, though a tolerable good Philofopher, but a low Opinion of Platonick Love: for which Reafon I thought it neceffary to give my fair Readers a Caution against it, having, to my great Concern, obferved the Waste of a Platonift lately fwell to a Roundness which is inconfiftent with that Philofophy. T No. 401. Tuesday, June, 10. In amore hæc omnia infunt vitia: Injuriæ, Ter. Eun. A& 1. Sc. 1. It is the capricious State of Love, to be attended with Reproaches, Sufpicions, Enmities, Truces, Quarrelling, Reconcilement. Shall publifh for the Entertainment of this Day, an odd fort of a Packet, which I have just received from one of my Female Correspondents. Mr. SPECTATOR, INCE you have often confefs'd that you are not difpleafed your Paper fhould fometimes convey the Complaints of diftrefled Lovers to each other, I am in hopes you will favour one who gives you an undoubted Inftance of her Reformation, and at the fame ⚫ 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 Characteriz'd under the Name of Jilts, and that I fend you thefe Lines as well to do Publick Penance for having fo long continued in a known Error, as to beg Fardon of the Party offended. I the rather choofe this way, because it in fome measure anfwers the Terms on which he intimated the Breach between us might poffibly be made up, as you will fee by the Letter he fent me the next Day after I had difcarded him; which I thought fit to fend you a Copy of, that you might the better know the whole Cafe. I must further acquaint you, that before I jilted • him, there had been the greatest Intimacy between us for a Year and half together, during all which time I cherished his Hopes, and indulged his Flame. I leave 'you 6 6 6 you to guefs after this what must be his Surprise, when upon his preffing for my full Confent one Day, I told ' him I wonder'd what could make him fancy he had ever any Place in my Affections. His own Sex allow him Senfe, and all ours Good-breeding. His Perfon is fuch as might without Vanity, make him believe ⚫ himself not incapable to be belov'd. 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 Affurance to acquaint him with the following Maxim, That I fhould always be'lieve that Man's Paffion to be the most violent, who 'could offer me the largest Settlement. I have fince changed my Opinion, and have endeavoured to let him know fo much by feveral Letters, but the barbarous Man has refus'd them all; fo that I have no way left of writing to him but by your Affistance. If you can. ⚫ bring him about once more, I promise to fend you all • Gloves and Favours, and shall defire the Favour of Sir ROGER and your self to stand as God-fathers to my • first Boy. I am, SIR, Your moft obedient most humble Servant, MADAM, I Philander to Amoret. A MORET. AM fo furprifed at the Queftion you were pleafed to ask me Yesterday, that I am still at a'lofs what to fay to it. At least my Anfwer would be too long to 'trouble you with, as it would come from a Perfon, who, it feems, is so very indifferent to you. Inftead of it, I fhall only recommend to your Confideration the Opinion of one whofe Sentiments on these matters I have often heard you say are extremely jutt. A generous and conftant Paffion, fays your favourite Author, in an agreeable Lover, where there is not too great a Diffarity in their Circumftances, is the greatest Bleffing that can befal a Perfon beloved; and if overlook'd in one, may perhaps never be found in another. fhort I do not, however, at all defpair of being very ly much better belov'd by you than Antenor is at pre 'fent; fince whenever my Fortune fhall exceed his, you were pleased to intimate your Paffion would increase accordingly. THE World has feen me fhamefully lofe that Time to please a fickle Woman, which might have been employed much more to my Credit and Advantage in other Purfuits. I fhall therefore take the Liberty to ac' quaint you, however harsh it may found in a Lady's Ears, that tho' your Love-Fit fhould happen to return, ⚫ unless you could contrive a way to make your Recan'tation as well known to the Publick, as they are already apprised of the Manner with which you have treated me, you shall never more fee SIR, U PHILANDER. Amoret to Philander. PON Reflection, I find the Injury I have done both to you and my felf to be so great, that tho' the Part I now act may appear contrary to that • Decorum ufually obferved by our Sex, yet I purposely break through all Rules, that my Repentance may in fome measure equal my Crime. I affure you that in ⚫ my prefent Hopes of recovering you, I look upon Antenor's Eftate with Contempt. The Fop was here Yefterday in a gilt Chariot and new Liveries, but I refused to fee him. Tho' I dread to meet your Eyes, after 'what has pafs'd, I flatter my felf, that amidst all their • Confufion you will difcover fuch a Tenderness in mine, as none can imitate but thofe who Love. I fhall be all this Month at Lady D- -'s in the Country; but the Woods, the Fields and Gardens, without Philander, af⚫ford no Pleasures to the unhappy AMORET. I must defire you, dear Mr. Spectator, to publifh this my Letter to Philander as foon as poffible, and to affure him that I know nothing at all of the Death of his rich Uncle in Gloucestershire. X Wednesday, W Hor. Ars Poet. v. 181. ERE I to publish all the Advertisements I receive from different Hands, and Persons of different Circumftances and Quality, the very Mention of them, without Reflections on the several Subjects, would raise all the Paffions which can be felt by human Minds. As Inftances of this, I fhall give you two or three Letters; the Writers of which can have no Recourse to any legal Power for Redress, and feem to have written rather to vent their Sorrow than to receive Confolation. Mr. SPECTATOR, I AM a young Woman of Beauty and Quality, and fuitably married to a Gentleman who dotes on me. 'But this Perfon of mine is the Object of an unjuft Paffion ' in a Nobleman who is very intimate with my Husband. This Friendship gives him very eafy Accefs, and frequent Opportunities of entertaining me apart. My Heart is in the utmolt Anguish, and my Face is covered over ' with Confufion, when I impart to you another Cir• cumftance, which is, that my Mother, the most mer• cenary of all Women, is gained by this falfe Friend of my Hufband's to folicit me for him. I am frequently 'chid by the poor believing Man my Hufband, for thewing an Impatience of his Friend's Company; and I am never alone with my Mother, but she tells me Stories of the difcretionary Part of the World, and fuch a one, and 'fuch a one who are guilty of as much as fhe advises me to. She laughs at my Astonishment; and feems to hint to me, that as virtuous as fhe has always appeared, I am not the Daughter of her Husband. It is poffible that printing this Letter may relieve me from the unnatural Importunity of my Mother, and the perfidious Courtship of my Husband's Friend. I have an unfeigned Love of a Virtue, B. 4 |