June 15, 1713.` I am of opinion, that no orator or speaker in public or private has any right to meddle with any body's clothes but his own. I indulge men in the liberty of playing with their own hats, fumbling in their own pockets, settling their own periwigs, tossing or twisting their heads, and all other gesticulations which may contribute to their elocution, but pronounce it an infringement of the English liberty for a man to keep his neighbour's person in custody in order to force a hearing; and farther declare, that all assent given by an auditor under such constraint, is of itself void and of no effect. NESTOR IROnside. TR% N° 85. THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 1713. -Sed te decor iste, quod optas Esse vetat, votoque tuo tua forma repugnat. OVID, Met. i. 488. But so much youth, with so much beauty join'd, O suffer scandal (says somebody) is the tax which every person of merit pays to the public; and my Lord Verulam finely observes, that a man who has no virtue in himself, ever envies virtue in others. I know not how it comes to pass, but detraction, through all ages, has been found a vice which the fair sex too easily give into. Not the Roman satirist could use them with more severity than they themselves do one another. Some audacious critics, in my opinion, have launched out a little too far when they take upon them to prove, in opposition to history, that Lais was a woman of as much virtue as beauty, which violently displeasing the Phrynes of those times, they secretly prevailed with the historians to deliver her down to posterity under the infamous character of an extorting prostitute. But though I have the greatest regard imaginable to that softer species, yet am I sorry to find they have very little for themselves. So far are they from being tender of one another's reputation, that they take a malicious pleasure in destroying it. My lady the other day, when Jack was asking who could be so base as to spread such a report about Mrs. -, answered, "None; you may be sure, but a woman." A little after, Dick told my lady, that he had heard Florella hint as if Cleora wore artificial teeth. The reason is, said she, because Cleora first gave out that Florella owed her complexion to a wash. Thus the industrious pretty creatures take pains, by invention, to throw blemishes on each other, when they do not consider that there is a profligate set of fellows too ready to taint the character of the virtuous, or blast the charms of the blooming virgin. The young lady from whom I had the honour of receiving the following letter, deserves, or rather claims, protection from our sex, since so barbarously treated by her own. Certainly they ought to defend innocence from injury who gave ignorantly the occasion of its being assaulted. Had the men been less liberal of their applauses, the women had been more sparing of their calumnious censures. "SIR, "TO THE GUARDIAN. "I do not know at what nice point you fix the bloom of a young lady; but I am one who can just look back upon fifteen. My father dying three years ago, left me under the care and direction of my mother, with a fortune not profusely great, yet such as might demand a very handsome settlement, if ever proposals of marriage should be offered. My mother, after the usual time of retired mourning was over, was so affectionately indulgent to me, as to take me along with her in all her visits; but still not thinking she gratified my youth enough, permitted me farther to go with my relations to all the public, cheerful, but innocent entertainments, where she was too reserved to appear herself. The two first years of my teens were easy, gay, and delightful. Every one caressed me; the old ladies told me how finely I grew, and the young ones were proud of my company. But when the third year had a little advanced, my relations used to tell my mother that pretty Miss Clary was shot up into a woman. The gentlemen began now to let their eyes glance over me, and in most places I found myself distinguished: but observed, the more I grew into the esteem of their sex the more I lost the favour of my own. Some of those whom I had been familiar with, grew cold and indifferent; others mis took, by design, my meaning, made me speak what I never thought, and so by degrees took occasion to break off all acquaintance. There were several little insignificant reflections cast upon me, as being a lady of a great many quaintnesses and such-like, which I seemed not to take notice of. But my mother coming home about a week ago, told me there was a scandal spread about town by my enemies, that would at once ruin me for ever for a beauty; I earnestly entreated her to know it: she refused me, but yesterday it discovered itself. Being in an assembly of gentlemen and ladies, one of the gentlemen who had been very facetious to several of the ladies, at last turning to me, And as for you, Madam, Prior has already given us your character, That air and harmony of shape express, Fine by degrees, yet beautifully less.' 1 perceived immediately a malignant smile display itself in the countenance of some of the ladies, which they seconded with a scornful flutter of the fan; until one of them, unable any longer to contain, asked the gentleman if he did not remember what Congreve said about Aurelia, for she thought it mighty pretty. He made no answer, but instantly repeated the verses: The Mulcibers who in the Minories sweat, This was no sooner over, but it was easily discernible what an ill-natured satisfaction most of the company took: and the more pleasure they shewed by dwelling upon the two last lines, the more they increased my trouble and confusion. And now, Sir, after this tedious account, what would you advise me to? Is there no way to be cleared of these malicious calumnies? What is beauty worth that makes the possessor thus unhappy? Why was nature so lavish of her gifts to me, as to make her kindness prove a cruelty? They tell me my shape is delicate, my eyes sparkling, my lips I know not what, my cheeks, forsooth, adorned with a just mixture of the rose and lily; but I wish this face was barely not disagreeable, this voice harsh, and unharmonious, these limbs only not deformed, and then perhaps I might live easy and unmolested, and neither raise love and admiration in the men, nor scandal and hatred in the women. "Your very humble Servant, "CLARINA." The best answer I can make my fair correspondent is, that she ought to comfort herself with this consideration, that those who talk thus of her know it is false, but wish they could make others believe it true. It is not they think you deformed, but are vexed that they themselves were not as nicely framed. If you will take an old man's advice, laugh, and be not concerned at them: they have attained what they endeavoured if they make you uneasy; for it is envy that has made them so. I would not have you wish your shape one-sixtieth part of an inch disproportioned, nor desire your face might be impoverished with the ruin of half a feature, though numbers of remaining beauties might make the loss insensible: but take courage, go into the brightest assemblies, and the world will quickly confess it to be a scandal. Thus Plato, hearing it was asserted by some persons that he was a very bad man, "I shall take care," said he, "to live so, that nobody will believe them." I shall conclude this paper with a relation of matter of fact. A gay young gentleman in the country, not many years ago, fell desperately in love with a blooming fine creature, whom give me leave to call Melissa. After a pretty long delay, and frequent solicitations, she refused several others of larger estates, and consented to make him happy. But they had not been married much above a twelvemonth, until it appeared too true what Juba says, Beauty soon grows familiar to the lover, Fades in the eye, and palls upon the sense. Polydore (for that was his name) finding himself grow every day more uneasy, and unwilling she should discover the cause, for diversion came up to town, and to avoid all suspicions, brought Melissa along with him. After some stay here, Polydore was one day informed, that a set of ladies over their tea-table, in the circle of scandal, had touched upon Melissa- -And was that the silly thing so much talked of! How did she ever grow into a toast? For their parts they had eyes as well as the men, but could not discover where her beauties lay. Polydore, upon hearing this, flew immediately home, and told Melissa, with the utmost transport, that he was now fully convinced how numberless were her charms, since her own sex would not allow her any. "MR. IRONSIDE, Button's Coffee-house. "I have observed that this day you made mention of Will's Coffee-house, as a place where people are too polite to hold a man in discourse by the button. Every body knows your honour frequents this house; therefore they will take an advantage against me, and say, if my company was as civil as that at Will's, you would say so: therefore pray your honour do not be afraid of doing me justice, because people would think it may be a conceit below you on this occasion to name the name of "Your humble servant, "DANIEL BUTTON.* •The young poets are in the back room, and take their places as you directed." With fancy high, and bold and daring flights.-CREECH. "SIR, THE Oxford, June 16, 1713. HE classical writers, according to your advice, are by no means neglected by me, while I pursue my studies in divinity. I am persuaded that they are fountains of good sense and eloquence; and that it is absolutely necessary for a young mind to form itself such mo upon *Daniel Button had been a servant in the Countess of Warwick's family, and under the patronage of Addison kept a coffee-house on the the south side of Russel-street, about two doors from Covent-garden. Here it was that the wits of that time used to assemble. It is said that when Addison had suffered any vexation from the Countess, he withdrew the company from Button's house. |