lieve it. Sir Andrew gave him a gentle pat upon the shoulder, and offered to lay him a bottle of wine that he was thinking of the widow. My old friend started, and, recovering out of his brown study, told sir Andrew that once in his life he had been in the right. In short, after some little hesitation, sir Roger told us in the fulness of his heart, that he had just received a letter from his steward, which acquainted him that his old rival and antagonist in the country, sir David Dundrum, had been making a visit to the widow. However, says sir Roger, I can never think that she'll have a man that's half a year older than I am, and a noted republican into the bargain.

Will Honeycomb, who looks upon love as his particular province, interrupting our friend with a jaunty laugh, I thought, knight, said he, thou hadst lived long enough in the world, not to pin thy happiness upon one that is a woman and a widow. I think, that without vanity I may pretend to know as much of the female world as any man in Great Britain, though the chief of my knowledge consists in this, that they are not to be known. Will immediately, with his usual fluency, rambled into an account of his own amours. I am now, says he, upon the verge of fifty (though by the way we all knew he was turned of threescore.) You may easily guess, continued Will, that I have not lived so long in the world without having had some thoughts of settling in it, as the phrase is. To tell you truly, I have several times tried my fortune that way, though I can't much boast of my success.

I made my first addresses to a young lady in the country; but when I thought things were

pretty well drawing to a conclusion, her father happening to hear that I had formerly boarded with a surgeon, the old Put forbade me his house, and within a fortnight after married his daughter to a fox-hunter in the neighbourhood.

I made my next application to a widow, and attacked her so briskly, that I thought myself within a fortnight of her. As I waited upon her one morning, she told me, that she intended to keep her ready money and jointure in her own hand, and desired me to call upon her attorney in Lion's inn, who would adjust with me what it was proper for me to add to it. I was so rebuffed by this overture, that I never inquired either for her or her attorney afterwards.

A few months after I addressed myself to a young lady, who was an only daughter, and of a good family. I danced with her at several balls, squeezed her by the hand, said soft things to her, and in short made no doubt of her heart; and though my fortune was not equal to hers, I was in hopes that her fond father would not deny her the man she had fixed her affections upon. But as I went one day to the house, in order to break the matter to him, I found the whole family in confusion, and heard, to my unspeakable surprise, that Miss Jenny was that very morning run away with the butler.

I then courted a second widow; and am at a loss to this day how I came to miss her, for she had often commended my person and behaviour. Her maid indeed told me one day, that her mistress said she never saw a gentleman with such a spindle pair of legs as Mr. Honeycomb.

After this I laid siege to four heiresses successively; and being a handsome young dog in those days, quickly made a breach in their hearts; but I don't know how it came to pass, though I seldom failed of getting the daughter's consent, I could never in my life get the old people on my side.

I could give you an account of a thousand other unsuccessful attempts, particularly of one which I made some years since upon an old woman, whom I had certainly borne away with flying colours, if her relations had not come pouring in to her assistance from all parts of England; nay, I believe I should have got her at last, had not she been carried off by a hard frost.

As Will's transitions are extremely quick, he turned from sir Roger, and applying himself to me, told me there was a passage in the book I had considered last Saturday, which deserved to be writ in letters of gold; and taking out a pocket Milton, read the following lines, which are part of one of Adam's speeches to Eve after the fall.

-O! why did God,

Creator wise! that peopl'd highest heav'n
With spirits masculine, create at last
This novelty on earth, this fair defect
Of nature? and not fill the world at once
With men as angels, without feminine?
Or find some other way to generate
Mankind! This mischief had not then befall'n,
And more that shall befall; innumerable
Disturbances on earth through female snares,
And straight conjunction with this sex: for either
He shall never find out fit mate, but such
As some misfortune brings him, or mistake;
Or, whom he wishes most, shall seldom gain
Through her perverseness; but shall see her gain'd

1 By a far worse: or if she love, withheld

By parents; or his happiest choice too late
Shall meet already link'd, and wedlock bound,
To a fell adversary, his hate or shame:
Which infinite calamity shall cause

To human life, and household peace confound.

Sir Roger listened to this passage with great attention; and desiring Mr. Honeycomb to fold down a leaf at the place, and lend him his book, the knight put it up in his pocket, and told us that he would read over those verses again before he went to bed.

'X.

The man that's silent, nor proclaims his want,

Gets more than him that makes a loud complaint. CREECH.

I HAVE nothing to do with the business of this day, any further than affixing the piece of Latin on the head of my paper; which I think a motto not unsuitable, since if silence of our poverty is a recommendation, still more commendable is his modesty who conceals it by a decent dress. (See Nos. 264, 280.)

MR. SPECTATOR,

'There is an evil under the sun which has not yet come within your speculation, and is, the censure, disesteem, and contempt which some young fellows meet with from particular persons, for the reasonable methods they take to avoid them in general. This is by appearing in a better dress,

than may seem to a relation regularly consistent with a small fortune; and therefore may occasion a judgment of a suitable extravagance in other particulars; but the disadvantage with which the man of narrow circumstances acts and speaks, is so feelingly set forth in a little book called The Christian Hero, that the appearing to be otherwise is not only pardonable, but necessary. Every one knows the hurry of conclusions that are made in contempt of a person that appears to be calamitous; which makes it very excusable to prepare one's self for the company of those that are of a superior quality and fortune, by appearing to be in a better condition than one is, so far as such appearance shall not make us really of worse.

It is a justice due to the character of one who suffers hard reflections from any particular person upon this account, that such persons would inquire into his manner of spending his time; of which, though no further information can be had than that he remains so many hours in his chamber, yet if this is cleared, to imagine that a reasonable creature, wrung with a narrow fortune, does not make the best use of this retirement, would be a conclusion extremely uncharitable. From what has or will be said, I hope no consequence can be extorted implying that I would have any young fellow spend more time than the common leisure which his studies require, or more money than his fortune or allowance may admit of in the pursuit of an acquaintance with his betters; for as to his time, the gross of that ought to be sacred to more substantial acquisitions, for each irrevocable moment of which he ought to believe he stands religiously accountable.