The only objection that she seems to infinuate against the gentleman propofed to her, is his want of complaifance, which, I perceive, the is very willing to return. Now I can difcover from this very circumftance, that she and her lover, whatever they may think of it, are very good friends in their hearts. It is difficult to determine whether love delights more in giving pleasure or pain. Let Mifs Fickle afk her own heart, if she doth not take a fecret pride in making this man of good fenfe look very filly. Hath the ever been better pleased than when her behaviour hath made her lover ready to hang himfelf? or doth the ever rejoice more than when fhe thinks the hath driven him to the very brink of a purling ftream? Let her confider, at the fame time, that it is not impoffible but her lover may have difcovered her tricks, and hath a mind to give her as good as the brings. I remember a handfome young baggage that treated a hopeful Greek of my acquaintance, juft come from Oxford, as if he had been a barbarian. The first week after fhe had fixed him fhe took a pinch of fnuff out of his rival's box, and apparently touched the enemy's little finger. She became a profeffed enemy to the arts and feiences, and fcarce ever wrote a letter to him without wilfully mis-fpelling his name. The young fcholar, to be even with her, railed at coquettes as foon as he had got the word; and did not want parts to turn into ridicule her men of wit and pleasure of the town. After having irritated one another for the space of five months fhe made an affignation S 2 with But, with him fourfcore miles from London. as he was very well acquainted with her pranks, he took a journey the quite contrary way. Accordingly they met, quarrelled, and in a few days were married. Their former hoftilities are now the fubject of their mirth, being content at prefent with that part of love only which beftows pleasure. Women who have been married fome time, not having it in their heads to draw after them a numerous train of followers, find their fatisfaction in the poffeffion of one man's heart. I know very well that ladies in their bloom defire to be excufed in this particular. But, when time hath worn out their natural vanity and taught them difcretion, their fondnefs fettles on its proper object. And it is probably for this reafon that, among hufbands, you will find more that are fond of women beyond their prime than of those who are actually in the infolence of beauty. My reader will apply the fame obfervation to the other fex. I need not infift upon the neceflity of their pursuing one common intereft, and their united care for their children; but fhall only obferve, by the way, that married perfons are both more warm in their love and more hearty in their hatred than any others whatfoever. Mutual favours and obligations, which may be fuppofed to be greater here than in any other ftate, naturally beget an intenfe affection in generous minds. As, on the contrary, perfons who have bestowed fuch favours have a particular bitter nefs 1 nefs in their refentments, when they think themfelves ill treated by thofe of whom they have deferved fo much. Befides, Mifs Fickle may confider that, as there are often many faults concealed before marriage, fo there are fometimes many virtues unobferved. To this we may add the great efficacy of cuftom and conftant converfation to produce a mutual friendship and benevolence in two perfons. It is a nice reflection, which I have heard a friend of mine make, that you may be fure a woman loves a man when the ufes his expreffions, tells his ftories, or imitates his manner. This gives a fecret delight; for imitation is a kind of artless flattery, and mightily favours the powerful principle of felf-love. It is certain that married perfons, who are poffeffed with a mutual esteem, not only catch the air and way of talk from one another, but fall into the fame traces of thinking and liking. Nay, fome have carried the remark fo far as to affert, that the features of man and wife grow, in time, to refemble one another. Let my fair correfpondent therefore confider, that the gentleman recommended will have a good deal of her own face in two or three years; which the must not expect from the beau, who is too full of his dear felf to copy after another. And I dare appeal to her own judgment, if that perfon will not be the handfomeft that is the moft like herfelf. We have a remarkable inftance to our prefent purpose in the history of king Edgar, which I S 3 fhall fhall here relate, and leave it with my refpondent to be applied to herself. fair cor This great monarch, who is fo famous in British ftory, fell in love, as he made his progrefs through his kingdom, with a certain duke's daughter who lived near Winchester, and was the most celebrated beauty of the age. His importunities and the violence of his paffion were fo great, that the mother of the young lady promifed him to bring her daughter to his bed the next night, though in her heart she abhored fo infamous an office. It was no fooner dark than the conveyed into his room a young maid of no difagreeable figure, who was one of her attendants, and did not want addrefs to improve the opportunity for the advancement of her fortune. She made fo good ufe of her time, that, when she offered to rife a little before day, the king could by no means think of parting with her; fo that, finding herself under a neceffity of discovering who fhe was, fhe did it in fo handfome a manner, that his Majefty was exceeding gracious to her, and took her ever after under his protection: infomuch that, our chronicles tell us, he carried her along with him, made her his first minifter of state, and continued true to her alone, until his marriage with the beautiful Elfrida. * Probably by Mr. E. BUDGELL, whofe papers in the preceding volumes of the SPECTATOR are marked, by way of diftinction, with an X; See SPECT. N° 555. N° 606. N° 606. Wednesday, October 13, 1714. -longum cantu folata laborem Arguto conjux percurrit pectine telas. :/ mean time at home VIRG. Georg. i. 294. The good wife finging plies the various loom." • Mr SPECTATOR, HAVE a couple of nieces under my direction who so often run gadding abroad, that I do not know where to have them. Their drefs, 'their tea, and their vifits, take up all their time, ⚫ and they go to bed as tired with doing nothing as I am after quilting a whole under-petticoat. The only time they are not idle is while they • read your SPECTATORS; which, being dedicated to the interefts of virtue, I defire you to ' recommend the long-neglected art of needle• work. Those hours which in this age are 'thrown away in drefs, play, vifits and the like, were employed, in my time, in writing out receipts, or working beds, chairs and hangings, for the family. For my part, I have plied my ⚫ needle these fifty years, and by my good will ⚫ would never have it out of my hand. It grieves my heart to fee a couple of proud idle flirts fip'ping their tea, for a whole afternoon, in a room hung round with the industry of their great grandmother, Pray, Sir, take the laudable "mystery S 4 |