We

very many of us afhamed to fhew our Heads. muft, therefore, beg leave to represent to you, that we are in Hopes, if you would please to make a due Enquiry, the Men in all Ages would be found to have ⚫ been little less whimsical in adorning that Part, than our felves. The different Forms of their Wiggs, together with the various Cocks of their Hats, all flatter us in this Opinion.

at

• I had an humble Servant last Summer, who the first Time he declared himself, was in a full Bottom'd Wigg; but the Day after, to my no fmall Surprize, he accofted me in a thin natural one. I received him, this our fecond Interview, as a perfect Stranger, but was extremely confounded, when his Speech difcove<red who he was. I refolved, therefore, to fix his Face in my Memory for the future: but as I was walking in the Park the fame Evening, he appeared to me in one of those Wiggs that I think you call a Night-cap, ⚫ which had altered him more effectually than before. • He afterwards played a Couple of black riding Wiggs · upon me with the fame Succefs; and, in fhort, affu⚫med a new Face almost every Day in the first Month of his Courtship.

⚫ I obferved afterwards, that the Variety of Cocks into which he moulded his Hat, had not a little contributed to his Impofitions upon me.

YET, as if all these ways were not fufficient to diftinguifh their Heads, you must, doubtless, Sir, have obferved, that great Numbers of young Fellows have, ⚫ for feveral Months last past, taken upon them to wear Feathers.

WE hope, therefore, that these may, with as much Juftice, be called Indian Princes, as you have filed a • Woman in a coloured Hood an Indian Queen; and that you will, in due Time, take these airy Gentle• men into Confideration.

WE the more earnestly beg that you would put a Stop to this Practice, fince it has already loft us one of the most agreeable Members of our Society, who after having refufed feveral good Eftates, and two Titles, was lured from us last Week by a mixed Feather.

Iam

I am ordered to present you the Refpects of our whole Company, and am,

SIR, Your very humble Servant,

DORINDA.

Note, The Perfon wearing the Feather, tho' our Friend took him for an Officer in the Guards, has proved to be an. arrant Linnen-Draper.

I am not now at leifure to give my Opinion upon the Hat and Feather; however, to wipe off the present Im putation, and gratify my Female Correfpondent, I fhall here print a Letter which I lately received from a Man of Mode, who seems to have a very extraordinary Genius in his Way.

SIR,

I

you, that

among

Prefume I need not inform Men of Dress it is a common Phrafe to fay, Mr. Such an one has ftruck a bold Stroke; by which we understand, that he is the first Man who has had Courage enough ⚫ to lead up a Fashion. Accordingly, when our Taylors take Measure of us, they always demand whether we 'will have a plain Suit, or ftrike a bold Stroke. I think I may without Vanity fay, that I have struck fome of the boldest and most fuccefsful Strokes of any Man n • Great Britain. I was the first that ftruck the Lo • Pocket about two Years fince: I was likewife the Author of the Frosted Button, which when I faw the • Town came readily into, being resolved to strike while the Iron was hot, I produced much about the fame Time the Scallop Flap, the knotted Cravat, and made a fair Push for the Silver clocked Stocking.

• A few Months after I brought up the modifh Jacket, · or the Coat with clofe Sleeves. Iftruck this at firft in a plain Doily; but that failing, I ftruck it a fecondTime ⚫ in blue Camlet; and repeated theStroke in feveral Kinds of Cloth, till at laft it took Effect. There are two or three young Fellows at the other End of the Town, who have always their Eye upon me, and answer me ⚫ Stroke for Stroke. I was once fo unwary as to men⚫tion

tion my Fancy in relation to a new-fashioned Surtout before one of these Gentlemen, who was difingenuous enough to fteal my Thought, and by that means pre• vented my intended Stroke.

6.

I have a Defign this Spring to make very confidera'ble Innovations in the Waftcoat, and have already begun with a Coup d'effai upon the Sleeves, which has fucceeded very well.

I muft further inform you, if you will promife to ⚫ encourage or at least to connive at me, that it is my Defign to ftrike fuch a Stroke the Beginning of the next Month, as fhall furprise the whole Town.

I do not think it prudent to acquaint you with all the Particulars of my intended Drefs; but will only 'tell you, as a small Sample of it, that I fhall very fpeedily appear at White's in a Cherry-coloured Hat. I took this Hint from the Ladies Hoods, which I look upon as the boldeft Stroke that Sex has ftruck - for these hundred Years last past.

I am, S IR,

Your moft Obedient, moft Humble Servant,

Will, Sprightly.

I have not Time at present to make any Reflections on ts Letter, but must not however omit that having shewn. to WILL. HONEYCOMB, he defires to be acquainted with the Gentleman who writ it.

X

Friday,

No. 320.

Friday, March 7.

6.

6.

-Non pronuba Juno,

Non Hymenæus adeft, non illi gratia lecto,

Eumenides ftravere torum.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

Ovid.

OU have given many Hints in your Papers to the Difadvantage of Perfons of your own Sex, who lay Plots upon Women. Among other hard • Words you have published the Term Male Coquets, and ❝ been very fevere upon fuch as give themselves the Liberty of a little Dalliance of Heart, and playing fast. ⚫ and loose, between Love and Indifference, till perhaps an eafy young Girl is reduced to Sighs, Dreams and Tears; and languishes away her Life for a careless Coxcomb, who looks aftonished, and wonders at fuch an • Effect from what in him was all but common Civility. Thus you have treated the Men who are irrefolute in Marriage; but if you defign to be impartial, pray be fo honeft as to print the Information I now. give you, ⚫ of a certain Set of Women who never coquet for the Matter, but with an high Hand marry whom the ⚫ please to whom they please. As for my Part, I fhou not have concerned myself with them, but that I un derstand I am pitched upon by them, to be married against my Will, to one I never faw in my Life. It has been my Misfortune, Sir, very innocently, to rejoice in a plentiful Fortune, of which I am Mafter, to befpeak a fine Chariot, to give Direction for two or three handfome Snuff-Boxes,and as many Suits of fineCloaths; but before any of these were ready, I heard Reports of my being to be married to two or three different young Women. Upon my taking Notice of it to a young Gentleman who is often in my Company, he told me smiling, I was in the Inquifition. You may . believe I was not a little startled at what he meant, and ← more fo when he asked me if I had bespoke any thing

6.

6

of

of late that was fine; I told him several; upon which he produced a Defcription of my Perfon from the Tradesmen whom I had employed, and told me that they had certainly informed against me. Mr. SPECTATOR, Whatever the World think of me, I 6 am more Coxcomb than Fool, and I grew very inqui• fitive upon this Head, not a little pleased with the No

6

may

velty: My Friend told me there were a certain Set of • Women of Fashion, whereof the Number of Six made

a Committee, who fat thrice a Week, under the Title • of the Inquifition on Maids and Batchelors. It seems, ⚫ whenever there comes fuch an unthinking gay Thing · as my self to Town, he must want all Manner of Neceffaries, or be put into the Inquifition by the first • Tradesman he employs. They have conftant Intelligence with Cane-Shops, Perfumers, Toymen, Coachmakers, and China-houses. From these several Places, ⚫ these Undertakers for Marriages have as conftant and regular Correspondence, as the Funeral-men have with • Vintners and Apothecaries. All Batchelors are under their immediate Infpection, and my Friend produced to me a Report given into their Board, wherein an old • Uncle of mine, who came to Town with me, and my ⚫ felf were inferted, and we ftood thus; the Uncle fmoaky, rotten, poor; the Nephew raw, but no Fool, found at prefent, very rich. My Information did not end here, but my Friend's Advices are fo good, that he could fhew me a Copy of the Letter fent to the young Lady who is to have me; which I enclose to you.

MADAM,

T

HIS is to let you know, that you are to be married to a Beau that comes out on Thursday, Six in the Evening. Be at the Park. You cannot but ⚫ know a Virgin Fop; they have a Mind to look faucy, ⚫ but are out of Countenance. The Board has denied him

to feveral good Families. I wish you Joy..

Corinna.

WHAT makes my Correfpondent's Cafe the more deplorable, iş, that, as I find by the Report from my Cenfor of Marriages, the Friend he speaks of is employed by

the