Here the imagination is warmed with all the objects prefented, and yet there is nothing that is lufcious, or what raises any idea more loose than that of a beautiful woman fet off to advantage. The like, or a more delicate and careful fpirit of modefty, appears in the following paffage in one of Mr. Philips's paftorals. Breathe foft, ye winds, ye waters gently flow, Defire is corrected when there is a tenderness or admiration expreffed which partakes the paffion. Licentious language has fomething brutal in it, which difgraces humanity, and leaves us in the condition of the favages in the field. But it may be afked, to what good ufe can tend a difcourfe of this kind at all? It is to alarm chafte ears against fuch as have what is above called the prevailing gentle art. Masters of that talent are capable of clothing their thoughts in fo foft a dress, and something fo diftant from the fecret purpose of their heart, that the imagination of the unguarded is touched with a fondnefs which grows too infenfibly to be refifted. Much care and concern for the la dy's welfare, to feem afraid left the fhould be annoyed by the very air which furrounds her, and this tered rather with kind looks, and expreffed by an interjection, an Ah, or an Oh, at fome little hazard in moving or making a step, than in any direct profeffion of love, are the methods of skilful admirers: they are honeft arts when their purpose is such, but infamous when misapplied. It is certain that many a young woman in this town has had her heart irrecoverably won, by men who have not made one advance which ties their admirers, though the females languifh with the utmost anxiety. I have often, by way of admonition to my fe male 4 C male readers, given them warning against agreeable company of the other fex, except they are well acquainted with their characters. Women may difguife it if they think fit, and the more to do it, they may be angry at me for faying it; but I fay it is natural to them, that they have no manner of approbation of men, without fome degree of love for this reafon he is dangerous to be entertained as a friend or vifitant, who is capable of gaining any eminent efteem or obfervation, though it be ever fo remote from pretenfions as a lover. If a man's heart has not the abhorrence of any treacherous defign, he may eafily improve approbation into kindness, and kindness into passion. There may poflibly be no manner of love between them in the eyes of all their acquaintance; no, it is all friendship; and yet they may be as fond as fhepherd and fhepherdefs in a paftoral, but ftill the nymph and the fwain may be to each other no other, I warrant you, than Pylades and Orestes. When Lucy decks with flow'rs her fwelling breast, 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 permission of such intercourse, that makes a young woman come to the arms of her husband, after the difappointment of four or five paffions which he has fucceffively had for different men, before he is prudentially given to him for whom she 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 have broke her heart; then she had fo great a friendfhip for Colonel Hardy, that fhe could not endure any woman else should do any thing but rail at him. Many and fatal have been difafters between friends who have fallen out; and these 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 pafs life in as much innocence and tranquillity as I can, I fhun the company of agreeable women as much as poffible; and inuft confefs that I have, though a tolerable good philofopher, but a low opinion of Platonic love: for which reafon I thought it neceffary to give my fair readers a caution against it, having, to my great concern, obferved the waift of a Platonift lately fwell to a roundness which is inconfiftent with that philofophy. T TUESDAY, No. 401. TUESDAY, JUNE 10. In amore hæc omnia in funt vitia; injuriæ, TER. EUN. A&t. i. Sc. 1. It is the capricious ftate of love to be attended with reproaches, fufpicions, enmities, truces, quarrelling, reconcilement. I Shall publish, for the entertainment of this day, an odd fort of a packet, which I have juft received from one of my female correfpondents. Mr. SPECTATOR, Since you have often confeffed that you are not difpleafed your papers fhould fometimes convey the • complaints of diftreffed 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 infiu" ence your labours have had over the most incorrigible part of the most incorrigible fex. You must know, Sir, 1 am one of that fpecies of women, ⚫ whom you have often characterized under the name of filts, and that I send you these lines as well to do publie penance for having fo long continued in a known error, as to beg pardon of the party offended. I the rather chufe this way, becaufe it in • some 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 discarded 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 jilti ed C 3 ed him, there had been the greateft intimacy between us for a year and a half together, during all which time I cherished his hopes, and indulged his flame. I leave you to guefs after this what must be his furprise, when, upon his preffing for my • full confent one day, I told him I wondered what ⚫ could make him fancy he had ever any place in my affections. His own fex allow him fenfe, and all ours good-breeding. His perfon is fuch as might, without vanity, make him believe himself not in⚫ capable to be beloved. Our fortunes indeed, weighed in the nice fcale of intereft, 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 believe that man's paffion to be the moft violent, who could offer me the largest fettlement. I have fince changed my opinion, and have ⚫ endeavoured to let him know fo much by feveral letters; but the barbarous man has refused them • all: so that I have no way left of writing to him but by your affiftance. If you can bring him about once more, I promise to fend you all gloves and favours, and fhall defire the favour of Sir ROGER and yourself to ftand as god-fathers to my first boy. I am, SIR, Your most obedient, moft humble fervant, Philander to Amoret. . MADAM, I am fo furprised at the question you were pleafed to afk me yesterday, that I am still at a lofs what to fay to it. At leaft my anfwer would be too long to trouble you with, as it would come from a person, who, it feems, is fo very indiffer⚫ent to you. Instead of it, I fhall only recommend to your confideration the opinion of one whose • fentiments |