was provoked to see herself thus baffled and impeded by an enemy, whom she looked on with contempt, and who had no advantage but fuch as the owed to inconftancy, weakness, and artifice. She therefore, in the anger of disappointment, called upon her father JUPITER to re-establish her in the skies, and leave mankind to the disorder and misery which they deserved, by fubmitting willingly to the ufurpation of FALSEHOOD. JUPITER Compaffionated the world too much to grant her requeft, yet was willing to eafe her labours, and mitigate her vexation. He commanded her to confult the muses by what methods fhe might obtain an easier reception, and reign without the toil of inceffant war. It was then discovered, that fhe obstructed her own progrefs by the feverity of her afpect, and the folemnity of her dictates; and that men would never willingly admit her, till they ceafed to fear her, fince by giving themselves up to FALSEHOOD they feldom made any facrifice of their ease or pleasure, because she took the shape that was most engaging, and always fuffered herself to be dreffed and painted by DESIRE. The mufes wove, in the loom of Pallas, a loose and changeable robe, like that in which FALSEHOOD captivated her admirers; with this they invested TRUTH, and named her FICTION. She now went out again to conquer with more fuccefs; for when the demanded entrance of the PASSIONS, they often mistook her for FALSEHOOD, and delivered up their charge: but when fhe had once taken poffeffion, fhe was foon difrobed by REASON, and fhone out, in her original form, with native effulgence and refiftless dignity. M 2 NUMB. 97. TUESDAY, February 19, 1751. Fecunda culpæ fecula nuptias Primum inquinavere, & genus, & domos, In patriam populumque fluxit. Fruitful of crimes, this age first stain'd HOR O'er Rome and o'er the nations spread. FRANCIS. HE reader is indebted for this day's entertain THE ment to an author from whom the age has received greater favours, who has enlarged the knowledge of human nature, and taught the paffions to move at the command of virtue. SIR, To the RAMBLER. WHEN the SPECTATOR was first published in fingle papers, it gave me fo much pleasure, that it is one of the favourite amusements of my age to recollect it; and when I reflect on the foibles of those times, as described in that useful work, and compare them with the vices now reigning among us, I cannot but wish that you would oftener take cognizance of the manners of the better half of the human fpecies, that if your precepts and obfervations be be carried down to pofterity, the SPECTATORS may fhew to the rifing generation what were the fashionable follies of their grandmothers, the RAMBLER of their mothers, and that from both they may draw instruction and warning. When I read thofe SPECTATORS which took notice of the misbehaviour of young women at church, by which they vainly hope to attract admirers, I used to pronounce fuch forward young women SEEKERS, in order to diftinguish them by a mark of infamy from those who had patience and decency to ftay till they were fought. But I have lived to fee fuch a change in the manners of women, that I would now be willing to compound with them for that name, although I then thought it disgraceful enough, if they would deferve no worse; fince now they are too generally given up to negligence of domestic bufinefs, to idle amusements, and to wicked rackets, without any fettled view at all but of fquandering time. In the time of the SPECTATOR, excepting fometimes an appearance in the ring, fometimes at a good and chofen play, fometimes on a vifit at the house of a grave relation, the young ladies contented themfelves to be found employed in domestic duties; for then routes, drums, balls, affemblies, and fuch like markets for women, were not known. Modesty and diffidence, gentleness and meekness, were looked upon as the appropriate virtues and characteristic graces of the fex. And if a forward spirit pushed itself into notice, it was expofed in print as it deferved. The churches were almoft the only places where fingle women were to be feen by ftrangers. Men went thither expecting to fee them, and perhaps too much for that only purpose.. But fome good often refulted, however improper might be their motives. Both fexes were in the way of their duty. The man must be abandoned indeed, who loves not goodness in another; nor were the fellows of that age fo wholly loft to a sense of young right, as pride and conceit has fince made them affect to be. When therefore they faw a fair-one, whofe decent behaviour and cheerful piety fhewed her earnest in her firft duties, they had the lefs doubt, judging politically only, that she would have a confcientious regard to her fecond. With what ardour have I feen watched for, the rifing of a kneeling beauty; and what additional charms has devotion given to her recommunicated features? The men were often the better for what they heard. Even a Saul was once found prophefying among the prophets whom he had set out to destroy. To a man thus put into good humour by a pleafing object, religion itself looked more amiable. The MEN SEEKERS of the SPECTATOR'S time loved the holy place for the object's fake, and loved the object for her fuitable behaviour in it. Reverence mingled with their love, and they thought that a young lady of fuch good principles must be addreffed only by the man who at least made a fhew of good principles, whether his heart was yet quite right or not. Nor Nor did the young lady's behaviour, at any time of the fervice, leffen this reverence. Her eyes were her own, her ears the preacher's. Women are always moft obferved when they seem themselves leaft to obferve, or to lay out for obfervation. The eye of a refpectful lover loves rather to receive confidence from the withdrawn eye of the fair-one, than to find itself obliged to retreat. When a young gentleman's affection was thus laudably engaged, he purfued its natural dictates; keeping then was a rare, at least a fecret and fcandalous vice, and a wife was the fummit of his wishes. Rejection was now dreaded, and pre-engagement apprehended. A woman whom he loved, he was ready to think must be admired by all the world. His fears, his uncertainties, increased his love. Every enquiry he made into the lady's domestick excellence, which, when a wife is to be chofen, will furely not be neglected, confirmed him in his choice. He opens his heart to a common friend, and honeftly discovers the state of his fortune. His friend applies to those of the young lady, whofe parents, if they approve his propofals, difclofe them to their daughter. She perhaps is not an absolute stranger to the paffion of the young gentleman. His eyes, his affiduities, his conftant attendance at a church, whither, till of late, he used feldom to come, and a thousand little obfervances that he paid her, had very probably first forced her to regard, and then inclined her to favour him. |