anfwer any longer for his Behaviour towards her; and that he hoped the would have Confideration for his long and patient Refpect, to excufe the Motions of a Heart now no longer under the Direction of the unhappy • Owner of it. Such for fome Months had been the Lan.6 guage of Efcelus both in his Talk and his Letters to Ifabella; who returned all the Profufion of kind Things which had been the Collection of fifty Years, with I must not hear you; you will make forget me that, you are a Gentleman; I would not willingly lose you as a Friend; and the like Expreffions, which the Skilful interpret to their own Advantage, as well knowing that a feeble Denial is a modeft Affent. I fhould have told you, that Ifabella, during the whole Progrefs of this Amour, communicated it to her Husband; and that an Account of Efcalus's Love was their ufual En⚫tertainment after half a Day's Abfence: Isabella therefore, upon her Lover's late more open Affaults, with • a Smile told her Hutband she could hold out no longer, but that his Fate was now come to a Crisis. After the had explained herself a little farther, with her Hufband's Approbation fhe proceeded in the following • Manner. The next Time that Efcalus was alone with her, and repeated his Importunity, the crafty Ifabella looked on her Fan with an Air of great Attention, as confidering of what Importance fuch a Secret was to her; and upon the Repetition of a warm Expreffion, the looked at him with an Eye of Fondness, and told. him he was past that Time of Life, which could make her fear he would boaft of a Lady's Favour; then turned away her Head with a very well acted Confufion, which favoured the Escape of the Aged Efcalus. This Adventure was Matter of great Pleafantry to Ifabella and her Spouse; and they had enjoyed it two Days. before Efcalus could recollect himself enough to form the following Letter.

6

MADAM,

HAT happen'd the other Day, gives me a lively Image of the Inconfiftency of human "Paffions and Inclinations. We pursue what we are denied, and place our Affections on what is abfent

"tho'

tho' we neglected it when present. As long as you "refused my Love, your Refufal did fo ftrongly excite "my Paffion, that I had not once the Leifure to think of "recalling my Reafon to aid me against the Defign upon "your Virtue. But when that Virtue began to comply in "my Favour, my Reafon made an Effort over my Love, "and let me fee the Bafeness of my Behaviour in attempt❝ing a Woman of Honour. I own to you, it was not "without the most violent Struggle, that I gained this "Victory over my felf, nay, I will confefs my Shame, "and acknowledge I could not have prevailed but by "Flight. However, Madam, I beg that you will believe' "a Moment's Weakness has not destroyed the Efteem I "had for you, which was confirmed by fo many Years of "Obftinate Virtue. You have Reason to rejoice that this "did not happen within the Obfervation of one of the "young Fellows, who would have expofed your Weak"nefs and gloried in his own Brutish Inclinations.

I am, Madam,

Your moft devoted Humble Servant.

Ifabella, with the Help of her Hufband, returned. the following Answer.

SIR,

I

Cannot but account my felf a very happy Wo66 man, in having a Man for a Lover that can write "fo well, and give fo good a Turn to a Disappoint❝ment. Another Excellence you have above all other "Pretenders I ever heard of; on Occafions where the "most reasonable Men lofe all their Reafon, you have

yours moft powerful. We are each of us to thank our "Genius, that the Paffion of one abated in Proportion

as that of the other grew violent. Does it not yet "come into your Head, to imagine that I knew my "Compliance was the greatest Cruelty I could be guilty "of towards you? In return for your long and faith"ful Paffion, I muft let you know that you are old "enough to become a little more Gravity; but if you "will leave me and coquet it any where elfe, may your "Miftrefs yield.

T

ISABELLA.
Thursday,

No. 319.

I

Thursday, March 6.

Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo?

Hor. Ep. 1. 1. 1. v. 90. What Chain can hold this varying Proteus faft?

CREECH. Have endeavoured, in the Course of my Papers, to do Juftice to the Age, and have taken care as much as poffible to keep my felf a Neuter between both Sexes. I have neither spared the Ladies out of Complaifance, nor the Men out of Partiality; but notwithstanding the great Integrity with which I have acted in this Particular, I find my felf taxed with an Inclination to favour my own half of the Species. Whether it be that the Women afford a more fruitful Field for Speculation, or whether they run more in my Head than the Men, I cannot tell, but I fhall fet down the Charge as it is laid against me in the following Letter.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

I

Always make one among a Company of young Females, who-perufe your Speculations every Morning. I am at prefent commiffioned, by our whole Affembly, to let you know, that we fear you are a ⚫ little inclined to be partial towards your own Sex. We muft however acknowledge, with all due Gratitude, that in fome Cafes you have given us our Revenge on ⚫ the Men, and done us Juftice. We could not cafily have forgiven you feveral Strokes in the Diffection of the Coquette's Heart, if you had not much about the fame time made a Sacrifice to us of a Beau's Scull.

YOU may further, Sir, please to remember, that not long fince you attacked our Hoops and Commodes in fuch manner, as, to ufe your own Expreffion, made very many of us afhamed to fhew our Heads. We muft, therefore, beg leave to represent to you, that we are in Hopes, if you would pleafe to make a due In

•quiry,

<quiry, the Men in all Ages would be found to have ⚫ been little lefs whimsical in adorning that Part, than ⚫ ourselves. The different Forms of their Wigs, together with the various Cocks of their Hats, all flatter us in this Opinion.

he was.

I had an humble Servant laft Summer, who the first time he declared himself, was in a Full-bottom'd Wig; but the Day after to my no fmall Surprize, he accofted me in a thin natural one. I received him, at this our ⚫ fecond Interview, as a perfect Stranger, but was extremely confounded, when his Speech difcovered who 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 thofe Wigs that I think you call a Night-cap, which ⚫ had altered him more effectually than before. He afterwards played a Couple of Black Riding Wigs upon me, ⚫ with the fame Success; and in short, affumed a newFace, • 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 diftinguish their Heads, you muft, doubtless, Sir, have ⚫ obferved, that great Numbers of young Fellows have, ⚫ for several 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 stiled a Woman in a coloured Hood an Indian Queen; and that you will, in due time, take these airy Gentlemen into Confideration.

WE the more earneftly 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 laft Week by a mixed Feather.

I am ordered to prefent you the Respects of our • whole Company, and am,

SIR, Your very humble Servant,

DORINDA.

Note,

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

I am not now at leisure to give my Opinion upon the Hat and Feather; however to wipe off the prefent Imputation, and gratify my Female Correfpondent, I shall 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

Prefume I need not inform that you, among Men of Dress it is a common Phrase to fay Mr. Such a 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 strike a bold Stroke. I think I may without vanity fay, that I have ftruck fome of the boldest and most fuccessful Strokes of any Man in 'Great Britain. I was the firft that ftruck the long • Pocket about two Years fince; I was likewise the Author of the Frosted Button, which when I saw the Town came readily into, being refolved to ftrike 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 Modifb Jacket, or the Coat with close Sleeves. I truck this at first in a plain Doily; but that failing, I ftruck it a fecond time in blue Camblet; and repeated the Stroke in feveral • kinds of Cloth, till at laft it took effect. There are two 6 or three young Fellows at the other End of the Town, who have always their Eye upon me, and anfwer me • Stroke for Stroke. I was once fo unwary as to mention my Fancy in relation to a new-fashioned Surtout before one of thefe Gentlemen, who was difingenuous enough to steal my Thought, and by that means prevented my intended Stroke.

I have a Defign this Spring to make very confiderable Innovations in the Waftecoat; and have already VOL. IV.

N

begun