which has ever fince affected his Words and Actions. But he went on as follows.

6

I came to my Estate in my Twenty fecond Year, and ⚫ refolved to follow the Steps of the moft worthy of my "Ancestors, who have inhabited this Spot of Earth before me, in all the Methods of Hofpitality and good Neigh bourhood, for the Sake of my Fame; and in Country Sports and Recreations, for the Sake of my Health. In my Twenty third Year I was obliged to ferve as Sheriff of the County; and in my Servants, Officers, and whole Equipage, indulged the Pleasure of a young Man (who did not think ill of his own Perfon) in taking that pub⚫lick Occafion of fhewing my Figure and Behaviour to Advantage. You may eafily imagine to your felf what Appearance I made, who am pretty tall, rid well, and was very well dreffed, at the Head of a whole County, with Mufick before me, a Feather in my Hat, and my Horfe well bitted. I can affure you I was not a little pleafed with the kind Looks and Glances I had from all the Balconies and Windows, as I rode to the Hall where the Affizes where held. But when I came there, a beau⚫tiful Creature in a Widow's Habit fat in Court, to hear the Event of a Caufe concerning her Dower.. This commanding Creature (who was born for Deftruction of all who behold her) put on fuch a Refignation in her Courtenance, and bore the Whispers of all around the Court with fuch a pretty Uneafinefs, I warrant you, and then recovered her felf from one Eye to another, 'till fhe was perfectly confufed by meeting fomething fo wiftful in all the encountered, that at laft, with a Murrain to her, The cafts her bewitching Eye upon me. I no fooner met it, but I bowed like a great furprized Booby; and knowing her Caufe to be the firft which came on, I cried, like a captivated Calf as I was, Make way for the Defendant's Witneffes. This fudden Partiality made all the County immediately fee the Sheriff alfo was become a Slave to the fine Widow. During the Time her Caufe was upon Tryal, fhe behaved herself I warrant you, with fuch a deep Attention to her Bufinefs, took Opportunities to have little Billets handed to her Council, then would be in fuch a pretty Confufion, occafioned, you must know, by acting before fo much Company, that

6

6

not

⚫ not only I but the whole Court was prejudiced in her
• Favour;
and all that the next Heir to her Husband had
to urge, was thought fo groundlelfs and frivolous, that
when it came to her Council to reply, there was not
half fo much faid as every one befides in the Court
thought he could have urged to her Advantage. You
muft understand, Sir, this perverfe Woman is one of
thofe unaccountable Creatures, that fecretly rejoice in
the Admiration of Men, but indulge themselves in no fur-
ther Confequences. Hence it is that fhe has ever had a
Train of Admirers, and fhe removes from her Slaves in
Town to thofe in the Country, according to the Seafons
of the Year. She is a reading Lady, and far gone in the
Pleasures of Friendship: She is always accompanied by
a Confident, who is Witness to her daily Proteftations
against our Sex, and confequently a Bar to her firft Steps
towards Love, upon the Strength of her own Maxims
and Declarations.

HOWEVER, I must needs fay this accomplished Miftrefs of mine has diftinguished me above the reft, and Iras been known to declare Sir ROGER DE COVERLEY was the tameft and most human of all the Brutes in the Country. I was told fhe faid fo, by one who thought he rallied me; but upon the Strength of this flender Encouragement of being thought leaft deteftable, I made new Liveries, new paired my Coach-Horfes, fent them all to Town to be bitted, and taught to throw their Legs well, and move all together, before I pretended to cross the Country, and wait upon her. As foon as I thought my Retinue fuitable to the Character of my Fortune and Youth, I fet out from hence to make my Addreffes. The particular Skill of this Lady has ever been to enflame your Wishes, and yet command Repfect. To make her Miftrefs of this Art, fhe has a greater Share of Knowledge, Wit, and good Senfe, than is ufual even among Men of Merit. Then the is beautiful beyond the < Race of Women.. If you won't let her go on with a ⚫ certain Artifice with her Eyes, and the Skill of Beauty, fhe will arm her felf with her real Charms, and strike you with Admiration inftead of Defire. It is certain that if you were to behold the whole Woman, there is that Dignity in her Afpect, that Compofure in her Motion,

6

⚫ that

.

that Complacency in her Manner, that if her Form makes you hope, her Merit makes you fear. But then again, fhe is fuch a defperate Scholar, that no countryGentleman can approach her without being a Jeft. As I was going to tell you, when I came to her Houfe I was admitted to her Prefence with great Civility; at the fame time fhe placed her felf to be firft feen by me in fuch an Attitude, as I think you call the Pofture of a • Picture, that she discovered new Charms, and I at last came towards her with fuch an Awe as made me speechlefs. This fhe no fooner obferved but, fhe made her Advantage of it, and began a Difcourfe to me concerning Love and Honour, as they are both followed by Pretenders, and the real Votaries to them. When she had difcuffed thefe Points in a Difcourfe, which I verily believe was as learned as the beft Philofopher in Europe could poffibly make, fhe asked me whether she was fo happy as to fall in with my Sentiments on thefe important Particulars. Her Confident fat by her, and upon my being in the laft Confufion and Silence, this malicious Aid of hers turning to her fays, I am very glad to obferve Sir ROGER paufes upon this Subject, and seems ⚫ refolved to deliver all his Sentiments upon the Matter when he pleafes to fpeak. They both kept their Countenances, and after I had fat half an Hour meditating how to behave before fuch profound Cafuifts, I rofe up • and took my Leave. Chance has fince that time thrown me very often in her Way, and fhe as often has directed a Difcourfe to me which I do not understand. Barbarity has kept me ever at a Distance from the most beautiful Object my Eyes ever beheld. It is thus alfo fhe deals with all Mankind, and you must make Love to her, as you would conquer the Sphinx, by pofing her. But were he like other Women, and that there were any talking to her, how conftant muft the Pleasure of that Man be, who could converfe with a Creature

.

6

This

• But, after all, you may be fure her Heart is fixed on "fome one or other; and yet I have been credibly informed; but who can believe half that is faid! After she had done fpeaking to me, fhe put her Hand to her Bofom and adjusted her Tucker. Then fhe caft her Eyes a little down, upon my beholding her too earnestly. They fay

The

fhe fings excellently: her Voice in her ordinary Speech has fomething in it inexpreffibly fweet. You must know 'I dined with her at a publick Table the Day after I first 'faw her, and the helped me to fome Tanfy in the Eye of all the Gentlemen in the Country: She has certainly the finest Hand of any Woman in the World. I can affure you, Sir, were you to behold her, you would be in the fame Condition, for as her Speech is Musick, her Form is Angelick. But I find I grow irregular while I am talking of her; but indeed it would be Stupidity to be unconcerned at fuch Perfection. Oh the excellent 'Creature, fhe is as inimitable to all Women, as she is ' inacceffible to all Men.

I found my Friend begin to rave, and infenfibly led him towards the House, that we might be joined by fome other Company; and am convinced that the Widow is the fecret Caufe of all that Inconfiftency which appears in fome Parts of my Friend's Difcourfe; tho' he has fo much Command of himself as not directly to mention her, yet according to that of Martial, which one knows not how to render in English, Dum tacet hanc loquitur. I fhall end this Paper with that whole Epigram, which reprefents with much Humour my honest Friend's Condition.

Quicquid agit, Rufus, nihil eft, nifi Navia Rufo,
Si gaudet, fiflet, fi tacet, hanc loquitur:
Canat, propinat, pofcit, negat, annuit, una est
Navia: Si non fit Navia, mutus erit.
Scriberet hefterna Patri cum Luce Salutem,
Navia lux, inquit, Navia numen, ave.

Let Rufus weep, rejoice, ftand, fit, or walk,
Still he can nothing but of Nævia talk;
Let him eat, drink, ask Questions, or dispute,
Still he must speak of Nævia, or be mute.
He writ to his Father, ending with this Line,
I am, my Lovely Nævia, ever thine.

VOL. II.

F

Wednesday,

N° 114. Wednesday, July 11.

·Paupertatis pudor fuga-

Hor.

ECONOMY in our Affairs, has the fame Effect upon our Fortunes which good Breeding has upon our Converfations. There is a pretending Behaviour in both Cafes, which instead of making Men efteemed, renders them both miserable and contemptible. We had Yesterday at Sir ROGER's a Set of Country Gentlemen who dined with him; and after Dinner the Glafs was taken, by those who pleafed, pretty plentifully. Among others I obferved a Perfon of a tolerable good Afpect, who feemed to be more greedy of Liquor than any of the Company, and yet, methought, he did not tafte it with Delight. As he grew warm, he was fufpicious of every thing that was faid; and as he advanced towards being fudled, his Humour grew worfe. At the fame time his Bitternefs feemed to be rather an inward Diffatisfaction in his own Mind, than any Diflike he had taken at the Compa, ny. Upon hearing his Name, I knew him to be a Gentleman of a confiderable Fortune in this County, but greatly in Debt. What gives the unhappy Man this Peevifhnefs of Spirit, is, that his Eftate is dipped, and is eating out with Ufury; and yet he has not the Heart to fell any Part of it. His proud Stomach, at the Coft of reftlefs Nights, conftant Inquietudes, Danger of Affronts, and a thousand nameless Inconveniencies, preferves this Canker in his Fortune, rather than it shall be faid he is a Man of fewer Hundreds a Year than he has been commonly reputed. Thus he endures the Torment of Poverty, to avoid the Name of being lefs rich. If you go to his Houfe you fee great Plenty; but ferved in a Manner that fhews it is all unnatural, and that the Master's Mind is not at home. There is a certain Waste and Careleffness in the Air of every thing, and the whole appears but a covered Indigence, a magnificent Poverty. That Neatnefs and Chearfulness which attends the Table of him who lives within Compafs, is wanting, and exchanged for a libertine Way of Service in all about him.