look at her no more, But the Jezebel, who, as I fuppose, might think it a Diminution to her Honour, to ⚫ have the Number of her Gazers leffen'd, resolved not to part with me fo, and began to play so many new • Tricks at her Window, that it was impoffible for me to forbear obferving her. I verily believe she put her felf to the Expence of a new Wax-Baby on purpose to plague me; fhe us'd to dandle and play with this Figure as impertinently as if it had been a real Child: Sometimes The would let fall a Glove or a Pin-Cushion in the Street, and fhut or open her Casement three or four times in a • Minute. When I had almost wean'd my self from this, • fhe came in her Shift-Sleeves, and drefs'd at the Win⚫dow. I had no way left but to let down my curtains, ⚫ which I submitted to though it confiderably darkened my Room, and was pleased to think that I had at laft got the better of her, but was furprized the next Morn⚫ing to hear her talking out of her Window quite cross the Street, with another Woman that lodges over me : ⚫ I am fince informed, that she made her a Vifit, and got acquainted with her within three Hours after the Fall of my Window-Curtains.

SIR, I am plagued every Moment in the Day, one way or other, in my own Chambers; and the Jezebel has the Satisfaction to know, that tho' I am not looking at her, I am lift'ning to her impertinent Dialogues ⚫ that pafs over my Head. I would immediately change my Lodgings, but that I think it might look like a plain Confeffion that I am conquer'd; and befides this, I am told that most Quarters of the Town are infested with thefe Creatures. If they are fo, I am fure 'tis fuch an Abuse, as a Lover of Learning and Silence ought to take notice of.

I am, SIR,

Yours, &c.

I am afraid, by fome Lines in this Letter, that my young Student is touched with a Diftemper which he hardly feems to dream of, and is too far gone in it to receive Advice. However, I fhall animadvert in due time on the Abuse which he mentions, having my felf obferved a Neft

of

of Jezebels near the Temple, who make it their Diverfion to draw up the Eyes of young Templars, that at the fame time they may fee them ftumble in an unlucky Gutter which runs under the Window.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

I

HAVE lately read the Conclufion of your fortyfeventh Speculation upon Butts with great Pleasure, ⚫ and have ever fince been thoroughly perfuaded that one "of those Gentlemen is extremely neceffary to enliven • Conversation. I had an Entertainment last Week upon 'the Water for a Lady to whom I make my Addreffes, ' with feveral of our Friends of both Sexes. To divert

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the Company in general, and to fhew my Mistress in particular my Genius for Rallery, I took one of the 'most celebrated Butts in Town along with me. It is ' with the utmoft Shame and Confufion that I muft acquaint you with the Sequel of my Adventure: As 'foon as we were got into the Boat, I play'da Sentence or two at my Butt which I thought very smart, when my ill-Genius, who I verily believe inspir'd him purely ' for my Destruction, fuggefted to him fuch a Reply, as got all the Laughter on his Side. I was dafhed at fo unexpected a Turn; which the Butt perceiving, refol¬ ved not to let me recover my self, and pursuing his Victory, rallied and toffed me in a moft unmerciful ' and barbarous manner till we came to Chelsea. I had 'some small Success while we were eating Cheese-Cakes; but coming home, he renewed his Attacks with his former Good-fortune, and equal Diversion to the whole Company In fhort, Sir, I muft ingenuously own that I was never fo handled in all my Life; and, to complete my Misfortune, I am fince told that the Butt, fluthed ' with his late Victory, has made a Vifit or two to the ⚫ dear Object of my Wishes, fo that I am at once in dan ger of lofing all my Pretenfions to Wit, and my Mistress into the Bargain. This, Sir, is a true Account of my 'prefent Troubles, which you are the more obliged to affift me in, as you were yourself in a great measure the 'Cause of them, by recommending to us an Inftrument, and not inftructing us at the fame time how to play upon it.

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< I have

• I have been thinking whether it might not be highly ← convenient, that all Butts fhould wear an Infcription "affixed to fome Part of their Bodies, fhewing on which

Side they are to be come at, and that if any of them ⚫ are Perfons of unequal Tempers, there fhould be fome • Method taken to inform the World at what 'Time it is ⚫ fafe to attack them, and when you had beft to let them alone. But, fubmitting these Matters to your more ferious Confideration,

I am, SIR, yours, &c.

I have, indeed, seen and heard of feveral young Gentlemen under the fame Misfortune with my present Correspondent. The best Rule I can lay down for them to avoid the like Calamities for the future, is throughly to confider not only Whether their Companions are weak, but Whether themselves are Wits.

THE following Letter comes to me from Exeter, and being credibly informed that what it contains is Matter of Fact, I fhall give it my Reader as it was fent me.

Exeter, Sept. 7.

Youce YOU were pleafed in a late Speculation to take notice of the Inconvenience we lie under in the Country, in not being able to keep Pace with the Fafhion: But there is another Misfortune which we are fubject to, and is no lefs grievous than the former, which has thitherto escaped your Obfervation. I mean, the having Things palmed upon us for London Fashions, which were never once heard of there.

4

A Lady of this Place had fome time fince a Box of ⚫ the newest Ribbons fent down by the Coach: Whether "it was her own malicious Invention, or the Wantonness of a London Milliner, I am not able to inform you ; but, among the reft, there was one Cherry-coloured Ribbon, confifting of about half a dozen Yards, made up in the Figure of a fmall Head-Drefs. The aforefaid Lady had ⚫ the Affurance to affirm, amidst a Circle of Female Inquifitors, who were prefent at the opening of the Box, "that this was the newest Fashion worn at Court. Accordingly the next Sunday we had several Females, who

came

came to Church with their Heads dress'd wholly in • Ribbons, and looked like fo many Victims ready to be ⚫ facrificed. This is ftill a reigning Mode among us. At the fame time we have a Set of Gentlemen who take 'the Liberty to appear in all publick Places without any 'Buttons to their Coats, which they supply with several ⚫ little Silver Hafps, tho' our fresheft Advices from London 'make no mention of any fuch Fashion; and we are fomething fhy of affording Matter to the Button-makers 'for a fecond Petition.

WHAT I would humbly propofe to the Publick is, that there may be a Society erected in London, to con'fift of the moft skilful Perfons of both Sexes, for the In"Spection of Modes and Fashions; and that hereafter no Perfon or Perfons fhall prefume to appear fingularly ha bited in any Part of the Country, without a Teftimonial from the aforefaid Society, that their Dress is answerable to the Mode at London. By this means, Sir, we 'fhall know a little whereabout we are.

IF you could bring this Matter to bear, you would very much oblige great Numbers of your Country 'Friends, and among the reft,

X

Your very humble Servant,

Jack Modifh.

No. 176. Friday, September 21.

Parvula, pumilio, xapírwv uía, tota merum fal.

Lucr. 1. 4. v. 1155-*

A little, pretty, witty, charming She!

HERE are in the following Letter Matters,

acquainted with; therefore fhall not pretend to explain upon it till farther Confideration, but leave the Author of the Epistle to express his Condition his own Way.

Mr.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

Do not deny but you appear in many of your Papers to understand Human Life pretty well; but there are very many Things which you cannot poffibly have a true Notion of, in a fingle Life; these are fuch as refpect ⚫ the married State; otherwise I cannot account for your ⚫ having overlooked a very good Sort of People,which are ⚫ commonly called in Scorn the Hen-peckt. You are to un• derstand that 1 am one of thofe innocent Mortals who • fuffer Derifion under that Word, for being governed by ⚫ the best of Wives. It would be worth your Confidera⚫tion to enter into the Nature of Affection it self, and tell us, according to your Philofophy, why it is that our • Dears fhould do what they will with us, fhall be froward, • ill-natured, affuming, fometimes whine, at others rail ⚫ then fwoon away, then come to Life, have the Ufe of • Speech to the greatest Fluency imaginable, and then fink away again, and all because they fear we do not love them enough; that is, the poor Things love us fo heartily, that they cannot think it poffible we should be able to love them in fo great a Degree, which makes them take on fo. I fay, Sir, a true good-natured Man, ⚫ whom Rakes and Libertines call Hen-peckt, fhall fall into all these different Moods with his dear Life, and at ⚫ the fame time fee they are wholly put on; and yet not ⚫ be hard-hearted enough to tell the dear good Creature ⚫ that she is an Hypocrite.

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This fort of good Men is very frequent in the populous and wealthy City of London, and is the true Hen'peckt Man; the kind Creature cannot break through his • Kindnesses fo far as to come to an Explanation with the ⚫ tender Soul, and therefore goes on to comfort her when nothing ails her, to appeafe her when she is not angry, and to give her his Cafh when he knows fhe does not 'want it; rather than be uneafy for a whole Month, which is computed by hard-hearted Men the Space of <Time which a froward Woman takes to come to herself, if you have Courage to stand out.

THERE are indeed feveral other Species of the • Hen-peckt, and in my Opinion they are certainly the best

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