a state of torments in the defcription of Tantalus, who was punished with the rage of an eternal thirst, and set up to the chin in water, that fled from his lips whenever he attempted to drink it.

Virgil, who has caft the whole fyftem of Platonic philofophy, fo far as it relates to the foul of man, into beautiful allegories, in the fixth book of his

neid gives us the punishment of a voluptuary after death, not unlike that which we are here speaking of.

-Lucent genialibus altis Aurea fulcra toris, epulæque ante ora paratæ Regifico luxu: furiarum maxima juxta Accubat, et manibus probibet contingere menfas; Exurgitque facem attollens, atque intonat ore. EN. VI. v. 604.

They lie below on golden beds display'd, And genial feafts with regal pomp are made: The of furies by their fide is fet, queen And Inatches from their mouths th' untafted

That I may a little alleviate the fe. verity of this my fpeculation, which otherwife may lofe me feveral of my polite readers, I shall tranflate a story that has been quoted upon another occafion by one of the most learned men of the prefent age, as I find it in the original. The reader will fee it is not foreign to my prefent fubject, and I dare fay will think it a lively reprefentation of a perfon lying under the torments of fuch a kind of tantalifin, or Platonic hell, as that which we have now under confideration. Monfieur Pontignan fpeaking of a love-adventure that happened to him in the country, gives the following account of it.

When I was in the country Laft fummer, I was often in company with a couple of charming women, who had all the wit and beauty one could defire in female companions, with a dafh of coquetry, that from time to time gave me a great many agreeable • torments. I was, after my way, in love with both of them, and had fuch frequent opportunities of pleading my

my room, and told me, they had very pleasant trick to put upon a gentleman that was in the fame house, provided I would bear a part in it. Upon this they told me fuch a plaufible ftory, that I laughed at their contrivance, and agreed to do whatever they should require of me. They immediately began to fwaddle me up in my night-gown with long pieces of linen, which they folded about me until they had wrapped me in above an hundred yards of fwathe: my arms were preffed to my fides, and my legs clofed together by fo many wrappers one over another, that I looked like an Egyptian mummy. As I ftood bolt upright upon one end in this antique figure, one of the ladies burft out a laughing. "And now, Pontignan," fays the, "we "intend to perform the promise that we find you have extorted from each "of us. You have often afked the fa"vour of us, and I dare fay you are a "better bred cavalier than to refuse to

ordered me to be carried to one of their houses, and put to bed in all my fwaddles. The room was lighted up on all fides; and I was laid very de• cently between a pair of fheets, with my head, which was indeed the only part I could move, upon a very high pillow: this was no fooner done, but my two female friends came into bed to me in their finest night-cloaths. You may eafily guefs at the condition of a man that faw a couple of the most beautiful women in the world undreffed and in bed with him, without being able to ftir hand or foot. I begged them to release me, and struggled all I could to get loose, which I did with fo much violence, that about midnight they both leaped out of the bed, crying out they were undone. But feeing me fafe, they took their pofts again, and renewed their raillery.

were loft, I compofed myself as well

as I could, and told them, that if they would not unbind me, I would fall afleep between them, and by that incans difgrace them for ever: but • alas!

as foon as it was time for me, to rife: accordingly about nine of the clock in the morning an old woman came to unfwathe me. I bore all this very

'impatiently, being resolved to take my revenge of my tormentors, and to keep no measures with them as foon as I was at liberty; but upon asking my 'old woman what was become of the two ladies, he told me the believed they were by that time within fight of Paris, for that they went away in a coach and fix before five of the clock in the morning.' L

ΤΗ

VIRG. GEORG. III. V. 244

HOUGH the fubject I am now going upon would be much more properly the foundation of a comedy, I cannot forbear inferting the circumtances which pleafed me in the account a young lady gave me of the loves of a family in town, which shall be namelefs; or rather for the better found and elevation of the hiftory, inftead of Mr. and Mrs. Such-a-one, I fhall call them by feigned names. Without further preface, you are to know, that within the liberties of the city of Westminster lives the lady Honoria, a widow about the age of forty, of a healthy conftitution, gay temper, and elegant perfon. She drefes a little too much like a girl, affects a childish fondnefs in the tone of her voice, fometimes a pretty fullennefs in the leaning of her head, and now and then a down-caft of her eyes on her fan: neither her imagination nor her health would ever give her to know, that the is turned of twenty; but that in the midit of thefe pretty foftneffes, and airs of delicacy and attraction, the has a tall daughter within a fortnight of fifteen, who impertinently comes into the room, and towers fo much towards woman, that her mother is always checked by her prefence, and every charm of Honoria droops at the entrance of Flavia. The agreeable Flavia would be what he is not, as well as her mother Honoria; but all their beholders are more partial to an affectation of what a perfon is growing up to, than

of what has been already enjoyed, and is gone for ever. It is therefore allowed to Flavia to look forward, but not to Honoria to look back. Flavia is no way dependent on her mother with relation to her fortune, for which reason they live almoft upon an equality in converfation; and as Honoria has given Flavia to understand, that it is ill-bred to be always calling mother, Flavia is as well pleased never to be called child. It happens by this means that these ladies are generally rivals in all places where they appear; and the words Mother and Daughter never pafs between them but out of fpite. Flavia one night at a play obferving Honoria draw the eyes of feveral in the pit, called to a lady who fat by her, and bid her afk her mother to lend her her fnuff-box for one moment. Another time, when a lover of Honoria was on his knees befeeching the favour to kifs her hand, Flavia rufhing into the room, kneeled down by him and afked her bleffing. Several of the fe contradictory acts of duty have` railed between them fuch a coldness, that they generally converfe when they are in mixed company by way of talking at one another, and not to one another. Honoria is ever complaining of a certain fufficiency in the young women of this age, who affume to themselves an authority of carrying all things before them, as if they were poffeffors of the elleem of mankind, and all, who were but a year before them in the world,

were

were neglected or deceased.

Flavia,

upon fuch a provocation, is fure to obferve, that there are people who can regn nothing, and know not how to give up what they know they cannot hold; that there are those who will not allow youth their follies, not because they are themselves paft them, but becaufe they love to continue in them. Thefe beauties rival each other on all occafions, not that they have always had the fame lovers, but each has kept up a vanity to thew the other the charms of her lover. Dick Craftin and Tom Tulip, among many others, have of late been pretenders in this family: Dick to Honoria, Tom to Flavia. Dick is the only furviving beau of the laft age, and Tom almott the only one that keeps up that

order of men in this.

I wish I could repeat the little circumftances of a converfation of the four lovers with the fpirit in which the young lady, I had my account from, reprefented it at a, vifit where I had the honour to be prefent; but it feems Dick Craftin, the admirer of Honoria, and

Tom Tulip, the pretender to Flavia, were purpofely admitted together by the ladies, that each might fhew the other that her lover had the fuperiority in the accomplishments of that fort of creature whom the fillier part of women call a fine gentleman. As this age has a much more grofs talte in courtship, as well as in every thing elfe, than the laft had, thefe gentlemen are inftances of it in their different manner of application. Tulip is ever making allufions to the vigour of his perfon, the finewy force of his make; while Craftin profeffes a wary obfervation of the turns of his mistress's mind. Tulip gives himself the air of a refiltlefs ravifher, Craftin practifes that of a skilful lover. Poetry is the infeparable property of every man in love;

and as men of wit write verfes on thole occafions, the reft of the world repeat the verfes of others. Thefe fervants of the ladies were used to imitate their manner of converfation, and allude to one another, rather than interchange difcourfe in what they faid when they met. Tulip the other day feized his miftrefs's hand, and repeated out of

Ovid's Art of Love

Tis I can in foft battles pafs the night, Yerife next morning vigorous for the fight, Fresh as the day, and active as the light.

Upon hearing this, Craftin, with an air of deference, played Honoria's fan, and repeated

Sedley has that prevailing gentle art,
That can with a refiltlefs charm impart
The loofest wishes to the chafteft heart:
Raife fuch a conflict, kindle fuch a fire,
Between declining virtue and defire,
Till the poor vanquifh'd maid diffolves away
In dreams all night, in fighs and tears all day.

When Craftin had uttered thefe verfes with a tenderness which at once spoke paffion and respect, Honoria caft a triumphant glance at Flavia, as exulting in the elegance of Craftin's courtship, and upbraiding her with the homeliness of Tulip's. Tulip understood the reproach, and in return began to applaud the wifdom of old amorous gentlemen, who turned their miftrefs's imagination as far as poffible from what they had long themfelves forgot, and ended his difcourfe with a fly commendation of the doctrine of Platonic Love; at the fame time he ran over, with a laughing eye, Craftin's thin legs, meagre looks, immediately left the room with fome and fpare body. The old gentleman diforder, and the conversation fell upon untimely paflion, after-love, and unfeafonable youth. Tulip fung, danced, moved before the glafs, led his miftrefs half a minuet, hummed

Celia the fair, in the bloom of fifteen; when there came a fervant with a letter to him, which was as follows.

SIR,

Understand very well what you meant by your mention of Platonic Love. I fhall be glad to meet you immediately in Hyde Park, or behind Montague Houfe, or attend you to Barn Elms, or any other fashionable place that is fit for a gentleman to die in, that you thall appoint for, Sir, your moft humble fervant,

RICHARD CRASTIN.

Tulip's colour changed at the reading trefs fnatched it to read the contents. of this epiftle; for which reafon his mif While he was doing fo, Tulip went away, and the ladies now agreeing in a common calamity, bewailed together the dangers of their lovers. They immediately undreffed to go out, and took hackneys to prevent mifchief: but, after alarming all parts of the town, Craftin

W3$

POPE!

of letters which have been to me, I found the following,

MR. SPECTATOR,

YOUR paper is a part of my teaequipage; and my fervant knows my humour fo well, that calling for my breakfaft this morning, it being past my ufual hour, the answered, the Spectator was not yet come in; but that the teakettle boiled, and the expected it every moment. Having thus in part fignified to you the esteem and veneration which I have for you, I must put you in mind of the catalogue of books which you have promised to recommend to our fex; for I have deferred furnishing my clofet with authors, until I receive your advice in this particular, being your daily difciple and humble fervant,

LEONORA..

In answer to my fair difciple, whom I am very proud of, I must acquaint her and the rest of my readers, that fince I have called out for help in my catalogue of a lady's library, I have received many letters upon that head, fome of which I fhall give an account of.

In the first clafs I fhall take notice of thofe which come to me from eminent bookfellers, who every one of them mention with respect the authors they have printed, and confequently have an eye to their own advantage more than to that of the ladies. One tells me, that he thinks it abfolutely neceffary for women to have true notions of right and equity, and that therefore they cannot perufe a better book than Dalton's

cannot be without The Compleat Jockey. A third obferving the curiofity and defire of prying into fecrets, which he tells me is natural to the fair-fex, is of opinion this female inclination, if well directed, might turn very much to their advantage, and therefore recommends to me Mr. Mede upon the Revelations. A fourth lays it down as an unquestionable truth, that a lady cannot be tho roughly accomplished who has not read The Secret Treaties and Negociations of Marfhal D'Estrades. Mr. Jacob Tonfon, jun. is of opinion, that Bayle's Dictionary might be of very great use to the ladies, in order to make them general scholars. Another, whofe name I have forgotten, thinks it highly proper that every woman with child should read Mr. Wall's Hiftory of Infant Baptifm; as another is very importunate to recommend to all my female readers The Finishing Stroke; being a Vindication of the Patriarchal Scheme, &c.

In the fecond clafs I fhall mention books which are recommended by huf bands, if I may believe the writers of them. Whether or no they are real husbands or perfonated ones I cannot tell, but the books they recommend are as follow. A Paraphrafe on the Hiftory of Sufannah. Rules to keep Lent. The Chriftian's Overthrow prevented. A Diffuafive from the Playhouse. The Virtues of Camphire, with Directions to make Camphire Tea. The Pleafures of a Country Life. The Government of the Tongue. A letter dated from Cheapfide defires me that I would advife all young wives to make 2 A themfelves

themselves miftreffes of Wingate's Arithmetic, and concludes with a poftfcript, that he hopes I will not forget The Countess of Kent's Receipts.

I may reckon the ladies themselves as a third clafs among thefe my correfpondents and privy-counsellors. In a letter from one of them, I am advised to place Pharamond at the head of my catalogue, and, if I think proper, to give the fecond place to Caffandra. Coquetilla begs me not to think of nailing women upon their knees with manuals of devotion, nor of fcorching their faces with books of housewifery. Florella defires to know if there are any books written against prudes, and intreats me, if there are, to give them a place in my library. Plays of all forts have their feveral advocates. All for Love is mentioned in above fifteen letters; Sophonisba, or Hannibal's Overthrow, in a dozen; the Innocent Adultery is likewife highly approved of; Mithridates King of Pontus has many friends; Alexander the Great and Aurengezebe have the fame number of voices; but Theodofius, or the Force of Love, carries it from all the reft.

I fhould, in the last place, mention fuch books as have been propofed by men of learning, and thofe who appear competent judges of this matter; and muft here take occafion to thank A. B. whoever it is that conceals himself under those two letters, for his advice upon this fubject: but as I find the work I have undertaken to be very difficult, I fhall defer the executing of it until I am further acquainted with the thoughts of my judicious contemporaries, and have time to examine the feveral books they offer to me; being refolved, in an affair of this moment, to proceed with the greatest caution.

In the mean while, as I have taken the ladies under my particular care,

I fhall make it my business to find out in the beft authors ancient and modern fuch paffages as may be for their ufe, and endeavour to accommodate them as well as I can to their taste; not queftioning but the valuable part of the fex will eafily pardon me, if from time to time I laugh at thofe little vanities and follies which appear in the behaviour of fome of them, and which are more proper for ridicule than a ferious cenfure. Molt books being calculated for male readers, and generally written with an eye to men of learning, makes a work of this nature the more neceffary; befides, I am the more encouraged, because I flatter myself that I fee the fex daily improving by these my speculations. My fair readers are already deeper fcholars than the beaus; I could name fome of them who talk much bet-ter than feveral gentlemen that make a figure at Will's; and as I frequently receive letters from the fine Ladies and pretty Fellows, I cannot but observe that the former are fuperior to the others not only in the fenfe but in the fpelling. This cannot but have a good effect upon the female world, and keep them from being charmed by thofe empty coxcombs that have hitherto been admired among the women, though laughed at among the men.

I am credibly informed that Tom Tattle paffes for an impertinent fellow; that Will Trippet begins to be fioked; and that Frank Smoothly himself is within a month of a coxcomb, in cafe I think fit to continue this paper. For my part, as it is my business in some measure to detect fuch as would lead aftray weak minds by their falfe pretences to wit and judgment, humour and gallantry, I fhall not fail to lend the beft lights I am able to the fair-fex for the continuation of these their difcoveries.

L

N⚫ XCIII.