fire of all the parties injured, as from my own inclination. I hope, Sir, if you cannot propofe intirely to reform this evil, you will take fuch notice of it in fome of your future fpeculations, as may put the deferving part of our sex on their guard against thefe creatures; and T N° CCXLV. TUESDAY, DECEMBER II. FICTA VOLUPTATIS CAUSA SINT PROXIMA VERIS. HOR. ARS POET. VER. 338. FICTIONS, TO PLEASE, SHOULD WEAR THE FACE OF TRUTH. HERE is nothing which one regards fo much with an eye of mirth and pity as innocence, when it has in it a dash of folly. At the fame time that one cfteems the virtue, one is tempted to laugh at the fimplicity which accompanies it. When a man is made up wholly of the dove, without the leaft grain of the ferpent in his compofition, he becomes ridiculous in many circumftances of life, and very often difcredits his best actions. The Cordeliers tell a ftory of their founder St. Francis, that as he paffed the streets in the dufk of the evening, he difcovered a young fellow with a maid in a corner; upon which the geed man, fay they, lifted up his hands to Heaven with a fecret thanksgiving, that there was ftill fo much chriftian charity in the world. The innocence of the faint made him miflake the kifs of a lover for a falute of charity. I am heartily concerned when I see a virtuous man without a competent knowledge of the world; and if there be any ufe of thefe my papers, it is this, that without reprefenting vice under any falfe alluring notions, they give my reader an infight into the ways of men, and reprefent human nature in all it's changeable coJours. The man who has not been en gaged in any of the follies of the world, or, as Shakespeare expreffes it, hackneyed in the ways of men,' may here find a picture of it's follies and extravagancies. The virtuous and the innocent may know in fpeculation what they could never arrive at by practice, and by this means avoid the inares of the crafty, the corruptions of the vicious, and the reafonings of the prejudiced. Their minds may be opened without being vitiated, It is with an eye to my following correfpondent, Mr. Timothy Doodle, who feems a very well-meaning man, that I have written this fhort preface, to which I fhall fubjoin a letter from the faid Mr. Doodle. SIR, Could heartily with that you would let us know your opinion upon feveral innocent diverfions which are in ufe among us, and which are very proper to pafs away a winter night for those who do not care to throw away their time at an opera, or at the play-house. I would gladly know in particular, what notion you have of hot-cockles; as also whether you think that questions and commands, mottoes, fimiles, and crosspurpofes, have not more mirth and wit in them, than thofe public diversions which are grown fo very fashionable among us. If you would recommend to our wives and daughters, who read your papers with a great deal of pleafure, fome of thofe fports and pastimes that may be practifed within doors, and by the fire-fide, we who are mafters of families fhould be hugely obliged to you. I need not tell you that I would have these sports and paftimes not only merry but innocent, for which reafon I have not mentioned whisk or lanterloo, nor indeed fo much as one-and-thirty. After having communicated to you my request upon this fubject, I will be fo free as to tell you how my wife and I pafs away thefe tedious winter evenings with a great deal of pleasure. Though the be young and handfome, and goodhumoured to a miracle, the does not care for gadding abroad like others of her fex. There is a very friendly man, a colonel a colonel in the army, whom I am mightily obliged to for his civilities, that comes to fee me almost every night; for he is not one of thote giddy young fellows that cannot live out of a playhoufe. When we are together, we very often make a party at blind-man's buff, which is a port that I like the better, because there is a good deal of excrcile in it. The colonel and I are blinded by turns, and you would laugh your heart out to fee what pains my dear takes to hoodwink us, fo that it is impoffible for us to fee the leaft glimple of light. The poor colonel fometimes hits his nofe against a poit, and makes us die with laughing. I have generally the good luck not to hurt myfelf, but am very often above half an hour before I can catch either of them; for you must know we hide ourselves up and down in corners, that we may have the more fport. I only give you this hint as a fample of fuch innocent diverfions as I would have you recommend; and am, most esteemed Sir, your ever loving friend, TIMOTHY DOODLE. The following letter was occafioned by my laft Thurfday's paper upon the abience of lovers, and the methods therein mentioned of making fuch abfence fupportable. SIR, many a brave fellow, who carries his I fhall conclude this paper with a letter from an univerfity gentleman, occafioned by my laft Tuesday's paper, wherein I gave fome account of the great feuds which happened formerly in thofe learned bodies, between the modern Greeks and Trojans. SIR, THIS will give you to understand, that there is at prefent in the fociety, whereof I am a member, a very confiderable body of Trojans, who, upon a proper o cafion, would not fail to declare ourfelves. In the mean while we do all we can to annoy our enemies by ftratagem, and are refolved by the first opportunity AMONG the feveral ways of confo- to attack Mr. Jofhua Barnes, whom we lation which abfent lovers make ufe look upon as the Achilles of the oppoof while their fouls are in that state of fite party. As for myfelf, I have had departure, which you fay is death in the reputation ever fince I came from love, there are fome very inaterial ones fchool, of being a trufty Trojan, and that have escaped your notice. Among am refolved never to give quarter to the thefe, the firit and most received is a fimalleft particle of Greek, wherever I crooked fhilling, which has adminifter- chance to meet it. It is for this reafon ed great comfort to our forefathers, and I take it very ill of you, that you someis till made ufe of on this occafion with times hang out Greek colours at the very good effect in most part of her ma- head of your paper, and fometimes give jefty's dominions. There are fome, I a word of the enemy even in the body know, who think a crown-piece cut into of it. When I meet with any thing of two equal parts, and preferved by the this nature, I throw down your fpecudiftant lovers, is of more fovereign vir-lations upon the table, with that form tue than the former. But fince opinions of words which we make ufe of when are divided in this particular, why may we declare war upon an author. not the fame perfons make ufe of both? The figure of a heart, whether cut in ftone or cait in metal, whether bleeding upon an altar, tuck with darts, or held in the hand of a Cupid, has always been looked upon as talifmanic in diftreffes of this nature. I am acquainted with Græcum eft, non poteft legi.. I give you this hint, that you may for the future abftain from any fuch hoftilities at your peril. C TROILUS. N° CCXLVI. N° CCXLVI. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12. - Οὐκ ἄρα σοί γε πατὲς ἦν ἱππότα Πηλεύς, Ούδε Θέτις μήτηρ, γλαυκὴ δὲ σ ̓ ἔτικε θάλασσα, Πέτραι τ' ηλίβατοι, ὅτι τοι νόος ἐςὶν ἀπηνής. HOM. ILIAD. XVI. V. 33 NO AMOROUS HERO EVER GAVE THEE BIRTH, NOR EVER TENDER GODDESS BROUGHT THEE FORTH: A SOUL WELL SUITING THY TEMPESTUOUS KIND, MR. SPECTATOR, S in a different ground, or like a graft As your paper is part of the equi- upon a different flock? Do not we ob page of the tea-table, I conjure you to print what I now write to you; for I have no other way to communicate what I have to say to the fair fex on the most important circumitance of life, even the care of children. I do not under ftand that you profefs your paper is always to confit of matters which are only to entertain the learned and polite, but that it may agree with your defign to publifh fome which may tend to the information of mankind in general, and when it does fo, you do more than writ ing wit and humour. Give me leave then to tell you, that of all the abufes that ever you have as yet endeavoured o reform, certainly not one wanted fo much your affiftance as the abufe in nurfing children. It is unmerciful to fee, that a woman endowed with all the perfections and bleffings of nature, can, as foon as she is delivered, turn off her innocent, tender, and helplefs infant, and give it up to a woman that is, ten thousand to one, neither in health nor good condition, neither found in mind nor body, that has neither honour nor reputation, neither love nor pity for the poor babe, but more regard for the money than for the child, and never will : take farther care of it than what by all the encouragement of money and prefents she is forced to; like fop's earth, which would not nurfe the plant of another ground, although never fo much improved, by reafon that plant was not of it's own production. And fince another's child is no more natural to a nurse than a plant to a strange and different ground, how can it be fuppofed that the child fhould thrive? And if it thrives, muft it not imbibe the grofs humours and qualities of the nurie, like a plant ferve, that a lamb fucking a goat changes very much it's nature, nay even it's skin and wool into the goat kind? The power of a nurfe over a child, by infufing into it, with her milk, her qualities and difpofition, is fufficiently and daily obferved; hence came that old faying concerning an ill-natured and malicious fellow, that he had imbibed his malice with his nurse's milk, or that some brute or other had been his nurse. Hence Romulus and Remus were faid to have been nurfed by a wolf, Telephus the fon of Hercules by a hind, Pelias the fon of Neptune by a mare, and Ægisthus by a goat; not that they had actually fucked fuch creatures, as fome fimpletons have imagined, but that their nurses had been of fuch a nature and temper, and infused such into them. Many inftances may be produced from good authorities and daily experience, that children actually fuck in the feveral paffions and depraved, inclinations - of their nurfes, as anger, malice, fear, melancholy, fadnefs, defire, and averfion. This Diodorus, lib. ii. witneffes, when he fpeaks, faying, that Nero the emperor's nurfe had been very much addicted to drinking; which habit Nero received from his nurfe, and was fo very particular in this, that the people took fo much notice of it, as inftead of Tiberius Nero, they called him Biberius Mero. The fame Diodorus alfo relates of Caligula, predeceffor to Nero, that his nurfe ufed to moiften the nipples of her breaft frequently with blood, to make Caligula take the better hold of them; which,' fays Diodorus, was the caule, that made him to blood-thirty and cruel all his life-time after, that he not only committed frequent murder by by his own hand, but likewife wifhed that all human kind wore but one ' neck, that he might have the pleasure to cut it off. Such like degeneracies aftonish the parents, who not knowing after whom the child can take, fee one incline to stealing, another to drinking, cruelty, ftupidity; yet all thefe are not minded. Nay, it is eafy to demonstrate, that a child, although it be born from the best of parents, may be corrupted by an ill-tempered nurfe. How many children do we fee daily brought into fits, confumptions, rickets, &c. merely by fucking their nurfes when in a paffion or fury? But indeed almoft any diforder of the nurfe is a diforder to the child, and few nurfes can be found in this town but what labour under fome diftemper or other. The first question that is generally asked a young woman that wants to be a nurfe, why the fhould be a nurse to other people's children ? is anfwered, by her having an ill hufband, and that the must make shift to live. I think now this very anfwer is enough to give any body a fhock, if duly confidered; for an ill husband may, or ten to one if he does not, bring home to his wife an ill diftemper, or at least vexation and disturbance. Befides, as he takes the child out of mere neceflity, her food will be accordingly, or elle very soarfe at beft; whence proceeds an ill concocted and coarfe food for the child; for as the blood, fo is the milk; and hence I am very well affured proceeds the fcurvy, the evil, and many other diftempers. I beg of you, for the fake of the many poor infants that may and will be faved by weighing this cafe ferioufly, to exhort the people with the utmolt vehemence to let the children fuck their own mothers, both for the benefit of mother and child. For the general argument, that a mother is weakened by giving fuck to her chil. dren, is vain and fimple; I will maintain that the mother grows ftronger by it, and will have her health better than fhe would have otherwife: fhe will find it the greatest cure and preservative for the vapours and future mifcarriages, much beyond any other remedy whatfoever: her children will be like giants, whereas otherwife they are but living fhadows, and like unripe fruit; and certainly if a woman is ftrong enough to bring forth a child, the is beyond all doubt ftrong enough to nurse it afterwards. It grieves me to obferve and confider how many poor children are daily ruined by careless nurfes; and yet how tender ought they to be of a poor infant, fince the leaft hurt or blow, efpecially upon the head, may make it fenfelefs, ftupid, or otherwife iniferable for ever? But I cannot well leave this fubject as yet; for it seems to me very unnatural, that a woman that has fed a child as part of herself for nine months, fhould have no defire to nurse it farther, when brought to light and before her eyes, and when by it's cry it implores her affiftance and the office of a mother. Do not the very cruelleft of brutes tend their young ones with all the care and delight imaginable? For how can fhe be called a mother that will not nurfe her young ones? The earth is called the mother of all things, not because the produces, but because the maintains and nurfes what the produces. The generation of the infant is the effect of defire, but the care of it argues virtue and choice. I am not ignorant but that there are fome cafes of neceffity where a mother cannot give fuck, and then out of two evils the leaft must be chofen; but there are fo very few, that I am fure in a thousand there is hardly one real inftance; for if a woman does but know that her huf band can fpare about three or fix fhillings a week extraordinary, although this is but feldom confidered, the certainly, with the affiftance of her goffips, will foon perfuade the good man to fend the child to nurfe, and eafily impofe upon him by pretending indifpofition. This cruelty is fupported by fashion, and nature gives place to cuftom. Sir, Your humble fervant. N° CCXLVII. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13. Τῶν δ ̓ ἀκάματος ρέει αυδὴ ̓Εκ ςομάτων ἡδεῖα HESIOD. THEIR UNTIR'D LIPS A WORDY TORRENT POUR. ancient au in another; laughed at her in a third; WE are told by forme an uns in- wondered at her in a fourth, was angry ftructed in eloquence by a woman, whofe name, if I am not mistaken, was Afpafia. I have indeed very often locked upon that art as the most proper for the female fex, and I think the univerfities would do well to confider whether they fhould not fill the rhetoric chairs with the profeffors. It has been faid in the praife of fome men, that they could talk whole hours together upon any thing; but it must be owned to the honour of the other fex, that there are many among them who can talk whole hours together upon nothing. I have known a woman branch out into a long extempore differtation upon the edging of a petticoat, and chide her fervant for breaking a china cup, in all the figures of rhetoric. Were women admitted to plead in courts of judicature, I am perfuaded they would carry the eloquence of the har to greater heights than it has yet arrived at. If any one doubts this, let Kim but be prefent at those debates which frequently arife among the ladies of the British fishery. The first kind therefore of female orators which I fhall take notice of, are thole who are employed in itirring up the paffions, a part of rhetoric in which Socrates his wife had perhaps made a greater proficiency than his above-mentioned teacher. Fae fecond kind of female orators are thote who deal in invectives, and who are commonly known by the name of the cenforious. The imagination and elocution of this fet of rhetoricians is wonderful. With what a fluency of invention, and copioufnels of expreffion, will they enlarge upon every little thip in the behaviour of another? With how many different circumftances, and with what variety of phrafes, will they tell over the fame ftory? I have known an old lady make an unhappy marriage the fubject of a month's converfation. She blamed the bride in one place; pitied her with her in a fifth; and, in fhort, wole out a pair of coach-horfes in expreffing her concern for her. At length, after having quite exhaufted the fubject on this fide, fhe made a visit to the newmarried pair, praifed the wife for the prudent choice fhe had made, told her the unreafonable reflections which fome malicious people had caft upon her, and defired that they might be better acquainted. The centure and approbation of this kind of women are therefore only to be confidered as helps to dif courfe. A third kind of female orators may be comprehended under the word Goffips. Mrs. Fiddle Faddle is perfectly accomplished in this fort of eloquence; fhe launches out into defcriptions of chriftenings, runs divifions upon an headdrefs, knows every dith of meat that is ferved up in her neighbourhood, and entertains her company a whole afterncon together with the wit of her little boy, before he is able to speak. To The coquette may be looked upon as a fourth kind of female orator. give herself the larger field for discourse, the hates and loves in the fame breath, talks to her lap-dog or parrot, is uneafy in all kinds of weather, and in every part of the room: she has falfe quarrels and feigned obligations to all the men of her acquaintance; fighs when the is not fad, and laughs when he is not merry. The coquette is in particular a great miftrefs of that part of oratory which is called action, and indeed feems. to speak for no other purpofe, but as it gives her an opportunity of ftirring a limb, or varying a feature, of glancing, her eyes, or playing with her fan. As for news-mongers, politicians, mimics, ftory-tellers, with other cha racters of that nature, which give birth to loquacity, they are as commonly found among the men as the women; for which reafon I fhall pafs them over in filence. I have often been puzzled to affign caufe |