to alarm chafte Ears against fuch as have what is above called the prevailing gentle Art. Masters of that Talent are capable of cloathing their Thoughts in fo foft a Drefs, and fomething fo diftant from the fecret Purpofe of their Heart, that the Imagination of the Unguarded is touched with a Fondness which grows too infenfibly to be refifted. Much Care and Concern for the Lady's Welfare, to seem afraid left she should be annoyed by the very Air which furrounds her, and this uttered rather with kind Looks, and expreffed by an Interjection, an Ah, or an Oh, at fome little Hazard in moving or making a Step, than in my direct Profeffion of Love, are the Methods of skilful Admirers: They are honeft Arts when their Purpofe is fuch, but infamous when mifapplied. It is certain that many a young Woman in this Town has had her Heart irrecoverably won, by Men who have not made one Advance which ties their Admirers, tho' the Females languish with the utmost Anxiety. I have often, by way of Admonition to my female Readers, given them Warning against agreeable Company of the other Sex, except they are well acquainted with their Characters. Women may difguife it if they think fit, and the more to do it, they may be angry at me for faying it; but I fay it is natural to them, that they have no manner of Approbation of Men, without fome Degree of Love: For this Reafon he is dangerous to be entertain'd as a Friend or Vifitant, who is capable of gaining any eminent Efteem or Obfervation, though it be never fo remote from Pretenfions as a Lover. If a Man's Heart has not the Abhorrence of any treacherous Defign, he may eafily improve Approbation into Kindness, and Kindness into Paffion, There may poffibly be no manner of Love between them in the Eyes of all their Acquaintance, no it is all Friendfhip; and yet they may be as fond as Shepherd and Shepherdefs in a Paftoral, but ftill the Nymph and the Swain may be to each other no other I warrant you, than Pylades and Oreftes, When Lucy decks with Flowers her fwelling Breaft, Kør Sleep ner Pasture worth my Care 1 find, Once Once Delia fept, on eafie Mofs reclin'd, Her lovely Limbs half bare, and rude the Wind; SUCH good Offices as thefe, and fuch friendly Thoughts and Concerns for one another, are what make up the Amity, as they call it, between Man and Wo man. IT is the Permiffion of such Intercourfe, that makes a young Woman come to the Arms of her Husband, after the Disappointment of four or five Paffions which fhe has fucceffively had for different Men, before she is prudentially given to him for whom fhe has neither Love nor Friendship. For what fhould a poor Creature do that has loft all her Friends? There's Marinet the Agreeable, has, to my Knowledge, had a Friendship for Lord Wel ford, which had like to break her Heart; then she had fo great a Friendship for Colonel Hardy, that fhe could not endure any Woman elfe fhould do any thing but rail at him. Many and fatal have been Difafters between Friends who have fallen out, and their Refentments are more keen than ever those of other Men can poffibly be: But in this it happens unfortunately, that as there ought to be nothing concealed from one Friend to another, the Friends of different Sexes very often find fatal Effects from their Unanimity. FOR my Part, who ftudy to pafs Life in as much Innocence and Tranquility as I can, I fhun the Company of agreeable Women as much as poffible; and muft confefs that I have, though a tolerable good Philofopher, but a low Opinion of Platonick Love: for which Reafon I thought it neceffary to give my fair Readers a Caution a gainft it, having, to my great Concern, obferved the Waste of a Platonist lately fwell to a Roundness which is inconfiftent with that Philofophy. T N° 401. Tuesday, June 10. I 6 In amore hac omnia infunt vitia: Injuria, Bellum, pax rurfum Ter. Shall publifh for the Entertainment of this Day, an odd fort of a Packet, which I have juft received from one of my Female Correfpondents. Mr. SPECTATOR, SINCE you have often confefs'd that you are not difpleafed your Paper should sometimes convey the Complaints of diftreffed Lovers to each other, I am in Hopes you will favour one who gives you an ⚫ undoubted Inftance of her Reformation, and at the ⚫ fame time a convincing Proof of the happy Influence your Labours have had over the most incorrigible Part of the moft incorrigible Sex. You must know, "Sir, I am one of that Species of Women, whom you have often Characteriz'd under the Name of Filts, and that I send you thefe Lines, as well to do Publick Penance for having fo long continued in a known Error, as to beg Pardon of the Party offend. ed. I the rather chufe this way, because it in fome • measure answers the Terms on which he intimated the Breach between us might poffibly be made up, as you will fee by the Letter he fent me the next Day • after I had difcarded him; which I thought fit to fend you a Copy of, that you might the better know the whole Cafe. I muft further acquaint you, that before I Jilted him, there had been the greateft Intimacy between us for an Year and half together, during all which time I cherished his Hopes, and indulged his Flame. I leave you to guefs after this what must be his Surprize, when upon his preffing for my full Confent one Day, I ་ • I told him I wondered what could make him fancy he had ever any Place in my Affections. His own Sex allow him Senfe, and all ours Good-Breeding. His Per⚫fon is fuch as might, without Vanity, make him believe himself not incapable to be beloved. Our Fortunes indeed, weighed in the nice Scale of Intereft, are not exactly equal, which by the way was the true Cafe of my Jilting him, and I had the Affurance to acquaint him ' with the following Maxim, That I fhould always believe that Man's Paffion to be the most Violent, who • could offer me the largest Settlement. I have fince changed my Opinion, and have endeavoured to let him know fo much by feveral Letters, but the barbarous • Man has refused them all; fo that I have no way left of writing to him, but by your Affiftance. If you can bring him about once more, I promise to fend you all 'Gloves and Favours, and fhall defire the Favour of Sir ROGER and your self to stand as God-Fathers to my • first Boy. I am, S I R, Your most obedient most humble Servant, Philander to Amoret. MADAM, I Am fo furprized at the Queftion you were pleafed to ask me Yesterday, that I am still at a lofs what to fay to it. At least my Anfwer would be too long to trouble you with, as it would come from a Perfon, who, it seems, is so very indifferent to you. Instead of it, I fhall only recommend to your Confideration the Opinion of one whofe Sentiments on these matters I have often heard you fay are extreamly juft. A generous and conftant Paffion, fays your favourite Author, in an agreeable Lover, where there is not too great a Difparity in their Circumstances, is the greatest Bleffing that can be fala Perfon beloved; and if overlook'd in one, may perhaps never be found in another. fhort I do not, however, at all defpair of being very ly much better beloved by you than Antenor is at prefent; fince whenever my Fortune fhall exceed his, you B 3 ⚫ were were pleafed to intimate your Paffion would encrease accordingly. THE World has feen me fhamefully lofe that Time to please a fickle Woman, which might have been employed much more to my Credit and Advantage in other Purfuits. I fhall therefore take the Liberty to acquaint you, however harfh it may found in a Lady's Ears, that tho' your Love-Fit fhould happen to return, unless you could contrive a way to make your Recantation as ⚫ well known to the Publick, as they are already apprifed ⚫ of the manner with which you have treated me, you fhall never more fee SIR, PHILANDER Amoret to Philander. UPON Reflection, I find the Injury I have done both to you and my felf to be fo great, that though the Part I now act may appear contrary to that Decorum ufually obferved by our Sex, yet I purpofely 'break through all Rules, that my Repentance may in fome measure equal my Crime. I affure you that in my prefent Hopes of recovering you, I look upon Antenor's Eftate with Contempt. The Fop was here Yefterday in a gilt Chariot and new Liveries, but I refused to fee him. Tho' I dread to meet your Eyes, after what has pafs'd, I flatter my felf, that amidst all their Confufion you will difcover fuch a Tenderness in mine, as none can imitate but those who Love. I fhall be all this Month at Lady D- -'s in the Country; but the Woods, the Fields and Gardens, without Philander, afford no Pleafures to the unhappy AMORET, I muft defire you, dear Mr. Spectator, to publish this my Letter to Philander as foon as poffible, and to affure him that I know nothing at all of the Death of his rich Uncle in Gloucestershire. 43 X Wednesday, |