was the first that struck the long pocket about two 6 years since; I was likewise the author of the frosted button, which when I saw the town come readily into, being resolved to strike while the iron was 'hot, I produced much about the same time the scollop flap, the knotted cravat, and made a fair push for the silver-clocked stocking.

A few months after I brought up the modish jacket, or the coat with close sleeves. I struck this at first in a plain Doily, but that failing, I struck it a second time in blue camblet; and repeated the 'stroke in several kinds of cloth, until at last it took effect. There are two or three young fellows at the other end of the town, who have always their eye upon me, and answer me, stroke for stroke. I ' was once so unwary as to mention my fancy in rela'tion to a new-fashioned surtout before one of these 'gentlemen, who was disingenuous enough to steal my thought, and by that means prevented my in'tended stroke.

I have a design this spring to make very con'siderable innovations in the waistcoat; and have already begun with a coup d'essai upon the sleeves, which has succeeded very well.

'I must farther inform you, if you will promise to < encourage, or at least connive at me, that it is my design to strike such a stroke the beginning of the next month, as shall surprise the whole town. 'I do not think it prudent to acquaint you with all the particulars of my intended dress; but will only tell you, as a sample of it, that I shall very speedily ' appear at White's in a cherry-coloured hat. I took this hint from the ladies hoods, which I look upon as the boldest stroke that sex has struck for these hundred years last past.

' I am, SIR,

'Your most obedient, most humble servant, WILL SPRIGHTLY."

I have not time at present to make any reflections on this letter, but must not however omit, that having shewn it to Will Honeycomb, he desires to be acquainted with the gentleman who writ it.

X

No. CCCXX. FRIDAY, MARCH 7.

........................................................................................................... non pronuba Juno,
Non Hymenaeus adest, non illi gratia lecto:
Eumenides stravere torum ....................................

Nor Hymen, nor the graces here preside,
Nor Juno to befriend the blooming bride:
But fiends the fun'ral brands the process led,
And furies waited at the genial bed.

MR. SPECTATOR,

you

OVID.

CROXAL.

YOU have given many hints in your papers to the disadvantage of persons of your own sex, who 'lay plots upon women. Among other hard words, have published the term male-coquets, and been very severe upon such as give themselves the liberty ' of a little dalliance of heart, and playing fast and ' loose, between love and indifference, until perhaps ' an easy young girl is reduced to sighs, dreams, and 'tears; and languishes away her life for a careless 'coxcomb, who looks astonished, and wonders at • such an effect from what in him was all but common 'civility. Thus you have treated the men who were 'irresolute in marriage; but if you design to be im'partial, pray be so honest as to print the information 'I now give you, of a certain set of women who never 'coquet for the matter, but with an high hand marry 'whom they please to whom they please. As for my 'part, I should not have concerned myself with them,

but that I understand I am pitched upon, by them 'to be married, against my will, to one I never saw in my life. It has been my misfortune, Sir, very 'innocently, to rejoice in a plentiful fortune, of which I am master, to bespeak a fine chariot, to give direction for two or three handsome snuff-boxes, and as 6 many suits of fine clothes; but before any of these were ready, I heard reports of my being to be married to two or three different young women. Upon 'my taking notice of it to a young gentleman who is ' often in my company, he told me smiling, I was in the inquisition. You may believe I was not a little startled at what he meant, and more so when he asked me if I had bespoke any thing of late that was fine. I told him several; upon which he pro'duced a description of my person, from the trades'men whom I had employed, and told me that they had certainly informed against me. Mr. Spectator, whatever the world may think of me, I am more 'coxcomb than fool, and I grew very inquisitive upon this head, not a little pleased with the novelty. My 'friend told me, there were a certain set of women ' of fashion, whereof the number of six made a com'mittee, who sat thrice a week, under the title of the 'inquisition on maids and bachelors. It seems,

whenever there comes such an unthinking gay thing as myself to town, he must want all manner of ne'cessaries, or be put into the inquisition by the first 'tradesman he employs. They have constant intelligence with cane shops, perfumers, toy-men, coachmakers, and china-houses. From these several • places these undertakers for marriages have as constant and regular correspondence, as the funeral'men have with vintners and apothecaries. All bachelors are under their immediate inspection, and my friend produced to me a report given inat their board, wherein an old uncle of mine who come 'to town with me, and myself, were inserted, and we

stood thus; the uncle smoky, rotten, poor; the 'nephew raw, but no fool, sound at present, very rich. My information did not end here, but my friend's advices are so good, that he could shew me a copy ' of the letter sent to the young lady who is to have 'me; which I enclose to you.

• MADAM,

THIS is to let you know, that you are to be 'married to a beau that comes out on Thursday six ' in the evening. Be at the Park. You cannot but 'know a virgin fop; they have a mind to look saucy, 'but are out of countenance. The board has denied ' him to several good families. I wish you joy. 'CORINNA.'

What makes my correspondent's case the more deplorable, is, that as I find by the report from my censor of marriages, the friend he speaks of is employed by the inquisition to take him in, as the phrase is. After all that is told him, he has information only of one woman that is laid for him, and that the wrong one; for the lady commissioners have devoted him to another than the person against whom they have employed their agent his friend to alarm him. The plot is laid so well about this young gentleman, that he has no friend to retire to, no place to appear in, or part of the kingdom to fly into, but he must fall into the notice, and be subject to the power of the inquisition. They have their emissaries and substitutes in all parts of this united kingdom. The first step they usually take, is to find from a correspondence, by their messengers and whisperers, with some domestic of the bachelor, who is to be hunted into the toils they have laid for him, what are his manners, his familiarities, his good qualities or vices; not as the good in him is a recommendation, or the ill a diminution, but as they

affect or contribute to the main enquiry, What estate he has in him? When this point is well reported to the board, they can take in a wild, roaring fox-hunter, as easily as a soft, gentle young fop of the town. The way is to make all places uneasy to him, but the scenes in which they have allotted him to act. His brother huntsmen, bottle companions, his fraternity of fops, shall be brought into the conspiracy against him. Then this matter is not laid in so barefaced a manner before him as to have it intimated, Mrs. Such-a-one would make him a very proper wife; but by the force of their correspondence they shall make it, as Mr. Waller said of the marriage of the dwarfs, as impracticable to have any woman besides her they design him, as it would have been in Adam to have refused Eve. The man named by the commission for Mrs. Such-a-one, shall neither be in fashion, nor dare ever to appear in company, should he attempt to evade their determination.

The female sex wholly govern domestic life; and by this means, when they think fit, they can sow dissensions between the dearest friends, nay make father and son irreconcilable enemies in spite of all the ties of gratitude on one part, and the duty of protection to be paid on the other. The ladies of the inquisition understand this perfectly well; and where love is not a motive to a man's chusing one whom they allot, they can with very much art, insinuate stories to the disadvantage of his honesty or courage, until the creature is too much dispirited to bear up against a general ill reception, which he every where meets with, and in due time falls into their appointed wedlock for shelter. I have a long letter bearing date the fourth instant, which gives me a large account of the policies of this court; and find there is now before them a very refractory person, who has escaped all their machinations for two years last past : but they have prevented two successive matches