no other business with the rest of mankind, but to look upon them. Under this class of men are comprehended all contemplative Tradesmen, titular Physicians, Fellows of the Royal Society, Templars that are not given to be contentious, and Statefmen that are out of business; in short, every one that confiders the world as a theatre, and defires to form a right judgment of those who are the actors on it.

There is another set of men that I must likewise lay a claim to, whom I have lately called the Blanks of fociety, as being altogether unfurnished with ideas, till the bufiness and conversation of the day has fupplied them. I have often confidered these poor fouls with an eye of great commiferation, when I have heard them asking the first man they have met with, whether there was any news ftirring? and by that means gathering together materials for thinking. These needy perfons do not know what to talk of, 'till about twelve o'clock in the morning; for by that time they are pretty good judges of the weather, know which way the wind fits, and whether the Dutch mail be come in. As they lie at the mercy of the first man they meet, and are grave or impertinent all the day long, according to the notions which they have imbibed in the morning, I would earneftly intreat them not to ftir out of their chambers till they have read this paper, and do promise them that I will daily instil into them such found and wholsome fentiments, as shall have a good effect on their converfation for the ensuing twelve hours.

But there are none to whom this paper will be more ufeful than to the female world. I have often thought there has not been fufficient pains taken in finding out proper employments and diversions for the fair ones. Their amusements seem contrived for thena, rather as they are women, than as they are reasonable creatures; and are more adapted to the sex than to the species. The toilet is their great scene of business, and the right adjusting of their hair the principal employment of their lives. The forting of a fuit of ribbons is reckoned a very good morning's work; and if they make an excursion to a mercer's or a toy-shop, fo great a fatigue makes them unfit for any thing elfe all the day after. Their more ferious occupations are fewing and embroidery, and their greatest drudgery the preparation of jellies and sweet-meats. This, I fay, is the state of ordinary women; though I know there are multitudes of those of a more elevated life and conversation, that move in an exalted sphere of knowledge and virtue, that join all the beauties of the mind to the ornaments of dress, and inspire a kind of awe and respect, as well as love, into their male-beholders. I hope to increase the number of these by publishing this daily paper, which I shall always endeavour to make an innocent if not an improving entertainment, and by that means at least divert the minds of my female readers from greater trifles. At the same time, as I would fain give fome finishing touches to those which are already the most beautiful pieces in human nature, I shall endeavour to point out all those imperfections that are the blemishes, as well as those virtues which are the embellishments, of the fex. In the mean while I hope these my gentle readers, who have fo much time on their hands, will not grudge throwing away a quarter of an hour in a day on this paper, fince they may do it without any hindrance to business.

I know feveral of my friends and well-wishers are in great pain for me, left I should not be able to keep up the fpirit of a paper which I oblige myself to furnish every day; but to make them easy in this particular, I will promife them faithfully to give it over as foon as I grow dull. This I know will be matter of great raillery to the fmall wits; who will frequently put me in mind of my promife, defire me to keep my word, affure me that it is high time to give over, with many other little pleafantries of the like nature, which men of a little smart genius cannot forbear throwing out against their best friends, when they have fuch a handle given them of being witty. But let them remember that I do hereby enter my caveat against this piece of raillery.

C

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Tuesday, No II

Tuesday, March 13.

Dat veniam corvis, vexat cenfura columbas.

Juv. Sat. ii. ver. 63.

The doves are cenfur'd, while the crows are spared.

A

I

RIETTA is visited by all persons of both sexes, who have any pretence to wit and gallantry. She is in that time of life which is neither affected with the follies of youth, or infirmities of age; and her conversation is so mixed with gaiety and prudence, that she is agreeable both to the young and old. Her behaviour is very frank, without being in the leaft blameable ; and as she is out of the track of any amorous or ambitious pursuits of her own, her vifitants entertain her with accounts of themselves very fieely, whether they concern their paffions or their interests. I made her a visit this afternoon, having been formerly introduced to the honour of her acquaintance, by my friend Will Honeycomb, who has prevail'd upon her to admit me fometimes into her assembly, as a civil inoffenfive man. found her accompanied with one perfon only, a common-place talker, who, upon my entrance, arofe, and after a very flight civility fat down again; then turning to Arietta, purfued his discourse, which I found was upon the old topic of constancy in love. He went on with great facility in repeating what he talks every day of his life; and with the ornaments of infignificant laughs and gestures, enforced his arguments by quotations out of plays and fongs, which allude to the perjuries of the fair, and the general levity of women. Methought he strove to shine more than ordinary in his talkative way, that he might infult my filence, and diftinguish himself before a woman of Arietta's taste and understanding. She had often an inclination to interrupt him, but could find no opportunity, till the larum

ceafed of itself; which it did not till he had

re

peated peated and murdered the celebrated story of the Ephefian matron.

Arietta seemed to regard this piece of raillery as an outrage done to her fex; as indeed I have always obfrved that women, whether out of a nicer regard to their honour, or what other reason I cannot tell, are more fenfibly touched with those general afperfions which are caft upon their fex, than men are by what is faid of theirs.

When she had a little recovered herself from the ferious anger she was in, she replied in the following man

ner.

Sir, When I confider how perfectly new all you have faid on this fubject is, and that the story you have given us is not quite two thousand years old, I cannot but think it a piece of presumption to difpute with you; but your quotations put me in mind of the fable of the Lion and the Man. The man walking with that noble animal, shewed him, in the oftentation of human fuperiority, a fign of a man killing a lion. Upon which the lion faid very justly, "We lions are none of us

painters, elfe we could shew a hundred men killed by "lions, for one lion killed by a man." You men are writers, and can reprefent us women as unbecoming as you please in your works, while we are unable to return the injury. You have twice or thrice observed in your difcourse, that hypocrify is the very foundation of our education; and that an ability to dissemble our affections is a profeffed part of our breeding. Thefe, and such other reflections, are sprinkled up and down the writings of all ages, by authors, who leave behind them memorials of their resentment against the scorns of particular women, in invectives against the whole fex. Such a writer, I doubt not, was the celebrated Petronius, who invented the pleasant aggravations of the frailty of the Ephefian Lady; but when we confider this queftion between the sexes, which has been either a point of difpute or raillery ever fince there were men and women, let us take facts from plain people, and from fuch as have not either ambition or capacity to embellish their narrations with any beauties of imagina. tion. I was the other day amusing myself with Ligon's

account of Barbadoes; and in answer to your wellwrought tale, I will give you (as it dwells upon my memory) out of that honeft traveller, in his fifty-fifth page, the history of Inkle and Yarico.

Mr. Thomas Inkle, of London, aged twenty years, embarked in the Downs on the good ship called the Achilles, bound for the West-Indies, on the 16th of June, 1647, in order to improve his fortune by trade and merchandise. Our adventurer was the third fon of an eminent citizen, who had taken particular care to instil into his mind an early love of gain, by making him a perfect master of numbers, and confequently giving him a quick view of lofs and advantage, and preventing the natural impulfes of his paffions, by prepoffeffion towards his interests. With a mind thus turned, young Inkle had a person every way agreeable, a ruddy vigour in his countenance, strength in his limbs, with ringlets of fair hair loofely flowing on his shoulders. It happened, in the course of the voyage, that the Achilles, in some distress, put into a creek on the main of America, in search of provifions. The youth, who is the hero of my story, among others went ashore on this occafion. From their first landing they were observed by a party of Indians, who hid themselves in the woods for that purpose. The English unadvisedly marched a great distance from the shore into the country, and were intercepted by the natives, who flew the greatest number of them. Our adventurer efcaped among others, by flying into a foreft. Upon his coming into a remote and pathless part of the wood, he threw himself, tired, and breathless, on a little hillock, when an Indian maid rushed from a thicket behind him. After the first surprize, they appeared mutually agreeable to each other. If the European was highly charmed with the limbs, features, and wild graces of the naked American; the American was no less taken with the dress, complexion, and shape of an European, covered from head to foot. The Indian grew immediately enamoured of him, and confequently folici.. tous for his prefervation. She therefore conveyed him to a cave, where she gave him a delicious repast of fruits, and led him to a stream to flake his thirst. In the midt