by a conftant and affiduous culture. It was faid of Socrates, that he brought philofophy down from Heaven to inhabit among men; and I fhall be ambitious to have it faid of me, that I have brought philofophy out of clofets and libraries, fchools and, colleges, to dwell in clubs and affemblies, at teatables, and in coffee-houses.

I would therefore, in very particular manner, recommend these my speculations to all well-regulated families, that fet apart an hour in every morning for tea and bread and butter; and would earneftly advise them for their good to order this paper to be punctually ferved up, and to be looked upon as a part of the tea-equipage.

Sir Francis Bacon obferves, that a well-written book, compared with its rivals and antagonists, is like Mofes's ferpent, that immediately fwallowed up and devoured thofe of the Egyptians. I fhall not be fo vain as to think, that where the SPECTATOR appears, the other public prints will vanifh; but fhall leave it to my Reader's confideration, whether it is not much better to be let into the knowledge of ones felf, than to hear what paffes in Muscovy or Poland; and to amufe ourfelves with fuch writings as tend to the wearing out of ignorance, paffion, and prejudice, than fuch as naturally conduce to inflame hatreds, and make enmities irreconcileable.

In the next place I would recommend this paper to the daily perufal of thofe gentlemen whom I cannot but confider as my good brothers and allies, I mean the fraternity of fpectators, who live in the world without having any thing to do in it; and either by the affluence of their fortunes, or laziness of their difpofitions, have no other business with the rest of mankind, but to look upon them. ́ Under this clafs of men are comprehended all contemplative tradefien, titular phyficians, fellows of the royal fociety, templars that are not given to be contentious, and statesmen that are out of business;

in

in fhort, every one that confiders the world as a theatre, and defires to form a right judgment of thofe who are the actors on it.

There is another fet 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, until the bufinefs and converfation of the day has fupplied them. I have often confidered thefe poor fouls with an eye of great commiferation, when I have heard them afking the firft man they have met with, whether there was any news ftirring? and by that means gathering together materials for thinking. Thefe needy perfons do not know what to talk of, until 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 firft man they meet, and are grave and impertinent all the day long, according to the notions which they have imbibed in the morning, I would earnestly intreat them not to stir out of their chambers until they have read this paper, and do promife them that I will daily inftil into them fuch found and wholefome fentiments, as fhall have a good effect on their conversation for the enfuing 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 diverfions for the Fair Ones. Their amufements feem contrived for them, rather as they are women, than as they are reasonable creatures; and are more adapted to the fex than to the fpecies. The toilet is their great fcene of bufinefs, and the right adjusting of their hair the principal employment of their lives. The forting of a fuit of ribbands is reckoned a very good morning's work; and, if they make an excurfion to a mercer's or a toy-fhop, fo great a fatigue makes them unfit for any thing elfe all the

day

day after. Their more ferious occupations are fewing and embroidery, and their greatest drudgery the preparation of jellies and fweet-meats. This, I fay, is the state of ordinary women; though I know there are multitudes of thofe of a more elevated life and converfation, that move in an exalted fphere of knowledge and virtue, that join all the beauties of the mind to the ornaments of dress, and infpire a kind of awe and refpect, as well as love, into their male-beholders. I hope to increase the number of thefe, by publishing this daily paper, which I fhall 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 fame time, as I would fain give fome finishing touches to thofe which are already the most beautiful pieces in human nature, I fhall endeavour to point out all thofe imperfections that are the blemishes, as well as thofe 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 myfelf to furnish every day: But, to make them eafy in this particular, I will promise them faithfully to give it over as foon as I grow dull. This, I know, will be matter of great rallery 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 fmart 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 rallery.

No 11. TUESDAY,

TUESDAY, MARCH 13.

Dat veniam corvis, vexat cenfura columbas.

Juv. Sat. ii. 1. 63.

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

A

RIETTA is vifited by all perfons of both fexes, who have any pretence to wit and gallantry. She is in that time of life which is neither affected with the follics of youth, or infirmities of age; and her converfation is fo mixed with gaiety and prudence, that fhe is agreeable both to the young and the old. Her behaviour is very frank, without being in the leaft blameable; and as fhe is out of the track of any amorous or ambitious purfuits of her own, her vifitants entertain her with accounts of themfelves very freely, whether they concern their paffions or their interefts. I made her a vifit this afternoon, having been formerly introduced to the honour of her acquaintance by my friend WILL HONEYCOMB, who has prevailed upon her to admit me fometimes into her affembly, as a civil inoffenfive man. I 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 difcourfe, which I found was upon the old topic of conftancy in love. He went on with great facility in repeating what he talks every day of his life; and with the ornaments of infignifica laughs and geftures, 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 ftrove to fhine more than ordinarily in his talkative way, that he might infult my filence, and distinguish himself before a woman of Arietta's taste and understanding. She had often an inclination to interrupt him, but could find no opportunity, until the larum ceafed of itfelf; which it did not until he had repeated and murdered the celebrated story of the Ephefian Matron.

Arietta feemed to regard this piece of rallery as an outrage done to her fex; as indeed I have always obferved 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 fhe was in, fhe replied in the following manner:

Sir, When I confider how perfectly new all you have faid on this fubject is, and that the ftory you have given us is not quite two thousand years old, I cannot but think it a piece of prefumption to difpute with you: But your quotation's put me in mind of the fable of the lion and the man. The man walking with that noble animal, fhewed 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 fhew 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 obferved in your difcourfe, that hypocrify is the very foundation of our education; and that an ability to diffemble our affections is a profeffed part of our breeding. Thefe, and fuch other reflections, are fprinkled up and down the writings of all ages, by authors, who leave be