scandalous project. Such will probably stand corrected by your reproofs, especially if you inform them, that it is not courage for half a score of fellows, mad with wine and lust, to set upon two or three soberer than themselves; and that the manners of Indian savages are not becoming accomplishments to an English fine gentleman. Such of them as have been bullies and scourers of a long standing, and are grown veterans in this kind of service, are, I fear, too hardened to receive any impressions from your admonitions. But I beg you would recommend to their perusal your ninth speculation; they may there be taught to take warning from the club of duellists; and be put in mind, that the common fate cf those men of honour was to be hanged. 'I am, sir, your most humble servant, March 10th, 1712. 'PHILANTHROPOS.' The following letter is of quite a contrary nature; but I add it here, that the reader may observe, at the same view, how amiable ignorance may be when it is shown in its simplicities, and how detestable in barbarities. It is written by an honest countryman to his mistress, and came to the hands of a lady of good sense, wrapped about a thread-paper, who has long kept it by her as an image of artless love. To her I very much respect, Mrs. Margaret Clark. 6 Lovely, and oh! that I could write loving Mrs. Margaret Clark, I pray you let affection excuse presumption. Having been so happy as to enjoy the sight of your sweet countenance and comely body, sometimes when I had occasion to buy treacle or liquorice powder at the apothecary's shop, I am so enamoured with you, that I can no more keep close my flaming desires to become your servant. And I am the more bold now to write to your sweet self, because I am now my own man, and may match where I please; for my father is taken away, and now I am come to my living, which is ten yard land,* and a house; and there is never a yard land in our field but it is as well worth ten pounds a year as a thief is worth a halter; and all my brothers and sisters are provided for: besides, I have good household stuff, though I say it, both brass and pewter, linens and woollens; and though my house be thatched, yet, if you and I match, it shall go hard but I will have one half of it slated. If you think well of this motion, I will wait upon you as soon as my new clothes are made, and hay-harvest is in. I could, though I say it, have good. The rest is torn off; and posterity must be contented to know that Mrs. Margaret Clark was very pretty, but are left in the dark as to the name of her lover.t STEELE. T. * A yard land in some countries contains 20, in some 24, and in others 30 acres. This is a genuine letter communicated by the ingeni ous antiquary, Mr. Willis, to Steele. The remainder is here given on good authority-good matches amongst neighbours. My mother, peace be to her soul, the good old gentlewoman left me good store of household linen of her own spinning, a chest full. If you and I lay our means together, it shall go hard but I will pave the way to well. Your loving servant till death. Mr. Gabriel Bullock, now my father is dead. No. 325. THURSDAY, MARCH 13. -Quid frustra simulacra fugacia captas? [FROM THE FABLE OF NARCISSUS.] OVID. What could, fond youth, this helpless passion move? Thy own warm blush within the water glows: Step thou aside, and the frail charmer dies. ADDISON. WILL HONEYCOMB diverted us last night with an account of a young fellow's first discovering his passion to his mistress. The young lady was one, it seems, who had long before conceived a favourable opinion of him, and was still in hopes that he would some time or other make his advances. As he was one day talking with her in company of her two sisters, the conversation happening to turn upon love, each of the young ladies was, by way of raillery, recommending a wife to him; when, to the no small surprise of her who languished for him in secret, he told them with a more than ordinary seriousness, that his heart had been long engaged to one whose name he thought himself obliged in honour to conceal; but that he could show her picture in the lid of his snuff-box. The young lady, who found herself the most sensibly touched by this confession, took the first opportunity that offered of snatching his box out of his hand. He seemed desirous of recovering it, but finding her resolved to look into the lid, begged her, that if she should happen to know the person, she would not reveal her name. Upon carrying it to the window, she was very agreeably surprised to find there was nothing within the lid but a little looking-glass, in which, after she had viewed her own face with more pleasure than she had ever done before, she returned the box with a smile, telling him she could not but admire at his choice. Will fancying that this story took, immediately fell into a dissertation on the usefulness of looking-glasses; and, applying himself to me, asked if there were any looking-glasses in the times of the Greeks and Romans; for that he had often observed, in the translations of poems out of those languages, that people generally talked of seeing themselves in wells, fountains, lakes and rivers. Nay, says he, I remember Mr. Dryden, in his Ovid, tells us of a swinging fellow called Polypheme, that made use of the sea for his looking-glass, and could never dress himself to advantage but in a calm. My friend Will, to show us the whole compass of his learning upon this subject, further informed us, that there were still several nations in the world so very barbarous as not to have any looking-glasses among them; and that he had lately read a voyage to the South Sea, in which it is said, that the ladies of Chili always dress their heads over a bason of water. I am the more particular in my account of Will's last night's lecture on these natural mir rors, as it seems to bear some relation to the following letter, which I received the day before. 6 SIR, 'I have read your last Saturday's observations on the fourth book of Milton with great satisfaction, and am particularly pleased with the hidden moral, which you have taken notice of in several parts of the poem. The design of this letter is to desire your thoughts, whether there may not also be some moral couched under that place in the same book, where the poet lets us know, that the first woman, immediately after her creation, ran to a looking-glass, and became so enamoured of her own face, that she had never removed to view any of the other works of nature, had not she been led off to a man. If you think fit to set down the whole passage from Milton, your readers will be able to judge for themselves, and the quotation will not a little contribute to the filling up of your paper. Your humble servant, 'R. T.' The last consideration urged by my querist, is so strong, that I can not forbear closing with The passage he alludes to is part of Eve's speech to Adam, and one of the most beautiful passages in the whole poem. it. That day I oft remember, when from sleep Under a shade on flow'rs, much wond'ring where, |