was nothing within the Lid but a little Looking-Glafs, in which, after she had view'd her own Face with more Pleasure than fhe had ever done before, the returned the Box with a Smile, telling him, she could not but admire at his Choice.. WILL fancying that his Story took, immediately fell into a Differtation on the Ufefulness of LookingGlaffes; and applying himself to me, asked if there were any Looking-Glaffes in the Times of the Greeks and Romans; for that he had often obferved in the Tranflations of Poems out of thofe Languages, that People ge nerally talked of feeing themselves in Wells, Fountains, Lakes and Rivers: Nay, fays he, I remember Mr. Dryden in his Ovid tells us of a fwinging Fellow called Polypheme, that made ufe of the Sea for his LookingGlafs, and could never dress himself to Advantage but in a Calm. My Friend WILL, to fhew 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-Giaffes among them; and that he had lately read a Voyage to the South-Sea, in which it is faid, 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 laft Night's Lecture on these natural Mirrors, as it seems to bear fome Relation to the following Letter, which I received the Day before. SIR, I Have read your last Saturday's Observation 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 Defign of this Letter is to defire your Thoughts, whether there may not also be fome • Moral couched under that Place in the fame Book where the Poet lets us know, that the first Woman imme<diately after her Creation ran to a Looking-Glafs, and 'became fo enamoured of her own Face, that fhe had < never removed to view any of the other Works of Nature, had not she been led off to a Man. If you ⚫ think ་ think fit to fet down the whole Paffage 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 laft Confideration urged by my Querift is fo Atrong, that I cannot forbear clofing with it. The Pasfage he alludes to, is part of Eve's Speech to Adam, and one of the most beautiful Paffages in the whole Poem. That Day I oft remember, when from sleep I firft awak'd, and found my self repos'd Under a fhade, on flow'rs, much wond'ring where And what I was, whence thither brought, and how. Not diftant far from thence a murmuring Sound Of Waters iffu'd from a Cave, and spread Into a liquid Plain, then food unmov'd Pure as th' Expanfe of Heav'n: I thither went With unexperienc'd Thought, and laid me down On the green Bank, to look into the clear Smooth Lake, that to me feem'd another Sky. As I bent down to look, just oppofite, A Shape within the watry Gleam appear'd Bending to look on me; I started back, It started back; but pleas'd I foon return'd, Pleas'd it return'd as foon with anfwering Looks Of Sympathy and Love; there I had fix'd Mine Eyes till now, and pined with vain Defire, Had not a voice thus warn'd me, What thou feeft, What there thou feeft, fair Creature, is thy felf, With thee it came and goes: but follow me, And I will bring thee where no Shadow flays Thy coming, and thy foft Embraces, he Whofe Image thou art, him thou shalt enjoy Infeparably thine, to him shalt bear Multitudes like thy felf, and thence be call'd Mother of Human Race. What could I do, But follow fraight, invifibly thus led? Till I efpy'd thee, fair indeed and tall, Under Under a Plantan, yet methought lefs fair, Than that Smooth watry Image: back I turn'd, With that thy gentle hand N° 326. Friday, March 14. Inclufam Danaën turris ahenea, Si non Mr. SPECTATOR, Yo Hor. OUR Correfpondent's Letter relating to Fortune-Hunters, and your fubfequent Difcourfe upon it, have given me Encouragement to fend you a State of my Cafe, by which you will fee, that the Matter complained of is a common Grievance both to City and Country. 6 I am a Country Gentleman of between five and fix 'thousand a Year. It is my Misfortune to have a very 'fine Park and an only Daughter; upon which account I have been fo plagu'd with Deer-Stealers and Fops, that for thefe four Years paft I have fcarce enjoy'd a Moment's Reft. I look upon my felf to be in a State of War, and am forc'd to keep as conftant watch in my Seat, as a Governor would do that commanded. a Town on the Frontier of an Enemy's Country. I ⚫ have indeed pretty well fecur'd my Park, having for this • purpose provided my felf of four Keepers, who are left handed, and handle a Quarter-ftaff beyond any other • Fellows in the Country. And for the Guard of my House, ⚫ befides a Band of Penfioner-Matrons and an old Maiden • Relation, whom I keep on constant Duty, I have Blun⚫derbuffes always charged, and Fox-Gins planted in pri⚫vate Places about my Garden, of which I have given frequent notice in the Neighbourhood; yet fo it is, that infpite of all my Care, I fhall every now and then have a faucy Rafcal ride by reconnoitring (as I think you call it) under my Windows, as fprucely dreft as if he were going to a Ball. I am aware of this way of attacking a • Miftrefs on Horseback, having heard that it is a common • Practice in Spain; and have therefore taken care to re• move my Daughter from the Road-fide of the House, ⚫ and to lodge her next the Garden. But to cut fhort my Story; what can a Man do after all? I durft not stand ⚫ for Member of Parliament last Election, for fear of fome ill Confequence from my being off my Poft. What I would therefore defire of you, is, to promote a Project • I have set on foot; and upon which I have writ to fome ⚫ of my Friends; and that is, that care may be taken to fecure our Daughters by Law, as well as our Deer; ⚫ and that fome honeft Gentleman of a publick Spirit, ⚫ would move for Leave to bring in a Bill For the better • preferving of the Female Game. I am, SIR, 6 Mr. SPECTATOR, H Your humble Servant. Mile-End Green, March 6. 1711-12. ERE is a young Man walks by our Door every Day about the Dusk of the Evening. He looks up at my Window, as if to fee me; and if I steal to⚫wards it to peep at him, he turns another way, and looks frightned at finding what he was looking for. The Air is very cold; and pray let him know that if he knocks 'at at the Door, he will be carry'd to the Parlour Fire, and . I will come down foon after, and give him an opportunity to break his Mind. I am, S IR, Your bumble Servant, Mary Comfitt. IF I obferve he cannot fpeak, I'll give him time to recover himself, and ask him how he does. Dear Sir, I BEG you to print this without delay, and by the firft Opportunity give us the natural Caufes of Longing in Women; or put me out of Fear that my Wife will one time or other be deliver'd of fomething as mon'ftrous as any thing that has yet appeared to the World; ⚫ for they fay the Child is to bear a Refemblance of what was defir'd by the Mother. I have been married upwards of fix Years, have had four Children, and my Wife is now big with the fifth. The Expences the has put me to in procuring what she has long'd for during her Pregnancy with them, would not only have hand⚫ fomly defray'd the Charges of the Month, but of their Education too; her Fancy being fo exorbitant for the firft Year or two, as not to confine it felf to the ufual • Objects of Eatables and Drinkables, but running out af⚫ter Equipage and Furniture, and the like Extravagancies. 6 To trouble you only with a few of them; When she was ⚫ with Child of Tom, my eldest Son, fhe came home one day juft fainting, and told me he had been vifiting a Relation, whofe Husband had made her a Present of a Chariot and a ftately pair of Horfes; and that she was 6 pofitive fhe could not breathe a Week longer, unless the took the Air in the Fellow to it of her own within that ⚫ time: This, rather than lofe an Heir, I readily comply'd with. Then the Furniture of her beft Room muft be inftantly changed, or the fhould mark the Child with ⚫ fome of the frightful Figures in the old-fashion'd Tapeftry. Well, the Upholsterer was called, and her Longing faved that bout. When fhe went with Molly, fhe had fix'd her Mind upon a new Set of Plate, and as much China as would have furnished an India Shop: Thefe 6 • alfo |