therefore allowed to Flavia to look forward, but not to Honoria to look back. Flavia is no way dependant on her Mother with relation to her Fortune, for which Reason they live almost upon an Equality in Converfation; and as Honoria has given Flavia to understand, that it is ill-bred to be always calling Mother, Flavia is as well pleafed never to be called Child. It happens by this Means, that these Ladies are generally Rivals in all Places where they appear; and the Words Mother and Daughter never país between them but out of Spite. Flavia one Night at a Play obferving Honoria draw the Eyes of feveral in the Pit, called to a Lady who fat by her, and bid her ask her Mother to lend her her SnuffBox for one Moment. Another Time, when a Lover of Honoria was on his Knees beseeching the Favour to kifs her hand, Flavia rufhing into the Room kneeled down by him and asked Bleffing. Several of thefe contradictory Acts of Duty have raised between them fuch a Coldness, that they generally converse when they are in mixed Company by way of talking at one another, and not to one another. Honoria is ever complaining of a certain Sufficiency in the young Women of this Age, who affume to themselves an Authority of carrying all things before them, as if they were Poffeffors of the Efteem of Mankind; and all, who were but a Year before them in the World, were neglected or deceafed. Flavia upon fuch a Provocation, is fure to obferve, that there are People who can refign nothing, and know not how to give up what they know they can not hold; that there are those who will not allow Youth their Follies, not because they are themselves paft them, but because they love to continue in them. Thefe Beauties rival each other on all Occafions, not that they have always had the fame Lovers, but each has kept up a Vanity to fhew the other the Charms of her Lover. Dick Craftin and Tom Tulip, among many others, have of late been Pretenders in this Family: Dick to Honoria, Tom to Flavia. Dick is the only furviving Beau of the laft Age. and Tom almoft the only one that keeps up that Order of Men in this. I wish I could repeat the little Circumftances of a Converfation of the four Lovers with the Spirit in which the young Lady, I had my Account from, reprefented it at a Vifit where I had the Honour to be prefents but it seems Dick Craftin, the Admirer of Honoria, and Tom Tulip the Pretender to Flavia, were purpofely admitted together by the Ladies, that each might fhew the other that her Lover had the Superiority in the Ac complishments of that Sort of Creature whom the fillier Part of Women call a fine Gentleman. As this Age has a much more grofs Tafte in Courtship, as well as in every thing elfe, than the laft had, thefe Gentlemen are Inftances of it in their different Manner of Application. Tulip is ever making Allufions to the Vigour of his Perfon, the finewy Force of his Make; while Craftin profeffes a wary Obfervation of the Turns of his Miftrefs's Mind. Tulip gives himself the Air of a refiftlefs Ravifher, Craftin practites that of a skilful Lover. Poetry is the infeparable Property of every Man in Love; and as Men of Wit write Verfe's on thofe Occafions, the reft of the World repeat the Verfes of others. Thefe Servants of the Ladies were used to imitate their Manner of Converfation, and allude to one another, rather than interchange Difcourfe in what they faid when they met. Tulip the other Day feized his Miftrefs's Hand, and repeated out of Ovid's Art of Love, 'Tis I can in foft Battles pafs the Night, } } UPON hearing this, Craftin, with an Air of Defe rence, played Honoria's Fan, and repeated, Sidley has that prevailing gentle Art, Till the poor vanquish'd Maid diffolves away WHEN Craftin had uttered thefe Verfes, with a Tendernefs which at once fpoke Paffion and Refpect, Honoria Honoria caft a triumphant Glance at Flavia, as exulting in the Elegance of Craftin's Courtship, and upbraiding her with the Homeliness of Tulip's. Tulip understood the Reproach, and in Return began to applaud the Wisdom of old amorous Gentlemen, who turned their Mistress's Imagination as far as poffible from what they had long themselves forgot, and ended his Discourse with a fly Commendation of the Doctrine of Platonick Love; at the fame time he ran over, with a laughing Eye, Craftin's thin Legs, meagre Looks, and spare Body. The old Gentleman immediately left the Room with fome Disorder, and the Conversation fell upon untimely Passion, AfterLove, and unfeasonable Youth. Tulip fung, danced, moved before the Glafs, led his Mistress half a Minuet, hummed Celia the Fair, in the Bloom of Fifteen, when there came a Servant with a Letter to him, which was as follows. SIR, Understand very well what you meant by your Mention of Platonick Love. I fhall be glad to meet you immediately in Hide-Park, or behind Montague-Houfe, or attend you to Barn-Elms, or any other fashionable ← Place that's fit for a Gentleman to die in, that you shall appoint for, Sir, Your moft Humble Servant, TULIP's Colour changed at the reading of this Epiftle; for which Reafon his Miftrefs fnatched it to read the Contents. While fhe was doing fo Tulip went away, and the Ladies now agreeing in a Common Calamity, bewailed together the Danger of their Lovers. They immediately undreffed to go out, and took Hackneys to prevent Mifchief: but, after alarming all Parts of the Town, Craftin was found by his Widow in his Pumps at Hide-Park, which Appointment Tulip never kept, but made his Efcape into the Country. Flavia tears her Hair for his inglorious Safety, curfes and defpifes her Charmer, is fallen Love with Craftin: Which is the first Part of the Hiftory of the Rival Mother. R Friday, Conviva prope diffentire videntur, Pofcentes vario multum diverfa palato ; Quid dem? Quid non dem? Hor.' LOOKING over the late Packets of Letters which have been fent to me, I found the following one. Mr. SPECTATOR, You OUR Paper is a Part of my Tea-Equipage; and my Servant knows my Humour fo well, that calling for my Breakfaft this Morning (it being paft my ufual Hour) fhe anfwer'd, the SPECTATOR was not yet come in; but that the Tea-Kettle boiled, and she expected it every Moment. Having thus in Part fignified to you the Efteem and Veneration which I have for you, I must put you in Mind of the Catalogue of Books which you have promifed to recommend to our Sex; for I have deferred furnishing my Clofet with Authors, 'till I receive your Advice in this Particular, being your daily Difciple and humble Servant, LEONORA. IN Answer to my fair Difciple, whom I am very proud of, I must acquaint her and the reft of my Readers, that fince I have called out for Help in my Catalogue of a Lady's Library, I have received many Letters upon that Head, fome of which I fhall give an Account of. IN the firft Clafs I fhall take Notice of those which come to me from eminent Bookfellers, who every one of them mention with Refpect the Authors they have printed, and confequently have an Eye to their own Advantage more than to that of the Ladies. One tells me, that he thinks it fo abfolutely neceflary for Women to have true Notions of Right and Equity, and that therefore they cannot perufe a better Book than Dalton's Country Juftice: Another thinks they cannot be without The The Compleat Jockey. A third obferving the Curiosity and Defire of prying into Secrets, which he tells me is natural to the fair Sex, is of Opinion this female Inclination, if well directed, might turn very much to their Advantage, and therefore recommends to me Mr. Mede upon the Revelations. A fourth lays it down as an unqueftioned Truth, that a Lady cannot be throughly accomplished who has not read The fecret Treaties and Negociations of Marshal D'Eftrades. Mr. Jacob Tonfon Jun. is of Opinion, that Bayle's Dictionary might be of very great ufe to the Ladies, in order to make them general Scholars. Another whofe Name I have forgotten, thinks it highly proper that every Woman with Child should read Mr. Wall's Hiftory of Infant Baptifm; as another is very importunate with me to recommend to all my female Readers The finishing Stroke; being a Vindication of the Patriarchal Scheme, &c. IN the fecond Clafs I fhall mention Books which are recommended by Husbands, if I may believe the Writers of them. Whether or no they are real Husbands or perfonated ones I cannot tell, but the Books they recom. mend are as follow. A Paraphrafe on the Hiftory of Sufanna. Rules to keep Lent. The Chriftian's Overthrow prevented. A Diffuafive from the Play-Houfe. The Virtues of Camphire, with Directions to make Camphire Tea. The Pleafures of a Country Life. The Government of the Tongue. A Letter dated from Cheapfide defires me that I would advise all young Wives to make themselves Miftreffes of Wingate's Arithmetick, and concludes with a Poftfcript, that he hopes I will not forget The Countess of Kent's Receipts. I may reckon the Ladies themselves as a third Class among these my Correfpondents and Privy-Counsellors. In a Letter from one of them, I am advised to place Pharamond at the Head of my Catalogue, and, if I think proper, to give the fecond Place to Caffandra. Coquetilla begs me not to think of nailing Women upon their Knees with Manuals of Devotion, nor of fcorching their Faces with Books of Housewifry. Florella defires to know if there are any Books written against Prudes, and intreats me, if there are, to give them a Place in my Library. Plays of all Sorts have their feveral Advocates: All for |