him her fan to play with, But I appeal to you in the be half of us poor helpless men. I June 15. 1713. AM of opinion, that no orator or speaker in public or private, has any right to meddle with any body's cloaths but his own. 1 indulge men in the liberty of playing with their own hats, fumbling in their own pockets, fettling their own periwigs, toffing or twifting their beads, and all other gefticulations which may contri bute to their elocution; but pronounce it an infringement of the English liberty, for a man to keep his neighbour's perfon in custody, in order to force an hearing and farther declare, that all affent given by an auditor under fuch constraint, is of itself void and of no effect, NESTOR IRONSIDE. N° 85. Thursday, June 18, -Sed te decor ifte quod optas Elle vetat, voloque tuo tua forma repugnat. Ovid Met. 1. 1. v. 488, But fo much youth, with fo much beauty join'd, Oppofe the flate which iby defires defign'd. Dryden, O fuffer fcandal, fays fomebody, is the tax which Tevery perfon of merit pays to the public; and my Lord Verulam finely obferves, that a man who has no virtue in himself, ever envies virtue in others. I know not how it comes to pass, but detraction, thro' all ages, has been found a vice which the fair fex too easily give into. Not the Roman fatyrift could use them with more feverity than they themselves do one another. Some audacious critics, in my opinion, have launched. out a little too far, when they take upon them to prove, in opposition to history, that Lais was a woman of as much virtue as beauty; which violently difpleafing the Phrynes of thofe times, they fecretly prevailed with the Billorians to deliver her down to pofterity, under the infamous character of an extorting proftitute. But tho' I have the greatest regard imaginable to that lofter fpecies, yet I am forry, to find they have very little for themselves. So far are they from being tender of one another's reputation, that they take a malicious pleafure in destroying it. My lady the other day, when Jack was asking, who could be fo bafe to spread fuch a report about Mrs- answered, "None, you may be fure, but a woman. A little after Dick told my lady, that be had heard Florella hint as if Cleora wore artifi cial teeth." The reafon is," faid fhe, "because Cle 14 ora firft gave out, that Florella owed her complexion to a wash." Thus the induftrious pretty creatures take pains, by invention, to throw blemishes on each o ther, when they do not confider that there is a profli gate set of fellows, too teady to taint the character of the virtuous, or blaft the charms of the blooming vir gin. The young lady from whom I had the honour of receiving the following letter, deferves, or rather claims, protection from our fex, fince fo barbarously treated by her own. Certainly they ought to defend innocence from injury, who gave ignorantly the occafion of its being affaulted. Had the men been lefs liberal of their applaufes, the women had been more sparing of their calumnious cenfures. I SIR, upon To the GUARDIAN. Don't know at what nice point you fix the bloom of a young lady; but I am one who can just look back fifteen. My father dying three years ago, left me under the care and direction of my mother, with a for tune not profufely great, yet fuch as might demand a very handsome settlement, if ever proposals of marriage fhould be offered My mother, after the usual time of retired mourning was over, was fo affectionately indulgent to me, as to take me along with her in all her vifits; but ftill not thinking fhe gratified my youth enough, permitted me further to go with my relations to all the public, chearful, but innocent entertainments, where he was too referved to appear herfelf. The two dirt GUARDIAN. No 85. years of my teens were eafy, gay, and delightful. Every one careffed me; the old ladies told me how finely I grew, and the young ones were proud of my company. But when the third year had a little advanced, my relations used to tell my mother, that pretty Miss Clary was shot up into a woman. The gentlemen begun,now not to let their eyes glance over me, and in moft places I found myself diftinguithed; but obferved, the more I grew into the esteem of their fex, the more I loft the favour of my own. Some of thofe whom I had been familiar with, grew cold and indifferent: others miftook, by defign, my meaning; made me speak what I never thought, and fo by degrees took occafion to break off all acquaintance: There were feveral little infignifi cant reflections caft upon me, as being a lady of a great many quaintneffes and fuch like, which I feemed not to take notice of. But my mother coming home about a week ago, told me, there was a fcandal fpread about town by my enemies, that would at once ruin me for ever for a beauty. I earnestly intreated her to know it; fhe refused me but yesterday it difcovered itfelf. Being in an affembly of gentlemen and ladies, one of the gentlemen who had been very facetious to feveral of the ladies, at laft turning to me, "And as for you, nia, "dam, Prior has already given us your character, "That air and harmony of fhape exprefs, I perceived immediately a malignant fmile difplay itfelf in the countenance of fome of the ladies, which they feconded with a fcornful flutter of the fan; till one of them, unable any longer to contain, asked the gentleman if he did not remember what Congreve said about Aurelia for the thought it mighty pretty. He made no anfwer, but inftantly repeated the verfes, 'The Mulcibers who in the minories fweat, And maffive bars on stubborn anvils beat, • Deform themselves; yet forge thofe ftays of ftcel,. • Which arm Aurelia with a fhape to kill.' This was no fooner over, but it was easily difcernible what an ill-natured fatisfaction most of the company took; and the more pleasure they fhowed by dwelling upon the two laft lines, the more they increafed my trouble and confufion. And now, Sir, after this tedi ous account, what would you advise me to? Is there no way to be cleared of thefe malicious calumnies? What is beauty worth, that makes the poffeffor thus unhappy; Why was nature fo lavish of her gifts to me; as to make kindoefs prove a cruelty? They tell me my fhape is delicate, my eyes fparkling, my lips I know not what; my cheeks, forfooth, adorned with a juft mixture of the rofe and lilly: but I wish this face was barely not difagreeable, this voice harth and unharmonious, thefe limbs only not deformed; and then perhaps might live eafy and unmolested, and neither raife love and admiration in the men, nor fcandal and hatred in the women. Your very bumble fervunt, CLARINA❤ The best answer I can make my fair correfpondent, is, That the ought to comfort herself with this confideration, that those who talk thus of her know it is false, but wish they could make others believe it true. It is not they think you deformed, but are vexed that they themselves were not as nicely framed. If you will take an old man's advice, laugh, and be not concerned at them: they have attained what they endeavoured if they make you uneafy; for it is envy that has made them fo. I would not have you wish your shape one fixtieth-part of an inch difproportioned, nor defire your face might be impoverished with the ruin of half a feathre, tho' numbers of remaining beauties might make the lofs infenfible; but take courage, go into the brightest affemblies, and the world will quickly confefs it to be fcandal. Thus Plato, hearing it was afferted by fome perfons, that he was a very bad man, "I fhall take care," faid he, to live so, that no body will believe ་་ "them." I thall conclude this paper with a relation of matter of fact. A gay young gentleman in the country, not many years ago, fell defperately in love with a blooming fine creature, whom give me leave to call Meliffa. After a pretty long delay, and frequent folicitations, fhe refufed N° 85. feveral others of larger eftates, and confented to make him happy. But they had not been married much above a twelvemonth, till it appeared too true what Juba fays, Beauty foon grows familiar to the lover, Fades in the eye, and palls upon the sense.' Polydore, for that was his name, finding himself grow every day more uneafy, and unwilling the fhould difco ver the caufe, for diverfion came up to town; and to avoid all fufpicions, brought Meliffa along with him. After fome stay here, Polydore was one day informed, that a fet of ladies over their tea-table, in the circle of scandal, had touched upon Meliffa-And was that the filly thing fo much talked of? How did the ever grow into a toaft? For their parts they had eyes as well as the men, but could not difcover where her beauties lay. Polydore, upon hearing this, flew immediately home, and told Meliffa, with the utmost transport, that he was now fully convinced how numberlefs were her charms, fince her own sex would not allow her any. Mr IRONSIDE, Button's coffee-boufe. Have obferved, that this day you make mention of I Will's coffee-house, as a place where people are too polite to hold a man in difcourfe by the button Every body knows your honour frequents this houfe; there fore they will take an advantage againit me, and fay, if my company was as civil as that at Will's, you would fay fo: therefore pray your honour do not be afraid of doing me justice, because people would think it may be a conceit below you on this occafion to name the name of, Your humble fervant, DANIEL BUTTON,. The young poets are in the back room, and take their places as you directed. |
