to Reafon. It was remarkable that for many Ages this Agreement continued inviolable between the two States, notwithstanding, as was faid before, they were Husbands and Wives: but this will not appear fo wonderful, if we confider that they did not live together above a Week in a Year. IN the Account which my Author gives of the Male Republick, there were feveral Cuftoms very remarkable. The Men never fhaved their Beards, or pared their Nails above once in a Twelvemonth, which was probably about the time of the great annual Meeting upon their Frontiers. I find the Name of a Minifter of State in one Part of their Hiftory, who was fined for appearing too frequently in clean Linnen; and of a certain great General who was turned out of his Poft for Effeminacy, it having been proved upon him by feveral credible Witneffes that he wafhed his Face every Morning. If any Member of the Commonwealth had a foft Voice, a smooth Face, or a fupple Behaviour, he was banished into the Commonwealth of Females, where he was treated as a Slave, dresfed in Petticoats, and fet a Spinning. They had no Titles of Honour among them, but fuch as denoted fome Bodily Strength or Perfection, as fuch an one the Tall, fuch an one the Stocky, fuch an one the Gruff. Their publick Debates were generally managed with Kicks and Cuffs, infomuch that they often came from the Council Table with broken Shins, black Eyes, and bloody Nofes. When they would reproach a Man in the moft bitter Terms, they would tell him his Teeth were white, or that he had a fair Skin, and a foft Hand. The greatest Man I meet with in their Hiftory, was one who could lift Five hundred Weight, and wore fuch a prodigious Pair of Whiskers as had never been feen in the Commonwealth before his Time. Thefe Accomplishments it feems had rendred him fo popular, that if he had not died very feafonably, it is thought he might have enflaved the Republick. Having made this fhort Extract out of the Hiftory of the Male Commonwealth, I fhall look into the Hiftory of the neighbouring State which confifted of Females, and if I find any thing in it, will not fail to Communicate it to the Publick. C Friday, N 434. Friday, July 18. Quales Threicia cùm flumina Thormodoontis H Virg. AVING carefully perufed the Manufcript. I mentioned in my Yefterday's Paper, fo far as it relates to the Republick of Women, I find in it feveral Particulars which may very well deserve the Reader's At tention. THE Girls of Quality, from fix to twelve Years old, were put to publick Schools, where they learned to Box and play at Cudgels, with feveral other Accomplishments of the fame Nature; fo that nothing was more ufual than to see a little Mifs returning Home at Night with a broken Pate, or two or three Teeth knocked out of her Head. They were afterwards taught to ride the great Horfe, to Shoot, Dart, or Sling, and lifted into feveral Companies, in order to perfect themselves in Military Exercises. No Woman was to be married till fhe had killed her Man. The Ladies of Fashion used to play with young Lions inftead of Lap-dogs, and when they made any Parties of Diverfion, inftead of entertaining themselves at Ombre or Piquet, they would Wrestle and pitch the Bar for a whole Afternoon together. There was never any fuch thing as a Blush feen, or a Sigh heard, in the Commonwealth. The Women never dreffed but to look terrible, to which end they would fometimes after a Battel paint their Cheeks with the Blood of their Enemies. For this Reafon likewife the Face which had the moft Scars was looked upon as the most beautiful. If they found Lace, Jewels, Ribbons, or any Ornaments in Silver or Gold among the Booty which they had taken, they used to dress their Horfes with it, but never G 2 enter entertained a Thought of wearing it themselves. There were particulat Rights and Privileges allowed to any Member of the Commonwealth, who was a Mother of three Daughters. The Senate was made up of old Women; for by the Laws of the Country none was to be a Councellor of State that was not paft Child-bearing. They ufed to boast their Republick had continued Four thoufand Years, which is altogether improbable, unlefs we may fuppofe, what I am very apt to think, that they measu red their Time by Lunar Years. THERE was a great Revolution brought about in this Female Republick, by means of a neighbouring King, who had made War upon them feveral Years with various Succefs, and at length overthrew them in a very great Battel. This Defeat they afcribe to several Causes; fome fay that the Secretary of State having been troubled with the Vapours, had committed fome fatal Miftakes in feveral Difpatches about that Time. Others pretend, that the firft Minifter being big with Child, could not attend the Publick Affairs, as fo great an Exigency of State required; but this I can give no manner of Credit to, fince it feems to contradict a Fundamental Maxim in their Government, which I have before mentioned. My Author gives the most probable Reason of this great Difafter; for he affirms, that the General was brought to Bed, or (as others fay) Mifcarried the very Night before the Battel: However it was, this fignal Overthrow obliged them to call in the Male Republick to their Affiftance; but notwithstanding their Common Efforts to repulfe the Victorious Enemy, the War continued for many Years before they could entirely bring it to a happy Conclufion. THE Campaigns which both Sexes paffed together made them fo well acquainted with one another, that at the End of the War they did not care for parting. In the Beginning of it they lodged in feparate Camps, but afterwards as they grew more familiar, they pitched their Tents promifcuously. FROM this time the Armies being Chequered with both Sexes, they polifhed apace. The Men used to invite their Fellow-Soldiers into their Quarters, and would dress their Tents with Flowers and Boughs, for their Reception. If they chanced to like one more than another, they would would be cutting her Name in the Table, or Chalking out her Figure upon a Wall, or talking of her in a kind of rapturous Language, which by degrees improved into Verfe and Sonnet. These were as the firft Rudiments of Architecture, Painting, and Poetry among this Savage People. After any Advantage over the Enemy, both Sexes ufed to Jump together and make a Clattering with their Swords and Shields, for Joy, which in a few Years produced feveral Regular Tunes and Sett Dances. AS the two Armies romped on thefe Occafions, the Women complained of the thick bufhy Beards and long Nails of their Confederates, who thereupon took care to prune themselves into fuch Figures as were most pleasing to their Female Friends and Allies. WHEN they had taken any Spoils from the Enemy, the Men would make a Prefent of every thing that was Rich and Showy to the Women whom they most admired, and would frequently drefs the Necks, or Heads, or Arms of their Miftreffes, with any thing which they thought appeared Gay or Pretty. The Women obferving that the Men took delight in looking upon them, when they were adorned with fuch Trappings and Gugaws, fet their Heads at Work to find out new Inventions, and to out-fhine one another in all Councils of War or the like folemn Meetings. On the other hand, the Men obferving how the Womens Hearts were fet upon Finery, begun to Embellish themselves and look as agreeably as they could in the Eyes of their Affociates. In fhort, after a few Years converfing together, the Women had learnt toSmile, and the Men to Ogle, the Women grew Soft, and the Men Lively. WHEN they had thus infenfibly formed one another, upon the finishing of the War, which concluded with an entire Conqueft of their common Enemy, the Colonels in one Army Married the Colonels in the other; the Captains in the same manner took the Captains to their Wives: The whole Body of common Soldiers were matched, after the Example of their Leaders. By this means the two Republicks incorporated with one another, and became the moft Flourishing and Polite Government in the Part of the World which they Inhabited. G 3 .C Saturday, N 435. Saturday, July 19. Nec duo funt at forma duplex, nec famina dici M Ovid. OST of the Papers I give the Publick are written on Subjects that never vary, but are for ever fixt and immutable. Of this kind are all my more ferious Effays and Difcourfes; but there is another fort of Speculations, which I confider as Occafional Papers, that take their Rife from the Folly, Extravagance, and Caprice of the prefent Age. For I look upon my felf as one fet to watch the Manners and Behaviour of my Coun trymen and Contemporaries, and to mark down every abfurd Fashion, ridiculous Custom, or affected Form of Speech that makes its Appearance in the World, during, the Course of these my Speculations. The Petticoat no fooner begun to fwell, but I obferved its Motions. The Party-patches had not time to mufter themselves before I detected them. I had Intelligence of the Coloured. Hood the very first time it appeared in a Publick Affembly. I might here mention feveral other the like Contin gent Subjects, upon which I have bestowed diftin&t Papers. By this Means I have fo effectually quafhed thofe Irregularities which gave Occafion to 'em, that I am afraid Pofterity will scarce have a fufficient Idea of them, to relish thofe Difcourfes which were in no little Vogue. at the time when they were written. They will be apt to think that the Fashions and Customs I attacked were fome Fantastick Conceits of my own, and that their GreatGrandmothers could not be fo whimfical as I have reprefented them. For this Reason, when I think on the Figure my feveral Volumes of Speculations will make about a Hundred Years hence, I confider them as fo many Pieces of old Plate, where the Weight will be regarded, but the Fashion loft. AMONG |