Compofure, that engaged the Judgment. Buck came on in a plain Coat, and kept all his Air till the Inftant of Engaging at which time he undrefs'd to his Shirt, his Arm adorned with a Bandage of red Ribband. No one can defcribe the fadden Concern in the whole Affembly; the moft tumultuous Crowd in Nature was as ftill and as much engaged, as if all their Lives depended on the firft Blow. The Combatants met in the Middle of the Stage, and fhaking Hands as removing all Malice, they retired with much Grace to the Extremities of it; from whence they immediately faced about, and approached each other, Miller with an Heart full of Refolution, Buck with a watchful untroubled Countenance; Buck regarding principally his own Defence, Miller chiefly thoughtful of annoying his Opponent. It is not eafie to defcribe the many Escapes and imperceptible Defences between two Men of quick Eyes and ready Limbs; but Miller's Heat laid him open to the Rebuke of the calm Buck, by a large Cut on the Forehead. Much Effufion of Blood covered his Eyes in a Moment, and the Huzzas of the Crowd undoubtedly quickened the Anguifh. The Affembly was divided into Parties upon their different ways of Fighting; while a poor Nymph in one of the Galleries apparently fuffered for Miller, and burst into a Flood of Tears. As foon as his Wound was wrapped up, he came on again with a little Rage, which ftill difabled him further. But what brave Man can be wounded into more Patience and Caution? The next was a warm eager Onfet, which ended in a decifive Stroke on the Left Leg of Miller. The Lady in the Gallery, during this fecond Strife, covered her Face; and for my Part, I could not keep my Thoughts from being moftly employed on the Confideration of her unhappy Circumftance that Moment, hearing the Clash of Swords, and apprehending Life or Victory concerned her Lover in every Blow, but not daring to fatisfie her felf on whom they fell. The Wound was expofed to the View of all who could delight in it, and fowed up on the Stage. The furly Second of Miller declared at this Time, that he would that Day Fortnight fight Mr. Buck at the fame Weapons, declaring him1elf the Mafter of the renowned Gorman; but Buck denied him the Honour of that couragious Disciple, and afferting that that he himself had taught that Champion, accepted the Challenge. THERE is fomething in Nature very unaccountable on fuch Occafions, when we fee the People take a certain painful Gratification in beholding thefe Encounters. Is it Cruelty that adminifters this Sort of Delight? Or is it a Pleasure which is taken in the Exercife of Pity? It was methought pretty remarkable, that the Bufinefs of the Day being a Tryal of Skill, the Popularity did not run fo high as one would have expected on the Side of Buck. that People's Paffions have their Rife in Self-Love, and thought themselves (in fpite of all the Courage they had) liable to the Fate of Miller, but could not fo easily think themselves qualified like Buck? Is it TULLY fpeaks of this Cuftom with lefs Horrour than one would expect, though he confeffes it was much abufed in his Time, and feems directly to approve of it under its firft Regulations, when Criminals only fought before the People. Crudele Gladiatorum fpectaculum & inhumanum nonnullis videri folet; & haud scio annon ita fit ut nunc fit; cum vero fontes ferro depugnabant, auribus fortaffe multa, oculis quidem nulla, poterat effe fortior contra dolorem & mortem difciplina. The Shows of Gladiators may be thought barbarous and inhumune, and I know not but it is fo as it is now practifed; but in thofe Times when only Criminals were Combatants, the Ear perhaps might receive many better Inftructions, but it is impoffible that any thing which affects our Eyes, fhould fortifie us fo well against Pain and Death, T Tuesday, N° 437. Tuesday, July 22. Tune impune hac facias? Tune hic homines adolefcentulos T HE other Day paffed by me in her Chariot a Lady with that pale and wan Complexion, which we fometimes fee in young People, who are fallen into Sorrow and private Anxiety of Mind, which antedate Age and Sicknefs. It is not three Years ago fince fhe was gay, airy, and a little towards Libertine in her Carriage; but, methought, I eafily forgave her that little Infolence, which the fo feverely pays for in her prefent Condition. Favilla, of whom I am fpeaking, is married to a fullen Fool with Wealth: Her Beauty and Merit are loft upon the Dolt, who is infenfible of Perfection in any thing. Their Hours together are either painful or infipid: The Minutes fhe has to her felf in his Abfence, are not fufficient to give Vent at her Eyes to the Grief and Torment of his laft Converfation. This poor Creature was facrificed with a Temper (which, under the Cultivation of a Man of Senfe, would have made the moft agreeable Companion) into the Arms of this loathfome Yoak-fellow by Sempronia. Sempronia is a good Lady, who fupports her felf in an affluent Condition, by contracting Friendship with rich young Widows and Maids of plentiful Fortunes at their own Difpofal, and beftowing her Friends upon worthlefs indigent Fellows; on the other Side, fhe enfnares inconfiderate and rafh Youths of great Eftates into the Arms of vitious Women. For this Purpose, fhe is accomplished in all the Arts. which can make her acceptable at impertinent Visits; fhe knows all that paffes in every Quarter, and is well acquainted with all the favourite Servants, Bufie-bodies, Dependants, and poor Relations of all Perfons of Condi tion in the whole Town. At the Price of a good Sum of Money, Sempronia, by the Inftigation of Favilla's Mother, brought about the Match for the Daughter, and the Reputation of this, which is apparently, in point of Fortune, more than Favilla could expect, has gained her the Vifits and frequent Attendance of the Crowd of Mothers, who had rather fee their Children miferable in great Wealth, than the happiest of the Race of Mankind in a lefs confpicuous State of Life. When Sempronia is fo well acquainted with a Woman's Temper and Circumftance, that the believes Marriage would be acceptable to her, and advantageous to the Man who fhall get her; her next Step is to look out for some one, whofe Condition has fome fecret Wound in it, and wants a Sum, yet, in the Eye of the World, not uníuitable to her. If fuch is not eafily had, fhe immediately adorns a worthlefs Fellow with what Eftate fhe thinks convenient, and adds as great a Share of good Humour and Sobriety as is requifite: After this is fe tled, no Importunities, Arts, and Devices are omitted to haften the Lady to her Happinefs. In the general indeed fhe is a Perfon of fo ftrict Justice, that The marries a poor Gallant to a rich Wench, and a MoneylefsGirl to a Man of Fortune. But then fhe has no manner of Conscience in the Disparity, when she has a Mind to impofe a poor Rogue for one of an Estate, she has no Remorfe in adding to it, that he is illiterate, ignorant, and unfashioned; but makes thofe Imperfections Arguments of the Truth of his Wealth, and will, on fuch an Occafion, with a very grave Face, charge the People of Condition with Negligence in the Education of their Children. Exception being made t'other Day against an ignorant Booby of her own Cloathing, whom he was putting off for a rich Heir, Madam, faid fhe, you know there is no making Children who know they have Eftates at- · tead their Books. SEMPRON1A, by thefe Arts, is loaded with Prefents, importuned for her Acquaintance, and admired by those who do not know the first Taste of Life, as a Woman of exemplary good Breeding. But fure, to murder and to rob are lefs Iniquities, than to raife Profit by Abufes, as irreparable as taking away Life; but more grievous, as making it laftingly unhappy. To rob a Lady · at at Play of Half her Fortune, is not fo ill, as giving the whole and her felf to an unworthy Husband. But Sempronia can administer Confolation to an unhappy Fair at Home, by leading her to an agreeable Gallant elfewhere. She can then preach the general Condition of all the Married World, and tell an unexperiecced young Woman the Methods of foftning her Affliction, and laugh at her Simplicity and Want of Knowledge, with an Oh! my Dear, you will know better. THE Wickednefs of Sempronia, one would think, fhould be fuperlative; but I cannot but efteem that of fome Parents equal to it; I mean fuch as facrifice the greatest Endowments and Qualifications to bafe Bargains. A Parent who forces a Child of a liberal and ingenious Spirit into the Arms of a Clown or a Blockhead, oblige her to a Crime too odious for a Name. It is in a Degree the unnatural Conjunction of rational and brutal Beings. Yet what is there fo common, as the beftowing an accomplished Woman with fuch a Difparity. And I could name Crowds who lead miferable Lives, for want of Knowledge in their Parents, of this Maxim, that good Senfe and good Nature always go together. That which is attributed to Fools, and called good Nature, is only an Inability of obferving what is faulty, which turns in Marriage, into a Sufpicion of every thing as fuch, from a Confcioufnefs of that Inability. Mr. SPECTATOR, I Am entirely of your Opinion with Relation to the Equeftrian Females, who affect both the Mafculine and Feminine Air at the fame time; and cannot forbear making a Prefentment against another Order of them who grow very numerous and powerful; and fince our Language is not very capable of good compound Words, I must be contented to call them only the Naked Shouldered. These Beauties are not contented to make Lovers where-ever they appear, but they must make Rivals at the fame time. Were you to fee Gatty walk the Park at high Mall, you would expect those who followed her and thofe who met her could immediately draw their Swords for her. I hope, Sir, you will provide for the future, that Women may ftick to " ⚫ their |