morning (it being past my usual hour) she answered the S TOR was not yet come in; but that the tea-kettle boiled, an expected it every moment. Having thus in part signified t the esteem and veneration which I have for you, I must pu in mind of the catalogue of books which you have promis recommend to our sex; for I have deferred furnishing my with authors, 'till I receive your advice in this particular, your daily disciple and humble servant, "LEONORA In answer to my fair disciple, whom I am very proud must acquaint her, and the rest of my readers, that since I called out for help in my catalogue of a lady's library,' I received many letters upon that head, some of which I shall an account of. In the first class I shall take notice of those which con me from eminent booksellers, who every one of them men with respect the authors they have printed, and consequently an eye to their own advantage more than to that of the la One tells me, that he thinks it absolutely necessary for wome have true notions of right and equity, and that therefore they not peruse a better book than Dalton's Country Justice: ano thinks they cannot be without The complete Jockey. A th observing the curiosity and desire of prying into secrets, which tells me is natural to the fair sex, is of opinion this female incl tion, if well directed, might turn very much to their advanta and therefore recommends to me Mr. Mede upon the Revelatio A fourth lays it down as an unquestioned truth, that a lady not be thoroughly accomplished who has not read The sec 1 V. No. 37-140-163 and note.-C. 2 V. No. 37-163 and note. a This gaiety on Mr. Mede's Book may be forgiven to Mr. Addison, was not likely to comprehend the subject, or the merit of it, when so m of our best divines did not.-H. Treaties and Negotiations of the Marshal D'Estrades. Mr. Jacob Tonson, jun. is of opinion, that Bayle's Dictionary might be of very great use to the ladies, in order to make them general scholars. Another, whose name I have forgotten, thinks it highly proper that every woman with child should read Mr. Wall's History of Infant Baptism; 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 second class I shall mention books which are recommended by husbands, if I may believe the writers of them. Whether or no they are real husbands or personated ones I can. not tell, but the books they recommend are as follows. A Paraphrase on the History of Susanna. Rules to keep Lent. The Christian's Overthrow prevented. A Dissuasive from the Playhouse. The Virtues of Camphire, with Directions to make Camphire Tea. The Pleasures of a Country Life. The Government of the Tongue. A letter dated from Cheapside desires me that I would advise all young wives to make themselves mistresses of Wingate's Arithmetic, and concludes with a postscript, 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 correspondents 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 second place to Cassandra. Coquetilla begs me not to think of nailing women upon their knees with manuals of devotion, nor of scorching their faces with books of housewifery. Florella desires to know if there are any books written against prudes, and entreats me, if there are, to give them a place in my library. Plays of all sorts have their several advocates: All for Love is mentioned in above fifteen letters; Sophonisba, or Hannibal's Overthrow, in a dozen 1--2 Two celebrated romances, written by M. la Calprenede.-C. the Innocent Adultery is likewise highly approved of; Mithrid King of Pontus has many friends; Alexander the Great Aurenzebe have the same number of voices: but Theodosiu the Force of Love, carries it from all the rest. I should, in the last place, mention such books as have b proposed by men of learning, and those who appear compe judges of this matter, and must here take occasion to thank A whoever it is that conceals himself under those two letters, for advice upon this subject but as I find the work I have un taken to be very difficult, I shall defer the executing of it til am further acquainted with the thoughts of my judicious o temporaries, and have time to examine the several books th offer to me; being resolved, in an affair of this moment, to p ceed with the greatest caution. In the meanwhile, as I have taken the ladies under particular care, I shall make it my business to find out the best authors, ancient and modern, such passages as may for their use, and endeavour to accommodate them as W as I can to their taste; not questioning but the valuable part the sex will easily pardon me, if from time to time I lau at those little vanities and follies which appear in the behavio of some of them, and which are more proper for ridicule than serious censure. Most books being calculated for male reader and generally written with an eye to men of learning, mak a work of this nature the more necessary; besides, I am the mo encouraged, because I flatter myself that I see the sex daily in proving by these my speculations. My fair readers are alread deeper scholars than the beaus: I could name some of them wh talk much better than several gentlemen that make a figu at Will's; and as I frequently receive letters from the fine ladi and pretty fellows, I cannot but observe, that the former a superior to the others not only in the sense but in the spelling This cannot but have a good effect upon the female world, and keep them from being charmed by those empty coxcombs that have hitherto been admired among the women, though laughed at among the men. I am credibly informed that Tom Tattle passes for an impertinent fellow, that Will. Trippet begins to be smoked, and that Frank Smoothly himself is within a month of a coxcomb, in case I think fit to continue this paper. For my part, as it is my business in some measure to detect such as would lead astray weak minds by their false pretences to wit and judgment, humour and gallantry, I shall not fail to lend the best lights I am able to the fair sex for the continuation of these discoveries. L. No. 93. SATURDAY, JUNE 16. -Spatio brevi Spem longam reseces: dum loquimur, fugerit invida -Be wise, cut off long cares From thy contracted span. E'en whilst we speak, the envious time Doth make swift haste away: Then seize the present, use thy prime, Nor trust another day. CREECH. WE all of us complain of the shortness of time, saith Seneca,' and yet have much more than we know what to do with. 'Our lives, (says he) are spent either in doing nothing at all, or in doing nothing to the purpose, or in doing nothing that we ought to do: we are always complaining our days are few, and acting as though there would be no end of them.' That noble philo ' De brevitate vitæ ad Paulinum lib. passim.-C. sopher has described our inconsistency with ourselves i particular, by all those various turns of expression and th which are peculiar to his writings. I often consider mankind as wholly inconsistent with in a point that bears some affinity to the former. Thoug seem grieved at the shortness of life in general, we are wi every period of it at an end. The minor longs to be at then to be a man of business, then to make up an estate, th arrive at honours, then to retire. Thus although the whol is allowed by every one to be short, the several divisions appear long and tedious. We are for lengthening our spa general, but would fain contract the parts of which it is posed. The usurer would be very well satisfied to have al time annihilated that lies between the present moment and quarter-day. The politician would be contented to lose t years in his life, could he place things in the posture which fancies they will stand in after such a revolution of time. lover would be glad to strike out of his existence all the mom that are to pass away before the happy meeting. Thus, as as our time runs, we should be very glad in most parts of lives, that it ran much faster than it does. Several hours of day hang upon our hands; nay, we wish away whole years; travel through time as through a country filled with many and empty wastes, which we would fain hurry over, that we arrive at those several little settlements or imaginary points rest which are dispersed up and down in it. If we divide the life of most men into twenty parts, we sl find that at least nineteen of them are mere gaps and chas which are neither filled with pleasure nor business. I do however, include in this calculation the life of these men w are in a perpetual hurry of affairs, but of those only who are always engaged in scenes of action; and I hope I shall not |