myftery of embroidery into your ferious con• fideration; and, as you have a great deal of the 'virtue of the last age in you, continue your en'deavours to reform the prefent. 'I am, &c.' In obedience to the commands of my venerable correfpondent, I have duly weighed this important fubject, and promife myfelf, from the arguments here laid down, that all the fine ladies of England will be ready, as foon as their mourning is over, to appear covered with the work of their own hands. What a delightful entertainment must it be to the fair fex, whom their native modefty and the tenderness of men towards them exempts from public bufinefs, to pass their hours in imitating fruits and flowers, and tranfplanting all the beauties of nature into their own drefs, or railing a new creation in their clofets and apartments! How pleafing is the amufement of walking among the fhades and groves planted by themfelves, in furveying heroes flain by the needle, or little Cupids which they have brought into the world without pain! This is, methinks, the most proper way wherein a lady can fhew a fine genius; and I cannot forbear withing that feveral writers of that fex had chofen to apply themselves rather to tapestry than rhyme. Your paftoral poeteffes * Public mourning on the death of Q. Anne, who died very feasonably, Aug. 1, 1714, in the 50th year of her age, and 13th of her reign. may may vent their fancy in rural landscapes, and place defpairing fhepherds under filken willows, or drown them in a ftream of mohair. The heroic writers may work up battles as fuccessfully, and inflame them with gold, or ftain them with crimfon. Even those who have only a turn to a fong, or an epigram, may put many valuable ftitches into a purfe, and crowd a thousand graces into a pair of garters. If I may, without breach of good manners, imagine that any pretty creature is void of genius, and would perform her part herein but very aukwardly, I muft nevertheless infift upon her working, if it be only to keep her out of harm's way. Another argument for bufying good women in works of fancy is, because it takes them off from fcandal, the ufual attendant of tea-tables, and all other inactive fcenes of life. While they are forming their birds and beafts, their neighbours will be allowed to be the fathers of their own children; and Whig and Tory will be but feldom mentioned where the greatdifpute is, whether blue or red is the more proper colour. How much greater glory would Sophronia do the general, if fhe would choofe rather to work the battle of Blenheim in tapestry than fignalize herself with fo much vehemence against those who are Frenchmen in their hearts! A third reafon that I fhall mention, is the profit that is brought to the family where these pretty arts are encouraged. It is manifeft that this way of life not only keeps fair ladies from running running out into expenfes, but is at the fame time. an actual improvement. How memorable would that matron be, who fhall have it fubfcribed upon her monument She that wrought out the whole Bible in tapestry, and died in a good old age, after having covered three hundred yards of wall in the mansion house!' The premises being confidered, I humbly fubmit the following propofals to all mothers in Great-Britain : I. That no young virgin whatfoever be allowed to receive the addreffes of her first lover but in a fuit of her own embroidering. II. That before every fresh humble fervant fhe be obliged to appear with a new stomacher at the least. III. That no one be actually married until the hath the childbed pillows, &c. ready ftitched, as likewise the mantle for the boy quite finished, Thefe laws, if I mistake not, would effectually restore the decayed art of needlework, and make the virgins of Great-Britain exceedingly nimble-fingered in their business. There is a memorable custom of the Grecian ladies in this particular preferved in Homer, which I hope will have a very good effect with my country-women. A widow, in ancient times, could not, without indecency, receive a fecond husband, until fhe had woven a fhroud for her deceased lord, or the next of kin to him. Accordingly, the chafte Penelope, having, as the thought, loft Ulyffes at fea, employed her time in preparing a winding-fheet for Laertes, the the father of her husband. The story of her web being very famous, and yet not fufficiently known in its feveral circumftances, I fhall give it to my reader, as Homer makes one of her wooers relate it. "Sweet hope fhe gave to every youth apart, "With well-taught looks, and a deceitful heart: "A web she wove of many a flender twine, "Of curious texture, and perplext design; "My youths, fhe cry'd, my lord but newly dead, "Forbear a while to court my widow'd bed, "Till I have wove, as folemn vows require, "This web, a shroud for poor Ulyffes' fire. "His limbs, when fate the hero's foul demands, "Shall claim this labour of his daughter's hands, "Left all the dames of Greece my name defpife, "While the great king without a covering lies. "Thus fhe: nor did my friends miftruft the guile! "All day fhe fped the long laborious toil : "But when the burning lamps fupply'd the fun, "Each night unravell'd what the day begun. "Three live-long fummers did the fraud prevail; "The fourth her madens told th' amazing tale. "These eyes beheld, as close I took my ftand, "The backward labours of her faithless hand: "Till, watch'd at length, and prefs'd on every fide, "Her task she ended, and commenc'd a bride.” ** It does not certainly appear, that STEELE had any great concern in this Eighth Volume of the SPECTATOR, which is faid to have been principally conducted under the direction of ADDISON by Mr. E. BUDGELL. N° 607: 2 N° 607. Friday, October 15, 1714. Dicite Iö Pean, & Iö bis dicite Paan: Decidit in caffes præda petita meos. OVID. Ars Am. i. 1. Now lö Pæan fing, now wreaths prepare, The prey is fall'n in my fuccefsful toils.' Mr. SPECTATOR, HAV ΑΝΟΝ· AVING in your Paper of Monday last * published my report on the cafe of Mrs. Fanny Fickle, wherein I have taken notice, • that love comes after marriage; I hope your 'readers are fatisfied of this truth, that as love generally produces matrimony, fo it often happens that matrimony produces love. It perhaps requires more virtue to make a good hufband or wife than what go to the finishing any the moft fhining character what• foever. Difcretion feems abfolutely neceffary; and accordingly we find that the best hufbands • have been moft famous for their wisdom. Ho'mer, who hath drawn a perfect pattern of a prudent man, to make it the more complete, hath celebrated him for the juft returns of fidelity and truth to his Penelope; infomuch that |