ture, but it is nature in its utmost corruption and degeneracy*. N° 66. Wednesday, May 16, 1711. Motus doceri gaudet Ionicos Matura virgo, & finguntur artibus Rt. Jam nunc, & inceftos amores De tenero meditatur ungui. HOR. 3 Od. vi. 21. Behold a ripe and melting maid Bound 'prentice to the wanton trade: What nets to spread, where subtle baits to lay; T clay. HE two following letters are upon a subject of very great importance, though expreffed without any air of gravity. "How could it be otherwife, when the author of this "play was Sir George Etheridge, and the character of Do"rimant that of Wilmot Earl of Rochefter?" MS. Note on a copy of the SPECTATOR in 12mo. Ed. 1712. Mr. John Dennis endeavoured to deferve well of his country, by defending this play against the honeft and commendable cenfures of it in this Paper. All the plays of the fame period, with few exceptions, were adapted to the licentiousness of the court, and the wit of them, is infeparably complicated with ribaldry. Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis. See TATLER, with Notes, vol. I. N° 3, Note. + By STEELE. See final Note to N° 6. Το 'SIR, I To the SPECTATOR, &c. TAKE the freedom of asking your advice in behalf of a young country kinfwoman of mine who is lately come to town, and under my care for her education. She is very pretty, but you cannot imagine how unformed a creature it is. She comes to my hands juft as nature left her, half finished, and without any acquired improvements. When I look on her I ' often think of the Belle Sauvage * mentioned in one of your Papers. Dear Mr. SPECTATOR, help me to make her comprehend the 'vifible graces of fpeech, and the dumb eloquence of motion; for fhe is at present a perfect ftranger to both. She knows no way to express herself but by her tongue, and that always to fignify her meaning. Her eyes ferve 'her yet only to fee with, and fhe is utterly a foreigner to the language of looks and glances. In this I fancy you could help her better than any body. I have beftowed two months in teaching her to figh when the is not concerned, and to fmile when he is not pleased, and am afhamed to own the makes little or no improvement. Then she is no more able now to walk, than fhe was to go at a year old. By walking you will eafily know, I mean that regular but eafy motion, which gives our per VOL. I. *See SPECT. N° 28. Cc • fons fons fo irrefiftible a grace as if we moved to mufic, and is a kind of difengaged figure; or, if I may fo fpeak, Recitative DANCING. But the 'want of this I cannot blame in her, for I find she has no ear, and means nothing by walking but to change her place. I could pardon too her blushing, if the knew how to carry herself in it, and if it did not manifeftly injure her complexion. They tell me you are a perfon who have feen the world, and are a judge of Fine BREEDING; which makes me ambitious of fome inftructions from you for her improvement: which when you have favoured me with, I fhall further advife with you about the difpofal of this fair forefter in marriage; for I will make it no fecret to you, that her perfon and education are to be her fortune. 'I am, Sir, 'SIR, • Your very humble fervant, CELIMENE.' •BE EING employed by Celimene to make up and fend to you her letter, I make bold to recommend the cafe therein mention'ed to your confideration, because she and I hap⚫pen to differ a little in our notions. I, who am a rough man, am afraid the young girl is in a fair way to be fpoiled: therefore, pray, Mr. SPECTATOR, let us have your opinion of this fine thing called Fine BREEDING; for I am afraid 'it it differs too much from that plain thing called Good BREEDING. • Your most humble fervant *.” you The general mistake among us in the educating our children is, that in our daughters we take care of their perfons, and neglect their minds; in our fons we are fo intent upon adorning their minds, that we wholly neglect their bodies. It is from this that fhall fee a young lady celebrated and admired in all the affemblies about town, when her elder brother is afraid to come into a room. From this ill management it arifes, that we frequently obferve a man's life is half spent before he is taken notice of; and a woman in the prime of her years is out of fashion and neglected. The boy I fhall confider upon fome other occafion, and at present stick to the girl and I am the more inclined to this, because I have several letters which complain to me, that my female readers have not understood me for fome days last past, and take themselves to be unconcerned in the prefent turn of my writing. When a girl is fafely brought from her nurse, before fhe is capable of forming one fimple notion of any thing in life, fhe is delivered to the hands of her dancing-mafter; and with a collar round her neck, the pretty wild thing is taught a fantastical gravity of behaviour, and forced to a particular way of holding her head, Mr. JOHN HUGHES was the author of this, and the preceding letter. See alfo N° 33, Letter figned R. B. of which perhaps, he was likewife the writer. heaving her breast, and moving with her whole body; and all this under pain of never having an husband, if fhe fteps, looks, or moves awry. This gives the young lady wonderful workings of imagination, what is to pafs between her and this husband, that he is every moment told of, and for whom the feems to be educated. Thus her fancy is engaged to turn all her endeavours to the ornament of her perfon, as what must determine her good and ill in this life; and she naturally thinks, if he is tall enough, fhe is wife enough for any thing for which her education. makes her think fhe is defigned. To make her an agreeable perfon is the main purpose of her parents; to that is all their cofts, to that all their care directed; and from this general folly of parents we owe our prefent numerous race of coquettes. Thefe reflections puzzle me, when I think of giving my advice on the fubject of managing the Wild THING mentioned in the letter of my correfpondent. But fure there is a middle way to be followed; the management of a young lady's perfon is not to be overlooked, but the erudition of her mind is much more to be regarded. According as this is managed, you will fee the mind follow the appetites of the body, or the body exprefs the virtues of the mind. Cleomira dances with all the elegance of motion imaginable; but her eyes are fo chastised with the fimplicity and innocence of her thoughts, that the raises in her beholders admiration and Erudition feems to be used here in an uncommon fenfe, for cultivation or inftruction. good |