But marry me, he will never have any body else. my father hath forbid him the house, because he sent me a copy of verses; for he is one of the greatest wits in town. My eldest sister, who, with her goodwill, would call me Miss as long as I live, must be married before me, they say. She tells them, that Mr. Fondle makes a fool of me, and will spoil the child, as she calls me, like a confident thing as she is. In short I am resolved to marry Mr. Fondle, if it be but to spite her. But because I would do nothing that is imprudent, I beg of you to give me your answers to some questions I will write down, and desire you to get them printed in the Spectator; and I do not doubt but you will give such advice as, I am sure, I shall follow. "When Mr. Fondle looks upon me for half an hour together, and calls me angel, is he not in love? Answer, No. "May not I be certain he will be a kind husband, that has promised me half my portion in pin-money, and to keep me a coach and six in the bargain? No. "Whether I, who have been acquainted with him this whole year almost, am not a better judge of his merit than my father and mother, who never heard him talk but at table? No. "Whether I am not old enough to chuse for my self? No. "Whether it would not have been rude in me to refuse a lock of his hair? No. "Should not I be a very barbarous creature, if I did not pity a man who is always sighing for my sake? No. "Whether you do not think, that if I won't have him, he won't drown himself? No. "Whether you would not advise me to run away with the poor man ? No. "What shall I say to him the next time he asks me if I will marry him? No. The following letter requires neither introduction nor answer. "MR. SPECTAtor, "I wonder that, in the present situation of affairs, you can take pleasure in writing any thing but news: for in a word, who minds any thing else? The plea-i sure of increasing knowledge and learning something new every hour of life, is the noblest entertainment of a rational creature. I have a very good ear for a secret, and am naturally of a communicative temper; by which means I am capable of doing you great services in this way. In order to make myself useful, I am early in the antichamber, where 1 thrust my head into the thick of the press, and catch the news at the opening of the door, while it is warm. Sometimes I stand by the beef-eaters, and take the buz as it passes by me. At other times I lay my ear close to the wall, and suck in many a valuable whisper, as it runs in a straight line from corner to corner. I am weary with standing, I repair to one of ighboring coffee-houses, where I sit someor a whole day, and have the news as it comes ourt fresh and fresh. In short, Sir, I spare no o know how the world goes. A piece of news ts flavor when it hath been an hour in the air. if I may so speak, to have it fresh from the nd to convey it to my friends before it is faded. dingly my expenses in coach-hire make no article; which you may believe, when I assure hat I post away from coffee-house to coffee, and forestall the Evening Post by two hours. e is a certain gentleman who hath given me the wice or thice, and hath been beforehand with t Child's. But I have play'd him a trick. I purchased a pair of the best coach-horses. I buy for money, and now let him out-strip me Once more, Mr. Spectator, let me advise Lo deal in news. You may depend upon my asnce. But I must break off abruptly, for I have ty letters to write, No. 626. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1714. BY MR. GROVE. Dulcique animos novitate tenebo. OVID. Met. 1. 4. v. 284. With sweet novelty your taste I'll please. I HAVE EUSDEN. HAVE seen a little work of a learned man, consisting of extemporary speculations, which owed their birth to the most trifling occurrences of life. His usual method was, to write down any sudden start of thought which arose in his mind upon the sight of any odd gesticulation in a man, any whimsical mimicry of reason in a beast, or whatever appeared remarkable in any object of the visible creation. He was able to moralize upon a snuff-box, would flourish eloquently upon a tucker or a pair of ruffles, and draw practical inferences from a full-bottomed periwig. This I thought fit to mention by way excuse for my ingenious correspondent, who hath introduced the following letter by an image, which, I will beg leave to tell him, is too ridiculous in so serious and noble a speculation. "MR SPECTATOR, of "When I have seen young puss playing her wanton gambols, and with a thousand antic shapes express her own gaiety, at the same time that she moved mine, while the old granum hath sat by with a most exemplary gravity, unmoved at all that passed; it hath made me reflect what should be the oc casion of humors so opposite in two creatures between whom there was no visible difference but that of age; and I have been able to resolve it into nothing else but the force of novelty. "In every species of creatures, those who have been least time in the world appear best pleased with their condition: for, besides that to a new-comer the world hath a freshness on it that strikes the sense after a most agreeable manner, being itself, unattended with any great variety of enjoyments, excites a sensation of pleasure. But as age advances, every thing seems to wither, the senses are disgusted with their old entertainments, and existence turns flat and insipid. We may see this exemplified in mankind; the child, let him be free from pain, and gratified, in his change of toys, is diverted with the smallest trifle. Nothing disturbs the mirth of the boy but a little punishment or confinement. The youth must have more violent pleasures to employ his time: the man loves the hurry of an active life, devoted to the pursuits of wealth or ambition; and, lastly, old age, having lost its capacity for these avocations, becomes its own insupportable burden. This variety may in part be accounted for by the vivacity and decay of the faculties; but I believe is chiefly owing to this, that the longer we have been in possession of being, the less sensible is the gust we have of it; and the more it requires of adventitious amusements to relieve us from the satiety and weariness it brings along with it. "And as novelty is of a very powerful, so of a most extensive influence, moralists have long since observed it to be the source of admiration, which |