Petite hinc juvenefque fenefque Finem animo certum, miferifque viatica canis. A Per. S my correspondents upon the fubject of love are very numerous, it is my defign, if poffible, to range them under feveral heads, and address my self to them at different times. The first branch of them, to whose service I shall dedicate this paper, are those that have to do with women of dilatory tempers, who are for fpinning out the time of courtship to an immoderate length, without being able either to clofe with their lovers, or to difmifs them. I have many letters by me filled with complaints against this fort of women. In one of them no less a man than a brother of the coiff tells me, that he began his fuit Vicefimo nono Caroli fecundi before he had been a twelve-month at the Temple; that he profecuted it for many years after he was called to the Bar; that at prefent he is a Serjeant at Law; and notwithstanding he hoped that matters would have been fong fince brought to an iffue, the fair one ftill demurrs. I am fo well pleased with this Gentleman's Phrase, that I fhall diftinguish this fect of women by the title of Demurrers. I find by another letter from one that calls himself Thyrfis, that his mistress has been demurring above these seven years. But among all my Plaintiffs of this nature, I most pity the unfortunate Philander, a man of a constant paffion and plentiful fortune, who fets forth that the timorous and irrefolute Sylvia has demurred till fhe is past child-bearing. Strephon appears. by by his letter to be a very cholerick lover, and irrevocably fmitten with one that demurrs out of felf-intereft. He tells me with great paffion that fhe has bubbled him out of his youth; that she drilled him on to five and fifty, and that he verily believes fhe will drop him in his old age if the can find her account in another. I fhall conclude this narrative with a letter from honest SAM. HOPEWELL, a very pleasant fellow, who it feems has at last married a Demurrer: I must only premife, that SAM. who is a very good bottle-companion, has been the diverfion of his friends, upon account of his paffion, ever fince the year one thousand fix hundred and eighty one. Dear Sir, You OU know very well my paffion for Mrs. Martha, and what a dance "fhe has led me: fhe took me out at the age of two and twen"ty, and dodged with me above thirty years. I have loved her till she is grown as gray as a cat, and am with much ado become the master of "her perfon, fuch as it is at prefent. She is however in my eye a very "charming old woman. We often lament that we did not marry foon"er, but fhe has no body to blame for it but her felf: You know very "well that she would never think of me whilst she had a tooth in her "head. I have put the date of my paffion (Anno Amoris trigefimo pri"mo) instead of a pofie, on my wedding-ring. I expect you should fend "me a congratulatory letter, or, if you please, an Epithalamium, upon "this occafion. Mrs. Martha's and yours eternally, .. SAM. HOPEWELL. In order to banish an evil out of the world, that does not only produce great uneafiness to private perfons, but has also a very bad influence on the publick, I' fhall endeavour to fhew the folly of Demurring from two or three reflections, which I earnestly recommend to the thoughts of my fair Readers. First of all I would have them seriously think on the fhortness of their time. Life is not long enough for a Coquette to play all her tricks in. A timorous woman drops into her grave before fhe has done deliberating. Were the age of man the fame that it was before the flood, a Lady might facrifice half a century to a fcruple, and be two or three ages in demurring. Had the nine hundred years good, the might hold out to the converfion of the Jews before he thought fit to be prevailed upon. But, alas! alas! fhe ought to play her part in hafte, when the confiders that the is fuddenly to quit the ftage, and make room for others. In the fecond place, I would defire my female Readers to consider, that as the term of life is fhort, that of beauty is much fhorter. The finest skin wrinkles in a few years, and loses the strength of its colouring fo foon, that we have scarce time to admire it. I might embellish this fubject with rofes and rain-bows, and several other ingenious conceits, which I may poffibly referve for another opportunity. There is a third confideration which I would likewife recommend to a Demurrer, and that is the great danger of her falling in love when she is about threescore, if the cannot fatisfie her doubts and fcruples before that time. There is a kind of latter Spring, that fometimes gets into the blood of an old woman, and turns her into a very odd fort of an animal. 'I would therefore have the Demurrer confider what a strange figure the will make, if the chances to get over all difficulties, and comes to a final refolution, in that unfeasonable part of her life. I would not however be understood, by any thing I have here said, to difcourage that natural modefty in the fex, which renders a retreat from the first approaches of a lover both fashionable and graceful; all that I intend, is, to advise them, when they are prompted by reafon and inclination, to demurr only out of form, and fo far as decency requires. A virtuous woman fhould reject the first offer of marriage, as a good man does that of a Bishoprick; but I would advise neither the one nor the other to perfift in refusing what they fecretly approve. I would in this particular propofe the example of Eve to all her daughters, as Milton has represented her in the following paffage, which I cannot forbear tranfcribing entire, though only the twelve laft lines are to my prefent purpose. The rib he form'd and fashion'd with his hands; That what feem'd fair in all the world, feem'd now And in her looks, which from that time infus'd She disappear'd, and left me dark; I wak'd Her Her lofs, and other pleasures all abjure: In I overjoy'd, could not forbear aloud. This turn bath made amends thou haft fulfill'd Her virtue and the confcience of her worth, Nature her felf, though pure of finful thought, The End of the Second Volume. |