J fhall prefent my readers with it, not only because the piece is pretty extraordinary in its kind, but alfo as it gave occafion to fome (peculations, which have not yet perhaps been hit upon by any of our public writers, and may be of fervice in clearing up those ideas, which, at present, seem confufed and indiftinct. To the FEMALE SPECTATOR. LADIES, or GENTLEMEN, "WHETHER you are a fingle or collective "body; whether female, as you pretend, or male, "as the ftrength and energy of your writings tempt me rather to believe; if you have a hu"man_heart you will pity the calamitous cir"cumftance which occafions this epifle. "KNOW then, good SPECTATOR, without farther ceremony, that it was my misfortune (for so it hitherto has proved) to fall into the acquaintance ❝of a young lady, who has every thing in her "worthy of universal adoration. Fain would I "give you the picture of this angel, but no words. tr can paint her fuch as fhe is; I will however ven❝ture on a sketch, fome out-lines of her various "excellencies, and leave your own imagination to fill them up. Her eyes,-oh killing eyes! "seem to invite with their bewitching foftnels the "tenderest wishes, yet at the fame time strike an awe into the boldeft heart: - her fkin is of a << more dazzling whiteness than new fallen fnow, "through which, as Shakespear fays, the pure and "eloquent blood peeps in and out in most becoming blushes-around her matchlefs mouth a thoufand leves and graces continually play in 66 "dimpling 66 dimpling fmiles :-majesty, blended with a look "of infant innocence, is diffused over every fea"ture:-her hair, her hands, her neck, her fine 6.6 turned fhape would fingly charm the ravished "gazer; but there is fomething in her air, which "the moft extenfive fancy cannot form any figure ❝of, without having feen the divine original: "if the but plays her fan, takes fnuff, on the least "motion of a hand or finger, a sparkling dignity "flies from her, filling all the place. What "must she then be when dancing!-I once had the honour to lead her up a minuet; but, oh gods! how little was I capable of keeping time "with the mufic, or obferving any step !-My ill "behaviour must have rendered me the ridicule of "the whole.company, had not every eye been too "much taken up with my adorable partner to "throw away a look on me : fhe however took but too much notice of it, and refused to dance with me any more, which you may believe threw me into the most mortal agitations; "but as I fhall give you, in the clofe of this epif"tle, a full account of all my fufferings from "this ungrateful fair, in the mean time I must "proceed to the detail of her perfections. If "there could be in nature greater charms than "what are displayed in her person and dancing, "they would be found in the ecftatic accents of ❝ her voice-every word fhe speaks is harmony itself; but when the fings, the foul of mufic "iffues from her lips. What the celebrated "Waller fays of his Mira, may, I dare affirm, "with infinitely more justice, be applied to my ❝ adorable Arpafia, "The wretch who from her wit and beauty flies, If she but reach him with her voice, he dies. "BUT it were an endless talk to enumerate the "many ways fhe has of captivating mankind; [ "will therefore only give you a brief account of "the beauties of her mind in her conduct and behaviour, and then have done. .. "SHE maintains a perfect chearfulness, without the leaft mixture of levity. She is never the "firft in any fashion, and when entered into it goes not to the extremity :-the chufes rather "to wear cloaths lefs rich than her birth and for❝ tune will allow of, than to have the least appearance of extravagance about her :-she preferves a modest reserve, yet makes no fhew of it :"fhe goes but feldom to places of public diverfion, and never but in the company of fome near relation in fine, all her actions are governed by a prudence far above her years, nor can envy "find any thing to traduce. .. : "BEING fuch as I have defcribed, though infi"nitely fhort of what she is, you will not wonder that I became enamoured with her at firft fight, or that my paffion grew more ftrong as I grew "more acquainted with her perfections :--it was, "however, accompanied with an awe which would "not fuffer me to reveal what it was I felt for a t. 16 long time; but, alas! there was little need of "words, every look, every action, fpoke the mean"ing of my foul, and faid I died for her :---in"deed I lived not but in her prefence, and when absent from her was but the ghoft of myself. "All my friends took notice of the change in me, "nor were long without difcovering both the caufe "and object. As they knew there could be no "objections on the account of my birth, fortune, "or character in the world, they laughed at my timidity, and at laft infpired me with courage . "enough ' "enough to declare myself, which you may be "fure I did in the most paffionate and respectful "terms my heart could dictate :-but, oh gods! "with what a ftabbing indifference did the receive my fuit !---Had the treated it with fcorn or anger, I should have been apt to have flattered myfelf either of thefe had proceeded from that affectation young ladies frequently affume on the ❝ first addresses of a lover; but the cold civility, "the unmoved referve with which fhe heard me, « ftruck like a bolt of ice through all my foul, 46 and gave a mortal damp to all the fires of hope: "I grew pale, --- I trembled, --- I was ready to "fall down in a foon at her feet; and fearing I fhould be guilty of fomething unbecoming my " fex, took fuch a hafty and confused leave, that "had the leaft fpark of compaffion harboured "in her breaft, it must have prevailed on her to ❝ have called me back :---but, alas! fhe fuffered "me to depart, without seeming even to obferv "my diforder. Unequalled cruelty !---Barbarous, "charming maid !---Yet this is fhort of what "I afterwards experienced from her unrelenting ❝ heart. "THE ensuing night I paffed in agonies too "terrible for repetition: --- fleep was an utter ftranger to my eyes: the next morning was wholly taken up in forming a letter to her, "which at last I did, though in a most distracted "strain, in spite of all my care, and writing it "over above a dozen times, in order to render my tr meaning less deferving her ridicule:---nothing, "notwithstanding, could have been more humble, "more pity-moving;-yet what was the effect? "the opened, read, and fent it back under a cover, " in which I found this rigorous fentence: SIR, "I AM very much obliged for the high opinion you have of my merit; but as it seems to have "given birth to an inclination, which I am cer“tain will never be in my power to encourage, "muft beg you will defift your vifits, till you. "have ceafed to think in the manner you now "profefs to do of ARPASIA." "NOTHING but death itself could have inflict"ed more fevere pangs than those I felt at perufing these few lines :---I accufed fate, and the "ingratitude of my cruel charmer, as I had caufe " to do; yet still I loved, and in the bitterest an"guish my tortured foul could feel, kiffed the paper which contained my doom: I never fhould * have done, were I to go about to relate the thoufandth part of the particulars of my fufferings; I will therefore only trouble you with no more "than what is abfolutely neceffary to let you into the true ftate of the cafe.-Several of my friends, fenfible of my condition, renewed their endea"vours for my confolation; and one of them be"ing acquainted with the father of Arpafia, spoke to him in my behalf: the old gentleman feemed highly satisfied with my estate, person, ani cha"racter, and faid he fhould be very glad to have "me in his family, provided his daughter had the "fame kindness for me; but added, he would never "put any constraint on her inclinations, and there"fore would give no positive answer till he had "difcourfed with her on that fubject. "FAIN would those who wished me well have "perfuaded me that the coldness Arpafia had treat"ed me with, fprung only from not having the ❝ fanction of her father's commands to authorize a more |