main fo any longer than till we how he should remember he ever have fuch an opportunity of fa- bad it. 'Tis not quite fo bad as tisfaction; which is the Nonfenfe this neither, tho' ill enough of res of the Scepticks, who pretend to fon. In short, my Cafe is this: A keep their minds equal, in order certain angry Spark took occafion to find out truth, and yet let what lately in my company to fall a railweight will be thrown into either ing very liberally against our whole fcale, won't let it carry it; tho' Sex, whether becaufe Mils-powted, indeed their Opinion feem's rather or had for faken him, I can't refolve nothing but whim and pretence, you. I believe he had all the Batbut can ne'er be their fetled Judg-chelors Banquet and the foam Comment, or if it is poffible to be forts of Matrimony by heart, I embrac'd in earneft by any, it fancy a great deal more perfefly muft only be by thofe of very than his Creed or Refponfes, helik'd weak and unstable Minds, gene-nothing (he'd fain perfwade the rally corrupted by Senfe and In- Company) in our whole Sex, but tereft, who finding the commonly we are all made up of Vexation and receiv'd Notions of all rational Vanity Not a poor Patch, or Mankind to be againft 'em, (which Mask, or Ribbon about us, nothing they are fure enough of, tho' from Topknot to Shoetie that be thereby they destroy their own did not pretend needed Reformation, Scepticifm) are forc'd to deny all and upon the whole, undertook, like Truths, and endeavour to render a most unknightly Squire as be that uncertain, which they know was, to prove by force of Argument, not how to answer: And yet the and dint of Pen and Ink, that we mifchief still is, they are as pofi- bad I know not how many Quires tive and dogmatical in their affer- of Impertinencies, and more Faults tions, and as fond of the Conclu- and Vices than an old Hack his fion, in fpite of the Premiles, as Maladies; and Harrangu'd fo long any Men in the World, as any at this rate, till I began to be muit know, who have convers'd mov'd in Spirit to stop his fanwith that fort of People. drous tongue, and accordingly undertook, like a true Lady-Errand, lenger hou'd advance against our Sex. And fo far 'twas well enough but after this, to my terror, I difcover'd that this ACquaintance of mine was that dread Q. Tho' fometimes your Patience is almost tired, yet I find as imper-to answer all that this bold Chal tinent Querifts as my felf, efpecially if of our Sex, for the most part meet with civil Aufwers; which makes me hope I shan't have worfe Fortune, tho' I confefs like others I've brought the trouble on my felf.ful thing, an Author, and is Nay, don't start, Gentlemen, nor refolv'd to Print all his feverat think you have fone defperate Indictments, which he's now drawLover coming to pofe you for a ing up against us. This makes Remedy, or a poor crackt Chamber- me flee to you for Succour, who maid, humbly defiring your fage Ad- if you han't forgot all your vice how he may recover her Vertue Courtefie towards our Sex, will again, which he has loft, it may be, be ready to lend a Charitable fo long fince that one wou'd wonder Hand to one diftreffed Damotel'; 114 the "lefs ridiculous than a Cap with a Bell at the top on't, yer if the feven Wife-Miftreffes thou'd rife again, they'd rather never be kilt then be one Barley-corn fhort of the Fashion. But you'll fay, they don't all diffemble, for if Wife-men han't been really in Love, why do they mar ry? A fhrow'd Argument, and "who ever did fo that was well the Reprefentative (for want of a better) of all the reft. If it had been to be decided by fair talking, I fbou'd fearce have troubled you, but the Pen being engag'd, and I not knowing how to come off with Ho-" nour, muft intreat your afftance, left fo good a caule fhou'd fuffer by" a weak Defendant. He has already begun to ipit his Venom at us, and threatens to go on Volume after Volume, till he has rivall'd the" in his Wits? 'Tis true, that Turkish Spy to your Oracle, and that I might fee he was in earneft," has fent me a Copy of what he de-" figns for the Introduction, which I've fent you here enclos'd, and which, if you please to answer, you'll thereby highly oblige our Sex" in general, and in particular, Yours, &c. ་ Madam, "I was in earnest, and am fo cftill, and have too much reafon to be fo, and defire nothing but c a Men of the greatest sense may fometimes overftrain their Heads with thinking, and get a little delirious, and in that fit, Nature falls upon 'em like a Coard when they are down, and pops em into Matrimony, and when once their Horns are fast in the Brake, let 'em get out a"gain how they can. That this is true, you your selves muft grant, or your great Admirers the Athenians, if you'd either clear itage and no Quarter. I" of ye be fo Ingenuous as to refhall begin my attack on that folve me but one Question, and which is the very Foundation that is, whether you ever of all your Sexes Pride, and the knew one of those celebrated Dotage and Folly of our own, "Wifdoms who did not play the and that's Love, which Lun-Fool egregiously in fome one "dertake to prove none but a Fool great inftance of their Life? can e'er be guilty of. I know And in this, I'm sure, as much you'll ask me pretently, whe-" as any other. You have heard, "ther I never knew a Wifeman" I fuppofe, of one of their Sin that Condition? I grant,"gacities who, when he marry'd many that are efteem'd Wife his Maid, Frankly own'd, there "may have had a fhaking or two was no Reafon below the Girdle, on't, or have at least thought fit and he never gave a more righto pretend fomething like it," teous Judgment. And perhaps hold their Necks o' one fidetis almost neceffary that thole and look like Fools, that they might not be out of the Fafhion, as our Grand Fathers wore "Ruffs, our Grannys Farthingals," (6 and' your felves now fuch aereal, monumental Topnots, which tho' you all acknowledge little great Men fhou'd have fome iuch remarkable blemish, that "others may know them, and they know themselves to be but Men, as the pots in the Sun and Moon are enough to keep any but fots from worship «ping 'em; and the old Romans," is half an Angel, in compari with their long Beards, convinc'd the Gauls that they were "not Gods, because they were capable of Paffions as well as themielves. Suppofe then, at worst, that a Wife-man fhould "have been in Love, 'twas Qua"Fool, not Qua-Wife-man, and my Affertion holds firm, that "pro hac vice, pro hic & nunc, "(you have fome of the Learned fon of the wretch who is doom'd to row in that Ship of Fools, chain'd to fome other Fellow-flave, to have and to hold with a Vengeance, like thofe poor Creatures which the "Tyrant faften'd to Dead Car caffes, that they might flink and rot together. The story of "Pandoras Box is doubtlefs mitold by the Poets, 'twas the Dreffing Box which Nature pre"fented to all your Sex, containing, as I hope to prove, I known't how many hundred among ye, and therefore a few "fcraps of Latin will do ye no "hurt) they do exuere, the Wife. "man; put off their politick, and "appear in their natural capaçi-forts of poifons, mifchiefs, and "ties, and as Gods are fabled to have done, difguife themselves" .(C with a Witnefs, to delcend "among mortals. But this I ftill" "affirm, that 'tis no part of their Wifdoms; a trick, a cheat, a ໄດ້ meer Fallacy of nature, like fleeping, or other lefs handfome actions, and thus much is yet miferies, intrusted all in your Hands to punish and plague Mankind. I'd fain know what piece of Midwifery a Man mutt have recourse to, to find all the Difeafes of your Bodies only, (fince thofe of your mind are granted innumerable) with which if a Man has the hard "more certain, that no Wife-fate not to be choakt or poi foned the first night, as a certain King they talk of, us'd to ferve his Wives, how many a tedious Moon, and year, and man wou'd be in Love, if he "could help it, because all the World grant it makes him look fo like a Fool, that the two Sofia's are hardly lefs distin-age, muit he languish, with guishable. For muft not any "Man in his right fenfes (which fome frightful Hag rustling by his fide, unlefs he take a dofe be fure is no Lover) muft he of Hemp to break the Charin not own, that upon a fair and " and give him his Habeas Corpus "equal ballance, the Inconveni- to an eafier and more comfort"ences of that Paffion infinitely able Bed in the Duft. 'Tis one "outweigh that fcratching fort of" of the leaft and moft tolerable "a pleasure which fome fay is Inconveniences of that Whim"to be found in it. Would any fical paflion, that it turns the Wife-man, I'd fain know, bring" Brains of all it feizes, and makes "a thousand mifchiefs upon him-" em fo ridiculous that 'tis impof"felf, which he might keep clear fible to pity them without laugh"of; or make anothers misfor-ing at 'em. Love's all one great "tunes his own, as if he had not Romance, and makes whoever "already fufficient to torment "are infected with't, fteal all the him? But he that's not in Love" hard Names they can meet with CIN " out The Bookfeller doubtlefs will fcarce be forry at this Accident, many of his Trade are Soldiers of Fortune; and a Revolution, or a found Quarrel, fets up a whole Street of 'em, and our hopes that the Gentleman will be fo civil to fend his Letters to him, and let out of the little ones. The Lo- you may prepare for your defence. «ver must be the fweet Knight Montelion; the Miftrefs, the « most chaste and virtuous Damfel Dulcinea, or what you pleate. "The old Bawd of a Confident, the fage Arganda ; Every little "go-between, fome dwarf or Wi«zard, and the Rival befure no lefs than the confounded Gy-him have the Printing of 'em, "ant Pandafilando. I have but which the Ladies fhall have an just begun yet.- Han't ye? account of as foon as he has rePray tay then, for we have neither ceived 'em, that they may do room nor leifure to follow you any themselves Juftice, and rally their further; but not being quite fo an- united Forces, fince they are atgry with Love, or the Ladies, as tackt without diftinction; and you pretend to be, must ask your tho' we dare not engage any furpardon if we defire you to ftepa lit-ther, in the main controverly, tle o' one fide till we have given our Querift an Answer.] we shall not only here recommend the common cause to all our Lady Querifts, but, as we are in duty bound, lead the way, and attack the ForlornHope of the Enemy; we mean, take into confideration the main of what he advance against Love, fo well natur'd a Paffion, we wonder it fhou'd have any oppofers. [4] And pray Madam! What do ye expect from the Athenians? Here's a War rais'd against your Liberties and Properties, that needs a new Confederacy to fupport it. You han't the Confcience, fure, to make Athens the Field of Battle, or to defire we fhou'd fuffer our Territories to be equally harrafs'd by Friend and Enemy; what we can do for ye," "All Men muit Love, and this, Sir, you grant, and that Nature it felf obliges 'em to is to Print your cafe here at large,do fo, which if it does, it must and fummon in all your Sex to your affiftance, if your Enemy continues the War, as he feems pretty fully refolv'd upon the bu be good and rational, and the contrary unnatural, then which nothing can be defir'd more to the prejudice of your Opinion: finefs, and if he's a Man of Ho-Nor can any thing be pleaded nour he'll engage ye, we mean (honestly) what are all thofe terrible faults and mifdemeanors he intends to faflen on your whole Sex, and that in diftinction from ours; for hold him to that, and more to the advantage of Love then that 'tis neceffary in our prefent ftate of Life; when we come to be like Angels, 'tis another matter, but what's that to thofe make the Ob Wife "Man defire to eat and fleep when he has occafion, and if he fhou'd. quarrel with nature for obliging him to it, wou'd he "not thereby highly bring in Question he'll fcarcely have room for fojection? Wou'd not ? ર cafs as well as an Animal, at leaft one Perfon as well as ano"ther, the contrary of which is evident in almost all the World, It finds, 'tis true, no perfect fatisfaction in what it Loves ev even when it poffeffes it; and what's the reason, but because the Body Lags behind, comes "between, and obftructs its happinefs, no other weaknef's then is to be found in all other fenfi. ble Pleafures. But the reafon"blenefs of Love reaches further, the Sympathy of Souls is rational, and we are confcious of it, and can reflect upon it; there's fome"thing of choice and delicacy in't, ૮. "Queftion both his piety and "wisdom, it being no less then "taking it ill that he's made a Man, not a stone, or a tree (nay they Love too, in their way)" "or a fenfeless Lump of Earth, "when she was at liberty into "what mould she'd cast his yet "undetermin'd matter. What is "there ftronger, more certain, or more unaccountable and wonderful then Sympathy and In"find? But had the Load-itone "that reafon we boaît of, 'twou'd "furely make better ufe on't then "to find fault with nature for "making it fo dearly Love the «Iron. But there's more then "this in't, there's fomething high-whereas there's none in any "ly rational in the very effence of virtuous Love, abftracted from that muddy fenfe we've fo long" been talking of, tho' the Objetion makes it all nothing elfe, "as if the Querist had no notion of any purer Love, and yet concludes against Love in general, " Magnet, either Dead or Living; a fubject indeed fit to be wrote upon by none but a tranfported. Lover, and therefore we muit leave it imperfect till fome fuch hand will give it the finishing ftroke, this being all we fhall further add, that the inconveni which is by no means a fairencies of Love are common to way of arguing. If there's no realon below the Girdle, fure" there's fome above it, or else we are in a worfe condition then "thofe which fome efteem their Fellow-Reafoners, and Fellow"Lovers too, if they love promif"cuously and make it all a matter of fenfe only. The very Mind perceives it is not, nor " can be, in its felf, compleatly "happy; It therefore looks ແ both Sexes, if the Women han't the larger fhare, and that none rail at it but as the Atheists do at Virtue, because they defpair of attaining fo great a Happiness. Q. Pray tell me how that Subftantia Cogitans, which is acknowledg'd to be an immaterial Being, can actuate and move the Body, which is nothing but matter. There's fomething of moment depending on your speedy answer. abroad, coafts about, and fur- A. A fpeedy anfwer is more eafy "veys the whole Creation, as than a fatisfactory one in fuch "the firft Man did, in Innocence, Cafes as thefe, which all acknowto feek for fomething like it, ledge to be infolvable as to any and fuitable to it; It meets at clear or final determination. Tho' laft with fome Inbody'd Soul, we might tell you the Soul "and that it Loves; for wer't the acts upon the Body by the Ani"Body only, 'twou'd love a Car-mal Spirits, which are fancy'd by fome |