among us who fight thus regularly, I am to complain to you of a Set of Familiar Romps, who have broken thro’ all common Rules, and have thought of a very effectual way of shewing more Charms than all of us.  These, Mr. SPECTATOR, are the Swingers.  You are to know these careless pretty Creatures are very Innocents again; and it is to be no matter what they do, for ’tis all harmless Freedom.  They get on Ropes, as you must have seen the Children, and are swung by their Men Visitants.  The Jest is, that Mr. such a one can name the Colour of Mrs. Such-a-one’s Stockings; and she tells him, he is a lying Thief, so he is, and full of Roguery; and she’ll lay a Wager, and her Sister shall tell the Truth if he says right, and he can’t tell what Colour her Garters are of.  In this Diversion there are very many pretty Shrieks, not so much for fear of falling, as that their Petticoats shou’d untye:  For there is a great care had to avoid Improprieties; and the Lover who swings the Lady, is to tye her Clothes very close with his Hatband, before she admits him to throw up her Heels.

’Now, Mr.  SPECTATOR, except you can note these Wantonnesses in their Beginnings, and bring us sober Girls into Observation, there is no help for it, we must swim with the Tide; the Coquets are too powerful a Party for us.  To look into the Merit of a regular and well-behav’d Woman, is a slow thing.  A loose trivial Song gains the Affections, when a wise Homily is not attended to.  There is no other way but to make war upon them, or we must go over to them.  As for my Part, I will shew all the World it is not for want of Charms that I stand so long unasked; and if you do not take measures for the immediate Redress of us Rigids, as the Fellows call us, I can move with a speaking Mien, can look significantly, can lisp, can trip, can loll, can start, can blush, can rage, can weep, if I must do it, and can be frighted as agreeably as any She in England.  All which is humbly submitted to your Spectatorial Consideration with all Humility, by

  Your most humble Servant,

  Matilda Mohair.

T.

* * * * *

No. 493.  Thursday, September 25, 1712.  Steele.

  ’Qualem commendes etiam atque etiam adspice, ne mox
  Incutiant aliena tibi peccata pudorem.’

  Hor.

It is no unpleasant matter of Speculation to consider the recommendatory Epistles that pass round this Town from Hand to Hand, and the abuse People put upon one another in that kind.  It is indeed come to that pass, that instead of being the Testimony of Merit in the Person recommended, the true reading of a Letter of this sort is,