some Nymph, under the pretence of following a Chace more innocent.  Under this Suspicion she hid herself among the Trees, to observe his Motions.  While she lay conceal’d, her Husband, tired with the Labour of Hunting, came within her hearing.  As he was fainting with Heat, he cried out, Aura veni; Oh charming Air approach.

’The unfortunate Wife, taking the Word Air to be the name of a Woman, began to move among the Bushes; and the Husband believing it a Deer, threw his Javelin and kill’d her.  This History painted on a Fan, which I presented to a Lady, gave occasion to my growing poetical.

    ’Come gentle Air! th’_ AEolian Shepherd said,
    While Procris panted in the secret Shade;
    Come gentle Air! the fairer Delia cries,
    While at her Feet her Swain expiring lies. 
    Lo the glad Gales o’er all her Beauties stray,
    Breathe on her Lips, and in her Bosom play. 
    In Delia’s Hand this Toy is fatal found,
    Nor did that fabled Dart more surely wound. 
    Both Gifts destructive to the Givers prove,
    Alike both Lovers fall by those they love: 
    Yet guiltless too this bright Destroyer lives,
    At random wounds, nor knows the Wound she gives. 
    She views the Story with attentive Eyes,
    And pities Procris, while her Lover dies.’

[Footnote 1:  This second letter and the verses were from Pope.]

* * * * *

No. 528.  Wednesday, November 5, 1712.  Steele.

  ‘Dum potuit solite gemitum virtute repressit.’

  Ovid.

  Mr.  SPECTATOR,

’I who now write to you, am a Woman loaded with Injuries, and the Aggravation of my Misfortune is, that they are such which are overlooked by the Generality of Mankind, and tho’ the most afflicting imaginable, not regarded as such in the general Sense of the World.  I have hid my Vexation from all Mankind; but have now taken Pen, Ink, and Paper, and am resolv’d to unbosom my self to you, and lay before you what grieves me and all the Sex.  You have very often mentioned particular Hardships done to this or that Lady; but, methinks, you have not in any one Speculation directly pointed at the partial Freedom Men take, the unreasonable Confinement Women are obliged to, in the only Circumstance in which we are necessarily to have a Commerce with them, that of Love.  The Case of Celibacy is the great Evil of our Nation; and the Indulgence of the vicious Conduct of Men in that State, with the Ridicule to which Women are exposed, though ever so virtuous, if long unmarried, is the Root of the greatest Irregularities of this Nation.  To shew you, Sir, that tho’ you never have given us the Catalogue of a Lady’s Library as you promised, we read good Books of our own chusing, I shall insert on this occasion a Paragraph or two out of Echard’s