Discourse on the Eye, I could have told you that
the Eye of Leonora is slyly watchful while it
looks negligent: she looks round her without
the Help of the Glasses you speak of, and yet seems
to be employed on Objects directly before her.
This Eye is what affects Chance-medley, and on a
sudden, as if it attended to another thing, turns
all its Charms against an Ogler. The Eye of Lusitania
is an Instrument of premeditated Murder; but the Design
being visible, destroys the Execution of it; and
with much more Beauty than that of Leonora,
it is not half so mischievous. There is a brave
Soldiers Daughter in Town, that by her Eye has been
the Death of more than ever her Father made fly
before him. A beautiful Eye makes Silence eloquent,
a kind Eye makes Contradiction an Assent, an enraged
Eye makes Beauty deformed. This little Member
gives Life to every other Part about us, and I believe
the Story of Argus implies no more than that
the Eye is in every Part, that is to say, every other
Part would be mutilated, were not its Force represented
more by the Eye than even by it self. But this
is Heathen Greek to those who have not conversed
by Glances. This, Sir, is a Language in which
there can be no Deceit, nor can a Skilful Observer
be imposed upon by Looks even among Politicians
and Courtiers. If you do me the Honour to print
this among your Speculations, I shall in my next
make you a Present of Secret History, by Translating
all the Looks of the next Assembly of Ladies and
Gentlemen into Words, to adorn some future Paper.
I am, SIR, Your faithful Friend, Mary Heartfree.
Dear Mr. SPECTATOR, I have a Sot of a Husband that lives a very scandalous Life, and wastes away his Body and Fortune in Debaucheries; and is immoveable to all the Arguments I can urge to him. I would gladly know whether in some Cases a Cudgel may not be allowed as a good Figure of Speech, and whether it may not be lawfully used by a Female Orator. Your humble Servant, Barbara Crabtree.
Mr. SPECTATOR, [2]
Though I am a Practitioner in the Law of some standing, and have heard many eminent Pleaders in my Time, as well as other eloquent Speakers of both Universities, yet I agree with you, that Women are better qualified to succeed in Oratory than the Men, and believe this is to be resolved into natural Causes. You have mentioned only the Volubility of their Tongue; but what do you think of the silent Flattery of their pretty Faces, and the Perswasion which even an insipid Discourse carries with it when flowing from beautiful Lips, to which it would be cruel to deny any thing? It is certain too, that they are possessed of some Springs of Rhetorick which Men want, such as Tears, fainting Fits, and the like, which I have seen employed upon Occasion with good Success. You must know I am a plain Man and love my Money; yet I have a Spouse who is so great an Orator in this Way, that she draws from