you begin with them, and go on to take Notice of
a most impertinent Licence married Women take, not
only to be very loving to their Spouses in Publick,
but also make nauseous Allusions to private Familiarities,
and the like. Lucina is a Lady of the greatest
Discretion, you must know, in the World; and withal
very much a Physician: Upon the Strength of
these two Qualities there is nothing she will not speak
of before us Virgins; and she every Day talks with
a very grave Air in such a Manner, as is very improper
so much as to be hinted at but to obviate the greatest
Extremity. Those whom they call good Bodies,
notable People, hearty Neighbours, and the purest
goodest Company in the World, are the great Offenders
in this Kind. Here I think I have laid before
you an open Field for Pleasantry; and hope you will
shew these People that at least they are not witty:
In which you will save from many a Blush a daily
Sufferer, who is very much
Your most humble Servant,
Susanna Loveworth.
Mr. SPECTATOR,
In yours of Wednesday the 30th past, you and your Correspondent are very severe on a sort of Men, whom you call Male Coquets; but without any other Reason, in my Apprehension, than that of paying a shallow Compliment to the fair Sex, by accusing some Men of imaginary Faults, that the Women may not seem to be the more faulty Sex; though at the same time you suppose there are some so weak as to be imposed upon by fine Things and false Addresses. I cant persuade my self that your Design is to debar the Sexes the Benefit of each others Conversation within the Rules of Honour; nor will you, I dare say, recommend to em, or encourage the common Tea-Table Talk, much less that of Politicks and Matters of State: And if these are forbidden Subjects of Discourse, then, as long as there are any Women in the World who take a Pleasure in hearing themselves praised, and can bear the Sight of a Man prostrate at their Feet, so long I shall make no Wonder that there are those of the other Sex who will pay them those impertinent Humiliations. We should have few People such Fools as to practise Flattery, if all were so wise as to despise it. I don’t deny but you would do a meritorious Act, if you could prevent all Impositions on the Simplicity of young Women; but I must confess I don’t apprehend you have laid the Fault on the proper Person, and if I trouble you with my Thoughts upon it I promise my self your Pardon. Such of the Sex as are raw and innocent, and most exposed to these Attacks, have, or their Parents are much to blame if they have not, one to advise and guard em, and are obliged themselves to take Care of em: but if these, who ought to hinder Men from all Opportunities of this sort of Conversation, instead of that encourage and promote it, the Suspicion is very just that there are some private Reasons for it; and Ill leave it to you to determine on which Side a Part is then acted. Some Women there are who are arrived