"
Sometimes correspondents ask advice as to which of several lovers they
should choose. The following applicants have a different grievances.
"Gentlemen.--There are no less than sixty ladies of us, all neighbours,
dwelling in the same village, that are now arrived at those years at
which we expect (if ever) to be caressed and adored, or, at least
flattered. We have often heard of the attempts of whining lovers; of the
charming poems they had composed in praise of their mistresses' wit and
beauty (tho' they have not had half so much of either of them as the
meanest in our company), of the passions of their love, and that death
itself had presently followed upon a denial. But we find now that the
men, especially of our village, are so dull and lumpish, so languid and
indifferent, that we are almost forced to put words into their mouths,
and when they have got them they have scarce spirit to utter them. So
that we are apt to fear it will be the fate of all of us, as it is
already of some, to live to be old maids. Now the thing, Gentlemen, that
we desire of you is, that, if possible, you would let us understand the
reason why the case is so mightily altered from what it was formerly;
for our experience is so vastly different from what we have heard, that
we are ready to believe that all the stories we have heard of lovers and
their mistresses are fictions and mere banter.
Pages:
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48