Meddle, who is a confidant or spy
upon all the passions in the town, and she will tell you that the
whole is a game of cross purposes. The lover is generally pursuing
one who is in pursuit of another, and running from one that desires
to meet him. Nay, the nature of this passion is so justly
represented in a squinting little thief (who is always in a double
action) that do but observe Clarissa next time you see her, and you
will find when her eyes have made the soft tour round the company,
they make no stay on him they say she is to marry, but rest two
seconds of a minute on Wildair, who neither looks nor thinks of
her, or any woman else. However, Cynthio had a bow from her the
other day, upon which he is very much come to himself; and I heard
him send his man of an errand yesterday without any manner of
hesitation; a quarter of an hour after which he reckoned twenty,
remembered he was to sup with a friend, and went exactly to his
appointment."
All the love-making in "The Tatler" is of a very correct description.
Marriage is nowhere despised or ridiculed, though suggestions are made
for composing the troubles which sometimes accompany it:--
"A young gentleman of great estate fell desperately in love with a
great beauty of very high quality, but as ill-natured as long
flattery and an habitual self-will could make her.
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