fallen into my hands, and which I shall communicate to the reader, as I have done fome other curious pieces of the fame nature, without troubling him with any enquiries about the author of it. It contains a fummary account of two different ftates which bordered upon one another. The one was a commonwealth of Amazons, or women without men; the other was a republic of males that had not a woman in their whole community. As thefe two states bordered upon one another, it was their way, it fees, to meet upon their frontiers at a certain feafon of the year, where thofe among the men who had not made their choice in any former meeting, affociated themselves with particular women, whom they were afterwards obliged to look upon as their wives in every one of thefe yearly rencounters. The children that fprung from this alliance, if males, were fent to their respective fathers; if females, continued with their mothers. By means of this anniverfary carnival, which lafted about a week, the commonwealths were recruited from time to time, and supplied with their respective subjects.

These two states were engaged together in a perpetual league, offenfive and defenfive; fo that if any foreign poten. tate offered to attack either of them, both the fexes fell upon him at once, and quickly brought him to reafon. It was remarkable, that for many ages this agreement continued inviolable between the two fates, notwithstanding, as was faid before, they were hufbands and wives: but this will not appear fo wonderful, if we confider that they did not live together above a week in a year. In the account which my author gives of the male republic, there were feveral Cultoms very remarkable, The men

never shaved their beards, or pared their nails, above once in a twelvemonth, which was probably about the time of the great annual meeting upon their frontiers. I find the name of a minifter of state in one part of their hiftory, who was fined for appearing too frequently in clean linen; and of a certain great general who was turned out of his poft for effeminacy, it having been proved upon him by feveral credible witneffes that he washed his face every morning. If any member of the commonwealth had a foft voice, a fmooth face, or a fupple behaviour, he was banished into the commonwealth of females, where he was treated as a flave, dreffed in petticoats, and fet a fpinning. They had no titles of honour among them, but fuch as denoted fome bodily ftrength or perfection, as fuch an one the tall, fuch an one the frocky, fuch an one the gruff. Their public debates were generally managed with kicks and cuffs, infoinuch that they often came from the counciltable with broken fhins, black eyes, and bloody nofes. When they would reproach a man in the most bitter terms, they would tell him his teeth were white, or that he had a fair skin and a foft hand. The greatest man I meet with in their hiftory was one who could lift five hundred weight, and wore fuch a prodigious, pair of whiskers as had never been seen in the commonwealth before his time. Thefe accomplishments it seems had rendered him fo popular, that if he had not died very seasonably, it is thought he might have enflaved the republic. Having made this fhort extract out of the hiftory of the male commonwealth, I shall look into the hiftory of the neighbouring ftate which contfted of females, and if I find any thing in it, will not fail to communicate it to the public.

VIRG. N. XI. v. 66q..

DRYDEN.

manufcript I mentioned in my yesterday's paper, fo far as it relates to the republic of women, I find in it itveral particulars which may very ́well

deferve the reader's attention.

The girls of quality, from fix to twelve years old, were put to public fchools, where they learned to box and play at cudgels, with feveral other accomplishments of the fame nature; fo that nothing was more ufual than to fee a little mils returning home at night with a broken pate, or two or three teeth knocked out of her head, They were afterwards taught to ride the great horfe, to fhoot, dart, or fling, and lift. ed into feveral companies, in order to perfect themselves in military exercifes. No woman was to be married until the had killed her man. The ladies of fafhion used to play with young lions in ftead of lap-dogs; and when they made any parties of diverfion, inftead of entertaining themselves at ombre and piquet, they would wrettle and pitch the bar for a whole afternoon together. There was never any fuch thing as a blush feen, or a figh heard, in the commonwealth. The women never dreffed but to look terrible, to which end they would fometimes after a battle paint their cheeks with the blood of their enemies. For this reafon likewife the face which had the moft fcars was looked upon as the most beautiful. If they found lace, jewels, ribbands, or any ornaments in filver or gold, among the

to drefs their horfes with it, but never entertained a thought of wearing it themfelves. There were particular rights and privileges allowed to any member of the commonwealth who was a mother of three daughters. The fenate was made up of old women; for by the laws of the country none was to be a counsellor of ftate that was not paft child bearing. They used to boat their republic had continued four thousand years, which is altogether improbable, unless we may fuppofe, what I am very apt to think, that they meafured their time by lunar years.

There was a great revolution brought about in his female republic, by means of a neighbouring king, who had made war upon them feveral years with various fuccefs, and at length overthrew them in a very great battle. This defeat they afcribe to feveral caufes; fome fay that the fecretary of state having been troubled with the vapours, had committed fome fatal mistakes in feveral difpatches about that time. Others pretend, that the first minifter being big with child, could not attend the public affairs, as fo great an exigency of state required; but this I can give no manner of credit to, fince it seems to contradict a fundamental maxim in their government, which I have before mentioned. My author gives the moit probable reason of this great difafter; för he affirms that the general was brought to bed, or (as others fay) mifcarried the very night before the battle; however it

was,

was, this fignal overthrow obliged them to call in the male republic to their affiftance; but notwithhanding their com mon efforts to repulfe the victorious enemy, the war continued for many years before they could entirely bring it to a happy conclufion.

The campaigns which both fexes paffed together, made them fo well acquainted with one another, that at the end of the war they did not care for parting. In the beginning of it they lodged in feparate camps, but afterwards, as they grew more familiar, they pitched their tents promifcuoufly.

From this time, the armies being checktred with both fexes, they polished apace. The men used to invite their fellow-foldiers into their quarters, and would drefs their tents with flowers and boughs for their reception. If they chanced to like one more than another, they would be cutting her name in the table, or chalking out her figure upon the wall, or talking of her in a kind of rapturous language, which by degrees improved into verfe and fonnet. Thefe were as the first rudiments of architecture, painting and poetry, among this favage people., After any advantage over the enemy, both fexes used to jump together and make a clattering with their fwords and fhields, for joy, which in a few years produced feveral regular tunes and fet dances. As the two armies romped on thefe occafions, the women complained of the thick bufhy beards and long nails of their confederates, who thereupon took care to prune themfelves into fuch figures as

were most pleafing to their female friends and allies.

When they had taken any spoils from the enemy, the men would make a prefent of every thing that was rich and fhowy to the women whom they most admired, and would frequently drefs the necks, or heads, or arms, of their miftreffes, with any thing which they thought appeared gay or pretty. The women obferving that the men took delight in looking upon them, when they were adorned with fuch trappings and gewgaws, fet their heads to work to find out new inventions, and to outfhine one another in all councils of war or the like folemn meetings. On the other hand, the men obferving how the women's hearts were fet upon finery, began to embellish themfelves, and look as agreeable as they could in the eyes of their affociates. In short, after a few years converfing together, the women had learnt to smile, and the men to ogle, the women grew foft, and the men lively.

When they had thus infenfibly formed one another, upon finishing of the war, which concluded with an intire conqueft of their common enemy, the colonels in one army married the colonels in another; the captains in the fame manner took the captains to their wives: the whole body of common foldiers were matched, after the example of their leaders. By this means the two republics incorporated with one another, and became the most flourishing and polite government in the part of the world which they inhabited.

Mi

OST of the papers I give the pub. lic are written on fubjects that never vary, but are for ever fixt and immutable. Of this kind are all my more ferious effays and difcourfes; but there is another fort of fpeculations, which I confider as occafional papers, that take their rife from the folly, extravagance, and caprice, of the prefent age. For I look upon myself as one fet to watch the

OVID. MET. L. IV. V. 378%

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the coloured hood the very first time it appeared in a public affembly. I might here mention feveral other the like contingent fubje&s, upon which I have bestowed distinct papers. By this means I have fo effectually quashed thofe irregularities which gave occafion to them, that I am afraid pofterity will fearce have a fufficient idea of them to relifh thofe difcourfes which were in no little vogue at the time when they were written. They will be apt to think that the fashions and cuftoms I attacked were fome fantaftic conceits of my own, and that their great grandmothers could not be fo whimsical as I have reprefented them. For this reafon, when I think on the figure my several volumes of fpeculations will make about a hundred years hence, I confider them as fo many pieces of old plate, where the weight will be regarded, but the fashion loft.

Among the feveral female extravagancies I have already taken notice of, there is one which till keeps it's ground. I mean that of the ladies who dreis themfelves in a hat and feather, a riding-coat and a periwig, or at least tie up their hair in a bag or ribbon, in imitation of the fmart part of the oppofite fex. As in my yesterday's paper gave an account of the mixture of two fexes in one commonwealth, I fhall here take notice of this mixture of two fexes in one perion. I have already thewn my diflike of this immodest custom more than once; but in contempt of every thing I have hitherto faid, I am informed that the highways about this great city are still very much infefted with thefe female cavaliers.

I remember when I was at my friend Sir Roger de Coverly's about this time twelvemonth, an equerian lady of this order appeared upon the plains which lay at a distance from his houfe.

I was

at that time walking in the fields with my old friend; and as his tenants ran cut on every fide to fee fo ftrange a sight, Sir Roger afked one of them who came by us what it was? To which the country fellow replied, It is a gentlewoman, faving your worship's prefence, in a coat and hat. This produced a great deal of mirth at the knight's house, where we had a flory at the fame time of another of his tenants, who meeting this gentleman-like lady on the highway, was alked by her whether that was Coverleyball? The honeft man feeing only the male part of the querit, replied,

Yes

Sir;' but upon the itcond question,

whether Sir Roger de Coverley was a married man, having dropped his eye upon the petticoat, he changed his note into No, Madam."

Had one of thefe hermaphrodites appeared in Juvenal's days, with what an indignation fhould we have feen her defcribed by that excellent fatirift? He would have represented her in a riding-habit, as a greater monter than the centaur. He would have called for facrifices of purifying waters, to expiate the appearance of fuch a prodigy. He would have invoked the fhades of Portia or Lucretia, to fee into what the Roman ladies had transformed themselves.

For my own part, I am for treating the fex with greater tenderness, and have all along made ufe of the most gentle methods to bring them off from any little extravagance into which they are fometimes unwarily. fallen: I think it however abfolutely neceffary to keep up the partition between the two fexes, and to take notice of the fmaileft incroachments which the one makes upon the other. I hope therefore that I shall not hear any more complaints on this fubject. I am fure my the-difciples who perufe thefe my daily lectures, have profited but little by them, if they are capable of giv ing into fuch an amphibious drefs. This I fhould not have mentioned, had not I lately met one of thefe my female readers in Hyde-park, who looked upon me with a mafculine affurance, and cocked her hat full in my face.

For my part, I have one general key to the behaviour of the fair fex. When I Lethem fingular in any part of their drefs, I conclude it is not without fome evil intention; and therefore question not but the defign of this ftrange fashion is to fmite more effectually their male beholders. Now to fet them right in this particular, I would fain have them confider with themselves, whether we are not more likely to be ftruck by a figure entirely female, than with fuch an one as we may fee every day in our glaffes: or, if they please, let them reflect upon their own hearts, and think how they would be affeed fhould they meet a man oa herfeback, in his breechend jack-bucts, and at the fame time u Þd up in a commode and a night

his fashion was from France, a

I must obferve first of all brought country which has infected all the nations of Europe with it's levity. I fpeak not this in derogation of a whole people, hav

EING a perfon of infatiable cu

on Wednesday last to a place of no finall renown for the gallantry of the lower order of Britons, namely, to the beargarden at Hockley in, the Hole; where, as a whitish brown paper, put into my hands in the freet, informed me, there was to be a trial of skill exhibited between two masters of the noble science of defence, at two of the clock precitely, I was not a little charmed with the folemnity of the challenge, which ran thus: I Jaines Miller, Serjeant, lately ‹ come from the frontiers of Portugal, mafter of the noble fcience of defence, hearing in moft places where I have • been of the great fame of Timothy Buck, of London, mafter of the faid fcience, do invite him to meet me, and exercife at the feveral weapons follow⚫ing, viz. 'Back-fword,

'Single falchion, Sword and dagger, Cafe of falchions, 'Sword and buckler, Quarter-staff.`

If the generous ardour in James Miller to dispute the reputation of Timothy Buck, had fomething refembling the old heroes of romance, Timothy Buck returned anfwer in the fame paper with the like fpirit, adding a little indignation at being challenged, and teeming to condefcend to fight James Miller, not in regard to Miller himself, but in that, as the fame went about, he had fought Parkes, of Coventry. The acceptance of the combat ran in thefe words:

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I Timothy Buck, of Clare-market, mafter of the noble fcience of defence, hearing he did fight Mr. Parkes, of Coventry, will not fail, God willing, to meet this fair inviter at the time and place appointed, defiring a clear ftage and no favour. • Vivat Regina.

I shall not here look back on the spectacles of the Greeks and Romans of this kind, but must believe this cuftom took it's rife from the ages of knight-errantry; from thofe who loved one woman fo well, that they hated all men and women else; from thofe who would fight you, whether you were or were not of their mind; from thofe who demanded the combat of their contemporaries, both for admiring their mistress or difcommending her. I cannot therefore but lament, that the terrible part of the ancient fight is preferved, when the amorous fide of it is barity, but loft the gallantry of the old forgotten. We have retained the barcombatants. I could with, methinks, thefe gentlemen had confulted me in the promulgation of the conflict. I was obliged by a fair young maid whom I understood to be called Elizabeth Preston, daughter of the keeper of the garden, with a glass of water; whom I imagined might have been, for form's fake, the general reprefentative of the lady fought for, and from her beauty the proper Amaryllis on thefe occafions. It would have ran better in the challenge, [ James Millery Sersant, who have.tra• velled

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