ostensibly 'written by a lady,' and
'published by Mr. Steele,' was issued by Jacob Tonson in 1714. It was in
three volumes, each of which had a separate dedication; the first is
addressed to the Countess of Burlington, the second to Mrs. Bovey, a
learned and very beautiful widow, by some supposed to be identical with
Sir Roger de Coverley's obdurate _veuve_, whilst the third, in a strain
of loyal and affectionate eulogy, is to Steele's own wife, who may be
supposed to be depicted in Du Guernier's frontispiece in the first
volume. The 'Ladies' Library' and the _Spectator_ papers assist us
somewhat in forming an opinion as to the most popular books among the
ladies of the earlier part of the last century. The library of the lady
whom Addison visited is described as arranged in a very beautiful order.
'At the end of the folios (which were finely bound and gilt) were great
jars of china, placed one above the other, in a very noble piece of
architecture. The quartos were separated from the octavos by a pile of
smaller vessels, which rose in a delightful pyramid. The octavos were
bounded by tea dishes of all shapes, colours and sizes. . . . That part
of the library designed for the reception of plays and pamphlets was
inclosed in a kind of square, consisting of one of the prettiest
grotesque works that ever I saw, and made up of scaramouches, lions,
monkeys, and a thousand odd figures in chinaware. In the midst of the
room was a little Japan table, with a quire of gilt paper upon it, and
on the paper a silver snuff-box fashioned in the shape of a little
book.' On the upper shelves Addison noticed the presence of a number of
other counterfeit volumes, all the classic authors, and a set of the
Elzevir first editions in wood, only the titles meant to be read. Among
the books Addison mentions are Virgil, Juvenal, Sir Isaac Newton's
works, Locke on 'Human Understanding,' a spelling-book, a dictionary for
the explanation of hard words, Sherlock on 'Death,' 'The Fifteen
Comforts of Matrimony,' Father Malebranche's 'Search after Truth,' 'A
Book of Novels' [? Mrs. Behn's], 'The Academy of Compliments,' 'Clelia,'
'Advice to a Daughter,' 'The New Atalantis' (with key), a Prayer-book
(with a bottle of Hungary water by the side of it), Dr. Sacheverel's
speech, Fielding's Trial, Seneca's 'Morals,' Taylor's 'Holy Living and
Dying,' and La Ferte's 'Instruction for Country Dances,' etc.

[Illustration:

ELIZABETH PINDAR.

God's