the understanding I have, passive of
all that goes through it, without entering into the business of life.
And thus, madam, have I arrived by laziness, to what others pretend to
by devotion, a perfect neglect of the world." Sure, if our sex had the
liberty of frequenting public-houses and conversations, we should put
these rivals of our faults and follies out of countenance. However, we
shall soon have the pleasure of being acquainted with them one way or
other, for my brother Isaac designs, for the use of our sex, to give the
exact characters of all the chief politicians who frequent any of the
coffee-houses from St. James's to the Change; but designs to begin with
that cluster of wise heads, as they are found sitting every evening,
from the left side of the fire, at the Smyrna,[165] to the door. This
will be of great service for us, and I have authority to promise an
exact journal of their deliberations; the publication of which I am to
be allowed for pin-money. In the meantime, I cast my eye upon a new
book, which gave me a more pleasing entertainment, being a sixth part of
"Miscellany Poems," published by Jacob Tonson,[166] which I find, by my
brother's notes upon it, no way inferior to the other volumes. There
are, it seems, in this, a collection of the best pastorals that have
hitherto appeared in England; but among them, none superior to that
dialogue between Sylvia and Dorinda, written by one of my own sex,[167]
where all our little weaknesses are laid open in a manner more just,
and with, truer raillery than ever man yet hit upon.

_Only this I now discern.
From the things thou'st have me learn;
That womankind's peculiar joys
From past or present beauties rise._

But to reassume my first design, there cannot be a greater instance of
the command of females, than in the prevailing charms of the heroine in
the play which was acted this night, called "All for Love; or, The World
Well Lost."[168] The enamoured Antony resigns glory and power to the
force of the attractive Cleopatra, whose charms were the defence of her
diadem, against a people otherwise invincible. It is so natural for
women to talk of themselves, that it is to be hoped all my own sex, at
least, will pardon me, that I could fall into no other discourse. If we
have their favour, we give ourselves very little anxiety for the rest of
our readers. I believe I see a sentence of Latin in my brother's
day-book of wit, which seems applicabl