le, Temple, Evans and Meredith.

[Footnote 355: See Nos. 79, 140; and Swift's "Journal to Stella," Nov.
3, 1711. A correspondent begged the _Spectator_ (No. 344) to "take
notice of an impertinent custom the women, the fine women, have lately
fallen into, of taking snuff."]

[Footnote 356: It has been suggested that Steele here alludes to Mrs. De
la Riviere Manley.]

[Footnote 357: Lord Hinchinbroke married Elizabeth, only daughter of
Alexander Popham, Esq. See Nos. 1, 5, 22.]

[Footnote 358: This was one of Steele's own letters to Miss Scurlock.
(See "Correspondence," 1809, vol. i. p. 93.) "Mrs. Lucy" is "Mrs.
Warren" in the original.]

[Footnote 359: "Hamlet," act iii. sc. 2.]

[Footnote 360: See No. 32.]

[Footnote 361: This letter is printed in Scott's edition of Swift's
works.]

[Footnote 362: See No. II.]

No. 36. [? STEELE.[363]

By Mrs. JENNY DISTAFF, half-sister to Mr. BICKERSTAFF.

From _Thursday, June 30_, to _Saturday, July 2_, 1709.

* * * * *

From our own Apartment, June 30.

Many affairs calling my brother into the country, the care of our
intelligence with the town is left to me for some time; therefore you
must expect the advices you meet with in this paper to be such as more
immediately and naturally fall under the consideration of our sex:
history therefore written by a woman, you will easily imagine to consist
of love in all its forms, both in the abuse of, and obedience to that
passion. As to the faculty of writing itself, it will not, it is hoped,
be demanded, that style and ornament shall be so much consulted, as
truth and simplicity; which latter qualities we may more justly pretend
to beyond the other sex. While therefore the administration of our
affairs is in my hands, you shall from time to time have an exact
account of all false lovers, and their shallow pretences for breaking
off; of all termagant wives who make wedlock a yoke; of men who affect
the entertainments and manners suitable only to our sex, and women who
pretend to the conduct of such affairs as are only within the province
of men. It is necessary further to advertise the reader, that the usual
places of resort being utterly out of my province or observation, I
shall be obliged frequently to change the dates of places, as
occurrences come into my way. The following letter I lately received
from Epsom.[364]

Epsom, June 28.

"It is now almost three weeks since what