their Watches after a long Visit) they all of them
hasten to their Arms, catch them up in a Hurry,
and place themselves in their proper Stations upon
my calling out Recover your Fans. This
Part of the Exercise is not difficult, provided
a Woman applies her Thoughts to it.
The Fluttering of the Fan is the
last, and indeed the Master-piece of the whole Exercise;
but if a Lady does not mis-spend her Time, she may
make herself Mistress of it in three Months. I
generally lay aside the Dog-days and the hot Time
of the Summer for the teaching this Part of the
Exercise; for as soon as ever I pronounce Flutter
your Fans, the Place is fill’d with so
many Zephyrs and gentle Breezes as are very refreshing
in that Season of the Year, tho’ they might
be dangerous to Ladies of a tender Constitution in
any other.
There is an infinite Variety of Motions
to be made use of in the Flutter of a Fan.
There is the angry Flutter, the modest Flutter, the
timorous Flutter, the confused Flutter, the merry Flutter,
and the amorous Flutter. Not to be tedious,
there is scarce any Emotion in the Mind [which [3]]
does not produce a suitable Agitation in the Fan;
insomuch, that if I only see the Fan of a disciplin’d
Lady, I know very well whether she laughs, frowns,
or blushes. I have seen a Fan so very angry,
that it would have been dangerous for the absent Lover
[who [3]] provoked it to have come within the Wind
of it; and at other times so very languishing, that
I have been glad for the Lady’s sake the Lover
was at a sufficient Distance from it. I need not
add, that a Fan is either a Prude or Coquet according
to the Nature of the Person [who [3]] bears it.
To conclude my Letter, I must acquaint you that I
have from my own Observations compiled a little Treatise
for the use of my Scholars, entitled The Passions
of the Fan; which I will communicate to you,
if you think it may be of use to the Publick.
I shall have a general Review on Thursday
next; to which you shall be very welcome if you
will honour it with your Presence. I am, &c.
P. S. I teach young Gentlemen
the whole Art of Gallanting a Fan.’
N. B. I have several little
plain Fans made for this Use, to avoid
Expence.’
[Footnote 1: that]
[Footnote 2: is]
[Footnotes 3: that]
* * * *
*
No. 103. Thursday, June 28, 1711.
Steele.
’...
Sibi quivis
Speret
idem frusta sudet frustraque laboret
Ausus
idem ...’
Hor.
