me to some Tansy in the Eye of all the Gentlemen
in the Country: She has certainly the finest Hand
of any Woman in the World. I can assure you,
Sir, were you to behold her, you would be in the
same Condition; for as her Speech is Musick, her Form
is Angelick. But I find I grow irregular while
I am talking of her; but indeed it would be Stupidity
to be unconcerned at such Perfection. Oh the
excellent Creature, she is as inimitable to all Women,
as she is inaccessible to all Men.’
I found my Friend begin to rave, and insensibly led
him towards the House, that we might be joined by
some other Company; and am convinced that the Widow
is the secret Cause of all that Inconsistency which
appears in some Parts of my Friend’s Discourse;
tho’ he has so much Command of himself as not
directly to mention her, yet according to that of
Martial, which one knows not how to render in
English, Dum facet hanc loquitur. I shall
end this Paper with that whole Epigram, [3] which
represents with much Humour my honest Friend’s
Condition.
Quicquid agit Rufus nihil est nisi
Naevia Rufo,
Si gaudet, si flet, si tacet,
hanc loquitur:
Coenat, propinat, poscit, negat, annuit,
una est
Naevia; Si non sit Naevia
mutus erit.
Scriberet hesterna Patri cum Luce Salutem,
Naevia lux, inquit, Naevia
lumen, ave.
Let Rufus weep, rejoice, stand,
sit, or walk,
Still he can nothing but of Naevia
talk;
Let him eat, drink, ask Questions, or
dispute,
Still he must speak of Naevia,
or be mute.
He writ to his Father, ending with this
Line,
I am, my Lovely Naevia, ever thine.
[Footnote 1: Mrs Catherine Boevey, widow of William
Boevey, Esq., who was left a widow at the age of 22,
and died in January, 1726, has one of the three volumes
of the Lady’s Library dedicated to her by Steele
in terms that have been supposed to imply resemblance
between her and the ‘perverse widow;’
as being both readers, &c. Mrs Boevey is said
also to have had a Confidant (Mary Pope) established
in her household. But there is time misspent
in all these endeavours to reduce to tittle-tattle
the creations of a man of genius.]
[Footnote 2: ride]
[Footnote 3: Bk. I. Ep. 69.]
* * * *
*
No. 114. Wednesday, July 11,
1711. Steele.
‘...
Paupertatis pudor et fuga ...’
Hor.
Oeconomy in our Affairs has the same Effect upon our
Fortunes which Good Breeding has upon our Conversations.
There is a pretending Behaviour in both Cases, which,
instead of making Men esteemed, renders them both
miserable and contemptible. We had Yesterday at
SIR ROGER’S a Set of Country Gentlemen who dined
with him; and after Dinner the Glass was taken, by
those who pleased, pretty plentifully. Among others
