[Footnote 1:  Queen Anne’s birthday.  She was born Feb. 6, 1665, and died Aug. 1, 1714, aged 49.]

[Footnote 2:  From January 24 there occasionally appears the advertisement.

  Just Published.

  A very neat Pocket Edition of the SPECTATOR, in two volumes 12mo. 
  Printed for S. Buckley, at the Dolphin, in Little Britain, and J.
  Tonson, at Shakespear’s Head, over-against Catherine-Street in the
  Strand.]

* * * * *

No. 295.  Thursday, February 7, 1712.  Addison.

  Prodiga non sentit pereuntem faemina censum: 
  At velut exhausta redivivus pullulet arca
  Nummus, et e pleno semper tollatur acervo,
  Non unquam reputat quanti sibi gandia constent.

  Juv.

  Mr. SPECTATOR,

I am turned of my great Climacteric, and am naturally a Man of a meek Temper.  About a dozen Years ago I was married, for my Sins, to a young Woman of a good Family, and of an high Spirit; but could not bring her to close with me, before I had entered into a Treaty with her longer than that of the Grand Alliance.  Among other Articles, it was therein stipulated, that she should have L400 a Year for Pin-money, which I obliged my self to pay Quarterly into the hands of one who had acted as her Plenipotentiary in that Affair.  I have ever since religiously observed my part in this solemn Agreement.  Now, Sir, so it is, that the Lady has had several Children since I married her; to which, if I should credit our malicious Neighbours, her Pin-money has not a little contributed.  The Education of these my Children, who, contrary to my Expectation, are born to me every Year, streightens me so much, that I have begged their Mother to free me from the Obligation of the above-mentioned Pin-money, that it may go towards making a Provision for her Family.  This Proposal makes her noble Blood swell in her Veins, insomuch that finding me a little tardy in her last Quarters Payment, she threatens me every Day to arrest me; and proceeds so far as to tell me, that if I do not do her Justice, I shall die in a Jayl.  To this she adds, when her Passion will let her argue calmly, that she has several Play-Debts on her Hand, which must be discharged very suddenly, and that she cannot lose her Money as becomes a Woman of her Fashion, if she makes me any Abatements in this Article.  I hope, Sir, you will take an Occasion from hence to give your Opinion upon a Subject which you have not yet touched, and inform us if there are any Precedents for this Usage among our Ancestors; or whether you find any mention of Pin-money in Grotius, Puffendorf, or any other of the Civilians.

  I am ever
  the humblest of your Admirers,
  Josiah Fribble, Esq.

As there is no Man living who is a more professed Advocate for the Fair Sex than my self, so there is none that would be more unwilling to invade any of their ancient Rights and Privileges; but as the Doctrine of Pin-money is of a very late Date, unknown to our Great Grandmothers, and not yet received by many of our Modern Ladies, I think it is for the Interest of both Sexes to keep it from spreading.