The following letter is a very natural exemplification of what I have here advanced. I have called it the battle of Eyes, as it brought to my mind several combats of the same nature, which I have formerly had with Mrs. Ann Page. 'SWEET MR. MYRTLE, 'I have for some time been sorely smitten by Mrs. Lucy", who is a maiden lady in the twenty-eighth year of her age. She has so much of the coquette in her, that it supplies the place of youth, and still keeps up the girl in her aspect and behaviour. o She has found out the art of making me believe that I have the first place in her affection, and yet so puzzles me by a double tongue, and an ambiguous look, that about once a fortnight I fancy I have quite lost her. I was the other night at the opera, where seeing a place in the second row of the Queen's box kept by Mrs. Lucy's livery", I placed my self in the pit directly over-against her footman, being determined to ogle her most passionately all that evening. I had not taken my stand there above a quarter of an hour, when enter Mrs. Lucy. At her first coming in I expected she would have cast her eye o upon her humble servant; but, instead of that, after having dropped curtsy after curtsy to her friends in the boxes, she began to deal her salutes about the pit in the same liberal manner. Although I stood in the full point of view, and, as I thought, made a better figure than any body about me, she slid her eye over me, curtsied to the right and to the left, and would not see me for the space of three minutes. I fretted inwardly to find myself thus openly affronted on every side, and was resolved to let her know my resentments by the first opportunity. This happened soon after; for Mrs. Lucy looking upon o me, as tho' she had but just discovered me, she begun to sink in the first offer to a curtsy; upon which, instead of making her any return, I cocked my nose, and stared at the Upper Gallery; and immediately after raising myself on tiptoe, stretched out my neck, and bowed to a lady who sate just behind her. I found, by my coquette's behaviour, that she was not a little nettled at this my civility, which passed over her head. She looked as pale as ashes, fell a talking with one that sat next her, and broke out into several forced smiles and fits of laughter, which I dare say there was no manner of occasion for. Being resolved to push my success, I cast my eye through the whole circle of beauties, and made my bow to every one that I knew, and to several whom I never saw before in my life. Things were thus come to an open rupture, when the curtain rising, I was forced to face about. I had not sat down long, but my heart relented, and gave me several girds and twitches for the barbarous treatment which I had shewn to Mrs. Lucy. I longed to see the Act ended, and to make reparation for what I had done. At the first rising of the au10 dience, between the Acts, our eyes met; but as mine begun to offer a parley, the hard-hearted slut conveyed her self behind an old lady in such a manner, that she was concealed from me for several moments. This gave me new matter of indignation, and I begun to fancy I had lost her for ever. While I was in this perplexity of thought, Mrs. Lucy lifted herself up from behind the lady who shadowed her, and peeped at me over her right shoulder: nay, madam, thinks I to myself, if those are your tricks, I will give you as good as you bring; upon which I withdrew, in a great passion, behind a tall broad shouldered 20 fellow, who was very luckily placed before me. I here lay Incog. for at least three seconds; snug was the word "; but being very uneasy in that situation, I again emerged into open candle-light, when looking for Mrs. Lucy, I could see nothing but the old woman, who screened her for the remaining part of the interlude. I was then forced to sit down to the second Act, being very much agitated and tormented in mind. I was terribly afraid that she had discovered my uneasiness, as well knowing, that if she caught me at such an advantage, she would use me like a dog". For this reason I was resolved to play the 30 indifferent upon her at my next standing up. The second Act, therefore, was no sooner finished, but I fastened my eye upon a young woman who sat at the further end of the boxes, whispering at the same time, to one who was near me, with an air of pleasure and admiration. I gazed upon her a long time, when stealing a glance at Mrs. Lucy, with a design to see how she took it, I found her face was turned another way, and that she was examining, from head to foot, a young well-dressed rascal who stood behind her. This cut me to the quick, and notwithstanding I tossed back my wig, rapped my snuff box, 40 displayed my handkerchief, and at last cracked a jest with an orange wench to attract her eye, she persisted in her confounded ogle, till Mrs. Robinson came upon the stage to my relief. I now sat down sufficiently mortified, and determined, at the end of the Opera, to make my submission in the most humble manner. Accordingly, rising up, I put on a sneaking penitential look, but, to my unspeakable confusion, found her back turned upon me. 'I had now nothing left for it but to make amends for all by handing her to her chair. I bustled through the crowd, and to got to her box-door as soon as possible, when, to my utter confusion, the young puppy, I have been telling you of before, bolted out upon me with Mrs. Lucy in his hand. I could not have started back with greater precipitation if I had met a ghost. The malicious gipsy took no notice of me, but turning aside her head said something to her dog of a gentleman usher, with a smile that went to my heart. I could not sleep all night for it, and the next morning wrote the following letter to her. 666 MADAM, ""I protest I meant nothing by what passed last night, and 20 beg you will put the most candid interpretation upon my looks and actions; for however my eyes may wander, there is none but Mrs. Lucy who has the entire possession of my heart. ""I am, Madam, 666 ""Your most unalienable, and most humble servant, ""TOM WHIFFLE." 'And now, Sir, what do you think was her answer? Why, to 30 give you a true notion of her, and that you may guess at all her cursed tricks by this one-Here it is. "MR. WHIFfle, ""I am very much surprised to hear you talk of anything that passed between us last night, when to the best of my remembrance I have not seen you these three days. Lover, No. 7.] 666 ""L. T."' [March 11, 1714. No. 86. On a Fine Lady at Church. Deleo omnes dehinc ex animo mulieres. 'MR. SPECTATOR, 'You have often mentioned with great vehemence and indignation the misbehaviour of people at church"; but I am at present to talk to you on that subject, and complain to you of one, whom at the same time I know not what to accuse of, except it be looking too well there, and diverting the eyes of the congregation to that one object. However, I have this to say, that she might have stayed at her own parish, and not come to perplex those who are otherwise intent upon their 10 duty. 'Last Sunday was sevennight I went into a church not far from London-bridge; but I wish I had been contented to go to my own parish, I am sure it had been better for me; I say I went to church thither, and got into a pew very near the pulpit. I had hardly been accommodated with a seat, before there entered into the aisle a young lady in the very bloom of youth and beauty, and dressed in the most elegant manner imaginable. Her form was such that it engaged the eyes of the whole congregation in an instant, and mine among the rest. Though we 20 were all thus fixed upon her, she was not in the least out of countenance, or under the least disorder, though unattended by any one, and not seeming to know particularly where to place herself. However, she had not in the least a confident aspect, but moved on with the most graceful modesty, every one making way until she came to a seat just over against that in which I was placed. The deputy of the ward sat in that pew, and she stood opposite to him, and at a glance into the seat, though she did not appear the least acquainted with the gentleman, was let in, with a confusion that spoke much admiration at the novelty 30 of the thing. The service immediately began, and she composed herself for it with an air of so much goodness and sweetness, that the confession which she uttered, so as to be heard where I sat, appeared an act of humiliation more than she had occasion for. The truth is, her beauty had something so innocent, and yet so sublime, that we all gazed upon her like a phantom. None of the pictures which we behold of the best Italian painters have anything like the spirit which appeared in her countenance, at the different sentiments expressed in the several parts of Divine service. That gratitude and joy at a thanksgiving, that lowliness and sorrow at the prayers for the sick and distressed, that triumph at the passages which gave instances of the Divine mercy, which appeared respectively in her aspect, will be in my memory to my last hour. I protest to to you, Sir, she suspended the devotion of every one around her; and the ease she did everything with soon dispersed the churlish dislike and hesitation in approving what is excellent, too frequent among us, to a general attention and entertainment in observing her behaviour. All the while that we were gazing at her, she took notice of no object about her, but had an art of seeming awkwardly attentive, whatever else her eyes were accidentally thrown upon. One thing indeed was particular, she stood the whole service, and never kneeled or sat: I do not question but that was to show herself with the greater advantage, 20 and set forth to better grace her hands and arms, lifted up with the most ardent devotion; and her bosom, the fairest that ever was seen, bare to observation; while she, you must think, knew nothing of the concern she gave others, any other than as an example of devotion, that threw herself out, without regard to dress or garment, all contrition, and loose of all worldly regards, in ecstasy of devotion. Well; now the organ was to play a voluntary, and she was so skilful in music, and so touched with it, that she kept time not only with some motion of her head, but, also with a different air in her countenance. 30 When the music was strong and bold, she looked exalted, but serious; when lively and airy, she was smiling and gracious; when the notes were more soft and languishing, she was kind and full of pity. When she had now made it visible to the whole congregation, by her motion and ear, that she could dance, and she wanted now only to inform us that she could sing too; when the psalm was given out, her voice was distinguished above all the rest, or rather people did not exert their own, in order to hear her. Never was any heard so sweet and so strong. The organist observed it, and he thought fit to play 40 to her only, and she swelled every note, when she found she |