good-humor, that all the boys in the coffee-room (who seemed to take pleasure in serving him) were at once employed on his several errands, insomuch that nobody else could come at a dish of tea, until 5 the knight had got all his conveniences about him. No. 31. Pin Money SPECTATOR NO. 295. Thursday, February 7, 1711-12 Prodiga non sentit pereuntem fœmina censum: "MR. SPECTATOR, "I AM turned of my great climacteric,2 and am naturally a man of a meek temper. About a dozen years ago I was married, for my sins, to a young 10 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 there instipulated, that she should have 400 1. a 15 year for pin-money, which I obliged myself to pay quarterly into the hands of one, who 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 20 several children since I married her. The education of these my children, straitens 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, 5 insomuch, that finding me a little tardy in my last quarter's 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 jail. To this she adds, when her passion will let her argue calmly, 10 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 abatement in this article. I hope, sir, you will take an occasion from 15 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.5 20 "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 myself, so there is none that would be more unwilling to invade any 25 of their ancient rights and privileges; but as the doctrine of pin-money is of a 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. We may, indeed, generally observe, that in proportion as a woman is more or less beautiful, and 5 her husband advanced in years, she stands in need of a greater or less number of pins, and upon a treaty of marriage, rises or falls in her demands accordingly. It must likewise be owned, that high quality in a mistress does very much inflame this 10 article in the marriage-reckoning. But where the age and circumstances of both parties are pretty much upon a level, I cannot but think the insisting upon pin-money is very extraordinary; and yet we find several matches broken 15 off upon this very head. What would a foreigner, or one who is a stranger to this practice, think of a lover that forsakes his mistress, because he is not willing to keep her in pins? But what would he think of the mistress, should he be informed that 20 she asks five or six hundred pounds a year for this use? Should a man unacquainted with our customs be told the sums which are allowed in Great Britain, under the title of pin-money, what a prodigious consumption of pins would he think there was in 25 this island. "A pin a day," says our frugal proverb, "is a groat a year"; so that, according to this calculation, my friend Fribble's wife must every year make use of eight millions six hundred and forty thousand new pins. I am not ignorant that our British ladies allege they comprehend under this general term, several other conveniences of life; I could therefore wish, for the honor of my countrywomen, that they had rather called it needle-money, which might have 5 implied something of good housewifery, and not have given the malicious world occasion to think, that dress and trifles have always the uppermost place in a woman's thoughts. I know several of my fair readers urge, in defence 10 of this practice, that it is but a necessary provision they make for themselves, in case their husband proves a churl, or a miser; so that they consider this allowance as a kind of alimony, which they may lay their claim to, without actually separating 15 from their husbands. But with submission, I think a woman who will give up herself to a man in marriage, where there is the least room for such an apprehension, and trust her person to one whom she will not rely on for the common necessaries of 20 life, may very properly be accused (in the phrase of an homely proverb) of being "penny wise and pound foolish." It is observed of over-cautious generals, that they never engage in a battle without securing a retreat, 25 in case the event should not answer their expectations; on the other hand, the greatest conquerors have burnt their ships, or broke down the bridges behind them, as being determined either to succeed. or die in the engagement. In the same manner I should very much suspect a woman who takes such precautions for her retreat, and contrives methods how she may live happily, without the affection of 5 one to whom she joins herself for life. A marriage cannot be happy, where the pleasures, inclinations, and interests of both parties are not the same. There is no greater incitement to love in the mind of man, than the sense of a person's depending upon 10 him for her ease and happiness; as a woman uses all her endeavors to please the person whom she looks upon as her honor, her comfort, and her support. For this reason I am not very much surprised at 15 the behavior of a rough country 'squire, who, being not a little shocked at the proceeding of a young widow that would not recede from her demands of pin-money, was so enraged at her mercenary temper, that he told her in great wrath, “ As much as she 20 thought him her slave, he would show all the world he did not care a pin for her." Upon which he flew out of the room, and never saw her more. Socrates in Plato's Alcibiades & says, he was informed by one who had traveled through Persia, 25 that as he passed over a great tract of land, and inquired what the name of the place was, they told him it was the Queen's Girdle: to which he adds, that another wide field which lay by it, was called the Queen's Veil; and that in the same manner |