The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1811-02-06
MIScALL.fvAOUs SELACTIOWS.
rnE CoouErTE.-A CHARACTER.

THE COQUETTE.-A CHAkACTER
THE Coque,e mas idea of love. Her heart is
not open u any sentiments of tenderness. she
knows not that enchanting passion which dispOses
the mind now tn fear, and now 10 hope which now
t"rtures with anxiety and now relaxcs wnh jos (,
which lnoistens the eye with tear, that as now
soft and agreeable, and nov painful and severe
The only objects of her life are to pie.se and re-
ceve adula,l0n She must perpetu,ily b. in the cir
Gle of adailrers. She will Whisper one, smile to an
other, and lean familiar on the slot.lder of "A third
Solitude is her utmost ayers On n She IS jealous Of
every woman, md would in the aimlra,ion Of eve-
ry mn. Though chase, you woulu fancy that she
enter"'ned contempt of modes y,s Her check IS
never suttuscd with the crimson Dush her eye new
or courts the ground and the uneasy suspicious,
and the gentle timidities Of virtue never ala. IN her
Shc hics from topck To top,ck she asks thousand
QlicstIOns, md waits no return tn them. Her body
shares the activity Of her mind. She is constantly
throwing herself INTO attitudes that may display her
charms She draws ON, and pulls off her glove that
you may admire the shape of her hand and arm.
Whether the conversation oe pleasant or grave, she
must laugh because her teeth are to be shown. The
fops that surround her, more numerous than
rigid deccncy may require, and more noisy than IL
consisten, with good breeding. With pure imag-
inat,on you would think that her thoughts were per-
petually employed some plan of improper gall
lantry She is not fond Of the company of her own
Sex and it is fortunate that she Her levty might
give taint tender and susceptible hearts. She,
herself, ~ in N danger OF any fatal indiscretion
The GOODNESS of her temperament protects her.
When she dresses, it is not her taste she con-
suits. She must be in the very extremity Of the
mode. She takes pleasure IN affecting weakness
and fragility and it be confessed that she is
much too pretty To plant her foot the ground
When she walks, she must totter. Her nerves are
almost always IN disorder and, the briskncss Of
vivacIty, and in the bloom of health, she give
herself an ir of melancholy and sickness Sh,
must appear in every pubicS assembly and is
frequently al the church at the theatre. But i'm
sgine no, that she Is very questionable To be
devoul in the one, attentive TO what is exhibite
in the other. She is present in such places, from
devotion, or the love of amusement, bu, for show.
Her habits Of ifeCta,ion may be excused, viii her
beauty continues t. dazzle they survive 1t however,
shi max ner wrinkles more deormcd What may
pass at fifteen, 49, d,sg gsting at fifty. Th. frvoi,y
ot her youth is carried into her age it accom-
p,nies her when wasted with disease and it is Odds
But the last Of her life Is suggestion of whim
a MERE N'LtNE.N'TlL NAN
Is one {, be held OF still at the IN distance you
ere now for you shall have him but thus, and if you
venture on hun further, you lose him. Methnks
virgil well expresses him in those well-behaved
ghosts that lE,eas met with, that were friends to
talk With, and men to- look ON, but il he grasped
them but air. he is one that lies kindly To you and
f,r good fashions sake, and It's dscourtcsy in you
g. believe him. HIS words are but ~ m INV fine phra-
set tngclher, which equally or al men .ni
are equally to no purpose. Each iresh encounter
with man puts hun 10 the sane part again, aud he
goes To YOU: what he I'D to him was Last with
him; he kisses vour hands ne kissed his before,
aud is your servant to be commanded but you shall
mtreat of him nothing. His pofers universal
and general. with exceptions against all particulars
he will do any thing for you but It you urge him
to this, he Cannot or to that, ne is engaged but
he will do any thing Promises he accounts but a
kind Of mannerly words, and in the expectation Of
.I..
wonders your i'll breeding, that canno. distinguish
betwixt what is spoken and what is meant. M
gives better satisfaction at the first, aud comes off
more with the euogy OF kind gentleman, till you
know him better, and then you know him for moth.
ing And commonly those most rail at him that
have before most commended him The best is, he
cozens you in fair manner, and abuses you with
great respect.