h to that garrison, an unruly horse on which he
rode, reared on end, and fell backwards upon him; his collar-bone was
broken, and his stomach so bruised by this accident, that he never was
well after. He languished about two years, and died at the Gravel-pits
near Kensington, on the 17th of May 1712, in the 75th year of his age.
He never married (Nichols). Prior, in his poem on the Battle of
Blenheim, says:

"Let generous Sylvius stand for honest Wood."
]

[Footnote 153: "Osyris"; see No. 143.]

No. 145. [STEELE.

From _Saturday, March 11_, to _Tuesday, March 14, 1709-10_.

Nescio quis teneros oculus mihi fascinat agnos.
VIRG., Eclog. iii. 103.

* * * * *

_White's Chocolate-house, March 13._

This evening was allotted for taking into consideration a late request
of two indulgent parents, touching the care of a young daughter, whom
they design to send to a boarding-school, or keep at home, according to
my determination;[154] but I am diverted from that subject by letters
which I have received from several ladies, complaining of a certain sect
of professed enemies to the repose of the fair sex, called Oglers. These
are, it seems, gentlemen who look with deep attention on one object at
the playhouses, and are ever staring all round them in churches. It is
urged by my correspondents, that they do all that is possible to keep
their eyes off these ensnarers; but that, by what power they know not,
both their diversions and devotions are interrupted by them in such a
manner, as that they cannot attend either without stealing looks at the
persons whose eyes are fixed upon them. By this means, my petitioners
say, they find themselves grow insensibly less offended, and in time
enamoured, of these their enemies. What is required of me on this
occasion, is, that as I love and study to preserve the better part of
mankind, the females, I would give them some account of this dangerous
way of assault, against which there is so little defence, that it lays
ambush for the sight itself, and makes them seeingly, knowingly,
willingly, and forcibly go on to their own captivity.

This representation of the present state of affairs between the two
sexes gave me very much alarm; and I had no more to do, but to recollect
what I had seen at any one assembly for some years last past, to be
convinced of the