When the theatre, in some late reigns, owed its chief support to those scenes which were written to put matrimony out of countenance and render that state terrible, then it was that pin money first prevailed; and all the other articles were inserted, which create a diffidence, and intimate to the young people that they are very soon to be in a state of war with each other; though this has seldom happened, except the fear of it had been expressed. Coupler will tell you also 'that jointures were never frequent until the age before his own; but the women were contented with the third part of the estate the law allotted them, and scorn'd to engage with men whom they thought capable of abusing their Children.' He has also informed me 'that those who are the oldest Benchers when he came to the Temple told him, the first Marriage Settlement of considerable length was the invention of an old Serjeant, who took the opportunity of two testy fathers, who were ever squabbling, to bring about an alliance between their Children. These fellows knew each other to be knaves, and the Serjeant took hold of their mutual diffidence, for the benefit of the Law, to extend the _Settlement_ to _three skins_ of parchment.' This was undoubtedly the substance of a genuine conversation with a lawyer, and is further referred to in a subsequent paper. Nor did Steele like pin money: he not only declaims against it in his essays, but in his dramatic works--in 'The Tender Husband,' where two fathers are squabbling over settlements. One, Sir Harry Gubbin, says-- Look y', Mr. Tipkin, the main Article with me is that Foundation of Wives Rebellion--that cursed Pin Money--Five hundred Pounds _per annum_ Pin Money. _Tipkin._ The Word Pin Money, Sir Harry, is a Term---- _Sir H._ It is a Term, Brother, we never had in our Family, nor ever will. Make her Jointure in Widowhood accordingly large, but Four hundred Pounds a Year is enough to give no account of. _Tipkin._ Well, Sir Harry, since you can't swallow these Pins, I will abate to Four Hundred Pounds. _Sir H._ And to Mollifie the Article, as well as Specifie the Uses, we'll put in the Names of several Female Utensils, as Needles, Knitting Needles, Tape, Thread, Scissors, Bodkins, Fans, Playbooks, with other Toys of that Nature.