'Thermometers voor mannelijkheid en vrouwelijkheid. De betekenis van sekse in de spectatoriale geschriften', in: De Achttiende Eeuw 26 (1994) nr.1, p.41-62 This article presents a casestudy of the Dutch journal De Vrouwelyke Spectator published anonymously in 1760-1761. One of the essays contained in this volume, namely 'The invention of the Female Thermometer' is singled out for extensive analysis. The author argues that the notion of gender as a symbolic category that structures the representation of reality is necessary to understand the messages of this text and that of the spectatorial magazine genre in general. In the 'Female Thermometer' femininity is closely related to the negative interpretation of passions and decadence. Masculinity on the other hand corresponds to the virtue of self-control. This is especially illustrated by the behaviour of 'Monsieur Crux-Homo', the character that symbolizes the effeminate man. The representation and function of effeminate men in this and other Dutch spectatorial weeklies demonstrate that gender plays a decisive role in the construction of a virtuous middle-class identity for the Dutch nation. In conclusion gender turns out to be a crucial element in the spectatorial classification system that all Dutch dix-huitèmistes should take into account, not only those interested in 'women's topics'.