frankness runs through all his conversation. his mind, and the integrity of his life, create The military part of his life has furnished him him followers, as being eloquent or loud adwith many adventures, in the relation of which vances others. He seldom introduces the subhe is very agreeable to the company; for he is ject he speaks upon; but we are so far gone never overbearing, though accustomed to com- in years, that he observes when he is among mand men in the utmost degree below him; us, an earnestness to have him fall on some nor even too obsequious, from an habit of obey-divine topic, which he always treats with much ing men highly above him. authority, as one who has no interest in this

No. 3.] Saturday, March 3, 1710-11.

Et quoi quisque fere studio devinctus adhæret,
Aut quibus in rebus multum sumus ante morati,
Atque in qua ratione fuit contenta magis mens,
In somnis eadem plerumque videmur obire.

Lucr. 1. iv. 959,

-What studies please, what most delight,
And fill men's thoughts, they dream them o'er at night.
Creech.

But that our society may not appear a set of world, as one who is hastening to the object of humorists, unacquainted with the gallantries all his wishes, and conceives hope from his deand pleasures of the age, we have amongst us cays and infirmities. These are my ordinary the gallant Will Honey comb; a gentleman who, companions. R. according to his years, should be in the decline of his life; but having ever been very careful of his person, and always had a very easy fortune, time has made but a very little impression, either by wrinkles on his forehead, or traces on his brain. His person is well turned, and of a good height. He is very ready at that sort of discourse with which men usually entertain women. He has all his life dressed very well, and remembers habits as others do men. He can smile when one speaks to him, and laughs easily. He knows the history of every mode, and can inform you from which of the In one of my rambles, or rather speculaFrench king's wenches, our wives and daugh- tions, I looked into the great hall, where the ters had this manner of curling their hair, that bank is kept, and was not a little pleased to way of placing their hoods; whose frailty was see the directors, secretaries, and clerks, with covered by such a sort of petticoat, and whose all the other members of that wealthy corporavanity to show her foot made that part of the tion, ranged in their several stations, accorddress so short in such a year. In a word, all ing to the parts they act, in that just and rehis conversation and knowledge has been in gular economy. This revived in my memory the female world. As other men of his age the many discourses which I had both read will take notice to you what such a minister and heard, concerning the decay of public said upon such and such an occasion, he will credit, with the methods of restoring it, and tell you, when the duke of Monmouth danced which, in my opinion, have always been deat court, such a woman was then smitten, an- fective, because they have always been made other was taken with him at the head of his with an eye to separate interests, and party troop in the Park. In all these important re-principles. lations, he has ever about the same time re- The thoughts of the day gave my mind emceived a kind glance, or a blow of a fan from ployment for the whole night, so that I fell in'some celebrated beauty, mother of the present sensibly into a kind of methodical dream, lord Such-a-one. If you speak of a young which disposed all my contemplations into a commoner, that said a lively thing in the vision or allegory, or what else the reader house, he starts up,' He has good blood in his shall please to call it. vein; Tom Mirable begot him; the rogue cheat- Methought I returned to the great hall, ed me in that affair; that young fellow's mother where I had been the morning before, but to used me more like a dog than any woman my surprise, instead of the company that I I ever made advances to.' This way of talking left there, I saw, towards the upper end of the of his, very much enlivens the conversation hall, a beautiful virgin, seated on a throne of amongst us of a more sedate turn; and I find gold. Her name (as they told me) was Pubthere is not one of the company, but myself, lic Credit. The walls, instead of being adornwho rarely speak at all, but speaks of him as ed with pictures and maps, were hung with of that sort of man, who is usually called a many acts of parliament written in golden well-bred fine gentleman. To conclude his letters. At the upper end of the hall was the character, where women are not concerned, he is an honest worthy man.

magna charta, with the act of uniformity on the right hand, and the act of toleration on the I cannot tell whether I am to account him, left. At the lower end of the hall was the act whom I am next to speak of, as one of our of settlement, which was placed full in the eye company; for he visits us but seldom, but of the virgin that sat upon the throne. Both the when he does, it adds to every man else a new sides of the hall were covered with such acts enjoyment of himself. He is a clergyman, a of parliament as had been made for the estabvery philosophic man, of general learning, lishment of public funds. The lady seemed to great sanctity of life, and the most exact good set an unspeakable value upon these several breeding. He has the misfortune to be of a pieces of furniture, insomuch that she often very weak constitution, and consequently can- refreshed her eye with them, and often smiled not accept of such cares and business as pre- with a secret pleasure, as she looked upon ferments in his function would oblige him to; them; but, at the same time, showed a very he is therefore among divines what a chamber- particular uneasiness, if she saw any thing counsellor is among lawyers. The probity of approaching that might hurt them. She ap

'Et neque jam color est misto candore rubori;
Nec vigor, et vires, et quæ modo visa placebant;
Nec corpus remanet-
Ovid, Met. iii. 491.

peared, indeed, infinitely timorous in all her had she seen but any one of these spectres; behaviour: and whether it was from the deli- what then must have been her condition when cacy of her constitution, or that she was trou- she saw them all in a body? She fainted and bled with vapours as I was afterwards told by died away at the sight. one, who I found was none of her well-wishers, she changed colour, and startled at every thing she heard. She was likewise (as I afterwards found) a greater valetudinarian than any I had ever met with, even in her own sex, and subject to such momentary consumptions, that in the twinkling of an eye, she would fall away from the florid complexion, and most healthful state of body, and wither into a skeleton. There was as great a change in the hill of Her recoveries were often as sudden as her de-money-bags, and the heaps of money, the cays, insomuch that she would revive in a mo- former shrinking and falling into so many ment out of a wasting distemper, into a habit empty bags, that I now found not above a tenth of the highest health and vigour. part of them had been filled with money.

Her spirits faint,

Her blooming cheeks assume a pallid teint,
And scarce her form remains.'

I had very soon an opportunity of observing The rest that took up the same space, and these quick turns and changes in her constitu- made the same figure, as the bags that were tion. There sat at her feet a couple of secre- really filled with money, had been blown up taries, who received every hour letters from with air, and called into my memory the bags all parts of the world, which the one or the full of wind, which Homer tells us his hero reother of them was perpetually reading to her;ceived as a present from Eolus. The great and, according to the news she heard, to heaps of gold on either side the throne, now which she was exceedingly attentive, she appeared to be only heaps of paper, or little changed colour, and discovered many symp- piles of notched sticks, bound up together in toms of health or sickness. bundles, like Bath faggots.

Behind the throne was a prodigious heap of bags of money, which were piled upon one another so high that they touched the ceiling. The floor on her right hand, and on her left, was covered with vast sums of gold that rose up in pyramids on either side of her. But this I did not so much wonder at, when I heard, upon inquiry, that she had the same virtue in her touch, which the poets tell us a Lydian king was formerly possessed of: and that she could convert whatever she pleased into that precious metal.

Whilst I was lamenting this sudden desolation that had been made before me, the whole scene vanished. In the room of the frightful spectres, there now entered a second dance of apparitions, very agreeably matched together, and made up of very amiable phantoms. The first pair was Liberty with Monarchy at her right hand; the second was Moderation, leading in Religion; and the third a person whom I had never seen,* with the Genius of Great Britain. At the first entrance the lady reviv ed, the bags swelled to their former bulk, the After a little dizziness, and confused hurry pile of faggots and heaps of paper changed of thought, which a man often meets with in into pyramids of guineas: and for my own a dream, methought the hall was alarmed, the part I was so transported with joy, that I doors flew open, and there entered half a dozen awaked, though I must confess I would fain of the most hideous phantoms that I had ever have fallen asleep again to have closed my seen (even in a dream) before that time. They vision, if I could have done it.

came in two by two, though matched in the

most dissociable manner, and mingled together

in a kind of dance. It would be tedious to No. 4.] Monday, March 5, 1710-11.

*

– Egregii mortalem altique silenti?
Hor. L. 2. Sat. vi. 58.

One of uncommon silence and reserve.

describe their habits and persons, for which reason I shall only inform my reader, that the first couple were Tyranny and Anarchy, the second was Bigotry and Atheism, and the third the genius of a commonwealth and a young man, of about twenty-two years of age,* AN author, when he first appears in the whose name I could not learn. He had a sword world, is very apt to believe it has nothing to in his right hand, which in the dance he often think of but his performances. With a good brandished at the act of settlement; and a share of this vanity in my heart, I made it my citizen, who stood by me, whispered in my ear, business these three days to listen after my that he saw a sponge in his left hand. The own fame; and as I have sometimes met with dance of so many jarring natures put me in circumstances which did not displease me, I mind of the sun, moon, and earth, in the Re- have been encountered by others, which gave hearsal, that danced together for no other end me much mortification. It is incredible to but to eclipse one another. think how empty I have in this time observed some part of the species to be, what mere blanks they are when they first come abroad in the morning, how utterly they are at a stand, until they are set a-going by some paragraph in a newspaper.

The reader will easily suppose, by what has been before said, that the lady on the throne would have been almost frighted to distraction,

* James Stuart, the pretended Prince of Wales, born Jane 10, 1688. See Tat. No. 187.

To wipe out the national debt.

*The Elector of Hanover, afterwards George L

Such persons are very acceptable to a young advantages of a dumb man. I have, methinks, author, for they desire no more in any thing a more than ordinary penetration in seeing; but to be new, to be agreeable. If I found and flatter myself that I have looked into the consolation among such, I was as much dis- highest and lowest of mankind, and made quieted by the incapacity of others. These shrewd guesses, without being admitted to are mortals who have a certain curiosity with- their conversation, at the ininost thoughts and out power of reflection, and perused my papers reflections of all whom I behold. It is from like spectators rather than readers. But there hence that good or ill-fortune has no manner of is so little pleasure in inquiries that so nearly force towards affecting my judgment. I see concern ourselves, (it being the worst way in men flourishing in courts, and languishing in the world to fame, to be too anxious about it) jails, without being prejudiced, from their cirthat upon the whole I resolved for the future cumstances, to their favour or disadvantage; to go on in my ordinary way; and without too but from their inward manner of bearing their much fear or hope about the business of repu-condition, often pity the prosperous, and adtation, to be very careful of the design of my mire the unhappy. actions, but very negligent of the consequences of them.

Those who converse with the dumb, know from the turn of their eyes, and the changes of It is an endless and frivolous pursuit to act by their countenance, their sentiments of the obany other rule, than the care of satisfying our jects before them. I have indulged my silence own minds in what we do. One would think a to such an extravagance, that the few who are silent man, who concerned himself with no intimate with me, answer my smiles with one breathing, should be very little liable to concurrent sentences, and argue to the very misrepresentations; and yet I remember I point I shaked my head at, without my speak was once taken up for a jesuit, for no other ing. Will Honeycomb was very entertaining reason but my profound taciturnity, It is from the other night at a play, to a gentleman who this misfortune, that to be out of harm's way, sat on his right hand, while I was at his left. I have ever since affected crowds. He who The gentleman believed Will was talking to comes into assemblies only to gratify his curio- himself, when upon my looking with great approsity, and not to make a figure, enjoys the plea-bation at a young thing in a box before us, he sures of retirement in a more exquisite degree, said, I am quite of another opinion. She than he possibly could in his closet; the lover, has, I will allow, a very pleasing aspect, but, the ambitious, and the miser, are followed methinks, that simplicity in her countenance is thither by a worse crowd than any they can withdraw from. To be exempt from the pas sions with which others are tormented, is the only pleasing solitude. I can very justly say with the ancient sage, 'I am never less alone than when alone.'

rather childish than innocent.' When I observed her a second time, he said, 'I grant her dress is very becoming, but perhaps the merit of that choice is owing to her mother; for though,' continued he, I allow a beauty to be as much to be commended for the elegance As I am insignificant to the company in pub- of her dress, as a wit for that of his language; lic places, and as it is visible I do not come yet if she has stolen the colour of her ribands thither as most do, to show myself, I gratify from another, or had advice about her trimthe vanity of all who pretend to make an ap-mings, I shall not allow her the praise of dress, pearance, and have often as kind looks from any more than I would call a plagiary an auwell-dressed gentlemen and ladies, as a poet thor.' When I threw my eye towards the would bestow upon one of his audience. There next woman to her, Will spoke what I looked, are so many gratifications attend this public according to his romantic imagination, in the sort of obscurity, that some little distastes I following manner: daily receive have lost their anguish; and I Behold, you who dare, that charming virdid the other day, without the least displea-gin; behold the beauty of her person chastissure, overhear one say of me, 'that strange ed by the innocence of her thoughts. Chastifellow?' and another answer, I have known ty, good-nature, and affability, are the graces the fellow's face these twelve years, and so that play in her countenance; she knows she is must you; but I believe you are the first ever handsome, but she knows she is good. Conasked who he was.' There are, I must confess, scious beauty adorned with conscious virtue ! many to whom my person is as well known as What a spirit is there in those eyes! What a that of their nearest relations, who give them- bloom in that person! How is the whole woman selves no farther trouble about calling me by expressed in her appearance! Her air has the my name or quality, but speak of me very beauty of motion, and her look the force of currently by the appellation of Mr. What-d'ye- language.'

call-him.

To make up for these trivial disadvantages, I have the highest satisfaction of beholding all nature with an unprejudiced eye; and having nothing to do with men's passions or interests, I can, with the greater sagacity, consider their talents, manners, failings, and merits.

It is remarkable, that those who want any one sense, possess the others with greater force and vivacity. Thus my want of, or rather resignation of speech, gives me all the

It was prudence to turn away my eyes from this object, and therefore I turned them to the thoughtless creatures who make up the lump of that sex, and move a knowing eye no more than the portraiture of insignificant people by ordinary painters, which are but pictures of pictures.

Thus the working of my own mind is the general entertainment of my life; I never enter into the commerce of discourse with any but my particular friends, and not in public

even with them. Such an habit has perhaps however requires, that there should be nothing
raised in me uncommon reflections; but this in the scenes and machines, which may appear
effect I cannot communicate but by my writ-childish and absurd. How would the wits of
ings. As my pleasures are almost wholly con- King Charles's time have laughed, to have seen
fined to those of the sight, I take it for a pecu-Nicolini exposed to a tempest in robes of er-
liar happiness that I have always had an easy mine, and sailing in an open boat upon a sea
and familiar admittance to the fair sex. If I of pasteboard? What a field of raillery would
never praised or flattered, I never belied or they have been let into, had they been enter-
contradicted them. As these compose half the tained with painted dragons spitting wildfire,
world, and are, by the just complaisance and enchanted chariots drawn by Flanders' mares,
gallantry of our nation, the more powerful and real cascades in artificial landscapes? A
part of our people, I shall dedicate a consider-little skill in criticism would inform us, that
able share of these my speculations to their shadows and realities ought not to be mixed
service, and shall lead the young through all together in the same piece; and that the scenes
the becoming duties of virginity, marriage, which are designed as the representations of
and widowhood. When it is a woman's day, nature should be filled with resemblances, and
in my works, I shall endeavour at a style and not with the things themselves. If one would
air suitable to their understanding. When I represent a wide champaign country filled with
say this, I must be understood to mean, that I herds and flocks, it would be ridiculous to
shall not lower, but exalt the subjects I treat draw the country only upon the scenes, and to
upon. Discourse for their entertainment is not crowd several parts of the stage with sheep
to be debased but refined. A man may appear and oxen. This is joining together inconsist-
learned without talking sentences, as in his or-encies, and making the decoration partly real,
dinary gesture he discovers he can dance, and partly imaginary. I would recommend
though he does not cut capers. In a word, I what I have said here to the directors, as well
shall take it for the greatest glory of my work, as to the admirers of our modern opera.
if among reasonable women this paper may As I was walking in the streets about a fort-
furnish tea-table talk. In order to it, I shall night ago, I saw an ordinary fellow carrying a
treat on matters which relate to females, as cage full of little birds upon his shoulder; and
they are concerned to approach or fly from the as I was wondering with myself what use he
other sex, or as they are tied to them by blood, would put them to, he was met very luckily
interest or affection. Upon this occasion by an acquaintance, who had the same curiosi-
think it but reasonable to declare, that what-ty. Upon his asking what he had upon his
ever skill I may have in speculation, I shall shoulder, he told him that he had been buying
never betray what the eyes of lovers say to sparrows for the opera. 'Sparrows for the
each other in my presence. At the same time opera,' says his friend, licking his lips, 'what,
I shall not think myself obliged, by this pro- are they to be roasted?'-' No, no,' says the
mise, to conceal any false protestations which other, they are to enter towards the end of
I observe made by glances in public assem- the first act, and to fly about the stage.'
blies; but endeavour to make both sexes ap- This strange dialogue awakened my curiosi-
pear in their conduct what they are in their ty so far, that I immediately bought the opera,
hearts. By this means, love, during the time by which means I perceived that the sparrows
of my speculations, shall be carried on with were to act the part of singing birds in a de-
the same sincerity as any other affair of less lightful grove; though upon a nearer inquiry
consideration. As this is the greatest concern, I found the sparrows put the same trick upon
men shall be from henceforth liable to the the audience, that Sir Martin Mar-all* prac-
greatest reproach for misbehaviour in it. False-tised upon his mistress: for though they flew
hood in love shall hereafter bear a blacker as-in sight, the music proceeded from a concert
pect than infidelity in friendship, or villany in of flagelets and bird-calls, which were planted
business. For this great and good end, all
breaches against that noble passion, the ce-
ment of society, shall be severally examined.
But this, and all other matters loosely hinted
at now, and in my former papers, shall have
their proper place in my following discourses.
The present writing is only to admonish the
world, that they shall not find me an idle but a
busy Spectator.

No. 5.] Tuesday, March 6, 1710-11.
Spectatum admissi risum teneatis?

R.

Hor. Ars Poet. ver. 5.
Admitted to the sight, would you not laugh?

behind the scenes. At the same time I made
this discovery, I found by the discourse of the
actors, that there were great designs on foot
for the improvement of the opera; that it had
been proposed to break down a part of the
wall, and to surprise the audience with a party
of an hundred horse, and that there was ac-
tually a project of bringing the New-river into
the house, to be employed in jetteaus and
water-works. This project, as I have since

'Sir Martin Mar-all, or The Feigned Innocence,' a
comedy, by Dryden, made up of pieces borrowed from
Quinault's Amant Indiscret,' the Etourdi' of Moliere,
and M. du Parc's 'Francion.'

At the time this paper was written, it could have been little expected that what is here so happily ridiculed would ever really take place; but, in our enlightened days, we have seen the New-river acting as no inconsiderAN opera may be allowed to be extravagantly able auxiliary, not only in a suburban theatre, but in Colavish in its decorations, as its only design is vent-garden itself: and if the managers of our classical theatres' have not been able to bring a hundred horses on to gratify the senses, and keep up an indolent the stage, it certainly was not from a want of inclination, attention in the audience. Common sense but because the stage would not hold them.

heard, is postponed till the summer season;|tirely agree with Monsieur Boileau, that one when it is thought the coolness that proceeds verse in Virgil is worth all the clinquant or from fountains and cascades will be more ac- tinsil of Tasso.

ceptable and refreshing to people of quality. But to return to the sparrows: there have In the mean time, to find out a more agreeable been so many flights of them let loose in this entertainment for the winter-season, the opera opera, that it is feared the house will never of Rinaldo* is filled with thunder and light-get rid of them; and that in other plays they ning, illuminations and fire-works; which the may make their entrance in very wrong and audience may look upon without catching cold, improper scenes, so as to be seen flying in a and indeed without much danger of being lady's bed-chamber, or perching upon a king's burnt; for there are several engines filled with throne; besides the inconveniences which the water, and ready to play at a minute's warn-heads of the audience may sometimes suffer ing, in case any such accident should happen. from them. I am credibly informed, that However, as I have a very great friendship for there was once a design of casting into an the owner of this theatre, I hope that he has opera the story of Whittington and his cat, been wise enough to ensure his house before and that in order to it, there had been got tohe would let this opera be acted in it. gether a great quantity of mice; but Mr. Rich, the proprietor of the play-house, very prudently considered that it would be impossible for the cat to kill them all, and that consequently the princes of the stage might be as much infested with mice, as the prince of the island was before the cat's arrival upon it; for which reason he would not permit it to be acted in his house. And indeed I cannot blame him; for, as he said very well upon that occasion, I do not hear that any of the performers in our opera

It is no wonder that those scenes should be very surprising, which were contrived by two poets of different nations, and raised by two magicians of different sexes. Armida (as we are told in the argument) was an Amazonian enchantress, and poor Signior Cassani (as we learn from the persons represented) a Christian conjuror (Mago Christiano). I must confess I am very much puzzled to find how an Amazon should be versed in the black art, or how a good Christian, for such is the part of the ma-pretend to equal the famous pied piper,* who gician, should deal with the devil.

made all the mice of a great town in Germany follow his music, and by that means cleared the place of those little noxious animals.

To consider the poet after the conjurors, I shall give you a taste of the Italian from the first lines of his preface: Eccoti, benigno lettore, un parto di poche sere, che se ben nato Before I dismiss this paper, I must inform di notte, non è pero aborto di tenebre, ma si my reader, that I hear there is a treaty on farà conoscere figlio d'Apollo con qualche foot between London and Wiset (who will be raggio di Parnasse. Behold, gentle reader, appointed gardeners of the play house) to furthe birth of a few evenings, which, though it nish the opera of Rinaldo and Armida with an be the offspring of the night, is not the abor-orange-grove: and that the next time it is acttive of darkness, but will make itself known ed, the singing-birds will be personated by to be the son of Apollo, with a certain ray of tom-tits, the undertakers being resolved to Parnassus.' He afterwards proceds to call spare neither pains nor money for the gratifiMynheer Handel the Orpheus of our age, and cation of the audience. to acquaint us, in the same sublimity of style,

that he composed this opera in a fortnight.

Credebant hoc grande nefas, et morte piandum,
Si juvenis vetulo non assurrexerat-

C.

Juv. Sat. xiii. 54.

'Twas impious then (so much was age rever'd)
For youth to keep their seats when an old man appear'd.

Such are the wits to whose tastes we so am- No. 6.] Wednesday, March 7, 1710-11. bitiously conform ourselves. The truth of it is, the finest writers among the modern Italians express themselves in such a florid form of words, and such tedious circumlocutions, as are used by none but pedants in our own country; and at the same time fill their writings with such poor imaginations and conceits, as our youths are ashamed of before they I KNOW no evil under the sun so great as the have been two years at the university. Some abuse of the understanding, and yet there is no may be apt to think that it is the difference one vice more common. It has diffused itself of genius which produces the difference in through both sexes, and all qualities of manthe works of the two nations; but to show kind; and there is hardly that person to be that there is nothing in this, if we look into found, who is not more concerned for the rethe writings of the old Italians, such as Cicero putation of wit and sense, than of honesty and Virgil, we shall find that the English and virtue. But this unhappy affectation of writers, in their way of thinking and express- being wise rather than honest, witty than gooding themselves, resemble those authors much natured, is the source of most of the ill habits more than the modern Italians pretend to do. of life. Such false impressions are owing to And as for the poet himself, from whom the the abandoned writings of men of wit, and the dreams of this opera are taken, I must en-awkward imitation of the rest of mankind.

Rinaldo, an opera, 1711. The plan was laid by Aaron Hill, his outline filled up with Italian words by Sig. G. Rossi, and the music composed by Handle. The story is taken from Tasso, and the scene laid in and near Jerusalem.

* June 26, 1284, the rats and mice by which Hamelen was infested, were allured, it is said, by a piper, to a contiguous river in which they were all drowned. London and Wise were the Queen's gardeners at this time.