above a tenth part of them had been filled with money. The rest, that took up the same space, and made the same figure, as the bags that were really filled with money, had been blown up with air, and called into my memory the bags full of wind, which Homer tells us his hero received as a present from Æolus. The great heaps of gold on either side of the throne, now appeared to be only heaps of paper, or little piles of notched sticks, bound up together in bundles, like Bath faggots. 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 revived, the bags swelled to their former bulk, the pile of faggots and heaps of paper changed into pyramids of guineas: and for my own part I was so transported with joy, that I awaked, though I must confess I fain would have fallen asleep again to have closed my vision, if I could have done it. One of uncommon silence and reserve. AN author, when he first appears in the world, is very apt to believe it has nothing to think of but his performances. With a good share of this vanity in my heart, I made it my business these three days to listen after my own fame; and as I have sometimes met with circumstances which did not displease me, I have been encountered by others, which gave me much mortification. It is incredible to 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. Such persons are very acceptable to a young author, for they desire no more in any thing but to be new, to be agreeable. If I found consolation among such, I was as much disquieted by the incapacity of others. These are mortals who have a certain curiosity without power of reflection, and perused my papers like spectators rather than readers. But there is so little pleasure in inquiries that so nearly concern ourselves, (it being the worst way *The Elector of Hanover, afterwards George I. in the world to fame, to be too anxious about it) that upon the whole I resolved for the future to go on in my ordinary way; and without too much fear or hope about the business of reputation, to be very careful of the design of my actions, but very negligent of the consequences of them. It is an endless and frivolous pursuit to act by any other rule, than the care of satisfying our own minds in what we do. One would think a silent man, who concerned himself with no one breathing, should be very little liable to misrepresentations; and yet I remember I was once taken up for a jesuit, for no other reason but my profound taciturnity. It is from this misfortune, that to be out of harm's way, I have ever since affected crowds. He who comes into assemblies only to gratify his curiosity, and not to make a figure, enjoys the pleasures of retirement in a more exquisite degree, than he possibly could in his closet; the lover, the ambitious, and the miser, are followed thither by a worse crowd than any they can withdraw from. To be exempt from the passions 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. As I am insignificant to the company in public places, and as it is visible I do not come thither as most do, to show myself, I gratify the vanity of all who pretend to make an appearance, and have often as kind looks from well-dressed gentlemen and ladies, as a poet would bestow upon one of his audience. There are so many gratifications attend this public sort of obscurity, that some little distastes I daily receive have lost their anguish; and I did the other day, without the least displeasure, overhear one say of me, that strange fellow!' and another answer, 'I have known the fellow's face these twelve years, and so must you; but I believe you are the first ever asked who he was. There are, I must confess, many to whom my person is as well known as that of their nearest relations, who give themselves no farther trouble about calling me by my name or quality, but speak of me very currently by the appellation of Mr. What-d'ye-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. I 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 advantages of a dumb man. have, methinks, a more than ordinary penetration in seeing; and flatter myself that I have looked into the highest and lowest of mankind, and made shrewd guesses, without being admitted to their conversa them. As these compose half the world, and are, by the just complacence and gallantry of our nation, the more powerful part of our people, I shall dedicate a considerable share of these my speculations to their service, and shall lead the young through all the becoming duties of virginity, marriage, and widowhood. When it is a woman's day, in my works, I shall endeavour at a style and air suitable to their tion, at the inmost thoughts and reflections perhaps raised in me uncommon reflecof all whom I behold. It is from hence tions; but this effect I cannot communicate that good or ill fortune has no manner of but by my writings. As my pleasures are force towards affecting my judgment. I almost wholly confined to those of the sight, see men flourishing in courts and languish-I take it for a peculiar happiness that I ing in jails, without being prejudiced, from have always had an easy and familiar adtheir circumstances, to their favour or dis-mittance to the fair sex. If I never praised advantage; but from their inward manner or flattered, I never belied or contradicted of bearing their condition, often pity the prosperous, and admire the unhappy. Those who converse with the dumb, know from the turn of their eyes, and the changes of their countenance, their sentiments of the objects before them. I have indulged my silence to such an extravagance, that the few who are intimate with me, answer my smiles with concurrent sentences, and argue to the very point I shaked my head at, without my speaking. Will understanding. When I say this, I must Honeycomb was very entertaining the other night at a play, to a gentleman who sat on his right hand, while I was at his left. The gentleman believed Will was talking to himself, when upon my looking with great approbation at a young thing in a box before us, he said, 'I am quite of another opinion. She has, I will allow, a very pleasing aspect, but, methinks that simplicity in her countenance is 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 commended for the elegance of her dress, as a wit for that of his language; yet if she has stolen the colour of her ribands from another, or had advice about her trimmings, I shall not allow her the praise of dress, any more than I would call a plagiary an author.' When I threw my eye towards the next woman to her, Will spoke what I looked, according to his romantic imagination, in the following man be understood to mean, that I shall not lower, but exalt the subjects I treat upon. Discourse for their entertainment is not to be debased but refined. A man may appear learned without talking sentences, as in his ordinary gesture he discovers he can dance, though he does not cut capers. In a word, I shall take it for the greatest glory of my work, if among reasonable women this paper may furnish tea-table talk. In order to it, I shall treat on matters which relate to females, as they are concerned to approach or fly from the other scx, or as they are tied to them by blood, interest or affection. Upon this occasion I think it is but reasonable to declare, that whatever skill I may have in speculation, I shall never betray what the eyes of lovers say to each other in my presence. At the same time I shall not think myself obliged, by this promise, to conceal any false protestations which I observe made by glances in public assemblies; but endeavour to make both sexes appear in their conduct what they are in their hearts. By this means, love, during the time of my speculations, shall 'Behold, you who dare, that charming be carried on with the same sincerity as virgin; behold the beauty of her person any other affair of less consideration. As chastised by the innocence of her thoughts. this is the greatest concern, men shall be Chastity, good-nature, and affability, are from henceforth liable to the greatest rethe graces that play in her countenance; proach for misbehaviour in it. Falsehood she knows she is handsome, but she knows in love shall hereafter bear a blacker asshe is good. Conscious beauty adorned with pect than infidelity in friendship, or villany conscious virtue! What a spirit is there in in business. For this great and good end, those eyes! What a bloom in that person! all breaches against that noble passion, the How is the whole woman expressed in her cement of society, shall be severely examappearance! Her air has the beauty of ined. But this, and other matters loosely motion, and her look the force of language.' hinted at now, and in my former papers, It was prudence to turn away my eyes shall have their proper place in my followfrom this object, and therefore I turned ing discourses. The present writing is only them to the thoughtless creatures who to admonish the world, that they shall not make up the lump of that sex, and move a find me an idle but a busy Spectator. R. knowing eye no more than the portraiture ner: of insignificant people by ordinary painters, N. Tuesday, March 6, 1710-11. 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 a habit has Spectatum admissi risum teneatis? Hor. Ars Poet. ver. 5. design is to gratify the senses, and keep up horse, and that there was actually a proan indolent attention in the audience. Com-ject of bringing the New-river into the mon sense, however, requires, that there house, to be employed in jetteaus and washould be nothing in the scenes and ma- ter-works. This project, as I have since chines, which may appear childish and heard, is postponed till the summer season, absurd. How would the wits of King when it is thought the coolness that proCharles's time have laughed to have seen ceeds from fountains and cascades will be Nicolini exposed to a tempest in robes of more acceptable and refreshing to the peoermine, and sailing in an open boat upon ple of quality. In the mean time, to find a sea of pasteboard? What a field of rail- out a more agreeable entertainment for the lery would they have been let into, had winter season, the opera of Rinaldot is fillthey been entertained with painted dra-ed with thunder and lightning, illuminagons spitting wildfire, enchanted chariots drawn by Flanders' mares, and real cascades in artificial landscapes? A little skill in criticism would inform us, that shadows and realities ought not to be mixed together in the same piece; and that the scenes which are designed as the representations of nature, should be filled with resem blances, and not with the things them selves. If one would represent a wide champaign country filled with herds and flocks, it would be ridiculous to draw the country only upon the scenes, and to crowd several parts of the stage with sheep and oxen. This is joining together inconsistencies, and making the decoration partly real, and partly imaginary. I would recommend what I have said here to the directors, as well as to the admirers of our modern opera. tions and fire-works; which the audience may look upon without catching cold, and indeed without much danger of being burnt; for there are several engines filled with water, and ready to play at a minute's warning, in case any such accident should happen. However, as I have a very great friendship for the owner of this theatre, I hope that he has been wise enough to insure his house before he would let this opera be acted in it. 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 out how an Amazon should be versed in the black art, or how a good Christian, for such is the part of the magician, should deal with the devil. Be As I was walking in the streets about a fortnight ago, I saw an ordinary fellow carrying a cage full of little birds upon his shoulder; and as I was wondering with myself what use he would put them to, he was met very luckily by an acquaintance To consider the poet after the conjurors. who had the same curiosity. Upon his I shall give you a taste of the Italian from asking what he had upon his shoulder, he the first lines of the preface: Eccoti, betold him that he had been buying sparrows nigno lettore, un parto di poche sere, che se for the opera. Sparrows for the opera ben nato di notte, non e pero aborto di tesays his friend, licking his lips, what, arenebre, ma si fara conoscere figlio d'Apollo they to be roasted? No, no,' says the con qualche raggio di Parnasso.'other, they are to enter towards the end hold, gentle reader, the birth of a few of the first act, and to fly about the stage.' evenings, which, though it be the offspring This strange dialogue awakened my cu- of the night, is not the abortive of darkness, riosity so far, that I immediately bought but will make itself known to be the son of the opera, by which means I perceived Apollo, with a certain ray of Parnassus. that the sparrows were to act the part of He afterwards proceeds to call Mynheer singing birds in a delightful grove; though Handel the Orpheus of our age, and to acupon a nearer inquiry I found the sparrows quaint us, in the same sublimity of style, put the same trick upon the audience, that that he composed this opera in a fortnight. Sir Martin Mar-all practised upon his Such are the wits to whose tastes we so mistress: for though they flew in sight, ambitiously conform ourselves. The truth the music proceeded from a concert of fla- of it is, the finest writers among the mogelets and bird-calls, which were planted 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 *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 inconsiderable auxiliary, not only in a suburban theatre, but in Covent-garden itself: and if the ma bring an hundred horses on the stage, it certainly was not from a want of inclination, but because the stage nagers of our classical theatres' have not been able to would not hold them. 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 Handel. The story is taken from Tasso, and the scene laid in and near Jerusalem. Credebant hoc grande nefas, et morte piandum, Juv. Sat. xiii. 54. Twas impious then (so much was age rever'd) concerned for the reputation of wit and dern Italians express themselves in such a | No. 6.] Wednesday, March 7, 1710-11. 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 have been two years at the university. Some may be apt to think that it is the difference of genius which produces the difference in the works of the two nations; but to show that there is nothing in this, if we look into the writ-qualities of mankind; and there is hardly ings of the old Italians, such as Cicero and Virgil, we shall find that the English writers, in their way of thinking and expressing themselves, resemble those authors much more than the modern Italians pretend to do. And as for the poet himself, from whom the dreams of this opera are taken, I must entirely agree with Monsieur Boileau, that one verse in Virgil is worth all the clinquant or tinsel of Tasso. night, that he was of opinion none but men For this reason Sir Roger was saying last But to return to the sparrows: there have of fine parts deserve to be hanged. The been so many flights of them let loose in reflections of such men are so delicate upon this opera, that it is feared the house will all occurrences which they are concerned never get rid of them; and that in other in, that they should be exposed to more plays they may make their entrance in than ordinary infamy and punishment, for very wrong and improper scenes, so as to offending against such quick admonitions as be seen flying in a lady's bed-chamber, their own souls give them, and blunting the or perching upon a king's throne; besides fine edge of their minds in such a manner, the inconveniences which the heads of the that they are no more shocked at vice and audience may sometimes suffer from them. I am credibly informed, that there was is no greater monster in being, than a very folly than men of slower capacities. There once a design of casting into an opera the ill man of great parts. He lives like a man story of Whittington and his cat, and that in a palsy, with one side of him dead. While in order to it, there had been got together perhaps he enjoys the satisfaction of luxury, a great quantity of mice; but Mr. Rich, the of wealth, of ambition, he has lost the taste proprietor of the play-house, very pru- of good-will, of friendship, of innocence. dently considered that it would be impos- Scarecrow, the beggar, in Lincoln's-innsible for the cat to kill them all, and that fields, who disabled himself in his right leg, consequently the princes of the stage might and asks alms all day to get himself a warm be as much infested with mice, as the prince of the island was before the cat's Supper and a trull at night, is not half so arrival upon it; for which reason he would despicable a wretch, as such a man of not permit it to be acted in his house. And sensations; he finds rest more agreeable The beggar has no relish above indeed I cannot blame him; for, as he said than motion; and while he has a warm fire very well upon that occasion, I do not hear and his doxy, never reflects that he dethat any of the performers in our opera pre-serves to be whipped. Every man who tend to equal the famous pied piper, who terminates his satisfactions and enjoyments made all the mice of a great town in Ger- within the supply of his own necessities and many follow his music, and by that means cleared the place of those little noxious passions, is, says Sir Roger, in my eye, as animals. poor a rogue as Scarecrow. 'But,' conBefore I dismiss this paper, I must in-vate virtue, we are beholden to your men tinued he, for the loss of public and priform my reader, that I hear there is a of fine parts forsooth; it is with them no treaty on foot between London and Wiset matter what is done, so it be done with an (who will be appointed gardeners of the air. But to me, who am so whimsical play-house) to furnish the opera of Rinaldo in a corrupt age as to act according to naand Armida with an orange-grove: and that the next time it is acted, the singing-shining circumstance and equipage, apture and reason, a selfish man, in the most birds will be personated by tom-tits, the undertakers being resolved to spare neither above mentioned, but more contemptible pears in the same condition with the fellow pains nor money for the gratification of the in proportion to what more he robs the public of, and enjoys above him. I lay it down therefore for a rule, that the whole man is to move together; that every action of any importance, is to have a prospect of public good: and that the general tendency audience. C. June 26, 1284, the rats and mice by which Hame. len 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. sense. of our indifferent actions ought to be agree- | any thing more common, than that we run able to the dictates of reason, of religion, in perfect contradiction to them? All which of good-breeding; without this, a man as I is supported by no other pretension, than have before hinted, is hopping instead of that it is done with what we call a good walking, he is not in his entire and proper grace. motion. Nothing ought to be held laudable or becoming, but what nature itself should prompt us to think so. Respect to all kinds of superiors is founded, I think, upon instinct; and yet what is so ridiculous as age? tion of this vice, more than any other, in order to introduce a little story, which I think a pretty instance that the most polite age is in danger of being the most vicious. 'It happened at Athens, during a public representation of some play exhibited in honour of the commonwealth, that an old gentleman came too late for a place suitable to his age and quality. Many of the young gentlemen, who observed the difficulty and confusion he was in, made signs to him that they would accommodate him if he came where they sat. The good man bustled through the crowd accordingly; but when he came to the seats to which he was invited, the jest was to sit close and expose him, as he stood, out of countenance, to the whole audience. The frolic went round the Athenian benches. But on those occasions there were also particular places assigned for foreigners. When the good man skulked towards the boxes appointed for the Lacedæmonians, that honest people, more virtuous than polite, rose up all to a man, and with the greatest respect received him among them. The Athenians being suddenly touched with a sense of the Spartan virtue and their own degeneracy, gave a thunder of applause; and the old man cried out, "The Athenians understand what is good, but the Lacedæmonians practise it. While the honest knight was thus bewildering himself in good starts, I looked attentively upon him, which made him, I thought, collect his mind a little. What I aim at,' says he, 'is to represent that II make this abrupt transition to the menam of opinion, to polish our understandings, and neglect our manners, is of all things the most inexcusable. Reason should govern passion, but instead of that, you see, it is often subservient to it; and, as unaccountable as one would think it, a wise man is not always a good man.' This degeneracy is not only the guilt of particular persons, but also, at some times, of a whole people: and perhaps it may appear upon examination, that the most polite ages are the least virtucus. This may be attributed to the folly of admitting wit and learning as merit in themselves, without considering the application of them. By this means it becomes a rule, not so much to regard what we do, as how we do it. But this false beauty will not pass upon men of honest minds and true taste. Sir Richard Blackmore says, with as much good sense as virtue, 'It is a mighty shame and dishonour to employ excellent faculties and abundance of wit, to humour and please men in their vices and follies. The great enemy of mankind, notwithstanding his wit and angelic faculties, is the most odious being in the whole creation.' He goes on soon after to say, very generously, that he undertook the writing of his poem to rescue the Muses out of the hands of ravishers, to restore them to their sweet and chaste mansions, and to engage them in an employment suitable to their dignity.' This certainly ought to be the purpose of every man who appears in public, and whoever does not proceed upon that foundation, in- No. 7.] Thursday, March 8, 1710-11. jures his country as fast as he succeeds in his studies. When modesty ceases to be the chief ornament of one sex; and integrity of the other, society is upon a wrong basis, and we shall be ever after without rules to guide our judgment in what is really becoming and ornamental. Nature and reason direct one thing, passion and humour another. To follow the dictates of these two latter, is going into a road that is both endless and intricate; when we pursue the other, our passage is delightful, and what we aim at easily attainable. R. Somnia, terrores magicos, miracula, sagas, Visions, and magic spells, can you despise, And laugh at witches, ghosts, and prodigies? GOING yesterday to dine with an old acquaintance, I had the misfortune to find the whole family very much dejected. Upon asking him the occasion of it, he told me that his wife had dreamt a strange dream the night before, which they were afraid portended some misfortune to themselves I do not doubt but England is at present or to their children. At her coming into as polite a nation as any in the world; but the room, I observed a settled melancholy any man who thinks, can easily see, that in her countenance, which I should have the affectation of being gay and in fashion, been troubled for, had I not heard from has very near eaten up our good sense and whence it proceeded. We were no sooner our religion. Is there any thing so just as sat down, but after having looked upon me that mode and gallantry should be built a little while, 'My dear,' says she, turning upon exerting ourselves in what is pro- to her husband, you may now see the per and agreeable to the institutions of jus-stranger that was in the candle last night.' tice and piety among us? And yet is there Soon after this, as they began to talk of |