Verses to the Spectator Letter from Mr. Sly on Hats 533 Letters on Parents forcing the Incli- 534 Letters from a spoilt rich Beauty-Dap- perwit's Question-from a Grocer in Love-from an Idol-a Minute from 535 On vain Hopes of temporal Objects- 536 The Author's Interview with a Lady -her Letter on proper Employment for Beaux-Character of a Shoeing- 537 On the Dignity of Human Nature 538 On Extravagance in Story-telling- Epitaph in Pancras Church-yard 539 The Intentions of a Widow respecting On Delay in Marriage On a Clergyman spoiling one of Til- 551 Translation of Greek Epigrams-Letter 552 Recommendations of industrious Unknown Unknown Tradesmen-Motteux-Harris- 553 On the Spectator's opening his Mouth Letter from Oxford Correspondents 555 556 Account of the Spectator opening his 557 On Conversation-Letter by the Am- 558 Endeavours of Mankind to get rid of 560 Letters, from the Dumb Doctor-from 561 Account of the Widow's Club 564 On Making a just Estimate of the Cha- ceding Paper-The Whole Duty of 604 On a Desire of knowing future Events Unknown 605 A difficult Case in Love resolved 606 Embroidery recommended to the ladies 607 Qualities necessary to make Marriage 608 List of Persons who demanded the 609 Letters on the improper Dress of young Clergymen-On antipathies-against 610 Applause of men not to be regarded— 611 Letter from a Lady insulted by her Se- 613 Letters on Ambition-Eloquence of Beggars from a Lady marked by the 623 Account of the Custom of Enborne 624 Division of Mankind into Classes- Pursuits of Avarice, Ambition, &c. 625 Questions in Love solved by the Love ORIGINAL DEDICATIONS. VOLUME THE FIRST. Lord, TO JOHN LORD SOMERS, BARON OF EVESHAM. the interests of Europe general; to which My SHOULD not act the part of an impartial I must also add, a certain dignity in yourself, Spectator, if I dedicated the following papers to one who is not of the most consummate and most acknowledged merit. None but a person of a finished character can be a proper patron of a work which endeavours to cultivate and polish human life by promoting virtue and knowledge, and by recommending whatsoever may be either useful or ornamental to society. I know that the homage I now pay you, is offering a kind of violence to one who is as solicitous to shun applause, as he is assiduous to deserve it. But, my lord, this is perhaps the only particular in which your prudence will be always disappointed. While justice, candour, equanimity, a zeal for the good of your country, and the most persuasive eloquence in bringing over others to it, are valuable distinctions, you are not to expect that the public will so far comply with your inclinations, as to forbear celebrating such extraordinary qualities. It is in vain that you have endeavoured to conceal your share of merit in the many national services which you have effected. Do what you will, the present age will be talking of your virtues, though posterity alone will do them justice. that (to say the least of it) has been always equal to those great honours which have been conferred upon you. It is very well known how much the church owed to you in the most dangerous day it ever saw, that of the arraignment of its prelates;* and how far the civil power, in the late and present reign, has been indebted to your counsels and wisdom. But to enumerate the great advantages which the public has received from your administration, would be a more proper work for a history, than for an address of this nature. Your lordship appears as great in your private life, as in the most important offices which you have borne. I would, therefore, rather choose to speak of the pleasure you afford all who are admitted to your conversation, of your elegant taste in all the polite arts, of learning, of your great humanity and complacency of manners, and of the surprising influence which is peculiar to you, in making every one who converses with your lordship prefer you to himself, without thinking the less meanly of his own talents. But if I should take notice of all that might be observed in your lordship, I should have nothing new to say upon any other character of distinction. I ain, Other men pass through oppositions and contending interests in the ways of ambition; but your great abilities have been invited to power, and importuned to accept of advancement. Nor is it strange that this should happen to your lordship, who could bring into the service of your sovereign the arts and policies of ancient Greece and Rome; as well as the most exact knowledge peached in 1688. of our own constitution in particular, and of * He was one of the counsel for the seven bishops im ledged myself incapable. While I busy myself as a stranger upon earth, and can pretend to no other than being a looker-on, you are conspicuous in the busy and polite world; both in the world of men, and that of letters. While I am silent and unobserved in public meetings, you are admired by all that approach you, as the life and genius of the conversation. What a happy conjunction of different talents meets in him whose whole discourse is at once animated by the strength and force of reason, and adorned with all the graces and embellishments of wit! When learning irradiates common life, it is then in its highest use and perfection; and it is to such as your lordship, that the sciences owe the esteem which they have with the active part of mankind. Knowledge of books in recluse men, is like that sort of lantern which hides him who carries it, and serves only to pass through secret and gloomy paths of his own; but in the possession of a man of business, it is as a torch in the hand of one who is willing and able to show those who were bewildered, the way which leads to their prosperity and welfare. A generous concern for your country, and a passion for every thing which is truly great and noble, are what actuate all your life and actions; and I hope you will forgive me when I have an ambition this book may be placed in the library of so good a judge of what is valuable; in that library where the choice is such, that it will not be a disparagement to be the meanest author in it. Forgive me, my lord, for taking this occasion of telling all the world how ardently I love and honour you; and that I am, with the utmost gratitude for all your favours, VOLUME THE THIRD. Sir, TO THE RIGHT HON. HENRY BOYLE.* 1712. As the professed design of this work is to entertain its readers in general, without giving offence to any particular person, it would be difficult to find out so proper a patron for it as yourself, there being none whose merit is more universally acknowledged by all parties, and who has made himself more friends, and fewer enemies. Your great abilities and unquestioned integrity, in those high employments which you have passed through,f would not have been able to have raised you this general approbation, had they not been accompanied with that moderation in a high fortune, and that affability of manners, which are so conspicuous through all parts of your *Youngest son of Charles Lord Clifford. He was created Baron Charleton, in 1714; but dying, unmarried, in 1725, the title died with him. He was several years secretary of state during the reign of Queen Anne. life. Your aversion to any ostentatious arts of setting to show those great services which you have done the public, has not likewise a little contributed to that universal acknowledgment which is paid you by your country. The consideration of this part of your character, is that which hinders me from enlarging on those extraordinary talents which have given you so great a figure in the British senate, as well as in that elegance and politeness which appear in your more retired conversation. I should be unpardonable if, after what I have said, I should longer detain you with an address of this nature: I cannot, however, conclude it, without acknowledging those great obligations which you have laid upon, SIR, Your most obedient humble servant, THE SPECTATOR, Marlborough, I question not but it would the most able and fortunate captain before fill the reader with more agreeable images, your time, declared he had lived long enough and give him a more delightful entertain- both to nature and to glory; and your grace ment than what can be found in the follow-may make that reflection with much more ing or any other book. One cannot indeed without offence to yourself observe, that you excel the rest of mankind in the least, as well as the greatest endowments. Nor were it a circumstance to be mentioned, if the graces and attractions of your person were not the only preeminence you have above others, which is left almost unobserved by greater writers. Yet how pleasing would it be to those who shall read the surprising revolutions in your story, to be made acquainted with your ordinary life and deportment! How pleasing would it be to hear that the same man, who carried fire and sword into the countries of all that had opposed the cause of liberty, and struck a terror into the armies of France, had, in the midst of his high station, a behaviour as gentle as is usual in the first steps towards greatness! And if it were possible to express that easy grandeur, which did at once persuade and command, it would appear as clearly to those to come, as it does to his contemporaries, that all the great events which were brought to pass under the conduct of so well-governed a spirit, were the blessings of heaven upon wisdom and valour; and all which seem adverse, fell out by divine permission, which we are not to search into. You have passed that year of life wherein justice. He spoke it after he had arrived at empire by an usurpation upon those whom he had enslaved: but the Prince of Nindelheim* may rejoice in a sovereignty which was the gift of him whose dominions he had preserved. Glory established upon the uninterrupted success of honourable designs and actions, is not subject to diminution; nor can any attempts prevail against it, but in the proportion which the narrow circuit of rumour bears to the unlimited extent of fame. We may congratulate your grace not only upon your high achievements, but likewise upon the happy expiration of your command, by which your glory is put out of the power of fortune: and when your person shall be so too, that the Author and Disposer of all things may place you in that higher mansion of bliss and immortality which is prepared for good princes, lawgivers, and heroes, when he in his due time removes them from the envy of mankind, is the hearty prayer of, MY LORD, Your Grace's most obedient, most devoted, humble servant, THE SPECTATOR. *This title was conferred upon the Duke by the Emperor, after the battle of Hochstadt. VOLUME THE FIFTH. My Lord, TO THE EARL OF WHARTON. 1712-13. THE author of the Spectator, having prefixed before each of his volumes the name of some great persons to whom he has particular obligations, lays his claim to your lordship's patronage upon the same account. I must confess, my lord, had not I already received great instances of your favour, I should have been afraid of submitting a work of this nature to your perusal. You are so thoroughly acquainted with the characters of men, and all the parts of human life, that it is impossible for the least misrepresentation of them to escape your notice. It is your lordship's particular distinction that you are master of the whole compass of business, and have signalized yourself in all the different scenes of it. We admire some for the dignity, others for the popularity of their behaviour; some for their clearness of judgment, others for their happiness of expression; some for the laying of schemes, and others for the putting them in execution. It is your lordship only who enjoys these several talents united, and that too in as great perfection as others possess them singly. Your enemies acknowledge this great extent in your lordship's character, at the same time that they use their utmost industry and invention to derogate from it. But it is for your honour that those who are now your enemies were always so. You have acted in so much consistency with yourself, and promoted the interests of your country in so uniform a manner, that even those who would misrepresent your generous designs for the public good, cannot but approve the steadiness and intrepidity with which you pursue them. It is a most sensible pleasure to me that I have this opportunity of professing myself one of your great admirers, and in a very particular manner, |