forego them they will run all hazards, and | cetious companions; that he need not own venture upon all the miseries and woes be- he married only to plunder an heiress of fore them. her fortune, nor pretend that he uses her ill, to avoid the ridiculous name of a fond husband. Indeed, if I may speak my opinion of great part of the writings which once prevailed among us under the notion of hu "See there that other company; though they should drink none of the bewitching water, yet they take a course bewitching and deluding. See how they choose the crookedest paths, whereby they have often the black tower behind them, and some-mour, they are such as would tempt one to times see the radiant column sideways, which gives them some weak glimpse of it! These fools content themselves with that, not knowing whether any other have any more of its influence and light than themselves: this road is called that of Superstition or Human Invention: they grossly overlook that which the rules and laws of the place prescribe to them, and contrive some other scheme, and set off directions and prescriptions for themselves, which they hope will serve their turn.' He showed me many other kinds of fools, which put me quite out of humour with the place. At last he carried me to the right paths, where I found true and solid pleasure, which entertained me all the way, until we came in closer sight of the pillar, where the satisfaction increased to that measure that my faculties were not able to contain it: in the straining of them I was violently waked, not a little grieved at the vanishing of so pleasing a dream. Glasgow, Sept. 29.' No. 525.] Saturday, November 1, 1712. Ο δ' εις το σωφρον επ' αρετην τ' αγών έρως, Eurip. That love alone, which virtue's laws control, think there had been an association among the wits of those times to rally legitimacy out of our island. A state of wedlock was the common mark of all the adventurers in farce and comedy, as well as the essayers in lampoon and satire, to shoot at; and nothing was a more standing jest, in all clubs of fashionable mirth and gay conversation. It was determined among those airy critics, that the appellation of a sober man should signify a spiritless fellow. And I am apt to think it was about the same time that good-nature, a word so peculiarly elegant in our language, that some have affirmed it cannot well be expressed in any other, came first to be rendered suspicious, and in danger of being transferred from its original sense to so distant an idea as that of folly. I must confess it has been my ambition, in the course of my writings to restore, as well as I was able, the proper ideas of things. And as I have attempted this already on the subject of marriage in several papers, I shall here add some farther observations which occur to me on the same head. Nothing seems to be thought, by our fine gentlemen, so indispensable an ornament in fashionable life, as love. A knight-errant,' says Don Quixote, without a mistress, is like a tree without leaves;' and a man of It is my custom to take frequent oppor-mode among us who has not some fair one tunities of inquiring, from time to time, to sigh for, might as well pretend to appear what success my speculations meet with in dressed without his periwig. We have the town. I am glad to find, in particular, lovers in prose innumerable. All our prethat my discourses on marriage have been tenders to rhyme are professed inamoratos; well received. A friend of mine gives me and there is scarce a poet good or bad, to to understand from Doctor's-commons, that be heard of, who has not some real or supmore licenses have been taken out there of posed Saccharissa to improve his vein. late than usual. I am likewise informed If love be any refinement, conjugal love of several pretty fellows, who have resolv-must be certainly so in a much higher deed to commence heads of families by the first favourable opportunity. One of them writes me word that he is ready to enter into the bonds of matrimony, provided I will give it him under my hand (as I now do) that a man may show his face in good company after he is married, and that he need not be ashamed to treat a woman with kindness who puts herself in his power for life. I have other letters on this subject, which say that I am attempting to make a revolution in the world of gallantry, and that the consequence of it will be that a great deal of the sprightliest wit and satire of the last age will be lost; that a bashful fellow, upon changing his condition, will be no longer puzzled how to stand the raillery of his fa gree. There is no comparison between the frivolous affectations of attracting the eyes of women with whom you are only captivated by way of amusement, and of whom perhaps you know nothing more than their features; and a regular and uniform endeavour to make yourself valuable, both as a friend and lover, to one whom you have chosen to be the companion of your life. The first is the spring of a thousand fopperies, silly artifices, falsehoods, and perhaps barbarities; or at best rises no higher than to a kind of dancing-school breeding, to give the person a more sparkling air. The latter is the parent of substantial virtues and agreeable qualities, and cultivates the mind while it improves the behaviour. The passion of love to a mistress, even where it is most sincere, resembles too much the flame of a fever: that to a wife is like the vital heat. of you, and of your and her ancestors. Her ingenuity is admirable; her frugality extraordinary. She loves me; the surest pledge of her virtue; and adds to this a wonderful disposition to learning, which she has acquired from her affection to me. She reads my writings, studies them, and even gets them by heart. You would smile to see the concern she is in when I have a cause to plead, and the joy she shows when it is over. She finds means to have the first news brought her of the success I meet with in court, how I am heard, and what decree is made. If I recite any thing in public, she cannot refrain from placing herself privately in some corner to hear, where, with the utmost delight, she feasts upon my applauses. Sometimes she sings my verses; and accompanies them with the I have often thought, if the letters written by men of good-nature to their wives were to be compared with those written by men of gallantry to their mistresses, the former, notwithstanding any inequality of style, would appear to have the advantage. Friendship, tenderness, and constancy, dressed in a simplicity of expression, recommend themselves by a more native elegance, than passionate raptures, extravagant encomiums, and slavish adoration, If we were admitted to search the cabinet of the beautiful Narcissa, among heaps of epistles from several admirers, which are there preserved with equal care, how few should we find but would make any one sick in the reading, except her who is flat-lute, without any master except love, the tered by them? But in how different a style must the wise Benevolus, who converses with that good sense and good humour among all his friends, write to a wife who is the worthy object of his utmost affection? Benevolus, both in public and private, and all occasions of life, appears to have every good quality and desirable ornament. Abroad he is reverenced and esteemed; at home beloved and happy. The satisfaction he enjoys there settles into an habitual complacency, which shines in his countenance, enlivens his wit, and seasons his conversation. Even those of his acquaintance, who have never seen him in his retirement, are sharers in the happiness of it; and it is very much owing to his being the best and best beloved of husbands, that he is the most steadfast of friends, and the most agreeable of companions. There is a sensible pleasure in contemplating such beautiful instances of domestic life. The happiness of the conjugal state appears heightened to the highest degree best of instructors. From these instances I take the most certain omens of our perpetual and increasing happiness; since her affection is not founded on my youth and person, which must gradually decay, but she is in love with the immortal part of me, my glory and reputation. Nor indeed could less be expected from one who had the happiness to receive her education from you, who in your house was accustomed to every thing that was virtuous and decent, and even began to love me, by your recommendation. For, as you had always the greatest respect for my mother, you were pleased from my infancy to form me, to commend me, and kindly to presage I should be one day what my wife fancies I am. Accept therefore our united thanks; mine, that you have bestowed her on me; and hers, that you have given me to her, as a mutual grant of joy and felicity. -Fortius utere loris. Ovid Met. Lib. ii. 127. Keep a stiff rein.—Addison. it is capable of when we see two persons of No. 526.] Monday, November 3, 1712. accomplished minds not only united in the same interests and affections, but in their taste of the same improvements and diversions. Pliny, one of the finest gentlemen and politest writers of the age in which he lived, has left us, in his letter to Hispulla, his wife's aunt, one of the most agreeable family pieces of this kind I have ever met with. I shall end this discourse with a translation of it, and I believe the reader will be of my opinion, that conjugal love is drawn in it with a delicacy which makes it appear to be, as I have represented it, an ornament as well as a virtue. Pliny to Hispulla. 'As I remember the great affection which was between you and your excellent brother, and know you love his daughter as your own, so as not only to express the tenderness of the best of aunts, but even to supply that of the best of fathers; I am sure it will be a pleasure to you to hear that she proves worthy of her father, worthy I AM very loath to come to extremities with the young gentlemen mentioned in the following letter, and do not care to chastise them with my own hand, until I am forced by provocation too great to be suffered without the absolute destruction of my spectatorial dignity. The crimes of these offenders are placed under the observation of one of my chief officers, who is posted just at the entrance of the pass between London and Westminster. As I have great confidence in the capacity, resolution, and integrity of the person deputed by me to give an account of enormities, I doubt not but I shall soon have before me all proper notices which are requisite for the amendment of manners in public, and the instruction of each individual of the human species in what is due from him in respect to the whole body of mankind. The present paper shall consist only of the above-men tioned letter, and the copy of a deputation! would but give them two or three touches which I have given to my trusty friend, Mr. John Sly; wherein he is charged to notify to me all that is necessary for my animadversion upon the delinquents mentioned by my correspondent, as well as all others described in the said deputation. 'To the Spectator General of Great Britain. with your own pen, though you might not perhaps prevail with them to desist entirely from their meditations, yet I doubt not but you would at least preserve them from being public spectacles of folly in our streets. I say two or three touches with your own pen; for I have already observed, Mr. Spec, that those Spectators which are so prettily laced down the sides with little 'I grant it does look a little familiar, but I c's, how instinctive soever they may be, do must call you your's, Esq. if you please. not carry with them that authority as the others. I do again therefore desire, that for 'DEAR DUMB,-Being got again to the the sake of their dear necks, you would befarther end of the Widow's coffee-house, I stow one penful of your own ink upon them. shall from hence give you some account of I know you are loath to expose them; and the behaviour of our hackney-coachmen it is, I must confess, a thousand pities that since my last. These indefatigable gentle- any young gentleman who is come of honest men, without the least design, I dare say, parents should be brought to public shame. of self-interest or advantage to themselves, And indeed I should be glad to have them do still ply as volunteers day and night for handled a little tenderly at the first, but if the good of their country. I will not trouble fair means will not prevail, there is then you with enumerating many particulars, no other way to reclaim them but by makbut I must by no means omit to inform you ing use of some wholesome severities; and of an infant about six feet high, and be- I think it is better that a dozen or two of tween twenty and thirty years of age, who such good-for-nothing fellows should be was seen in the arms of a hackney-coach- made examples of, than that the reputaman, driving by Will's coffee-house in Co- tion of some hundreds of as hopeful young vent-garden, between the hours of four and gentlemen as myself should suffer through five in the afternoon of that very day their folly. It is not, however, for me to wherein you published a memorial against direct you what to do; but, in short, if our them. This impudent young cur, though coachmen will drive on this trade, the very he could not sit in a coach-box without first of them that I do find meditating in holding, yet would venture his neck to bid the street, I shall make bold to "take the defiance to your spectatorial authority, or number of his chambers,"* together with to any thing that you countenanced. Who a note of his name, and despatch them to he was I know not, but I heard this relation you, that you may chastise him at your this morning from a gentleman who was an own discretion. I am, dear Spec, for ever eye witness of this his impudence; and I MOSES GREENBAG, was willing to take the first opportunity to inform you of him, as holding it extremely requisite that you should nip him in the bud. But I am myself most concerned for my fellow-templars, fellow-students, and fellow-labourers in the law, I mean such of them as are dignified and distinguished under the denomination of hackney-coachmen. Such aspiring minds have these ambitious young men, that they cannot enjoy themselves out of a coach-box. It is, however, an unspeakable comfort to me that I can now tell you that some of them are grown so bashful as to study only in the night time, or in the country. The other night I spied one of our young gentlemen very diligent at his lucubrations in Fleet Street; and, by the way, I should be under some concern, lest this hard student should one time or other crack his brain with studying, but that I am in hopes nature has taken care to fortify him in proportion to the great undertakings he was designed for. Another of my fellow-templars on Thursday last was getting up into his study at the bottom of Gray's-Inn-Lane, in order, I suppose, to contemplate in the fresh air. Now, sir, my request is, that the great modesty of these two gentlemen may be recorded as a pattern to the rest; and if you 'P. S. Tom Hammercloth, one of our coachmen, is now pleading at the bar at the other end of the room, but has a little too much vehemence, and throws out his arms too much to take his audience, with a good grace.' To my loving and well-beloved John Sly, haberdasher of hats, and tobacconist, between the cities of London and Westminster. Whereas frequent disorders, affronts, indignities, omissions, and trespasses, for which there are no remedies by any form of law, but which apparently disturb and disquiet the minds of men, happen near the place of your residence; and that you are, as well by your commodious situation, as the good parts with which you are endowed, properly qualified for the observation of the said offences; I do hereby authorize and depute you, from the hours of nine in the morning until four in the afternoon, to keep a strict eye upon all persons and things that are conveyed in coaches, carried in carts, or walk on foot, from the city of London to the city of Westminster, or from the city * An allusion to the number of a hackney-coach. of Westminster to the city of London, I the history picture of a fan in so gallant a within the said hours. You are therefore manner as he addresses it. But see the not to depart from your observatory at the letters. end of Devereux-court during the said space of each day, but to observe the be- 'MR. SPECTATOR,-It is now almost haviour of all persons who are suddenly three months since I was in town about transported from tramping on pebbles to some business; and the hurry of it being sit at ease in chariots, what notice they over, I took a coach one afternoon, and take of their foot acquaintance, and send drove to see a relation, who married about me the speediest advice, when they are six years ago a wealthy citizen. I found guilty of overlooking, turning from, or ap- her at home, but her husband gone to the pearing grave and distant to, their old Exchange, and expected back within an friends. When man and wife are in the hour at the farthest. After the usual salutasame coach, you are to see whether they tions of kindness, and a hundred questions appear pleased or tired with each other, about friends in the country, we sat down and whether they carry the due mean in to piquet, played two or three games, and the eye of the world, between fondness and drank tea. I should have told you that this coolness. You are carefully to behold all such was my second time of seeing her since as shall have addition of honour or riches, marriage; but before, she lived at the same and report whether they preserve the town where I went to school; so that the countenance they had before such addition. plea of a relation, added to the innocence As to persons on foot, you are to be atten- of my youth, prevailed upon her good-hutive whether they are pleased with their mour to indulge me in a freedom of concondition, and are dressed suitable to it; versation as often, and oftener, than the but especially to distinguish such as appear strict discipline of the school would allow discreet, by a low-heel shoe, with the de- of. You may easily imagine, after such an cent ornament of a leather garter: to write acquaintance, we might be exceeding merry down the names of such country gentlemen without any offence; as in calling to mind as, upon the approach of peace, have left how many inventions I have been put to in the hunting for the military cock of the deluding the master, how many hands hat; of all who strut, make a noise, and forged for excuses, how many times been swear at the drivers of coaches to make sick in perfect health; for I was then never haste, when they see it is impossible they sick but at school, and only then because should pass; of all young gentlemen in out of her company. We had whiled away coach-boxes, who labour at a perfection in three hours after this manner, when I found what they are sure to be excelled by the it past five; and not expecting her husband meanest of the people. You are to do all would return until late, rose up, and told that in you lies that coaches and passengers her I should go early next morning for the give way according to the course of busi- country. She kindly answered she was ness, all the morning in term-time, towards afraid it would be long before she saw me Westminster, the rest of the year towards again; so, I took my leave, and parted. the Exchange. Upon these directions, toge- Now, sir, I had not been got home a fortther with other secret articles herein en-night, when I received a letter from a closed, you are to govern yourself, and give neighbour of theirs, that ever since that advertisement thereof to me, at all con-fatal afternoon the lady has been most invenient and spectatorial hours, when men of business are to be seen. Hereof you are not to fail. Given under my seal of office. T. THE SPECTATOR.' No. 527.] Tuesday, November 4, 1712. Facile invenies et pejorem, et pejus moratam; You will easily find a worse woman; a better the sun never shone upon. humanly treated, and the husband publicly stormed that he was made a member of too numerous a society. He had, it seems, listened most of the time my cousin and I were together. As jealous ears always hear double, so he heard enough to make him mad; and as jealous eyes always see through magnifying glasses, so he was certain it could not be I whom he had seen, a beardless stripling, but fancied he saw a gay gentleman of the temple, ten years older than myself; and for that reason, I presume, durst not come in, nor take any notice when I AM SO tender of my women-readers, I went out. He is perpetually asking his that I cannot defer the publication of any wife if she does not think the time long (as thing which concerns their happiness or she said she should) until she see her cousin quiet. The repose of a married woman is again. Pray, sir, what can be done in this consulted in the first of the following letters, case? I have writ to him to assure him I and the felicity of a maiden lady in the was at his house all that afternoon expectsecond. I call it a felicity to have the ad-ing to see him. His answer is, it is only a dresses of an agreeable man; and I think I trick of hers, and that he neither can nor have not any where seen a prettier applica- will believe me. The parting kiss I find tion of a poetical story than that of his, in mightily nettles him, and confirms him in making the tale of Cephalus and Procris all his errors. Ben Jonson, as I remember, VOL. II. 38 'The unfortunate wife, taking the word air to be the name of a woman, began to move among the bushes; and the husband, believing it a deer, threw his javelin, and killed her. This history, painted on a fan, which I presented to a lady, gave occasion to my growing poetical.' makes a foreigner, in one of his comedies, | he was so much in the forest, that his lady "admire the desperate valour of the bold suspected he was pursuing some nymph, English, who let out their wives to all en- under the pretence of following a chase counters." The general custom of saluta- more innocent. Under this suspicion she tion should excuse the favour done me, or hid herself among the trees, to observe his you should lay down rules when such dis- motions. While she lay concealed, her tinctions are to be given or omitted. You husband, tired with the labour of hunting, cannot imagine, sir, how troubled I am for came within her hearing. As he was faintthis unhappy lady's misfortune, and beg ing with heat, he cried out, “ Aura veni!” you would insert this letter, that the hus-"Oh, charming air, approach!" band may reflect upon this accident coolly. It is no small matter, the ease of a virtuous woman for her whole life. I know she will conform to any regularities (though more strict than the common rules of our country require) to which his particular temper shall incline him to oblige her. This accident puts me in mind how generously Pisistratus, the Athenian tyrant, behaved himself on a like occasion, when he was instigated by his wife to put to death a young gentleman, because, being passionately fond of his daughter, he had kissed her in public, as he met her in the street. "What," said he, "shall we do to those who are our enemies, if we do thus to those who are our friends?" I will not trouble you much longer, but am exceedingly concerned lest this accident may cause a virtuous lady to lead a miserable life with a husband who has no grounds for his jealousy but what I have faithfully related, and ought to be reckoned none. It is to be feared too, if at last he sees his mistake, yet people will be as slow and unwilling in disbelieving scandal as they are quick and forward in believing it. I shall endeavour to enliven this plain honest letter with Ovid's relation about Cybele's image. The ship wherein it was aboard was stranded at the mouth of the Tiber, and the men were unable to move it, until Claudia, a virgin, but suspected of unchastity, by a slight pull hauled it in. The story is told in the fourth book of the Fasti. "Parent of gods, (began the weeping fair,) MR. SPECTATOR,-You will oblige a languishing lover, if you will please to print the enclosed verses in your next paper. If you remember the Metamorphoses, you know Procris, the fond wife of Cephalus, is said to have made her husband, who delighted in the sports of the wood, a present of an unerring javelin. In process of time "Come, gentle air!" the Æolian shepherd said, sex. No. 528.] Wednesday, November 5, 1712. |