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No. 440.] Friday, July 25, 1712.

Vivere si recte nescis, discede peritis.
Hor. Ep. ii. Lib. 2. 213.
Learn to live well, or fairly make your will.

Pope.

from her majesty, he was so exceedingly | from the table, and convey him to the inafflicted and tormented with the sense of firmary. There was but one more sent it, that sometimes by passionate complaints away that day; this was a gentleman who and representations to the king, sometimes is reckoned by some persons one of the by more dutiful addresses and expostula- greatest wits, and by others one of the tions with the queen in bewailing his mis- greatest boobies about town. This you will fortune, he frequently exposed himself, and say is a strange character; but what makes left his condition worse than it was before, it stranger yet, is a very true one, for he is and the éclaircissement commonly ended in perpetually the reverse of himself, being the discovery of the persons from whom he always merry or dull to excess. We brought had received his most secret intelligence.' him hither to divert us, which he did 0. very well upon the road, having lavished away as much wit and laughter upon the hackney coachman as might have served during his whole stay here, had it been duly managed. He had been lumpish for two or three days, but was so far connived at, in hopes of recovery, that we despatched one of the briskest fellows among the brotherhood into the infirmary for having told him at table he was not merry. But our president observing that he indulged himself in this long fit of stupidity, and construing it as a contempt of the college, ordered him to retire into the place prepared for such companions. He was no sooner got into it, but his wit and mirth returned upon him in so violent a manner, that he shook the whole infirmary with the noise of it, and had so good an effect upon the rest of the patients, that he brought them all out to dinner with him the next day. 'On Tuesday we were no sooner sat down, but one of the company complained that his head ached; upon which, another asked him in an insolent manner, what he did there then? This insensibly grew into some warm words; so that the president, in order to keep the peace, gave directions to take them both from the table, and lodge them in the infirmary. Not long after, another of the company telling us he knew, by a pain in his shoulder, that we should have some rain, the president ordered him to be removed, and placed at a weatherglass in the apartment above-mentioned.

I HAVE already given my reader an account of a set of merry fellows who are passing their summer together in the country, being provided with a great house, where there is not only a convenient apartment for every particular person, but a large infirmary for the reception of such of them as are any way indisposed or cut of humour. Having lately received a letter from the secretary of the society, by order of the whole fraternity, which acquaints me with their behaviour during the last week, I shall here make a present of it to the public.

'MR. SPECTATOR,-We are glad to find that you approve the establishment which we have here made for the retrieving of good manners and agreeable conversation, and shall use our best endeavours so to improve curselves in this our summer retirement, that we may next winter serve as patterns to the town. But to the end that this our institution may be no less advantageous to the public than to ourselves, we > shall communicate to you one week of our proceedings, desiring you at the same time, if you see any thing faulty in them, to favour us with your admonitions: for you must know, sir, that it has been proposed amongst us to choose you for our visitor; to which I must farther add, that one of the college having declared last week he did not like the Spectator of the day, and not being able to assign any just reasons for such dislike, he was sent to the infirmary nemine contradicente.

'On Wednesday a gentleman having received a letter written in a woman's hand, and changing colour twice or thrice as he read it, desired leave to retire into the infirmary. The president consented, but denied him the use of pen, ink, and paper, till such time as he had slept upon it. One of the company being seated at the lower end of the table, and discovering his secret discontent, by finding fault with every dish that was served up, and refusing to laugh 'On Monday the assembly was in very at any thing that was said, the president good humour, having received some re- told him, that he found he was in an uncruits of French claret that morning; when, easy seat, and desired him to accommodate unluckily, towards the middle of the din- himself better in the infirmary. After dinner, one of the company swore at his ser-ner, a very honest fellow chanced to let a vant in a very rough manner for having put pun fall from him; his neighbour cried out, too much water in his wine. Upon which, To the infirmary;" at the same time prethe president of the day, who is always the tending to be sick at it, as having the same mouth of the company, after having con- natural antipathy to a pun which some vinced him of the impertinence of his pas- have to a cat. This produced a long desion, and the insult he had made upon the bate. Upon the whole, the punster was company, ordered his man to take him acquitted, and his neighbour sent off. VCL. II.

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'On Thursday there was but one delin- | blessings and conveniences of life, and an quent. This was a gentleman of strong habitual trust in him for deliverance out of voice, but weak understanding. He had all such dangers and difficulties as may beunluckily engaged himself in a dispute with fall us. a man of excellent sense, but of a modest elocution. The man of heat replied to every answer of his antagonist with a louder note than ordinary, and only raised his voice when he should have enforced his argument. Finding himself at length driven to an absurdity, he still reasoned in a more clamorous and confused manner; and to make the greater impression upon his hearers, concluded with a loud thump upon the table. The president immediately or dered him to be carried off, and dieted with water-gruel, till such time as he should be sufficiently weakened for conversation.

'On Friday there passed very little remarkable, saving only, that several petitions were read of the persons in custody, desiring to be released from their confinement, and vouching for one another's good behaviour for the future.

The man who always lives in this disposition of mind, has not the same dark and melancholy views of human nature, as he who considers himself abstractedly from this relation to the Supreme Being. At the same time that he reflects upon his own weakness and imperfection, he comforts himself with the contemplation of those divine attributes which are employed for his safety and his welfare. He finds his want of foresight made up by the Omniscience of Him who is his support. He is not sensible of his own want of strength, when he knows that his helper is almighty. In short, the person who has a firm trust on the Supreme Being is powerful in His power, wise by His wisdom, happy by His happiness. He reaps the benefit of every divine attribute, and loses his own insufficiency in the fulness of infinite perfection.

To make our lives more easy to us, we are commanded to put our trust in Him, who is thus able to relieve and succour us; the divine goodness having made such reliance a duty, notwithstanding we should have been miserable had it been forbidden us.

'On Saturday we received many excuses from persons who had found themselves in an unsociable temper, and had voluntarily shut themselves up. The infirmary was, indeed, never so full as on this day, which I was at some loss to account for, till, upon my going abroad, I observed that it was an easterly wind. The retirement of most of my friends has given me opportunity and leisure of writing you this letter, which II must not conclude without assuring you, that all the members of our college, as well those who are under confinement as those who are at liberty, are your very humble servants, though none more than, C.

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&c.'

Hor. Od. iii. Lib. 3. 7.

Should the whole frame of nature round him break
In ruin and confusion hurl'd,

He, unconcern'd, would hear the mighty crack,

And stand secure amidst a falling world.-Anon. MAN, considered in himself, is a very helpless and a very wretched being. He is subject every moment to the greatest calamities and misfortunes. He is beset with dangers on all sides; and may become unhappy by numberless casualties, which he could not foresee, nor have prevented had he foreseen them.

It is our comfort while we are obnoxious to so many accidents, that we are under the care of One who directs contingencies, and has in his hands the management of every thing that is capable of annoying or offending us; who knows the assistance we stand in need of, and is always ready to bestow it on those who ask it of him.

The natural homage which such a creature bears to so infinitely wise and good a Being, is a firm reliance on him for the

Among several motives which might be made use of to recommend this duty to us, shall only take notice of those that follow. The first and strongest is, that we are promised, He will not fail those who put their trust in Him.

But, without considering the supernatural blessing which accompanies this duty, we may observe, that it has a natural tendency to its own reward, or, in other words, that this firm trust and confidence in the great Disposer of all things, contributes very much to the getting clear of any affliction, or to the bearing it manfully. A person who believes he has his succour at hand, and that he acts in the sight of his friend, often exerts himself beyond his abilities, and does wonders that are not to be matched by one who is not animated with such a confidence of success. I could produce instances from history, of generals, who, out of a belief that they were under the protection of some invisible assistant, did not only encourage their soldiers to do their utmost, but have acted themselves beyond what they would have done had they not been inspired by such a belief. I might in the same manner show how such a trust in the assistance of an Almighty Being naturally produces patience, hope, cheerfulness, and all other dispositions of mind that alleviate those calamities which we are not able to remove.

The practice of this virtue administers great comfort to the mind of man in times of poverty and affliction, but most of all in the hour of death. When the soul is hovering in the last moments of its separation, when it is just entering on another state of

existence, to converse with scenes, and objects and companions that are altogether new, what can support her under such tremblings of thought, such fear, such anxiety, such apprehensions, but the casting of all her cares upon Him who first gave her being, who has conducted her through one stage of it, and will be always with her to guide and comfort her in her progress through eternity?

whatever might be proper to adapt them to the character and genius of my paper, with which it was almost impossible these could exactly correspond, it being certain that hardly two men think alike; and, therefore, so many men so many Spectators. Besides, I must own my weakness for glory is such, that, if I consulted that only, I might be so far swayed by it, as almost to wish that no one could write a Spectator David has very beautifully represented besides myself; nor can I deny but, upon this steady reliance on God Almighty in the first perusal of those papers, I felt some his twenty-third psalm, which is a kind of secret inclinations of ill-will towards the pastoral hymn, and filled with those allu- persons who wrote them. This was the imsions which are usual in that kind of writ-pression I had upon the first reading them; ing. As the poetry is very exquisite, I shall present my reader with the following translation of it:

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I Do not know whether I enough explained myself to the world, when I invited all men to be assistant to me in this my work of speculation; for I have not yet acquainted my readers, that besides the letters and valuable hints I have from time to time received from my correspondents, I have by me several curious and extraordinary papers sent with a design (as no one will doubt when they are published) that they may be printed entire, and without any alteration, by way of Spectator. I must acknowledge also, that I myself being the first projector of the paper, thought I had a right to make them my own, by dressing them in my own style, by leaving out what would not appear like mine, and by adding

but upon a late review (more for the sake of entertainment than use,) regarding them with another eye than I had done at first (for by converting them as well as I could to my own use, I thought I had utterly disabled them from ever offending me again as Spectators,) I found myself moved by a passion very different from that of envy; sensibly touched with pity, the softest and most generous of all passions, when I reflected what a cruel disappointment the neglect of those papers must needs have been to the writers who impatiently longed to see them appear in print, and who, no doubt, triumphed to themselves in the hopes of having a share with me in the applause of the public; a pleasure so great, that none but those who have experienced it can have a sense of it. In this manner of viewing those papers, I really found I had not done them justice, there being something so extremely natural and peculiarly good in some of them, that I will appeal to the world whether it was possible to alter a word in them without doing them a manifest hurt and violence; and whether they can ever appear rightly, and as they ought, but in their own native dress and colours. And therefore I think I should not only wrong them, but deprive the world of a considerable satisfaction, should I any longer delay the making them public.

After I have published a few of these Spectators, I doubt not but I shall find the success of them to equal, if not surpass, that of the best of my own. An author should take all methods to humble himself in the opinion he has of his own performances. When these papers appear to the world, I doubt not but they will be followed by many others; and I shall not repine, though I myself shall have left me but a very few days to appear in public: but preferring the general weal and advantage to any consideration of myself, I am resolved for the future to publish any Spectator that deserves it entire, and without any alteration; assuring the world (if there can be need of it) that it is none of mine, and if the authors think fit to subscribe their names, I will add them.

I think the best way of promoting this generous and useful design, will be by giving out subjects or themes of all kinds

Camilla* to the Spectator.

whatsoever, on which (with a preamble of the extraordinary benefit and advantages Venice, July 10, N. s. that may accrue thereby to the public) I 'MR. SPECTATOR,-I take it extremely will invite all manner of persons, whether scholars, citizens, courtiers, gentlemen of ill, that you do not reckon conspicuous the town or country, and all Beaus, rakes, Persons of your nation are within your cogsmarts, prudes, coquettes, housewives, and nizance, though out of the dominions of Great Britain. all sorts of wits, whether male or female, I little thought, in the and however distinguished, whether they green years of my life, that I should ever be true wits, whole or half wits, or whether call it a happiness to be out of dear Engarch, dry, natural, acquired, genuine, or land; but as I grew to woman, I found depraved wits; and persons of all sorts of myself less acceptable in proportion to the tempers and complexions, whether the increase of my merit. Their ears in Italy severe, the delightful, the impertinent, the are so differently formed from the make of agreeable, the thoughtful, the busy or care-yours in England, that I never come upon less, the serene or cloudy, jovial or melan- the stage, but a general satisfaction apcholy, untowardly or easy, the cold, tem- pears in every countenance of the whole perate, or sanguine; and of what manners people. When I dwell upon a note, I beor dispositions soever, whether the ambi- hold all the men accompanying me with heads inclining, and falling of their persons tious or humble-minded, the proud or pitiful, ingenucus or base-minded, good or on one side, as dying away with me. The ill-natured, public-spirited or selfish; and women too do justice to my merit, and no under what fortune or circumstance soever, vain thing," when I am rapt in the perill-natured, worthless creature cries, "The whether the contented or miserable, happy formance of my part, and sensibly touched or unfortunate, high or low, rich or poor with the effect my voice has upon all who (whether so through want of money, or desire of more,) healthy or sickly, married or single: nay, whether tall or short, fat or lean; and of what trade, occupation, profession, station, country, faction, party, persuasion, quality, age, or condition soever; who have ever made thinking a part of their business or diversion, and have any thing worthy to impart on these subjects to the world, according to their several and respective talents or geniuses; and, as the subjects given out hit their tempers, humours, or circumstances, or may be made profitable to the public by their particular knowledge or experience in the matter proposed, to do their utmost on them by such a time, to the end, they may receive the inexpressible and irresistible pleasure of seeing their essays allowed of and relished by the rest of mankind.

I will not prepossess the reader with too great expectation of the extraordinary advantages which must redound to the public by these essays, when the different thoughts and observations of all sorts of persons, according to their quality, age, sex, education, professions, humours, manners, and conditions, &c. shall be set out by themselves in the clearest and most genuine light, and as they themselves would wish to have them appear to the world.

The thesis proposed for the present exercise of the adventurers to write Spectators, is Money; on which subject all persons are desired to send in their thoughts within ten days after the date hereof.

No. 443.] Tuesday, July 29, 1712.
Sublatum ex oculis quærimus invidi.

T.

Hor. Od. xxiv. Lib. 3. 33.
Snatch'd from our sight, we eagerly pursue,
And fondly would recall her to our view.

hear me.
I live here distinguished as one
ful person, and exalted mien, and heavenly
whom nature has been liberal to in a grace-
voice. These particularities in this strange
country are arguments for respect and
generosity to her who is possessed of them.
The Italians see a thousand beauties I am
sensible I have no pretence to, and abun-
dantly make up to me the injustice I re-
ceived in my own country, of disallowing
me what I really had. The humour of
hissing which you have among you, I do
not know any thing of; and their applauses
are uttered in sighs, and bearing a part at
the cadences of voice with the persons who
are performing. I am often put in mind of
those complaisant lines of my own country-
man,† when he is calling all his faculties
together to hear Arabella.

"Let all be hush'd, each softest motion cease,
Be ev'ry loud tumultuous thought at peace;
And ev'ry ruder gasp of breath

Be calm, as in the arms of death:
And thou, most fickle, most uneasy part,
Thou restless wanderer, my heart,
Be still; gently, ah! gently leave,
Thou busy, idle thing, to heave:
Stir not a pulse; and let my blood,
That turbulent, unruly flood,

Be softly staid :

Let me be all, but my attention dead."

The whole city of Venice is as still when I am singing as this polite hearer was to Mrs. Hunt. But when they break that silence, did you know the pleasure I am in, when every man utters his applauses, by calling me aloud, "The dear Creature! The Angel! The Venus! What attitudes she moves with! Hush, she sings again!” We have no boisterous wits who dare disturb an audience, and break the public peace merely to show they dare. Mr.

* Mrs. Tofts, who played the part of Camilla in the opera of that name.

† Mr. Congreve.

Spectator, I write this to you thus in haste,
to tell you I am so very much at ease here
that I know nothing but joy; and I will not
return, but leave you in England to hiss all
merit of your own growth off the stage. I
know, sir, you were always my admirer,
and therefore I am yours, CAMILLA.
'P. S. I am ten times better dressed than
ever I was in England.'

'MR. SPECTATOR,-The project in yours of the 11th instant, of furthering the correspondence and knowledge of that considerable part of mankind, the trading world, cannot but be highly commendable. Good lectures to young traders may have very good effects on their conduct; but beware you propagate no false notions of trade: let none of your correspondents impose on the world by putting forth base methods in a good light, and glazing them over with improper terms. I would have no means of profit set for copies to others, but such as are laudable in themselves. Let not noise be called industry, nor impudence courage. Let not good fortune be imposed on the world for good management, nor poverty be called folly: impute not always bankruptcy to extravagance, nor an estate to foresight. Niggardliness is not good husbandry, nor generosity profusion.

markable for impudence than wit, there are yet some remaining, who pass with the giddy part of mankind for sufficient sharers of the latter, who have nothing but the former qualification to recommend them. Another timely animadversion is absolutely necessary: be pleased, therefore, once for is neither mirth nor good humour in hootall, to let these gentlemen know, that there ing a young fellow out of countenance; nor that it will ever constitute a wit, to conclude a tart piece of buffoonery with a "What makes you blush?" Pray please to inform them again, that to speak what they know is shocking, proceeds from ill-nature and sterility of brain; especially when the subject will not admit of raillery, and their discourse has no pretension to satire but what is in their design to disoblige. I should be very glad too if you would take notice, that a daily repetition of the same overbearing insolence is yet more insupportable, and a confirmation of very extraordinary dulness. The sudden publication of this may have an effect upon a notorious offender of this kind whose reformation would redound very much to the satisfaction and quiet of your most humble

servant,

T.

F. B.'

No. 444.] Wednesday, July 30, 1712.

Paturiunt montes

The mountain labours.*

Hor. Ars Poet. v. 139.

'Honestus is a well-meaning and judicious trader, hath substantial goods, and trades with his own stock, husbands his money to the best advantage, without taking all the advantages of the necessities IT gives me much despair in the design of his workmen, or grinding the face of the of reforming the world by my speculations, poor. Fortunatus is stocked with igno- when I find there always arise, from one gerance, and consequently with self-opinion; neration to another, successive cheats and the quality of his goods cannot but be suit- bubbles, as naturally as beasts of prey, and able to that of his judgment. Honestus those which are to be their focd. There is pleases discerning people, and keeps their hardly a man in the world, one would custom by good usage; makes modest pro- think, so ignorant, as not to know that the fit by modest means, to the decent support ordinary quack-doctors who publish their of his family; while Fortunatus, blustering great abilities in little brown billets, distrialways, pushes on, promising much and buted to all that pass by, are to a man performing little; with obsequiousness of-impostors and murderers; yet such is the fensive to people of sense, strikes at all, credulity of the vulgar, and the impudence catches much the greater part, and raises of those professors, that the affair still goes a considerable fortune by imposition on on, and new promises, of what was never others, to the discouragement and ruin of done before, are made every day. What those who trade fair in the same way. aggravates the jest is, that even this promise has been made as long as the memory of man can trace it, yet nothing performed, and yet still prevails. As I was passing along to-day, a paper given into my hand by a fellow without a nose, tells us as follows what good news is come to town, to wit, that there is now a certain cure for the French disease, by a gentleman just come

'I give here but loose hints, and beg you
to be very circumspect in the province you
have now undertaken: if you perform it
successfully, it will be a very great good;
for nothing is more wanting than that me-
chanic industry were set forth with the
freedom and greatness of mind which ought
always to accompany a man of liberal edu-
cation. Your humble servant,
'From my shop under

the Royal Exchange, July 14, R. C.'
'July 24, 1712.
'MR. SPECTATOR,-Notwithstanding the
repeated censures that your spectatorial
wisdom has passed upon people more re-

from his travels.

"In Russel-court, over-against the Cannon ball, at the Surgeon's-arms, in Drurylane, is lately come from his travels, a

*Former motto:

Quid dignum tento feret hic promissor hiatu.-Hor.
Great cry and little wool.-English Proverb.

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