IT is now the third watch of the night, the greatest | part of which I have spent round a capacious bowl of china, filled with the choicest products of both The the Indies. I was placed at a quadrangular table, diametrically opposite to the mace-bearer. The with visage of that venerable herald was, according to Custom, most gloriously illuminated on this joyful Loccasion. The mayor and aldermen, those pillars of our constitution, began to totter; and if any Done at the board could have so far articulated, as best to have demanded intelligibly a reinforcement of liquor, the whole assembly had been by this time fell extended under the table. The celebration of this night's solemnity was opened by the obstreperous joy of drummers, who, with their parchment thunder, gave a signal for the Jappearance of the mob under their several classes and denominations. They were quickly joined by the melodious clank of marrowbone and cleaver, while a chorus of bells filled up the concert. A pyramid of stack-faggots cheered the hearts of the populace with the promise of a blaze; the guns had no sooner uttered the prologue, but the heavens were brightened with artificial meteors and stars of our own making; and all the Highstreet lighted up from one end to another with a galaxy of candles. We collected a largess for the multitude, who tippled eleemosynary until they grew exceedingly vociferous. There was a pasteboard pontiff, with a little swarthy demon at his elbow, who by his diabolical whispers and insinuations, tempted his holiness into the fire, and then left him to shift for himself. The mobile were very sarcastic with their clubs, and gave the old gentleman several thumps upon his triple headpiece.t Tom Tyler's phiz is something damaged by the fall of a rocket, which hath almost spoiled the gnomon of his countenance. The mirth of the commons grew so very outrageous, that it found work for our friend of the quorum, who, by the help of his amanuensis, took down all their names and their crimes, with a design to produce his manuscript at the next quarter sessions, &c. &c. &c.' I shall subjoin to the foregoing piece of a letter the following copy of verses translated from an Italian poet, who was the Cleveland of his age, and had multitudes of admirers. The subject is an accident that happened under the reign of Pope Leo, when a fire-work, that had been prepared upon the castle of St. Angelo, began to play before its time, being kindled by a flash of lightning. The author has written a poem in the same kind of style as that I have already exemplified in prose. Every line in it is a riddle, and the reader must be forced to consider it twice or thrice, before he will know that the Cynic's tenement is a tub, and Bacchus's cast-coat a hogshead, &c. 'Twas night, and Heav'n, a Cyclops all the day, And Argus now did countless eyes display; In every window Rome her joy declares, All bright, and studded with terrestrial stars. A blazing chain of lights her roofs entwines, And round her neck the mingled lustre shines: The Cynic's rolling tenement conspires, With Bacchus his cast coat to feed the fires. The pile, still big with undiscover'd shows, The Tuscan pile did last its freight disclose, Where the proud tops of Rome's new Etna rise, Whence giants sally and invade the skies. Whilst now the multitude expect the time, And their tir'd eyes the lofty mountain climb, As thousand iron mouths their voices try, And thunder out a dreadful harmony; In treble notes the small artill'ry plays, The deep mouth'd cannon bellows in the bass, The lab'ring pile now heaves, and, having given Proofs of its travail, sighs in flames to Heaven. "The clouds envelop'd Heav'n from human sight, Quench'd ev'ry star, and put out ev'ry light; Now real thunder grumbles in the skies, And in disdainful murmurs Rome defies; Nor doth its answer'd challenge Rome decline; But, whilst both parties in full concert join, While heav'n and earth in rival peals resound, The doubtful cracks the hearer's sense confound; Whether the claps of thunderbolts they hear, Or else the burst of cannon wounds their ear; Whether clouds rag'd by struggling metals rent, Or struggling clouds in Roman metals pent: But O, my Muse, the whole adventure tell, As ev'ry accident in order fell. Tall groves of trees the Hadrian tow'r surround, A seven-fold shield of spheres doth heaven defend, With joy, great sir, we view'd this pompous show, While Heav'n, that sat spectator still till now, Itself turn'd actor, proud to pleasure you; These verses are translated from the Latin in Strada's Pro. lusiones Academicæ, &c. and are an imitation originally of the style and manner of Camillo Querno, surnamed the Arch poet, who was poet and buffoon to Leo X. and the common butt From the Armoric chom (to live together); one that lodges of that facetious pontiff and his courtiers. See Bayle's Diein the same room. + The tiara, or triple mitre. tionary, art. Leo X. and Seward's Anecdotes, vol. iii, edit. 1798. p. 62. though never so familiar, still remember that be writes in verse, and must for that reason have a more than ordinary care not to fall into prose, and a vulgar diction, excepting where the nature and humour of the thing does necessarily require it l this point Horace hath been thought by some c No 618. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1714. tics to be sometimes careless, as well as too neg Neque enim concludere versum Dixeris esse satis: neque siquis scribat, uti nos, Sermoni propiora, putes hunc esse poetam. HOR, Sat. iv. 1. i. ver. 40. "Tis not enough the measur'd feet to close; Nor will you give a poet's name to those, Whose humble verse, like mine, approaches prose. MR. SPECTATOR, gent of his versification: of which he seems to have been sensible himself. • All I have to add is, that both these manner of writing may be made as entertaining, in their way, as any other species of poetry, if under taken by persons duly qualified: and the latter sort may be managed so as to become in a pecula manner instructive. I am, &c.' You having, in your two last Spectators, given of my ingenious correspondent; and, in the fis I shall add an observation or two to the remis the town a couple of remarkable letters in very place, take notice, that subjects of the most subdifferent styles, I take this opportunity to offer to lime nature are often treated in the epistolary way you some remarks upon the epistolary way of with advantage, as in the famous epistle of Ho writing in verse. This is a species of poetry by to Augustus. The poet surprises us with his po itself, and has not so much as been hinted at in and seems rather betrayed into his subject than t any of the arts of poetry that have ever fallen have aimed at it by design. He appears, like the into my hands: neither has it in any age, or in visit of a king incognito, with a mixture of fan any nation, been so much cultivated as the other liarity and grandeur. In works of this kind, whe several kinds of poesy. A man of genius may, if the dignity of the subject hurries the poet into de he pleases, write letters in verse upon all manner scriptions and sentiments seemingly unpremedof subjects that are capable of being embellished tated, by a sort of inspiration, it is usual for him to with wit and language, and may render them new recollect himself, and fall back gracefully into the and agreeable by giving the proper turn to them. natural style of a letter. But, in speaking at present of epistolary poetry, I would be understood to mean only such writings published by Mr. Eusden, on the king's accession I might here mention an epistolary poem, j in this kind as have been in use among the ancients, to the throne, wherein, among many other noble and have been copied from them by some moderns. and beautiful strokes of poetry, his reader my These may be reduced into two classes: in the one see this rule very happily observed. I shall range love-letters, letters of friendship, and letters upon mournful occasions: in the other I shall place such epistles in verse as may properly be called familiar, critical, and moral; to which may be added, letters of mirth and humour. Ovid for the first, and Horace for the latter, are the best originals we have left. No 619. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1714 dura And lop the too luxuriant boughs away. Care Exert a rigorous sway, Th The Ide der th He, that is ambitious of succeeding in the Ovidian way, should first examine his heart well, and feel whether his passions (especially those of the gentler kind) play easy; since it is not his wit, but the delicacy and tenderness of his sentiments, that will affect his readers. His versification like.I HAVE often thought that if the several letters wise should be soft, and all his numbers flowing which are written to me under the character and querulous. Spectator, and which I have not made use The qualifications requisite for writing epistles, were published in a volume, they would not be s after the model given us by Horace, are of a quite unentertaining collection. The variety of the different nature. He that would excel in this kind subjects, styles, sentiments, and informations, whet must have a good fund of strong masculine sense: are transmitted to me, would lead a very curios to this there must be joined a thorough knowledge or very idle, reader, insensibly along through of mankind, together with an insight into the busi- great many pages. I know some authors wh ness and the prevailing humours of the age. Our would pick up a secret history out of such mate author must have his mind well seasoned with the rials, and make a bookseller an alderman by the finest precepts of morality, and be filled with nice copy.+ I shall therefore carefully preserve the reflections upon the bright and the dark sides of original papers in a room set apart for that pur human life; he must be a master of refined rail- pose, to the end that they may be of service to lery, and understand the delicacies as well as the posterity; but shall at present content myself absurdities of conversation. He must have a lively owning the receipt of several letters, lately turn of wit, with an easy and concise manner of to my hands, the authors whereof are impatien expression: every thing he says must be in a free for an answer. and disengaged manner. He must be guilty of nothing that betrays the air of a recluse, but appear a man of the world throughout. His illustrations, his comparisons, and the greatest part of his images, must be drawn from common life. Strokes of satire and criticism, as well as panegyric, judiciously thrown in (and as it were by the by) give a won derful life and ornament to compositions of this kind. But let our poet, while he writes rsons daly quiz anaged ctive. Im an observate us correspo ice, that sales often treat as in the The poets r betrayed wares. The remonstrance of T. C. against the profanation of the sabbath by barbers, shoe-cleaners, &c. had better be offered to 'the society of reformers.' A learned and laborious treatise upon the art of fencing, 'returned to the author.' To the gentleman of Oxford, who desires me to insert a copy of Latin verses, which were denied place in the university book. Answer: Nonum rematur in annum. by desigTo my learned correspondent who writes against cognito, masters' gowns, and poke sleeves, with a word in ur low defence of large scarves. Answer: I resolve not subject to raise animosities amongst the clergy?? ntiments To the lady who writes with rage against one of Inspirat her own sex, upon the account of party warmth. and fall Answer: Is not the lady she writes against reckoned handsome?" etter. Ention I desire Tom Truelove (who sends me a sonnet usden, capon his mistress, with a desire to print it imme=rein, aliately) to consider that it is long since I was in es of per love. NOVELE I shall answer a very profound letter from my old friend the upholsterer, who is still inquisitive whether the king of Sweden be living or dead, by whispering him in the ear, that I believe he is live.' Let Mr. Dapperwit consider, 'What is that long tory of the cuckoldom to me?" At the earnest desire of Monimia's lover, who delares himself very penitent, he is recorded in my aper by the name of The faithful Castalio.' The petition of Charles Cocksure, which the peitioner styles very reasonable, rejected.' The memorial of Philander, which he desires may be dispatched out of hand, 'postponed.' I desire S. R. not to repeat the expression 'unbareer the sun,' so often in his next letter. The letter of P. S. who desires either to have it Trinted entire, or committed to the flames. o be printed entire.' N° 620. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1714. Hic vir, hic est, tibi quem promitti sæpius audis. Behold the promis'd chief! Not MAVING lately presented my reader with a copy f verses full of the false sublime, I shall here ommunicate to him an excellent specimen of the True: though it hath not been yet published, the udicious reader will readily discern it to be the work of a master; and if he hath read that noble oem On the Prospect of Peace, he will not be at loss to guess at the author. ⚫ Tickell. See No. 523, and No. 532. THE ROYAL PROGRESS. When Brunswick first appear'd, each honest heart, While the mind nauseates what she can't believe. By longing nations for the throne design'd, Through stately towns, and many a fertile plain, "In Haga's towers he waits, till eastern gales Takes in the blended interests of mankind, Henceforth thy kingdoms shall remain confin'd By rocks and streams, the mounds which Heav'n design'd; "But see, to Britain's isle the squadron stand, Still is it thine; tho' now the cheerful crew As in the flood he sails, from either side, From that fair bill, where hoary sages boast A floating forest! From the distant strand So haply thro' the heav'n's wide pathless ways A comet draws a long extended blaze; From east to west burns through th' ethereal frame, And half heav'n's convex glitters with the flame. Now to the regal towers securely brought, He plans Britannia's glories in his thought, Resumes the delegated power he gave, The muse, if fir'd with thy enliv'ning beams! • Flamstead House, on Greenwich hill. 19 No 621. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1714 Postquam se lumine puro Implevit, stellasque vagas miratur, et astra Fixa polis, vidit quanta sub nocte jaceret Nostra dies, risitque sui ludibria. LUCAN. L is. ver. 1 New to the blest abode, with wonder fill'd THE following letter having in it some observation out of the common road, I shall make it the enter tainment of this day. 'MR. SPECTATOR, THE common topics against the pride of which are laboured by florid and declamastery writers, are taken from the baseness of his or ginal, the imperfections of his nature, or the shor duration of those goods in which he makes his bous Though it be true that we can have nothing us that ought to raise our vanity, yet a conscious ness of our own merit may be sometimes laudable The folly therefore lies here: we are apt to pr ourselves in worthless, or perhaps shameful thing and on the other hand count that disgraceful whic is our truest glory. 'Hence it is that the lovers of praise take bro measures to attain it. Would a vain man const his own heart, he would find that if others knew his weaknesses as well as he himself doth, he c not have the impudence to expect the p esteem. Pride therefore flows from want of flection, and ignorance of ourselves. Knowlege and humility come upon us together. The proper way to make an estimate of ou selves, is to consider seriously what it is we val or despise in others. A man who boasts of th goods of fortune, a gay dress, or a new title, generally the mark of ridicule. We ought there fore not to admire in ourselves what we are s ready to laugh at in other men. Much less can we with reason pride ourselves in those things, which at some time of our life t shall certainly despise. And yet, if we will g ourselves the trouble of looking backward a forward on the several changes which we bu already undergone, and hereafter must try shall find that the greater degrees of our k ledge and wisdom serve only to show us our of imperfectious. a As we rise from childhood to youth, we lo with contempt on the toys and trifles which hearts have hitherto been set upon. When we vance to manhood, we are held wise, in proport to our shame and regret for the rashness and ex vagance of youth. Old age fills us with mort reflections upon a life misspent in the pursu Janxious wealth, or uncertain honour. Agree to this gradation of thought in this life, it may reasonably supposed that, in a future state, wisdom, the experience, and the maxims, of age, will be looked upon by a separate spin much the same light as an ancient man nov the little follies and toying of infants pomps, the honours, the policies, and arts, of tal men, will be thought as trifling as ho horses, mock battles, or any other sports that employ all the cunning, and strength, and an I've to th WEDNESDAY tion, of rational beings, from four years old to nine or ten. MEMOIRS. 'If the notion of a gradual rise in beings from the meanest to the most high be not a vain imagi"In my twenty-second year I found a violent nation, it is not improbable that an angel looks affection for my cousin Charles's wife growing down upon a man as a man doth upon a creature upon me; wherein I was in danger of succeeding, which approaches the nearest to the rational nature. if I had. not upon that account begun my travels By the same rule, if I may indulge my fancy in into foreign countries. this particular, a superior brute looks with a kind "A little after my return to England, at a priof pride on one of an inferior species. If they vate meeting with my uncle Francis, I refused the could reflect, we might imagine, from the gestures offer of his estate, and prevailed upon him not to sk of some of them, that they think themselves the disinherit his son Ned. sovereigns of the world, and that all things were "Mem. Never to tell this to Ned, lest he should made for them. Such a thought would not be more think hardly of his deceased father; though he conabsurd in brute creatures than one which men are tinues to speak ill of me for this very reason. etter hang apt to entertain, namely, that all the stars in the "Prevented a scandalous law.suit betwixt my firmament were created only to please their eyes nephew Harry and his mother, by allowing her and amuse their imaginations. Mr. Dryden, in his underhand, out of my own pocket, so much money fable of the Cock and the Fox, makes a speech yearly as the dispute was about. for his hero the cock, which is a pretty instance for this purpose: day, opics agass red by for from the ctions d' woods in voda that we as use our DIST MAX P "Then turning, said to Partlet, See, my dear, "What I would observe from the whole is this, es here that we ought to value ourselves upon those things ops only which superior beings think valuable, since do that is the only way for us not to sink in our own esteem hereafter.' 13 6 aste N° 622. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1714. Fallentis semita vitæ. HOR. Ep. xviii. 1. 1. ver. 103. A safe private quiet, which betrays MR. SPECTATOR, In a former speculation you have observed that true greatness doth not consist in that pomp and noise wherein the generality of mankind are apt to place it. You have there taken notice that virtue in obscurity often appears more illustrious in the eye of superior beings, than all that passes for grandeur and magnificence among men. "Procured a benefice for a young divine, who is sister's son to the good man who was my tutor, and hath been dead twenty years. H "Gave ten pounds to poor Mrs.-, my friend -'s widow. "Mem. To retrench one dish at my table, until I have fetched it up again. "Mem. To repair my house and finish my gardens, in order to employ poor people after harvesttime. "Ordered John to let out goodman D's sheep that were pounded by night; but not let his fellow servants know it. "Prevailed upon M. T. esq. not to take the law of the farmer's son for shooting a partridge, and to give him his gun again. "Paid the apothecary for curing an old woman that confessed herself a witch. "Gave away my favourite dog, for biting a beggar. "Made the minister of the parish and a whig justice of one mind, by putting them to explain their notions to one another. "Mem. To turn off Peter, for shooting a doe while she was eating acorns out of his band. "When my neighbour John, who hath often injured me, comes to make his request to-morrow : "Mem. I have forgiven him. "Laid up my chariot, and sold my horses, to relieve the poor in a scarcity of corn. "In the same year remitted to my tenants a fifth part of their rents. "When we look back upon the history of those who have borne the parts of kings, statesmen, or commanders, they appear to us stripped of those outside ornaments that dazzled their contempora- "Mem. To charge my son in private to erect no ries; and we regard their persons as great or little monument for me; but not to put this in my last in proportion to the eminence of their virtues or will." "As I was airing to-day I fell into a thought that warmed my heart, and shall, I hope, be the better for it as long as I live. vices. The wise sayings, generous sentiments, or disinterested conduct of a philosopher under mean circumstances of life, set him higher in our esteem than the mighty potentates of the earth, when we view them both through the long prospect of many ages. Were the memoirs of an obscure man, who lived up to the dignity of his nature and according to the rules of virtue, to be laid before us, we should find nothing in such a character which might not set him on a level with men of the highest stations. The following extract, out of the private papers of an honest country gentleman, will set this matter in a clear light. Your reader will perhaps conceive a greater idea of him from these actions done in secret, and without a witness, than of those which have drawn upon them the admiraion of multitudes. |