• but Thunder-bolts growing scarce, I faften'd Tooth and Nail upon our Garden-wall, which I ftuck to almost a • Twelvemonth, and had in that time peeled and deyoured half a Foot toward our Neighbour's Yard. I

now thought my felf the happieft Creature in the • World, and I believe in my Confcience, I had eaten • quite through, had I had it in my Chamber; but now I became lazy, and unwilling to ftir, and was obliged to feek Food nearer Home. I then took a ftrange Hankering to Coals; I fell to fcranching 'em, and had already • confumed, I am certain, as much as would have dref• fed my Wedding-Dinner, when my Uncle came for me

Home. He was in the Parlour with my Governess ⚫ when I was called down. I went in, fell on my Knees, ⚫ for he made me call him Father; and when I expected the Bleffing I asked, the good Gentleman, in a Surprife, turns himself to my Governess, and asks, Whether this (pointing to me) was his Daughter? This (added he) is the very Picture of Death. My Child was a plump-fac'd, hale, fresh-colour'd Girl; but this looks as if the was half ftarved, a mere Skeleton. My Governess, who is really a good Woman, affured my • Father I had wanted for nothing; and withal told him I was continually eating fome Trash or other, and that • I was almost eaten up with the green Sickness, her Or⚫ders being never to cross me. But this magnified but little with my Father, who presently in a kind of Pet, paying for my Board, took me home with him. I had not been long at home, but one Sunday at Church (I fhall never forget it) I saw a young neighbouring Gen⚫tleman that pleased me hugely; I liked him of all Men I ever faw in my Life, and began to wish I could be as pleafing to him. The very next Day he came, with his Father, a vifiting to our Houfe: We were left alone together, with Directions on both fides to be in Love with one another, and in three Weeks Time we were mar⚫ried. I regained my former Health and Complection, and am now as happy as the Day is long. Now, Mr. SPEC, I defire you would find out fome Name for these craving Damfels, whether dignified or diftinguished under fome or all of the following Denominations, (to wit) Trash-eaters, Oatmeal-chewers, Pipe • champers,

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champers, Chalk-lickers, Wax-nibblers, Coal-fcranchers, Wall-peelers, or Gravel-diggers: And, good Sir, do your • utmost Endeavour to prevent (by expofing) this unaccountable Folly, fo prevailing among the young ones of our Sex, who may not meet with such sudden good * Luck as,

SIR,

Your conftant Reader,

and very bumble Servant,

Sabina Green,

Now Sabina Rentfree.

No. 432.

Wednesday, July 16.

Inter firepit anfer olores: Virg. Ecl. 9. v. 36. He gabbles like a Goofe, amidst the Swan-like Quire.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

DRYDEN.

Oxford, July 14.

CCORDING to a late Invitation in one of

A your Papers to every Man who pleases to write,

I have fent you the following fhort Differtation against the Vice of being prejudiced.

Your moft bumble Servant.

a

Mry, whence it is that when feveral Perfons are

united in the fame Society, they are ftudious to leffen the Reputation of others, in order to raise their own. The Wife are Content to guide the Springs in Silence, and rejoice in Secret at their regular Progrefs: To prate ' and triumph is the Part allotted to the Trifling and Superficial: The Geefe were providentially ordained to fave the Capitol. Hence it is, that the Invention of Marks and Devices to diftinguifh Parties, is owing to the Beaux and Belles of this Ifland. Hats moulded into

< different

different Cocks and Pinches, have long bid mutual De< fiance; Patches have been fet against Patches in Battlearray; Stocks have rifen or fallen in Proportion to • Head-Dreffes; and Peace or War been expected, as the • White or the Red Hood hath prevailed. These are the • Standard-Bearers in our contending Armies, the Dwarfs and Squires who carry the Impreffes of the Giants or • Knights, not born to fight themselves, but to prepare the Way for the enfuing Combat.

IT is Matter of Wonder to reflect how far Men of ⚫ weak Understanding and strong Fancy are hurried by • their Prejudices, even to the believing that the whole Body of the adverse Party are a Band of Villains and Demons. Foreigners complain, that the English are the proudest Nation under Heaven. Perhaps they too have their Share; but be that as it will, general Charges a⚫gainst Bodies of Men is the Fault I am writing againft. It must be own'd, to our Shame, that our common People, and most who have not travelled, have an irra⚫tional Contempt for the Language, Drefs, Customs, ⚫ and even the Shape and Minds of other Nations. Some • Men, otherwife of Senfe, have wondered that a great Genius fhould fpring out of Ireland; and think you mad in affirming, that fine Odes have been written in • Lapland.

THIS Spirit of Rivalship, which heretofore reigned <in the two Universities, is extinct, and almost over be'twixt College and College: In Parishes and Schools the • Thirst of Glory ftill obtains. At the Seafons of Foot

ball and Cock-fighting, these little Republicks reaffume ⚫ their National Hatred to each other. My Tenant in the Country is verily perfuaded, that the Parifh of the Enemy hath not one honeft Man it.

I always hated Satires against Women, and Satires ⚫ against Men; I am apt to fufpect a Stranger who laughs at the Religion of The Faculty: My Spleen rifes at a dull Rogue, who is fevere upon Mayors and Aldermen; and was never better pleased than with a Piece ⚫ of Juftice executed upon the Body of a Templar, who was very arch upon Parfons.

THE Neceffities of Mankind require various Employments; and whoever excels in his Province is wor

thy of Praise. All Men are not educated after the ⚫ fame Manner, nor have all the fame Talents. Those 'who are deficient deserve our Compaffion, and have a

Title to our Affiftance. All cannot be bred in the fame • Place; but in all Places there arise, at different Times, 'fuch Perfons as do Honour to their Society, which may • raise envy in little Souls, but are admired and cherished by generous Spirits.

IT is certainly a great Happiness to be educated in • Societies of great and eminent Men. Their Inftructions and Examples are of extraordinary Advantage. It is highly proper to inftil fuch a Reverence of the governing Perfons, and Concern for the Honour of the Place, as may fpur the growing Members to worthy Pursuits and honeft Emulation: But to fwell young Minds with vain Thoughts of the Dignity of their own Brotherhood, by debafing and vilifying all others, doth them a real Injury. By this Means I have found that their • Efforts have become languid, and their Prattle irksome, as thinking it fufficient Praise that they are Children of fo illustrious and ample a Family. I fhould think it a 'furer as well as more generous Method to fet before ⚫ the Eyes of Youth fuch Perfons as have made a noble Progress in Fraternities less talk'd of; which feems ⚫ tacitly to reproach their Sloth, who loll fo heavily in the Seats of mighty Improvement: Active Spirits hereby would enlarge their Notions, whereas by a fer'vile Imitation of one, or perhaps two, admired Men in their own Body, they can only gain a fecondary and ⚫ deritative kind of Fame. Thefe Copiers of Men, ⚫ like those of Authors or Painters, run into Affectations of fome Oddnefs, which perhaps was not difagreeable in the Original, but fits ungracefully on the narrowfoul'd Transcriber.

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⚫ BY fuch early Corrections of Vanity, while Boys are growing into Men, they will gradually learn not to cenfure fuperficially; but imbibe thofe Principles of general • Kindness and Humanity, which alone can make them eafy to themselves, and beloved by others.

REFLECTIONS of this nature have expunged 'all Prejudice out of my Heart, infomuch that tho' I ⚫ am a firm Proteftant, I hope to fee the Pope and CarVOL. VI.

G

dinals

dinals without violent Emotions; and though I am naturally grave, I expect to meet good Company at

Paris.

Lam, SIR,

Mr. SPECTATOR,

Your obedient Servant.

Find you are a general Undertaker, and have by your Correfpondents or felf an Infight into moft Things; which makes me apply myself to you at prefent in the foreft Calamity that ever befel Man. My Wife has taken fomething ill of me, and has not spoke one Word, good or bad, to me, or any Body in the Family, fince Friday was Seven-night. What must a Man do in that Cafe? Your Advice would be a great Obligation to,

SIR,

Your moft Humble Servant,

Ralph Thimbleton.

i

66

Mr. SPECTATOR.

HEN you want a Trifle to fill up a Paper, in inferting this you will lay an Obligation on

WH

July 15th, 1712.

Dear Olivia,

Your humble Servant,

OLIVIO.

'is but this Moment I have had the Happinefs of knowing to whom I am obliged for the Prefent I received the fecond of April. I am heartily forry it "did not come to hand the Day before; for I can't but "think it very hard upon People to lose their Jeft, that

offer at one but once a Year. I congratulate myfelf however upon the Earnest given me of fomething fur"ther intended in my Favour; for I am told, that the "Man who is thought worthy by a Lady to make a

Fool of, ftands fair enough in her Opinion to become one Day her Hufband."Till fuch time as I have

"the