him a discourse in Plutarch, which shows No. 286.] Monday, January 28, 1711-12. us how frequently Homer has made use of the same liberty.

Milton, by the above-mentioned helps, and by the choice of the noblest words and phrases which our tongue would afford him, has carried our language to a greater height than any of the English poets have ever done before or after him, and made the sublimity of his style equal to that of his sentiments.

Nomina honesta prætenduntur vitiis.

Tacit. Ann. Lib. xiv. c. 21.

Specious names are lent to cover vices.

'York, Jan. 18, 1711-12. MR. SPECTATOR,-I pretend not to inform a gentleman of so much taste, whenever he pleases to use it; but it may not be amiss to inform your readers, that there is a false delicacy, as well as a true one. True deliI have been the more particular in these cacy, as I take it, consists in exactness of observations on Milton's style, because it is judgment and dignity of sentiment, or, if in that part of him in which he appears you will, purity of affection, as this is opthe most singular. The remarks I have, posed to corruption and grossness. There here made upon the practice of other poets, are pedants in breeding, as well as in learnwith my observations out of Aristotle, will ing. The eye that cannot bear the light is perhaps alleviate the prejudice which some not delicate, but sore. A good constitution have taken to his poem upon this account;, appears in the soundness and vigour of the though, after all, I must confess that I think parts, not in the squeamishness of the sto his style, though admirable in general, is mach; and a false delicacy is affectation, not in some places too much stiffened and ob- politeness. What then can be the standscured by the frequent use of those me-ard of delicacy, but truth and virtue? Virthods which Aristotle has prescribed for tue, which as the satirist long since observed, the raising of it. is real honour; whereas the other distincThis redundancy of those several ways tions among mankind are merely titular. of speech which Aristotle calls foreign lan-Judging by that rule, in my opinion, and guage, and with which Milton has so very in that of many of your virtuous female much enriched, and in some places dark-, readers, you are so far from deserving Mr. ened the language of his poem, was the Courtly's accusation, that you seem toc more proper for his use, because his poem gentle, and to allow too many excuses for is written in blank verse. Rhyme, with- an enormous crime, which is the reproach out any other assistance, throws the lan- of the age, and is in all its branches and guage off from prose, and very often makes degrees expressly forbidden by that relian indifferent phrase pass unregarded; but gion we pretend to profess; and whose laws, where the verse is not built upon rhymes, in a nation that calls itself Christian, one there pomp of sound and energy of ex- would think should take place of those pression are indispensably necessary to sup-rules which men of corrupt minds, and port the style and keep it from falling into the flatness of prose.

Those who have not a taste for this elevation of style, and are apt to ridicule a poet when he departs from the common forms of expression, would do well to see how Aristotle has treated an ancient author called Euclid, for his insipid mirth upon this occasion. Mr. Dryden used to call these sort of men his prose-critics.

I should, under this head of the language, consider Milton's numbers, in which he has made use of several elisions, that are not customary among other English poets, as may be particularly observed in his cutting off the letter Y, when it precedes a vowel. This, and some other innovations in the measure of his verse, has varied his numbers in such a manner, as makes them incapable of satiating the ear, and cloying the reader, which the same uniform measure would certainly have done, and which the perpetual returns of rhyme never fail to do in long narrative poems. I shall close these reflections upon the language of Paradise Lost, with observing, that Milton has copied after Homer rather than Virgil in the length of his periods, the copiousness of his phrases, and the running of his verses into one another.

L.

those of weak understandings, follow. I know not any thing more pernicious to good manners, than the giving fair names to foul actions: for this confounds vice and virtue, and takes off that natural horror we have to evil. An innocent creature, who would start at the name of strumpet, may think it pretty to be called a mistress, especially if her seducer has taken care to inform her, that an union of heart is the principal matter in the sight of heaven, and that the business at church is a mere idle ceremony. Who knows not that the difference between obscene and modest words expressing the same action, consists only in the accessary idea; for there is nothing immodest in letters and syllables. Fornication and adultery are modest words; because they express an evil action as criminal, and so as to excite horror and aversion; whereas words representing the pleasure rather than the sin, are, for this reason, indecent and dishonest. Your papers would be chargeable with something worse than indelicacy, they would be immoral, did you treat the detestable sins of uncleanness in the same manner as you rally an impertinent self-love, and an artful glance; as those laws would be very unjust that should chastise murder and petty larceny with the same punishment.

No. 287.] Tuesday, January 29, 1711-12.

Even delicacy requires that the pity shown me with less repining allow that of my to distressed indigent wickedness, first chamber-fellow. ́ I know very well that I betrayed into and then expelled the har- have Jack Cleveland* and Bond's Horace bours of the brothel, should be changed to on my side; but then he has such a band of detestation, when we consider pampered rhymers and romance-writers, with which vice in the habitations of the wealthy. The he opposes me, and is so continually chiming most free person of quality, in Mr. Court- to the tune of golden tresses, yellow locks, ly's phrase, that is, to speak properly, a milk, marble, ivory, silver, swans, snow, woman of figure who has forgot her birth daisies, doves, and the Lord knows what, and breeding, dishonoured her relations which he is always sounding with so much and herself, abandoned her virtue and repu- vehemence in my ears, that he often puts tation, together with the natural modesty me into a brown study how to answer him; of her sex, and risked her very soul, is so and I find that I am in a fair way to be quite far from deserving to be treated with no confounded, without your timely assistance worse character than that of a kind woman, afforded to, sir, your humble servant, which is, doubtless, Mr. Courtly's meanZ. 'PHILOBRUNE.' ing, (if he has any,) that one can scarce be too severe on her, inasmuch as she sins against greater restraints, is less exposed, and liable to fewer temptations, than beauty in poverty and distress. It is hoped, therefore, sir, that you will not lay aside your generous design of exposing that monstrous wickedness of the town, whereby a multitude of innocents are sacrificed in a more barbarous manner than those who were of fered to Moloch. The unchaste are provoked to see their vice exposed, and the chaste cannot rake into such filth without danger of defilement; but a mere spectator may look into the bottom, and come off without partaking in the guilt. The doing so will convince us you pursue public good, and not merely your own advantage; but if your zeal slackens, how can one help thinking that Mr. Courtly's letter is but a feint to get off from a subject, in which either your own, or the private and base ends of others to whom you are partial, or those of whom you are afraid, would not endure a reformation?-I am, sir, your humble servant and admirer, so long as you tread in the paths of truth, virtue, and honour.'

Trin. Coll. Cantab. Jan. 12, 1711-12. 'MR. SPECTATOR,-It is my fortune to have a chamber-fellow, with whom, though I agree very well in many sentiments, yet there is one in which we are as contrary as light and darkness. We are both in love. His mistress is a lovely fair, and mine a lovely brown. Now as the praise of our mistresses' beauty employs much of our time, we have frequent quarrels in entering upon that subject, while each says all he can to defend his choice. For my own part, I have racked my fancy to the utmost; and sometimes with the greatest warmth of imagination have told him, that night was made before day, and many more fine things, though without any effect; nay, last night I could not forbear saying, with more heat than judgment, that the devil ought to be painted white. Now my desire is, sir, that you would be pleased to give us in black and white your opinion in the matter of dispute between us: which will either furnish me with fresh and prevailing arguments to maintain my own taste, or make

Ω φιλίατη γη μητέρ, ως σεμνόν σφοδρ' ει Τοις μεν εχεσι κλημα; Menand. Dear native land, how do the good and wise Thy happy clime and countless blessings prize! I LOOK upon it as a peculiar happiness, that were I to choose of what religion I would be, and under what government I would live, I should most certainly give the preference to that form of religion and government which is established in my own country. In this point I think I am determined by reason and conviction; but if I shall be told that I am actuated by prejudice, I am sure it is an honest prejudice, it is a prejudice that arises from the love of my country, and therefore such a one as I will always indulge. I have in several papers endeavoured to express my duty and esteem for the church of England, and design this as an essay upon the civil part of our constitution, having often entertained myself with reflections on this subject, which I have not met with in other writers.

That form of government appears to me the most reasonable which is most conformable to the equality that we find in human nature, provided it be consistent with public peace and tranquillity. This is what may properly be called liberty, which exempts one man from subjection to another, so far as the order and economy of government will permit.

Liberty should reach every individual of a people, as they all share one common nature; if it only spreads among particular branches, there had better be none at all, since such a liberty only aggravates the misfortune of those who are deprived of it, by setting before them a disagreeable subject of comparison.

This liberty is best preserved where the legislative power is lodged in several persons, especially if those persons are of different ranks and interests; for where they are of the same rank, and consequently have an interest to manage peculiar to that rank, it differs but little from a despotical Festival," p. 1. *See Cleveland's Poems, 1653, 24mo. "The Senses'

government in a single person. But the greatest security a people can have for their liberty, is when the legislative power is in the hands of persons so happily distinguished, that by providing for the particular interests of their several ranks, they are providing for the whole body of the people; or in other words, when there is no part of the people that has not a com-doned, when converted into an absolute mon interest with at least one part of the legislators.

are therefore the great cherishers of know- | allow; and if they are not deficient that ledge: and as most of the despotic govern- way, generally speak so as to admit of a ments of the world have neither of them, they are naturally overrun with ignorance and barbarity. In Europe, indeed, notwithstanding several of its princes are absolute, there are men famous for knowledge and learning; but the reason is, because the subjects are many of them rich and wealthy, the prince not thinking fit to exert himself in his full tyranny, like the princes of the eastern nations, lest his subjects should be invited to new-mould their constitution, having so many prospects of liberty within their view. But in all despotic governments, though a particular prince may fayour arts and letters, there is a natural degeneracy of mankind, as you may observe from Augustus's reign, how the Romans lost themselves by degrees until they fell to an equality with the most barbarous nations that surrounded them. Look upon Greece under its free states, and you would think its inhabitants lived in different climates, and under different heavens, from those at present, so different are the geniusses which are formed under Turkish slavery, and Grecian liberty.

Besides poverty and want, there are other reasons that debase the minds of men who live under slavery, though I look on this as the principal. The natural tendency of despotic power to ignorance and barbarity, though not insisted upon by others, is, I think, an unanswerable argument against that form of government, as it shows how repugnant it is to the good of mankind, and the perfection of human nature, which ought to be the great ends of all civil institutions. L.

'MR. SPECTATOR,-When you spoke of the jilts and coquettes, you then promised to be very impartial, and not to spare even your own sex, should any of their secret or open faults come under your cognizance; which has given me encouragement to describe a certain species of mankind under the denomination of male jilts. They are gentlemen who do not design to marry, yet that they may appear to have some sense of gallantry, think they must pay their devoirs to one particular fair: in order to which, they single out from amongst the herd of females her to whom they design to make their fruitless addresses. This done, they first take every opportunity of being in her company, and then never fail upon all occasions to be particular to her, laying themselves at her feet, protesting the reality of their passion with a thousand oaths, soliciting a return, and saving as many fine things as their stock of wit will

double interpretation; which the credulous fair is too apt to turn to her own advantage, since it frequently happens to be a raw, innocent young creature, who thinks all the world as sincere as herself, and so her unwary heart becomes an easy prey to these deceitful monsters, who no sooner perceive it, but immediately they grow cool, and shun her whom they before seemed so much to admire, and proceed to act the same common-place villany towards another. A coxcomb, flushed with many of these infamous victories, shall say he is sorry for the poor fools, protest and vow he never thought of matrimony, and wonder talking civilly can be so strangely misinterpreted. Now, Mr. Spectator, you that are a professed friend to love, will, I hope, observe upon those who abuse that noble passion, and raise it in innocent minds by a deceitful affectation of it, after which they desert the enamoured. Pray bestow a little of your counsel on those fond believing females who already have, or are in danger of having broken hearts; in which you will oblige a great part of this town, but in a particular manner, sir, your (yet heartwhole) admirer, and devoted humble servant, MELAINIA.'

Melainia's complaint is occasioned by so general a folly, that it is wonderful one could so long overlook it. But this false gallantry proceeds from an impotence of mind, which makes those who are guilty of it incapable of pursuing what they themselves approve. Many a man wishes a woman his wife whom he dare not take for such. Though no one has power over his inclinations or fortunes, he is a slave to common fame. For this reason, I think Melainia gives them too soft a name in that of male coquettes. I know not why irresolution of mind should not be more contemptible than impotence of body; and these frivolous admirers would be but tenderly used, in being only included in the same term with the insufficient another way. They whom my correspondent calls male coquettes, should hereafter be called fribblers. A fribbler is one who professes rapture and admiration for the woman to whom he addresses, and dreads nothing so much as her consent. His heart can flutter by the force of imagination, but cannot fix from the force of judgment. It is not uncommon for the parents of young women of moderate fortune to wink at the addresses of fribblers, and expose their children to the ambiguous behaviour which Melainia complains of, until by their fondness to one they are to lose, they become incapable of love towards others, and by consequence, in their future marriage lead a joyless or a miserable life. As, therefore, I shall in the speculations which regard love, be as severe as I ought on jilts and

libertine women, so will I be as little merciful to insignificant and mischievous men. In order to this, all visitants who frequent families wherein there are young females, are forthwith required to declare themselves, or absent from places where their presence banishes such as would pass their time more to the advantage of those whom they visit. It is a matter of too great moment to be dallied with: and I shall expect from all my young people a satisfactory account of appearances. Strephon has, from the publication hereof, seven days to explain the riddle he presented to Eudamia; and Chloris an hour after this comes to her, hand, to declare whether she will have Philotas, whom a woman of no less merit than herself, and of superior fortune, languishes to call her own.