I cannot but take notice, that our English Author has after the fame manner exemplified several of his Precepts in the very Precepts themselves. I fhall produce two or three Inftances of this Kind. Speaking of the infipid Smoothness which fome Readers are fo much in Love with, he has the following Verses.

Thefe Equal Syllables alone require,
Tho' oft the Ear the open Vowels tire,
While Expletives their feeble Aid do join,
And ten low Words oft creep in one dull Line.

THE gaping of the Vowels in the fecond Line, the Expletive de in the third, and the ten Monofyllables in the fourth, give fuch a Beauty to this Paffage, as would have been very much admired in an Ancient Poet. The Reader may observe the following Lines in the fame View.

A needlefs Alexandrine ends the Song,

That like a wounded Snake drags it flow Length along.
And afterwards,

'Tis not enough no Harfbnefs gives Offence,
The Sound muft feem an Echo to the Sense,
Soft is the Strain when Zephyr gently blows,

And the smooth Stream in fmoother Numbers flows;
But when loud Surges lafh the founding Shore,

The hoarfe rough Verfe fbou'd like the Torrent roar.
When Ajax ftrives fome Rock's vaft Weight to throw,
The Line too labours, and the Words move flow;
Not fo, when frift Camilla fcours the Plain,

3

Flies o'er th' unbending Corn, and skims along the Main.

THE beautiful Diftich upon Ajax in the foregoing Lines, puts me in mind of a Defcription in Homer's Odylfey, which none of the Criticks have taken notice of. It is where Sifyphus is reprefented lifting his Stone up the Hill, which is no fooner carried to the Top of it, but it immediately tumbles to the Bottom. This double Motion of the Stone is admirably described in the Numbers of these Verses; As in the four firft it is heaved up by feveral Spondees intermixed with proper Breathing-places, and at laft trundles down in a continual Line of Dactyls.

Kai

Καὶ μὴν Σίσυφον εἰσεῖδον, κρατέρ ̓ ἄλγε ̓ ἔχοντα,
Λάαν βασάζοντα σελώριον αμφοτέρησιν.
Ητοι ὁ μὲν σκηριπλόμενα χερσίν τε ποσίν τε,
Λᾶαν ἄνω ὤθεσκε ποτὶ λόφον, ἀλλ ̓ ὅτε μέλλοι
Ακρον ὑπερβαλέειν, τότ' αποτρέψαστέ Κραταιΐς,
Αὖρος υπειτα πέδονδε κυλίνδετο λᾶας αναιδής.

Odyff. 1. 11.

I turn'd my Eye, and as I turn'd furvey'd
A mournful Vision! the Sifyphian Shade:
With many a weary Step, and many a Grone,
Up the high Hill he heaves a huge round Stone:
The huge round Stone, refulting with a Bound,
Thunders impetuous down, and smokes along the
Ground.

POPE.

IT would be endless to quote Verfes out of Virgil which have this particular Kind of Beauty in the Numbers; but I may take an Occafion in a future Paper to fhew feveral of them which have escaped the Obfervation of others.

I cannot conclude this Paper without taking notice that we have three Poems in our Tongue, which are of the fame Nature, and each of them a Mafter-piece in its Kind; the Effay on tranflated Verfe, the Effay on the Art of Poetry, and the Effay upon Criticism. C

de de de de de de de de de de de

No. 254

Friday, December 21.

Σεμνὸς ἔρως ἀρετῆς, ὁ δὲ κυπρίδων ἔχω ἐφέλλει,
On Love of Virtue Reverence attends,

But Senfual Pleafure in our Ruin ends.

W

HENI confider the falfe Impreffions which are received by the Generality of the World, I am troubled at none more than a certain Levity of Thought, which many young Women of Quality have entertained, to the Hazard of their Characters, and the certain Misfortune of their Lives. The firft of the following Letters may beft reprefent the Faults I would

now

now point at, and the Answer to it the Temper of Mind in a contrary Character.

My dear Harriot,

I

F thou art fhe, but oh how fallen, how changed, what an Apoftate! how loft to all that's gay and agreeable! To be married I find is to be buried alive; ⚫ I can't conceive it more difmal to be shut up in a Vault ⚫ to converse with the Shades of my Ancestors, than to ⚫ be carried down to an old Manor-Houfe in the Country, ⚫ and confined to the Conversation of a fober Husband ⚫ and an aukward Chamber-maid. For Variety I fuppofe you may entertain yourself with Madam in her Grogram Gown, the Spouse of your Parish Vicar, who has by this time I am fure well furnished you with Receipts ⚫ for making Salves and Poffets, diftilling Cordial Waters, making Syrups, and applying Poultices.

BLEST Solitude! I wish thee Joy, my Dear, of thy loved Retirement, which indeed you would per• fuade me is very agreeable, and different enough from what I have here described: But, Child, I am afraid thy Brains are a little difordered with Romances and Novels: After fix Months Marriage to hear thee talk of • Love, and paint the Country Scenes fo foftly, is a little ⚫ extravagant; one would think you lived the Lives of Sylvan Deities, or roved among the Walks of Paradife, ⚫ like the first happy Pair. But pry thee leave thefe Whimfies, and come to Town in order to live and talk like ' other Mortals. However, as I am extremely interested in your Reputation, I would willingly give you a little good Advice at your first Appearance under the Cha⚫racter of a married Woman: 'Tis a little Infolence in me perhaps to advise a Matron, but I am fo afraid you'll • make so filly a Figure as a fond Wife, that I cannot help warning you not to appear in any publick Places with your Husband, and never to fanter about St. James's. Park together: If you prefume to enter the Ring at HidePark together, you are ruined for ever; nor muft you take the leaft notice of one another at the Play-house or Opera, unless you would be laughed at for a very loving Couple most happily paired in the Yoke of Wedlock. I would recommend the Example of an Acquaintance of

ours

<

ours to your Imitation; fhe is the most negligent and 'fashionable Wife in the World; fhe is hardly ever seen in 'the fame Place with her Husband, and if they happen to meet, you would think them perfect Strangers: She never was heard to name him in his Abfence, and takes care he shall never be the Subject of any Difcourfe that fhe has a Share in. I hope you'll propofe this Lady as a Pattern, tho' I am very much afraid you'll be fo filly to 'think Portia, &c. Sabine and Roman Wives much brighter Examples. I wish it may never come into your Head to imitate those antiquated Creatures fo far, as to come into Publick in the Habit as well as Air of a Roman Matron. You make already the Entertainment at Mrs. Modifb's Tea-Table; fhe fays, fhe always thought you a • difcreet Perfon, and qualified to manage a Family with admirable Prudence; the dies to fee what demure and • ferious Airs Wedlock has given you, but she says she fhall never forgive your Choice of fo gallant a Man as • Bellamour to transform him to a mere sober Husband; • 'twas unpardonable: You fee, my Dear, we all envy • your Happiness, and nó Person more than

Your bumble Servant,

Lydia.

E not in pain, good Madam, for my Appearance in

any Vifits where the Character of a modeft Wife is ri⚫diculous. As for your wild Raillery on Matrimony, 'tis all Hypocrify; you, and all the handfom young Women of your Acquaintance, fhew yourselves to no other Purpose than to gain a Conqueft over fome Man ⚫ of Worth, in order to beftow your Charms and Fortune on him. There's no Indecency in the Confefsion, the Defign is modeft and honourable, and all your Affecta⚫tion can't disguise it.

⚫ I am married, and have no other Concern but to please ⚫ the Man I Love; he's the End of every care I have; if "I drefs 'tis for him; if I read a Poem or a Play, 'tis to ' qualify myself for a Conversation agreeable to his Taste: • He's almost the end of my Devotions; half my Prayers are for his Happiness-I love to talk of him, and nehear him named but with Pleasure and Emotion. I

ver

am,

6

⚫ am your Friend, and with you Happiness, but am forry to fee by the Air of your Letter that there are a Set of • Women who are got into the Common-Place Raillery ⚫ of every Thing that is fober, decent, and proper: Matrimony and the Clergy are the Topicks of People of little Wit and no Understanding. I own to you, I have ⚫ learned of the Vicar's Wife all you tax me with: She is a <difcreet, ingenious, pleasant, pious Woman; I with she had the handling of you and Mrs. Modifb; you would find, if you were too free with her, he would foon • make you as charming as ever you were, fhe would make you blush as much as if you never had been fine Ladies. The Vicar, Madam, is so kind as to visit my • Husband, and his agreeable Conversation has brought • him to enjoy many fober happy Hours when even I am 'fhut out, and my dear Mafter is entertained only with • his own Thoughts. These Things, dear Madam, will be lasting Satisfactions, when the fine Ladies, and the < Coxcombs by whom they form themselves, are irreparably ridiculous, ridiculous in old Age. I am

Madam, your most humble Servant,

Dear Mr. SPECTATOR,

YOU

Mary Home.

OU have no Goodness in the World, and are not in earnest in any thing you fay that is serious, if ⚫ you do not send me a plain Answer to this: I happened • fome Days paft to be at the Play, where during the • Time of Performance, I could not keep my Eyes off ⚫ from a beautiful young Creature who fat just before me,

"

and who I have been fince informed has no Fortune. • It would utterly ruin my Reputation for Discretion to marry such a one, and by what I can learn fhe has a Character of great Modefty, so that there is nothing to be thought on any other Way. My Mind has ever fince • been fo wholly bent on her, that I am much in danger of doing fomething very extravagant without your ⚫ speedy Advice to,

SIR, Your most humble Servant.

I am forry I cannot answer this impatient Gentleman, but by another Question.

Dear