has this great Prince laid the Foundation of a great and lafting Fame, by perfonal Labour, perfonal Knowledge, perfonal Valour. It would be Injury to any of Antiquity to name them with. Who, but himself, ever left a Throne to learn to fit in it with more Grace? Who ever thought himself mean in Abfolute Power, till he he had learned to use it? IF we confider this wonderful Perfon, it is Perplexity to know where to begin his Encomium. Others may in a Metaphorical or Philofophick Senfe be faid to command themfelves, but this Emperor is alfo litterally under his own Command. How generous and how good was his entring his own Name as a private Man in the Army he raifed, that none in it might expect to out-run the Steps with which he himself advanced? By fuch Measures this Godlike Prince learned to Conquer, learned to use his Conquefts. How terrible has he appeared in Battel, how gentle in Victory? Shall then the bafe Arts of the Frenchman be held Polite, and the honeft Labours of the Ruffan Barbarous? No: Barbarity is the Ignorance of true Honour, or placing any thing inftead of it. The unjust Prince is Ignoble and Barbarous, the Good Prince only Renowned and Glorious. THO' Men may impofe upon themselves what they please by their corrupt Imaginations, Truth will ever keep its Station and as Glory is nothing elfe but the Shadow of Virtue, it will certainly difappear at the Departure of Virtue. But how carefully ought the true Notions of it to be preferved, and how induftrious fhould we be to encourage any Impulfes towards it? The Weftminfter School-Boy that faid the other Day he could not fleep or play for the Colours in the Hall, ought to be free from receiving a Blow for ever. BUT let us confider what is truly Glorious according to the Author I have to-day quoted in the Front of my Paper. THE Perfection of Glory, fays Tully, confifts in thefe three Particulars: That the People love us; that they have Confidence in us: that being affected with a certain Admiration towards us, they think we deserve Honour. This was fpoken of Greatnefs in a Commonwealth: But if one were to forma Notion of Confummate Glory under our our Constitution, one must add to the above-mentioned Felicities, a certain neceffary Inexistence, and Difrelish of all the reft without the Prince's Favour. He should, methinks, have Riches, Power, Honour, Command, Glory; but Riches, Power, Honour, Command and Glory fhould have no Charms, but as accompanied with the Affection of his Prince. He fhould, methinks, be Popular because a Favourite, and a Favourite because Popular. Were it not to make the Character too imaginary, I would give him Sovereignty over fome Foreign Territory, and make him efteem that an empty Addition without the kind Regards of his own Prince. One may meerly have an Idea of a Man thus composed and circumstantiated, and if he were fo made for Power without an Incapacity of giving Jealoufy, he would be alfo Glorious without Poffibility of receiving Disgrace. This Humility and this Importance must make his Glory immortal. THESE Thoughts are apt to draw me beyond the ufual Length of this Paper, but if I could fuppofe fuch Rapfodies could out-live the common Fate of ordinary things, I would fay thefe Sketches and Faint Images of Glory were drawn in August 1711, when John Duke of Marlborough made that memorable March wherein he took the French Lines without Blood-fhed. T N 140. W Friday, Auguft 10. Animum curis nune huc nunc dividit illuc. Virg. HEN I acquaint my Reader, that I have many other Letters, not yet acknowledged, I believe he will own, what I have a mind he should believe, that I have no fmall Charge upon me, but ama Perfon of fome Confequence in this World. I fhall therefore employ the prefent Hour only in reading Petitions, in the Order as follows. Mr 4 Mr. SPECTATOR, Have loft fo much Time already, that I defire, upon the Receipt hereof, you would fit down immediately, and give me your Answer. And I would know • of you whether a Pretender of mine really loves me. 1 As well as I can I will defcribe his Manners. When Your Neglected Humble Servant, Lydia Novell All these Fellows who have Money are extremely fawcy and cold; Pray, Sir, tell them of it. Mr. SPECTATOR, I Have been delighted with nothing more through 'the whole courfe of your Writings than the fubftantial Account you lately gave of Wit, and I could wifh you would take fome other Opportunity to ex prefs further the corrupt Tafte the Age is run into which I am chiefly apt to attribute to the Prevalency of a few popular Authors, whofe Merit in fome Refpects has given a Sanction to their Faults in others. Thus Thus the Imitators of Milton feem to place all the Excellency of that fort of Writing either in the uncouth or antique Words, or fomething else which was highly vicious, tho' pardonable, in that Great Man, The Admirers of what we call Point, or Turn, look upon it as the particular Happiness to which Cowley, Ovid, and others, owe their Reputation, and there⚫fore imitate them only in fuch Inftances; what is Juft, Proper and Natural does not feem to be the Queftion with them, but by what Means a quaint Antithefis may be brought about, how one Word may be made to look two Ways, and what will be the Confequence of a forced Allufion. Now tho' fuch Authors appear to me to resemble those who make themselves fine, inftead of being well dreffed, or graceful; yet the Mischief is, that these Beauties in them, which I call Blemishes, are thought to proceed from Luxuriance of Fancy, and overflowing of good Senfe: In one Word, they have the Character of being too Witty; but if you would acquaint the World they are not Witty at all, you would, among many others, oblige, SIR, SIR, Your moft Benevolent Reader, R. D. I AM a young Woman, and reckoned Pretty, there'fore you'll pardon me that I trouble you to decide a Wager between me and a Coufin of mine, who is always contradicting one because he understands Latin. Pray, Sir, is Dimple spelt with a single or a double p? I am, SIR, Your very Humble Servant, Betty Saunter. PRAY, Sir, direct thus, To the kind Querift, and leave it at Mr. Lillie's, for I don't care to be known in the thing at all. I am, Sir, again Your Humble Servant. Mr. Mr. SPECTATOR, I Muft needs tell you there are feveral of your Papers I do not much like. You are often fo Nice there is no enduring you, and fo Learned there is no understanding you. What have you to do with our Petticoats? ·Your Humble Servant, Mr. SPECTATOR, L Parthenope. AST Night as I was walking in the Park, Imeta couple of Friends; Pr'ythee Jack, lays one of them, let us go drink a Glass of Wine, for I am fit for nothing elfe. This put me upon reflecting on the many Mifcarriages which happen in Converfations over Wine,when Men go to the Bottle to remove fuch Humours as it only ftirs up and awakens. This I could not attribute more to any thing than to the Humour of putting Company upon others which Men do not like themfelves. Pray, Sir, declare in your Papers, that he who is a troublefome Companion to himself, will not be an agree-, ⚫able one to others. Let People reafon themfelves into good Humour, before they impose themfelves upori their Friends. Pray, Sir, be as Eloquent as you can upon this Subject, and do Human Life fo much Good, as to argue powerfully, that it is not every one that can fwallow who is fit to drink a Glafs of Wine. SIR, I Your most humble Servant.. This Morning caft my Eye upon your Paper concerning the Expence of Time. You are very obliging to the Women, especially thofe who are not young and paft Gallantry, by touching fo gently upon Gaming: Therefore I hope you do not think it wrong to employ a little leifure Time in that Diverfion; but I fhould be glad to hear you fay fomething upon the Behaviour of fome of the Female Gamesters. I have obferved Ladies, who in all other refpects are. gentle, good-humoured; and the very Pinks of good, Breeding; who as foon as the Ombre Table is called for, and fet down to their Business, are immediately Tranf-, migrated into the verieft Wafps in Nature. VOL. II. K YOU |