were not too coarse a simile, I should say, Hyæna, in the figure she affects to appear in, is a spider in the midst of a cobweb, that is sure to destroy every fly that approaches it. The net Hyæna throws is so fine, that you are taken in it before you can observe any part of her work. I attempted her for a long and weary season, but I found her passion went no further than to be admired; and she is of that unreasonable temper, as not to value the inconstancy of her lovers, provided she can boast she once had their addresses. charms left to render it supportable. Corinna, that used to torment all who conversed with her with false glances, and little heedless unguarded motions, that were to betray some inclination towards the man she would ensnare, finds at present all she attempts that way unregarded; and is obliged to indulge the jilt in her constitution, by laying artificial plots, writing perplexing letters from unknown hands, and making all the young fellows in love with her, until they find out who she is. Thus, as before she gave torment by disguising her inclination, she is now obliged to do it by hiding her person. "Biblis was the second I aimed at, and her va"As for my own part, Mr. Spectator, it has been nity lay in purchasing the adorers of others, and not my unhappy fate to be jilted from my youth up-in rejoicing in their love itself. Biblis is no man's ward; and as my taste has been very much towards mistress, but every woman's rival. As soon as I intrigue, and having intelligence with women of found this, I fell in love with Chloe, who is my prewit, my whole life has passed away in a series of sent pleasure and torment. I have writ to her, impositions. I shall, for the benefit of the pre- danced with her, and fought for her, and have been sent race of young men, give some account of her man in the sight and expectation of the whole my loves. I know not whether you have ever town these three years, and thought myself near heard of the famous girl about town called Kitty. the end of my wishes; when the other day she called This creature (for I must take shame upon myself) me into her closet, and told me, with a very grave was my mistress in the days when keeping was in face, that she was a woman of honour, and scorned fashion. Kitty, under the appearance of being wild, to deceive a man who loved her with so much sinthoughtless, and irregular in all her words and ac- cerity as she saw I did, and therefore she must intions, concealed the most accomplished jilt of her form me that she was by nature the most inconstant time. Her negligence had to me a charm in it creature breathing, and begged of me not to marry like that of chastity, and want of desires seemed as her; if I insisted upon it, I should; but that she great a merit as the conquest of them. The air was lately fallen in love with another. What to do she gave herself was that of a romping girl, and or say I know not, but desire you to inform me, and whenever I talked to her with any turn of fondness, you will infinitely oblige, she would immediately snatch off my periwig, try it upon herself in the glass, clap her arms a-kimbo, draw my sword, and make passes on the wall, take off my cravat, and seize it to make some other use of the lace, or run into some other unaccountable rompishness, until the time I had appointed to pass away with her was over. I went from her full of pleasure at the reflection that I had the keeping of so much beauty in a woman who, as she was too heedless to please me, was also too inattentive to form a design to wrong me. Long did I divert every hour that hung heavy upon me in the company of this creature, whom I looked upon as nei-It ther guilty nor innocent, but could laugh at myself for my unaccountable pleasure in an expense upon her, until in the end it appeared my pretty insensible was with child by my footman. C. Sir, your humble servant, "CHARLES YELLOW." ADVERTISEMENT. Mr. Sly, haberdasher of hats, at the corner of Devereux-court, in the Strand, gives notice, that he has prepared very neat hats, rubbers, and brushes, for the use of young tradesmen in the last year of apprenticeship, at reasonable rates.—T. No. 188.] FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1711. Lætus sum laudari a te laudato viro.-TULL gives me pleasure to be praised by you, whom all men praise. He is a very unhappy man who sets his heart upon being admired by the multitude, or affects a general and undistinguishing applause among men. "This accident roused me into disdain against What pious men call the testimony of a good conall libertine women, under what appearance soever science, should be the measure of our ambition in they hid their insincerity, and I resolved after that this kind; that is to say, a man of spirit should contime to converse with none but those who lived temn the praise of the ignorant, and like being apwithin the rules of decency and honour. To this plauded for nothing but what he knows in his own end I formed myself into a more regular turn of be- heart he deserves. Besides which, the character of haviour, and began to make visits, frequent asthe person who commends you is to be considered, semblies, and lead out ladies from the theatres, before you set a value upon his esteem. The praise with all the other insignificant duties which the pro- of an ignorant man is only good-will, and you should fessed servants of the fair place themselves in constant receive his kindness as he is a good neighbour in readiness to perform. In a very little time (having society, and not as a good judge of your actions in a plentiful fortune), fathers and mothers began to point of fame and reputation. The satirist said very regard me as a good match, and I found easy ad- well of popular praise and acclamations, "Give the mittance into the best families in town to observe tinkers and cobblers their presents again, and learn their daughters; but I, who was born to follow the to live of yourself." * It is an argument of a loose fair to no purpose, have by the force of my ill stars, and ungoverned mind to be affected with the promade my application to three jilts successively. miscuous approbation of the generality of mankind; "Hyæna is one of those who form themselves into and a man of virtue should be too delicate for so a melancholy and indolent air, and endeavour to coarse an appetite of fame. Men of honour should gain admirers from their inattention to all around endeavour only to please the worthy, and the man them. Hyæna can loll in her coach, with some-of merit should desire to be tried only by his peers. thing so fixed in her countenance, that it is impos- I thought it a noble sentiment which I heard yesBible to conceive her meditation is employed only on her dress, and her charms in that posture. If it | Tollat sua munera cerdo: I shall conclude this paper with a billet which has fallen into my hands, and was written to a lady from a gentleman whom she had highly commended. The author of it had formerly been her lover. When all possibility of commerce between them on the subject of love was cut off, she spoke so handsomely of him, as to give occasion to this letter. "MADAM, terday uttered in conversation: "I know," said a gentleman, "a way to be greater than any man. If he has worth in him, I can rejoice in his superiority to me; and that satisfaction is a greater act of the soul in me, than any in him which can possibly appear to me." This thought could proceed but from a candid and generous spirit; and the approbation of such minds is what may be esteemed true praise: for with the common race of men there is nothing commendable but what they themselves "I should be insensible to a stupidity, if I could may hope to be partakers of, and arrive at; but the motive truly glorious is, when the mind is set rather late mention of me with so much applause. It is, forbear making you my acknowledgments for your to do things laudable, than to purchase reputation. I think, your fate to give me new sentiments: as Where there is that sincerity as the foundation of a good name, the kind opinion of virtuous men will be love, so do you now with the true sense of glory. you formerly inspired me with the true sense of an unsought, but a necessary consequence. The Lacedæmonians, though a plain people, and no pre-tofore professed towards you, so has vanity no share As desire had the least part in the passion I beretenders to politeness, had a certain delicacy in their sense of glory, and sacrificed to the Muses when in the glory to which you have now raised me. Inthey entered upon any great enterprise. They discretion, are the constant ornaments of her who nocence, knowledge, beauty, virtue, sincerity, and transmitted by the purest and most untainted me-arrived at the highest glory in this world, the comFame is a babbler, but I have morialists. The din which attends victories and mendation of the most deserving person in it."-T. public triumphs, is by far less eligible than the recital of the actions of great men by honest and wise historians. It is a frivolous pleasure to be the admiration of gaping crowds; but to have the approbation of a good man in the cool reflections of his closet, is a gratification worthy a heroic spirit. The applause of the crowd makes the head giddy, but the attestation of a reasonable man makes the heart glad. would have the commemoration of their actions be has said this of me. No. 189.] SATURDAY, OCT. 6, 1711. -Patriæ pietatis imago.-VIRG. En. x. 821. An image of paternal tenderness THE following letter being written to my bookseller, upon a subject of which I treated some time since, I shall publish it in this paper, together with the letter that was enclosed in it :— "MR. BUCKLEY, What makes the love of popular or general praise still more ridiculous, is, that it is usually given for circumstances which are foreign to the persons admired. Thus they are the ordinary attendants on "Mr. Spectator having of late descanted upon power and riches, which may be taken out of one the cruelty of parents to their children, I have been man's hands, and put into another's. The appli-induced (at the request of several of Mr. Spectator's cation only, and not the possession, makes those outward things honourable. The vulgar and men of sense agree in admiring men for having what they themselves would rather be possessed of; the wise man applauds him whom he thinks most virtuous, the rest of the world him who is most wealthy. When a man is in this way of thinking, I do not know what can occur to one more monstrous, than to see persons of ingenuity address their services and performances to men no way addicted to liberal arts. In these cases, the praise on one hand, and the patronage on the other, are equally the objects of ridicule. Dedications to ignorant men are as absurd as any of the speeches of Bulfinch in the Droll. Such an address one is apt to translate into other words; and when the different parties are thoroughly considered, the panegyric generally implies no more than if the author should say to the patron; "My very good lord, you and I can never understand one another; therefore I humbly desire we may be intimate friends for the future." The rich may as well ask to borrow of the poor, as the man of virtue or merit hope for addition to his character from any but such as himself. He that commends another engages so much of his own reputation as he gives to that person commended; and he that has nothing laudable in himself is not of ability to be such a surety. The wise Phocion was so sensible how dangerous it was to be touched with what the multitude approved, that upon a general acclamation made when he was making an oration, he turned to an intelligent friend who stood near him, and asked in a surprised manner, "What slip nave I made?' admirers) to enclose this letter, which I assure you "SIRRAH, "You are a saucy audacious rascal, and both fool and mad, and I care not a farthing whether you sions of your insolence, going about railing at me, comply or no; that does not raze out my impresand the next day to solicit my favour. These are inconsistencies, such as discover thy reason depraved. To be brief, I never desire to see your face; and, sirrah, if you go to the workhouse, it is and if you starve in the streets, I'll never give any no disgrace to me for you to be supported there; thing underhand in your behalf. If I have any thing more of your scribbling nonsense, I'll break are a stubborn beast; is this your gratitude for my your head the first time I set sight on you. You giving you money? You rogue, I'll better your judgment, and give you a greater sense of your duty to (I regret to say) your father, &c. "P.S. It's prudence for you to keep out of my sight; for to reproach me, that might overcomes right, on the outside of your letter, I shall give you a great knock on the skull for it." Was there ever such an image of paternal tenderness! It was usual among some of the Greeks to make their slaves drink to excess, and then ex pose them to their children, who by that means con ceived an early aversion to a vice which makes men appear so monstrous and irrational. I have exposed this picture of an unnatural father with the same intention, that its deformity may deter others from its resemblance. If the reader has a mind to see a father of the same stamp represented in the most exquisite strokes of humour, he may meet with it in one of the finest comedies that ever appeared upon the English stage: I mean the part of Sir Sampson in Love for Love. trived (as I have formerly observed) for the sup port of every living species: but at the same time that it shows the wisdom of the Creator, it discovers the imperfection and degeneracy of the creature. The obedience of children to their parents is the basis of all government, and set forth as the measure of that obedience which we owe to those whom Providence hath placed over us. It is father Le Compte, if I am not mistaken, who tells us how want of duty in this particular is punished among the Chinese, insomuch that if a son should be known to kill, or so much as to strike his father, not only the criminal, but his whole family would be rooted out, nay, the inhabitants of the place where he lived would be put to the sword, nay, the place itself would be razed to the ground, and its foundations sown with salt. For, say they, there must have been an utter depravation of man I must not, however, engage myself blindly on the side of the son, to whom the fond letter above written was directed. His father calls him a "saucy and audacious rascal" in the first line, and I am afraid upon examination he will prove but an ungracious youth. "To go about railing" at his father, and to find no other place but "the outside of his letter" to tell him "that might overcomes right," if it does not discover "his reason to beners in that clan or society of people who could depraved," and "that he is either fool or mad," as the choleric old gentleman tells him, we may at least allow that the father will do very well in endeavouring to "better his judgment, and give him a greater sense of his duty." But whether this may be brought about by "breaking his head," or "giving him a great knock on the skull," ought, I think, to be well considered. Upon the whole, I wish the father has not met with his match, and that he may not be as equally paired with a son, as the mother in Virgil: I must here take notice of a letter which I have received from an unknown correspondent, upon the subject of my paper, upon which the foregoing letter is likewise founded. The writer of it seems very much concerned lest that paper should seem to give encouragement to the disobedience of children towards their parents; but if the writer of it will take the pains to read it over again attentively, I dare say his apprehensions will vanish. Pardon and reconciliation are all the penitent daughter requests, and all that I contend for in her behalf; and in this case I may use the saying of an eminent wit, who, upon some great men's pressing him to forgive his daughter who had married against his consent, told them he could refuse nothing to their instances, but that he would have them remember there was difference between giving and forgiving. I must confess, in all controversies between parents and their children, I am naturally prejudiced in favour of the former. The obligations on that side can never be acquitted, and I think it is one of the greatest reflections upon human nature, that paternal instinct should be a stronger motive to love than filial gratitude; that the receiving of favours should be a less inducement to a good will, tenderness, and commiseration, than the conferring of them; and that the taking care of any person should endear the child or dependant more to the parent or benefactor, than the parent or benefactor to the child or dependant: yet so it happens, that for one cruel parent we meet with a thousand undauful children. This is, indeed, wonderfully con have bred up among them so horrid an offender. To No. 190.] MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1711. Servitus crescit nova- SINCE I made some reflections upon the general negligence used in the case of regard towards women, or, in other words, since I talked of wenching, I have had epistles upon that subject, which I shall, for the present entertainment, insert as they lie before me. "MR. SPECTATOR, "As your speculations are not confined to any part of human life, but concern the wicked as well as the good, I must desire your favourable acceptance of what I, a poor strolling girl about town, have to say to you. I was told by a Roman Catholic gentleman who picked me up last week, and who, I hope is absolved for what passed between us; I say, I was told by such a person, who endeavoured to convert me to his own religion, that in countries where popery prevails, besides the advantage of licensed stews, there are large endowments given for the Incurabili, I think he called them, such as are past all remedy, and are allowed such maintenance and spport as to keep them without further care until the expire. This manner of treating poor sinners has, methinks, great humanity in it; and as you are a person who pretend to carry your reflections, upon all subjects whatever that occur to you, with candour, and act above the sense of what misinterpretation you may meet with, I beg the favour of you to lay before all the world the unhappy condition of us poor vagrants, who are really in a way of labour instead of idleness. crowds of us whose manner of livelihood has long ceased to be pleasing to us: and who would willingly lead a new life, if the rigour of the virtuous did not for ever expel us from coming into the world again. As it now happens, to the eternal There are houses out of idle purposes. I have heard them can believe that such wise men could go to bawdyoften talk of Augustus Cæsar, who had intrigues with the wives of senators, not out of wantonness but stratagem. virtuous as I fear you are; otherwise, after one visit "Sir, your most humble Servant, "MR. SPECTATOR, my livelihood, but that I am kept in such a manner "I am an idle young woman that would work for as I cannot stir out. My tyrant is an old jealous fellow, who allows me nothing to appear in. I have but one shoe and one slipper; no head-dress, and no upper petticoat. As you set up for a reformer, I desire you would take me out of this wicked way, and keep me yourself. "EVE AFTERDAY." "MR. SPECTATOR, coxcombs, who visit the apartments of us women of "I am to complain to you of a set of impertinent the town, only, as they call it, to see the world. I must confess to you, this to men of delicacy might have an effect to cure them; but as they are stupid, noisy, and drunken fellows, it tends only to make vice in themselves, as they think, pleasant and humorous, and at the same time nauseous in us. I shall, Sir, hereafter from time to time give you the houses merely as Spectators. These men think it names of these wretches who pretend to enter our wit to use us ill: pray tell them, however worthy we are of such treatment, it is unworthy them to be guilty of it towards us. Pray, Sir, take notice of this, and pity the oppressed: I wish we could add infamy of the male sex, falsehood among you is not | Sal is more shrewd than any body thinks. Nobody reproachful, but credulity in women is infamous. "Give me leave, Sir, to give you my history. You are to know that I am a daughter of a man of a good reputation, tenant to a man of quality. The heir of this great house took it in his head to cast a favourable eye upon me, and succeeded. I do not pretend to say he promised me marriage: I was not a creature silly enough to be taken by so foolish a story: but he ran away with me up to this town, and introduced me to a grave matron, with whom I boarded for a day or two with great gravity, and was not a little pleased with the change of my condition, from that of a country life to the finest company, as I believed, in the whole world. My humble servant made me understand that I should always be kept in the plentiful condition I then enjoyed; when after a very great fondness towards me, he one day took his leave of me for four or five days. In the evening of the same day my good landlady came to me, and observing me very pensive, began to comfort me, and with a smile told me I must see the world. When I was deaf to all she could say to divert me, she began to tell me with a very frank air that I must be treated as I ought, and not take these squeamish humours upon me, for my friend had left me to the town; and, as their phrase is, she expected I would see company, or I must be treated like what I had brought my self to. This put me into a fit of crying; and I immediately, in a true sense of my condition, threw myself on the floor, deploring my fate, calling upon all that was good and sacred to succour me. While I was in all this agony, I observed a decrepit old fellow come into the room, and looking with a sense of pleasure in his face at all my vehemence and transport. In a pause of my distresses I heard him say to the shameless old woman who stood by me, 'She is certainly a new face, or else she acts it rarely.' With that the gentlewoman, who was making her market of me, in all the turns of my person, the heaves of my passion, and the suitable changes of my posture, took occasion to commend neck, my shape, my eyes, my limbs. All this was accompanied with such speeches as you may have heard horse-coursers make in the sale of nags, -Deluding vision of the night.-POPE. when they are warranted for their soundness. You SOME ludicrous schoolmen have put the case, that understand by this time that I was left in a brothel, if an ass were placed between two bundles of hay, and exposed to the next bidder who could purchase which affected his senses equally on each side, and me of my patroness. This is so much the work of tempted him in the very same degree, whether it hell: the pleasure in the possession of us wenches would be possible for him to eat of either. They abates in proportion to the degrees we go beyond generally determine this question to the disadvanthe bounds of innocence; and no man is gratified, tage of the ass, who they say would starve in the if there is nothing left for him to debauch. Well, midst of plenty, as not having a single grain of freeSir, my first man, when I came upon the town, was will to determine him more to the one than to the Sir Jeoffry Foible, who was extremely lavish to other. The bundle of hay on either side striking me of his money, and took such a fancy to me that his sight and smell in the same proportion, would he would have carried me off, if my patroness would keep him in perpetual suspense, like the two have taken any reasonable terms for me; but as he magnets, which travellers have told us, are placed was old, his covetousness was his strongest passion, one of them in the roof, and the other in the floor of and poor I was soon left exposed to be the common Mahomet's burying-place at Mecca, and by that refuse of all the rakes and debauchees in town. Imeans, say they, pull the imposter's iron coffin with cannot tell whether you will do me justice or no, such an equal attraction, that it hangs in the air till I see whether you print this or not; other between both of them. As for the ass's behaviour wise, as I now live with Sal*, I could give you a in such nice circumstances, whether he would starve very just account of who and who is together in sooner than violate his neutrality to the two bundles this town. You perhaps won't believe it; but I of hay, I shall not presume to determine; but only know of one who pretends to be a very good Pro- take notice of the conduct of our own species in the testant, who lies with a Roman Catholic: but more same perplexity. When a man has a mind to venof this hereafter, as you please me. There do come ture his money in a lottery, every figure of it appears to our house the greatest politicians of the age; and equally alluring, and as likely to succeed as any of A celebrated courtesan and procuress of those times. my to it, the innocent." T. No. 191.] TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1711. its fellows. They all of them have the same pretensions to good luck, stand upon the same foot of competition, and no manner of reason can be given why a man should prefer one to the other before the lottery is drawn. In this case therefore caprice very often acts in the place of reason, and forms to itself some groundless imaginary motive, where real and substantial ones are wanting. I know a wellmeaning man that is very well pleased to risk his good fortune upon the number 1711, because it is the year of our Lord. I am acquainted with a tacker that would give a good deal for the number 134.* On the contrary, I have been told of a certain zealous dissenter, who being a great enemy to popery, and believing that bad men are the most fortunate in this world, will lay two to one on the number 666 against any other number, because, says he, it is the number of the beast. Several would prefer the number 12,000 before any other, as it is the number of the pounds in the great prize. In short, some are pleased to find their own age in their number; some that have got a number which makes a pretty appearance in the ciphers; and others, because it is the same number that succeeded in the last lottery. Each of these, upon no other grounds, thinks he stands fairest for the great lot, and that he is possessed of what may not be improperly called "the golden number." the ticket No. 132 in the lottery now drawing; "GEORGE GOSLING. "P. S. Dear Spec, if I get the 12,000 pounds, I'll make thee a handsome present." After having wished my correspondent good luck, and thanked him for his intended kindness, I shall for this time dismiss the subject of the lottery, and only observe, that the greatest part of mankind are These principles of election are the pastimes in some degree guilty of my friend Gosling's extra and extravagancies of human reason, which is of so vagance. We are apt to rely upon future prospects, busy a nature, that it will be exerting itself in the and become really expensive while we are only rich meanest trifles, and working even when it wants in possibility. We live up to our expectations, not materials. The wisest of men are sometimes acted to our possessions, and make a figure proportionable by such unaccountable motives, as the life of the to what we may be, not what we are. We outrun fool and the superstitious is guided by nothing else. our present income, as not doubting to disburse * I am surprised that none of the fortune-tellers, or, ourselves out of the profits of some future place, proas the French call them, the Discurs de bonne ject, or reversion that we have in view. It is Aventure, who publish their bills in every quarter of through this temper of mind, which is so common the town, have turned our lotteries to their advan-among us, that we see tradesmen break, who have tage. Did any of them set up for a caster of fortunate figures, what might he not get by his pretended discoveries and predictions? I remember among the advertisements in the Post-Boy of September the 27th, I was surprised to see the following one: "This is to give notice, that ten shillings over and above the market price, will be given for the ticket in the 1,500,000l. lottery, No. 132, by Nath. Cliff, at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside." This advertisement has given great matter of speculation to coffee-house theorists. Mr. Cliff's principles and conversation have been canvassed upon this occasion, and various conjectures made why he should thus set his heart upon No. 132. have examined all the powers in those numbers, broken them into fractions, extracted the square and cube root, divided and multiplied them all ways, but could not arrive at the secret until about three days ago, when I received the following letter from an unknown hand; by which I find that Mr. Nath. Cliff is only the agent, and not the principal, in this advertisement. "MR. SPECTATOR, "I am the person that lately advertised I would give ten shillings more than the current price for In the year 1704 a bill was brought into the house of commons against occasional conformity; and in order to make it pass through the house of lords, it was proposed to tack it to a money-bill. This occasioned warm debates, and at length it was put to the vote; when 134 were for tacking: but a met with no misfortunes in their business; and men of estates reduced to poverty, who have never suffered from losses or repairs, tenants, taxes, or lawsuits. In short, it is this foolish sanguine temper, this depending upon contingent futurities, that occasions romantic generosity, chimerical grandeur, senseless ostentation, and generally ends in beggary and ruin. The man who will live above his present circumstances is in great danger of living in a little time much beneath them; or, as the Italian proverb runs, "The man who lives by hope, will die by hunger." It should be an indispensable rule in life, to contract our desires to our present condition, and, whatever may be our expectations, to live within the compass of what we actually possess. It will be time enough to enjoy an estate when it comes into our hands; but if we anticipate our good fortune, we shall lose the pleasure of it when it arrives, and may possibly never possess what we have so foolishly counted upon.-L. No. 192.] WEDNESDAY, OCT. 10. 1711, -Uno ore omnes omnia Bona dicere, et laudare fortunas meas, I STOOD the other day, and beheld a father sit large majority being against it, the motion was overruled, and ting in the middle of a room with a large family of the bill miscarried. In the Revelations. See ch. xiii. ver. 18. Alluding to the number se called in the Calendar. children about him: and methought I could ob • Disburse seems to stand here for reimburse. |