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the compliments you pay our sex are innumerable, and that those very faults which you represent in us, are neither black in themselves, nor, as you own, universal among us. But, Sir, it is plain that these your discourses are calculated for none but the fashionable part of womankind, and for the use of those who are rather indiscreet than vicious. But, Sir, there is a sort of prostitutes in the lower part of our sex, who are a scandal to us, and very well deserve to fall under your censure. I know it would debase your paper too much to enter into the behaviour of these female libertines: but, as your remarks on some part of it would be a doing of justice to several women of virtue and honour, whose reputations suffer by it, I hope you will not think it improper to give the public some accounts of this nature. You must know, Sir, I am provoked to write you this letter, by the behaviour of an infamous

to say to you, O best of men, that I cannot figure to myself a greater happiness than in such an employment. To be present at all the adventures to which human life is exposed, to administer slumber to thy eye-lids, in the agonies of a fever, to cover thy beloved face in the day of battle, to go with thee a guardian angel incapable of wound or pain, where have longed to attend thee when a weak, a fearful woman: these, my dear, are the thoughts with which I warm my poor languid heart. But, indeed, I am not capable, under my present weakness, of bearing the strong agonies of mind I fall into, when I form to myself the grief you will be in, upon your first hearing of my departure. I will not dwell upon this, because your kind and generous heart will be but the more afflicted, the more the person for whom you lament offers you consolation. My last breath will, if I am myself, expire in a prayer for you. I shall never see thy face again. Fare-woman, who, having passed her youth in a most shamewell for ever.-T."

No. 205.] THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1711.
Decipimur specie recti
HOR. Ars Poet. v. 25.
Deluded by a seeming excellence.-RoscoMMON.

less state of prostitution, is now one of those who gain their livelihood by seducing others that are younger than themselves, and by establishing a criminal commerce between the two sexes. Among several of her artifices to get money, she frequently persuades a vain young fellow, that such woman of quality, or such a celebrated toast, entertains a WHEN I meet with any vicious character that is secret passion for him, and wants nothing but an not generally known, in order to prevent its doing opportunity of revealing it. Nay, she has gone so mischief, I draw it at length, and set it up as a far as to write letters in the name of a woman of scarecrow by which means I do not only make an figure, to borrow money of one of these foolish Roexample of the person to whom it belongs, but derigos, which she has afterward appropriated to give warning to all her majesty's subjects, that they her own use. In the mean time, the person who may not suffer by it. Thus, to change the allusion, has lent the money, has thought a lady under obliI have marked out several of the shoals and quick-gations to him, who scarce knew his name; and sands of life, and am continually employed in discovering those which are still concealed, in order to keep the ignorant and unwary from running upon them. It is with this intention that I publish the following letter, which brings to light some secrets of this nature.

"MR. SPECTATOR,

wondered at her ingratitude when he has been with her, that she has not owned the favour, though at the same time he was too much a man of honour to put her in mind of it.

As

"When this abandoned baggage meets with a man who has vanity enough to give credit to relations of this nature, she turns him to very good ac"There are none of your speculations which I count by repeating praises that were never uttered, read over with greater delight, than those which are and delivering messages that were never sent. designed for the improvement of our sex. You have the house of this shameless creature is frequented by endeavoured to correct our unreasonable fears and several foreigners, I have heard of another artifice, superstitions, in your seventh and twelfth papers; out of which she often raises money. The foreigner our fancy for equipage, in your fifteenth; our love sighs after some British beauty, whom he only of puppet-shows, in your thirty-first; our notions knows by fame; upon which she promises, if he can of beauty, in your thirty-third; our inclination for be secret, to procure him a meeting. The stranger, romances, in your thirty-seventh; our passion for ravished at his good fortune, gives her a present, French fopperies, in your forty-fifth; our manhood and in a little time is introduced to some imaginary and party zeal, in your fifty-seventh; our abuse of title: for you must know that this cunning purdancing, in your sixty-sixth and sixty-seventh; veyor has her representatives upon this occasion, of our levity, in your hundred and twenty-eighth; some of the finest ladies in the kingdom. By this our love of coxcombs, in your hundred and fifty-means, as I am informed, it is usual enough to meet fourth and hundred and fifty-seventh; our tyranny with a German count in foreign countries, that shall over the hen-pecked, in your hundred and seventy-make his boast of favours he has received from sixth. You have described the Pict, in your forty- women of the highest ranks, and the most unblefirst; the Idol, in your seventy-third; the Demur- mished characters. Now, Sir, what safety is there rer, in your eighty-ninth; the Salamander, in your for a woman's reputation, when a lady may be thus hundred and ninety-eighth. You have likewise taken prostituted as it were by proxy, and be reputed an to pieces our dress, and represented to us the ex-unchaste woman; as the Hero in the ninth book of travagances we are often guilty of in that particular. Dryden's Virgil is looked upon as a coward, because You have fallen upon our patches, in your fiftieth the phantom which appeared in his likeness ran and eighty-first; our commodes, in your ninety-away from Turnus? You may depend upon what eighth; our fans, in your hundred and second; our I relate to you to be matter of fact, and the praeriding-habits, in your hundred and fourth; our hoop- tice of more than one of these female panders. I petticoats, in your hundred and twenty-seventh; you print this letter, I may give you some further besides a great many little blemishes which you have accounts of this vicious race of women. touched upon in your several other papers, and in "Your humble servant, those many letters that are scattered up and down your works. At the same time we must own that Alluding to the character so named in Shakspeare's Othel

BELVIDERA.

I shall add two other letters on different subjects before they know any thing of our characters, but to fill up my paper.

"MR. SPECTATOR,

"I am a country clergyman, and hope you will lend me your assistance in ridiculing some little indecencies which cannot so properly be exposed from the pulpit.

"A widow lady, who straggled this summer from London into my parish for the benefit of the air, as she says, appears every Sunday at church with many fashionable extravagances, to the great astonishment of my congregation.

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"But what gives us the most offence is her theatrical manner of singing the Psalms. She introduces about fifty Italian airs into the hundredth psalm; and whilst we begin, All people' in the old solemn tune of our forefathers, she in a quite different key runs divisions on the vowels, and adorns them with the graces of Nicolini: if she meets witheke' or aye,' which are frequent in the metre of Hopkins and Sternhold, we are certain to hear her quavering them half a minute after us, to some sprightly airs of the opera.

"I am very far from being an enemy to church music; but fear this abuse of it may make my parish ridiculous, who already look on the singing psalms as an entertainment, and not part of their devotion: besides I am apprehensive that the infection may spread; for 'Squire Squeekum, who by his voice seems (if I may use the expression) to be cut out for an Italian singer, was last Sunday practising the same airs.

"I know the lady's principles, and that she will plead the toleration, which (as she fancies) allows her nonconformity in this particular; but I beg you to acquaint her that singing the Psalms in a different tune from the rest of the congregation is a sort of schism not tolerated by that act.

"I am, Sir, your very humble Servant,
"R. S."

"MR. SPECTATOR,

from the intimations men gather from our aspect. A man, they say, wears the picture of his mind in his countenance; and one man's eyes are spectacles to his, who looks at him to read his heart. But though that way of raising an opinion of those we behold in public is very fallacious, certain it is, that those, who by their words and actions take as much upon themselves, as they can but barely demand in the strict scrutiny of their deserts, will find their account lessen every day. A modest man preserves his character, as a frugal man does his fortune; if either of them live to the height of either, one will find losses, the other errors, which he has not stock by him to make up. It were therefore a just rule, to keep your desires, your words, and actions, within the regard you observe your friends have for you; and never, if it were in a man's power, to take as much as he possibly might, either in preferment or reputation. My walks have lately been among the mercantile part of the world; and one gets phrases naturally from those with whom one converses. I say then, he that in his air, his treatment of others, or an habitual arrogance to himself, gives himself credit for the least article of more wit, wisdom, goodness, or valour, than he can possibly produce if he is called upon, will find the world break in upon him, and consider him as one who has cheated them of all the esteem they had before allowed him. This brings a commission of bankruptcy upon him; and he that might have gone on to his life's end in a prosperous way, by aiming at more than he should is no longer proprietor of what he really had before, but his pretensions fare as all things do which are torn instead of being divided.

esteem they have for his merit, their reflections turn only upon that they observe he has of it himself.

There is no one living would deny Cinna the applause of an agreeable and facetious wit; or could possibly pretend that there is not something inimitably unforced and diverting in his manner of delivering all his sentiments in conversation, if he were able to conceal the strong desire of applause which he betrays in every syllable he utters. But. "In your paper upon temperance, you prescribe they who converse with him see that all the civili to us a rule for drinking out of Sir William Temple, ties they could do to him, or the kind things they in the following words: The first glass for myself, could say to him, would fall short of what he exthe second for my friends, the third for good hu-pects; and therefore, instead of showing him the mour, and the fourth for mine enemies.' Now, Sir, you must know, that I have read this your Spectator, in a club whereof I am a member; when our If you go among the women, and behold Gloriana president told us there was certainly an error in the print, and that the word glass should be bottle; and trip into a room with that theatrical ostentation of her charms, Mirtilla with that soft regularity in her therefore has ordered me to inform you of this mis-motion, Chloe with such an indifferent familiarity, take, and to desire you to publish the following er- Corinna with such a fond approach, and Roxana ratum: In the paper of Saturday, Octob. 13, col. with such a demand of respect in the great gravity 3, line 11, for glass,' read' bottle.' of her entrance; you find all the sex, who understand themselves and act naturally, wait only for their absence, to tell you that all these ladies would impose themselves upon you; and each of them carry in their behaviour a consciousness of so much more than they should pretend to, that they lose what would otherwise be given them.

L.

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"Yours,

"ROBIN GOODFELLOW.""

No. 206.] FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1711. Quanto quisque sibi plura negaverit, A Diis plura feret HOR. 3 Od. xvi. 21. I remember the last time I saw Macbeth, I was They that do much themselves deny, wonderfully taken with the skill of the poet, in Receive more blessings from the sky.-CREECH. making the murderer form fears to himself from THERE is a call upon mankind to value and es- the moderation of the prince whose life he was going teem those who set a moderate price upon their own to take away. He says of the king: "He bore his merit; and self-denial is frequently attended with faculties so meekly" and justly inferred from unexpected blessings, which in the end abundantly thence, that all divine and human power would recompense such losses as the modest seem to suffer join to avenge his death, who had made such an in the ordinary occurrences of life. The curious abstinent use of dominion. All that is in a man's tell us, a determination in our favour or to our dispower to do to advance his own pomp and glory advantage is made upon our first appearance, even and forbears, is so much laid up against the day of

The speakers in this dialogue upon prayer, are Socrates and Alcibiades; and the substance of it (when drawn together out of the intricacies and digressions) as follows:

distress; and pity will always be his portion in nal's tenth satire, and to the second satire of Peradversity, who acted with gentleness in prosperity.sius; as the last of these authors has almost tran The great officer who foregoes the advantages he scribed the preceding dialogue, entitled Alcibiades might take to himself, and renounces all prudential the First, in his fourth satire. regards to his own person in danger, has so far the merit of a volunteer; and all his honours and glories are unenvied, for sharing the common fate with the same frankness as they do who have no such endearing circumstances to part with. But if there Socrates meeting his pupil Alcibiades, as he was were no such considerations as the good effect which going to his devotions, and observing his eyes to be self-denial has upon the sense of other men to- fixed upon the earth with great seriousness and atwards us, it is of all qualities the most desirable for tention, tells him, that he had reason to be thoughtthe agreeable disposition in which it places our own ful on that occasion, since it was possible for a man minds. I cannot tell what better to say of it, than to bring down evils upon himself by his own prayers; that it is the very contrary of ambition; and that and that those things which the gods send him in modesty allays all those passions and inquietudes answer to his petitions, might turn to his destructo which that vice exposes us. He that is moderate tion. This, says he, may not only happen when a in his wishes, from reason and choice, and not re-man prays for what he knows is mischievous in its signed from sourness, distaste, or disappointment, doubles all the pleasures of his life. The air, the season, a sun-shiny day, or a fair prospect, are instances of happiness; and that which he enjoys in common with all the world (by his exemption from the enchantments by which all the world are be witched), are to him uncommon benefits and new acquisitions. Health is not eaten up with care, nor pleasure interrupted by envy. It is not to him of any consequence what this man is famed for, or for what the other is preferred. He knows there is in such a place an uninterrupted walk; he can meet in such a company an agreeable conversation. He has no emulation, he is no man's rival, but every man's well-wisher; can look at a prosperous man, with a pleasure in reflecting that he hopes he is as happy as himself; and has his mind and his fortune (as far as prudence will allow) open to the unhappy and to the stranger.

Lucceius has learning, wit, humour, eloquence, but no ambitious prospects to pursue with these advantages; therefore to the ordinary world he is perhaps thought to want spirit, but known among his friends to have a mind of the most consummate greatness. He wants no man's admiration, is in no need of pomp. His clothes please him if they are fashionable and warm; his companions are agreeable if they are civil and well-natured. There is with him no occasion for superfluity at meals, or jollity in company; in a word, for any thing extraordinary to administer delight to him. Want of prejudice, and command of appetite, are the companions which make his journey of life so easy, that he in all places meets with more wit, more good cheer, and more good humour, than is necessary to make him enjoy himself with pleasure and satisfaction.-T.

No. 207. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1711.

Omnibus in terris, quæ sunt a Gadibus usque -
Auroram et Gangem, pauci dignoscere possunt
Vera bona, atque illis multum diversa, remota
Erroris nebula-
Juv. Sat. x. 1.

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own nature, as Edipus implored the gods to sow dissension between his sons; but when he prays for what he believes would be for his good, and against what he believes would be to his detriment. This the philosopher shows must necessarily happen among us, since most men are blinded with ignorance, prejudice, or passion, which hinder them from seeing such things as are really beneficial to them. For an instance, he asks Alcibiades, whether he would not be thoroughly pleased and satisfied if that god, to whom he was going to address himself, should promise to make him the sovereign of the whole earth? Alcibiades answers, that he should, doubtless, look upon such a promise as the greatest favour that could be bestowed upon him. Socrates then asks him, if after receiving this great favour he would be contented to lose his life? Or if he would receive it, though he was sure he should make an ill use of it? To both which questions Alcibiades answers in the negative. Socrates then shows him, from the examples of others, how these might very probably be the effects of such a blessing, He then adds, that other reputed pieces of good fortune, as that of having a son, or procuring the highest post in a government, are subject to the like fatal consequences; which nevertheless, says he, men ardently desire, and would not fail to pray for, if they thought their prayers might be effectual for the obtaining of them.

Having established this great point, that all the most apparent blessings in this life are obnoxious to such dreadful consequences, and that no man knows what in its event would prove to him a blessing or a curse, he teaches Alcibiades after what manner he ought to pray.

In the first place, he recommends to him, as the model of his devotions, a short prayer which a Greek poet composed for the use of his friends, in the following words: "O Jupiter, give us those things which are good for us, whether they are such things as we pray for, or such things as we do not pray for: and remove from us those things which are hurtful, though they are such things as we pray for."

In the second place, that his disciple may ask such things as are expedient for him, he shows him, that it is absolutely necessary to apply himself to the study of true wisdom, and to the knowledge of that which is his chief good, and the most suitable to the excellence of his naturelle beply

Look round the nabitable world, how few Know their own good, or, knowing it, pursue? How rarely reason guides the stubborn choice, Prompts the fond wish, or lifts the supp liant voice? DRYDEN, JOHNSON, &c., In my last Saturday's paper, I laid down some thoughts upon devotion in general, and shall here In the third and last place he informs him, that show what were the notions of the most refined the best methods he could make use of to draw heathens on this subject, as they are represented in down blessings upon himself, and to render his Plato's dialogue upon prayer, entitled Alcibiades prayers acceptable, would be to live in a constant the Second, which doubtless gave occasion to Juve-practice of his duty towards the gods, and towards

men. Under this head he very much recommends a form of prayer the Lacedaemonians make use of, in which they petition the gods, to give them all good things so long as they were virtuous." Under this head, likewise, he gives a very remarkable ac-gested to this great philosopher, but instructed his count of an oracle to the following purpose: 1 When the Athenians in the war with the Lacedæmonians received many defeats both by sea and land, they sent a message to the oracle of Jupiter Ammon, to ask the reason why they who erected so many temples to the gods, and adorned them with such costly offerings; why they who had instituted so many festivals, and accompanied them with such pomps and ceremonies; in short, why they who had slain so many hecatombs at their altars, should be less successful than the Lacedæmonians, who fell so short of them in these particulars? To this, says he, the oracle made the following reply: "I am better pleased with the prayers of the Lacedæmonians than with all the oblations of the Greeks." As this prayer implied and encouraged virtue in those who made it; the philosopher proceeds to show how the most vicious man might be devout, so far as victims could make him, but that his offerings were regarded by the gods as bribes, and his petitions as blasphemies. He likewise quotes on this occasion two verses out of Homer, in which the poet says, "that the scent of the Trojan sacrifices was carried up to heaven by the winds; but that it was not acceptable to the gods, who were displeased with Priam and all his people."

The conclusion of this dialogue is very remarkable. Socrates having deterred Alcibiades from the prayers and sacrifice which he was going to offer, by setting forth the above-mentioned difficulties of performing that duty as he ought, adds these words: "We must therefore wait until such time as we may learn how we ought to behave ourselves towards the gods, and towards men." "But when will that time come?" says Alcibiades, " and who is it that will instruct us? for I would fain see this man, whoever he is." "It is one," says Socrates, "who takes care of you; but as Homer tells us, that Minerva removed the mist from Diomede's eyes that he might plainly discover both gods and men,† so the darkness that hangs upon your mind must be removed before you are able to discern what is good and what is evil." "Let him remove from my mind," says Alcibiades, "the darkness and what else he pleases, I am determined to refuse nothing he shall order me, whoever he is, so that I may become the better man by it." The remaining part of this dialogue is very obscure: there is something in it that would make us think Socrates hinted at himself, when he spoke of this divine teacher who was to come into the world, did not he own that he himself was in this respect as much at a loss, and in as great distress as the rest of mankind.

Some learned men look upon this conclusion as a prediction of our Saviour, or at least that Socrates, like the high-priest, prophesied unknowingly, and pointed at that Divine Teacher who was to come into the world some ages after him. However that may be, we find that this great philosopher saw, by the light of reason, that it was suitable to the good ness of the Divine nature, to send a person into the world who should instruct mankind in the duties of religion, and, in particular, teach them how to pray. Whoever reads this abstract of Plato's discourse on prayer, will, I believe, naturally make this re

* Iliad, viii. 548, &c. ↑ Ibid. v. 127. Caiaphas, John xi. 49.

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flection, "That the great founder of our religion, as well by his own example as in the form of prayer which he taught his disciples, did not only keep up to those rules which the light of nature had sugdisciples in the whole extent of this duty, as well as of all others. He directed them to the proper object of adoration, and taught them, according to the third rule above mentioned, to apply themselves to him in their closets, without show or ostentation, and to worship him in spirit and in truth." As the Lacedæmonians in their form of prayer implored the gods in general to give them all good things so long as they were virtuous, we ask in particular that our offences may be forgiven, as we forgive those of others." If we look into the second rule which Socrates has prescribed, namely, that we should apply ourselves to the knowledge of such things as are best for us, this too is explained at large in the doctrines of the Gospel, where we are taught in several instances to regard those things as curses, which appear as blessings in the eye of the world; and, on the contrary, to esteem those things as blessings, which to the generality of mankind appear as curses. Thus, in the form which is prescribed to us, we only pray for that happiness which is our chief good, and the great end of our exist ence, when we petition the Supreme Being for, the coming of his kingdom, being solicitous for no other temporal blessings but our daily sustenance. On the other side, we pray against nothing but sin, and against evil in general, leaving it with Omniscience to determine what is really such. If we look into the first of Socrates, his rules of prayer, in which he recommends the above-mentioned form of the ancient poet, we find that form not only comprehended, but very much improved in the petition, wherein we pray to the Supreme Being that his will may be done: which is of the same force with that form which our Saviour used, when he prayed against the most painful and most ignominious of deaths, "Nevertheless not my will, but thine be done. This comprehensive petition is the most humble, as well as the most prudent, that can be offered up from the creature to his Creator, as it supposes the Supreme Being wills nothing but what is for our good, and that he knows better than ourselves what is so.-L.

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No. 208.] MONDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1711,
-Veniunt spectentur ut ipsæ.

OVID, Ars Am. 1. i. 99.

To be themselves a spectacle they come.

I HAVE several letters from people of good sense, who lament the depravity or poverty of taste the town is fallen into with relation to plays and public spectacles. A lady in particular observes, that there is such a levity in the minds of her own sex, that they seldom attend to any thing but impertinences. It is indeed prodigious to observe how little notice is taken of the most exalted parts of the best tragedies in Shakspeare; nay, it is not only visible that sensuality has devoured all greatness of soul, but the under-passion (as I may so call it) of a noble spirit, Pity, seems to be a stranger to the generality of an audience. The minds of men are indeed very differently disposed; and the reliefs from care and attention are of one sort in a great spirit, and of another in an ordinary one. The man of a great

Matt vi 9, &c. Luke xi. 2. † Luke xxvi. 42 Matt. xxii. 39.

into a better style as to the spelling part. The town
is now filling every day, and it cannot be deferred,
because people take advantage of one another by
this means, and break off acquaintance, and are rude.
Therefore pray put this in your paper as soon as
you can possibly, to prevent any future miscarriages
of this nature. I am, as I ever shall be, dear Spec.,
"Your most obedient humble Servant,
"MARY MEANWELL.

"Pray settle what is to be a proper notification of a person's being in town, and how that differs according to people's quality."

"MR. SPECTATOR,

October 20.

"I have been out of town, so did not meet with

heart, and a serious complexion, is more pleased quaintance. If you think to print this, pray put it with instances of generosity and pity, than the light and ludicrous spirit can possibly be with the highest strains of mirth and laughter. It is therefore a melancholy prospect when we see a numerous assembly lost to all serious entertainments, and such incidents as should move one sort of concern, excite in them a quite contrary one. In the tragedy of Macbeth, the other night, when the lady who is conscious of the crime of murdering the king seems utterly astonished at the news, and makes an exclamation at it, instead of the indignation which is natural to the occasion, that expression is received with a loud laugh. They were as merry when a criminal was stabbed. It is certainly an occasion of rejoicing when the wicked are seized in their designs; but I think it is not such a triumph as is ex-your paper, dated September the 28th, wherein you, erted by laughter. to my heart's desire, exposed that cursed vice of enYou may generally observe, that the appetites their friends. I assure you without flattery it has snaring poor young girls, and drawing them from are sooner moved than the passions. A sly expres- saved a 'prentice of mine from ruin; and in token sion which alludes to bawdry, puts a whole row into of gratitude, as well as for the benefit of my family, a pleasing smirk; when a good sentence that de- I have put it in a frame and glass, and hung it bescribes an inward sentiment of the soul, is received hind my counter. I shall take care to make my with the greatest coldness and indifference. A correspondent of mine, upon this subject, has divided young ones read it every morning, to fortify them the female part of the audience, and accounts for against such pernicious rascals. I know not whether their prepossessions against this reasonable delight vention; but this I will take my oath on, the first what you writ was matter of fact, or your own inin the following manner: "The prude," says he, part is so exactly like what happened to my 'prentice, "as she acts always in contradiction, so she is that had I read your paper then, I should have taken gravely sullen at a comedy, and extravagantly gay your method to have secured a villain. Go on and at a tragedy. The coquette is so much taken up with throwing her eyes around the audience, and prosper. considering the effect of them, that she cannot be expected to observe the actors but as they are her rivals, and take off the observation of the men from "Without raillery, I desire you to insert this herself. Besides these species of women, there are word for word in your next, as you value a lover's the examples, or the first of the mode. These are prayers. You see it is a hue and cry after a stray to be supposed too well acquainted with what the heart (with the marks and blemishes under-written); actor was going to say to be moved at it. After which whoever shall bring to you, shall receive satisthese one might mention a certain flippant set of faction. Let me beg of you not to fail, as you re females who are mimics, and are wonderfully di-member the passion you had for her to whom you verted with the conduct of all the people around lately ended a paper:

them, and are spectators only of the audience. But what is of all the most to be lamented, is the loss of a party whom it would be worth preserving in their right senses upon all occasions, and these are those whom we may indifferently call the innocent, or the unaffected. You may sometimes see one of these sensibly touched with a well-wrought incident; but then she is immediately so impertinently observed by the men, and frowned at by some insensibly superior of her own sex, that she is ashamed, and loses the enjoyment of the most laudable concern, pity. Thus the whole audience is afraid of letting fall a tear, and shun as a weakness the best and worthiest part of our sense."

"SIR,

T.

"Your most obliged humble Servant.”. "MR. SPECTATOR,

"Noble, generous, great and good.
But never to be understood;
Fickle as the wind still changing.
After every female ranging,
Panting, trembling, sighing, dying,
But addicted much to lying.

When the Syren songs repeats,

Equal measures still it beats;

Whoe'er shall wear it, it will smart her,
And whoe er takes it, takes a tartar."

No. 209.] TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30 1711.
Of earthly goods, the best is a good wife;

A bad, the bitterest curse of human life. SIMONIDES THERE are no authors I am more pleased with than those who show human nature in a variety of "As you are one that doth not only pretend to views, and describe the several ages of the world in reform, but effect it amongst people of any sense, their different manners. A reader cannot be more makes me (who am one of the greatest of your ad-rationally entertained, than by comparing the vir mirers) give you this trouble to desire you will set-tues and vices of his own times with those which tle the method of us females knowing when one an- prevailed in the times of his forefathers; and drawother is in town; for they have now got a trick of never sending to their acquaintance when they first come; and if one does not visit them within the week which they stay at home, it is a mortal quarrel. Now, dear Mr. Spec., e.ther command them to put it in the advertisement of your paper, which is generally read by our sex, or else order them to breathe their saucy footmen (who are good for nothing else) by sending them to tell all their ac

ing a parallel in his mind between his own private character, and that of other persons, whether of his own age, or of the ages that went before him. The contemplation of mankind under these changeable colours is apt to shame us out of any particular vice, or animate us to any particular virtue; to make us pleased or displeased with ourselves in the most proper points, to clear our minds of prejudice and prepossession, and to rectify that narrowness of

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