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women, I do not remember that you have directly considered the mercenary practice of men in the choice of wives. If you would please to employ your thoughts upon that subject, you would easily conceive the mise

dispose of his estate. The renegado, after having represented to him that his Algerine master would never consent to his release upon such a pretence, at length contrived a method for the Castilian to make his escape in the habit of a seaman. The Cas-rable condition many of us are in, who not tilian succeeded in his attempt; and having sold his estate, being afraid lest the money should miscarry by the way, and determining to perish with it rather than lose one who was much dearer to him than his life, he returned himself in a little vessel that was going to Algiers. It is impossible to describe the joy he felt upon this occasion, when he considered that he should soon see the wife whom he so much loved, and endear himself more to her, by this uncom-faint addresses to me for some time. I mon piece of generosity.

only from the laws of custom and modesty are restrained from making any advances towards our wishes, but are also, from the circumstance of fortune, out of all hopes of being'addressed to by those whom we love. Under all these disadvantages I am obliged to apply myself to you, and hope I shall prevail with you to print in your very next paper the following letter, which is a declaration of passion to one who has made some

to my letter to him, whom I call Oroondates;* because if I do not succeed, it shall look like romance; and if I am regarded, you shall receive a pair of gloves at my wedding, sent to you under the name of Statira.

• To Oroondates.

believe he ardently loves me, but the inThe renegado, during the husband's ab-equality of my fortune makes him think he sence, so insinuated himself into the good cannot answer it to the world, if he pursues graces of his young wife, and so turned her his designs by way of marriage; and I behead with stories of gallantry, that she lieve, as he does not want discernment, he quickly thought him the finest gentleman discovered me looking at him the other day she had ever conversed with. To be brief, unawares, in such a manner as has raised his her mind was quite alienated from the hopes of gaining me on terms the men call honest Castilian, whom she was taught to easier. But my heart was very full on this look upon as a formal old fellow, unworthy occasion, and if you know what love and the possession of so charming a creature. honour are, you will pardon me that I use She had been instructed by the renegado no farther arguments with you, but hasten how to manage herself upon his arrival; so that she received him with an appearance of the utmost love and gratitude, and at length persuaded him to trust their common friend the renegado with the money he had brought over for their ransom; as not questioning but he would beat down the terms of it, and negociate the affair more to 'SIR,-After very much perplexity in their advantage than they themselves could myself, and revolving how to acquaint you do. The good man admired her prudence, with my own sentiments, and expostulate and followed her advice. I wish I could with you concerning yours, I have chosen conceal the sequel of this story, but since I this way, by which means I can be at once cannot, I shall despatch it in as few words revealed to you, or if you please, lie conas possible. The Castilian having slept cealed. If I do not within a few days find longer than ordinary the next morning, the effect which I hope from this, the whole upon his awaking found his wife had left affair shall be buried in oblivion. But alas! him. He immediately arose and inquired what am I going to do, when I am about to after her, but was told that she was seen tell you that I love you? But after I have with the renegado about break of day. In done so, I am to assure you, that with all a word, her lover having got all things the passion which ever entered a tender ready for their departure, they soon made heart, I know I can banish you from my their escape out of the territories of Algiers, sight for ever, when I am convinced that carried away the money, and left the Cas-you have no inclination towards me but to tilian in captivity: who partly through the my dishonour. But alas! sir, why should cruel treatment of the incensed Algerine you sacrifice the real and essential happihis master, and partly through the unkindness of life to the opinion of a world, that usage of his unfaithful wife, died some few moves upon no other foundation but pro

months after.

L.

No. 199.] Thursday, October 18, 1711.

Scribere jussit amor.-Ovid. Ep. iv. 10.
Love bade me write.

THE following letters are written with such an air of sincerity that I cannot deny the inserting of them.

fessed error and prejudice? You all can observe that riches alone do not make you happy, and yet give up every thing else when it stands in competition with riches. Since the world is so bad, that religion is left to us silly women, and you men act generally upon principles of profit and pleasure, I will talk to you without arguing from any thing but what may be most to your advantage, as a man of the world. And I

'MR. SPECTATOR,-Though you are every where in your writings a friend to French romance of The Grand Cyrus, &c.

* A celebrated name in Mademoiselle Scudery's

will lay before you the state of the case, supposing that you had it in your power to make me your mistress or your wife, and hope to convince you that the latter is more for your interest, and will contribute more your pleasure.

to

whom of the two will you choose? You, perhaps, will think fit to spend a day abroad in the common entertainments of men of sense and fortune; she will think herself illused in that absence, and contrive at home an expense proportioned to the appearance which you make in the world. She is in all things to have a regard to the fortune which she brought you; I to the fortune to which you introduce me. The commerce between you two will eternally have the air of a bargain, between us of a friendship: joy will ever enter into the room with you, and kind wishes attend my benefactor when he leaves it. Ask yourself, how would you be pleased to enjoy for ever the pleasure of having laid an immediate obligation on a grateful mind? Such will be your case with me. In the other marriage you will live in a constant comparison of benefits, and never know the happiness of conferring or receiving any.

We will suppose, then, the scene was laid, and you were now in expectation of the approaching evening wherein I was to meet you, and be carried to what convenient corner of the town you thought fit, to consummate all which your wanton imagination has promised to you in the possession of one who is in the bloom of youth, and in the reputation of innocence. You would soon have enough of me, as I am sprightly, young, gay, and airy. When fancy is sated, and finds all the promises it made itself false, where is now the innocence which charmed you? The first hour you are alone, you will find that the pleasure of a debauchee is only that of a destroyer. He 'It may be you will, after all, act rather blasts all the fruit he tastes; and where the in the prudential way, according to the sense brute has been devouring, there is nothing of the ordinary world. I know not what I left worthy the relish of the man. Reason think or say, when that melancholy reflecresumes her place after imagination is cloy- tion comes upon me; but shall only add ed; and I am with the utmost distress and more, that it is in your power to make me confusion to behold myself the cause of un-your grateful wife, but never your abaneasy reflections to you, to be visited by doned mistress.' stealth, and dwell for the future with two companions (the most unfit for each other

Vincit amor patriæ

in the world) solitude and guilt. I will not No. 200.] Friday, October 19, 1711.
insist upon the shameful obscurity we should
pass our time in, nor run over the little short
snatches of fresh air, and free commerce,
which all people must be satisfied with,
whose actions will not bear examination,
but leave them to your reflections, who
have seen enough of that life, of which I
have but a mere idea.

T.

Virg. Æn. vi. 823. The noblest motive is the public good. THE ambition of princes is many times as hurtful to themselves as to their people. This cannot be doubted of such as prove unfortunate in their wars, but it is often true too of those who are celebrated for their successes. If a severe view were to be taken of their conduct, if the profit and loss by their wars could be justly balanced, it would be rarely found that the conquest is sufficient to repay the cost.

As I was the other day looking over the letters of my correspondents, I took this hint from that of Philarithmus; which has turned my present thoughts upon political arithmetic, an art of greater use than entertainment. My friend has offered an Essay towards proving that Louis XIV. with all his acquisitions is not master of more people than at the beginning of his wars, nay, that for every subject he had acquired, he had lost three that were his inheritance. If Philarithmus is not mistaken in his calculations, Louis must have been impoverished by his ambition.

'On the other hand, if you can be so good and generous as to make me your wife, you may promise yourself all the obedience and tenderness with which gratitude can inspire a virtuous woman. Whatever gratifications you may promise yourself from an agreeable person, whatever compliances from an easy temper, whatever consolation from a sincere friendship, you may expect as the due of your generosity. What at present in your ill view you promise yourself from me, will be followed with distaste and satiety; but the transports of a virtuous love are the least part of its happiness. The raptures of innocent passion are but like lightning to the day, they rather interrupt than advance the pleasure of it. How happy then is that life to be, where the highest pleasures of sense are but the lowest parts of its felicity? The prince for the public good has a Now I am to repeat to you the unnatural sovereign property in every private perrequest of taking me in direct terms. I son's estate; and consequently his riches know there stands between me and that must increase or decrease in proportion to happiness, the haughty daughter of a man the number and riches of his subjects. For who can give you suitably to your fortune. example; if sword or pestilence should deBut if you weigh the attendance and beha-stroy all the people of this metropolis, (God viour of her who comes to you in partnership of your fortune, and expects an equivalent, with that of her who enters your house as honoured and obliged by that permission,

forbid there should be room for such a supposition! but if this should be the case) the queen must needs lose a great part of her revenue, or, at least, what is charged upon

the city, must increase the burden upon the | much then the queen loses with every one rest of her subjects. Perhaps the inhabit-of her old, and gains with every one of her ants here are not above a tenth part of the new subjects. whole; yet as they are better fed, and clothed, and lodged, than her other subjects, the customs and excises upon their consumption, the imposts upon their houses, and other taxes, do very probably make a fifth part of the whole revenue of the crown. But this is not all; the consumption of the city takes off a great part of the fruits of the whole island; and as it pays such a proportion of the rent or yearly value of the lands in the country, so it is the cause of paying such a proportion of taxes upon those lands. The loss then of such a people must needs be sensible to the prince, and visible to the whole kingdom.

When I was got into this way of thinking, I presently grew conceited of the argument, and was just preparing to write a letter of advice to a member of parliament, for opening the freedom of our towns and trades, for taking away all manner of distinctions between the natives and foreigners, for repealing our laws of parish settlements, and removing every other obstacle to the increase of the people. But as soon as I had recollected with what inimitable eloquence my fellow-labourers had exaggerated the mischiefs of selling the birthright of Britons for a shilling,* of spoiling the pure British blood with foreign mixtures, of introducing a confusion of languages and religions, and of letting in strangers to eat the bread out of the mouths of our own people,

fall to the ground, and leave my country to increase by the ordinary way of generation.

On the other hand, if it should please God to drop from heaven a new people equal in number and riches to the city, I should be ready to think their excises, cus-I became so humble as to let my project toms, and house-rent would raise as great a revenue to the crown as would be lost in the former case. And as the consumption of this new body would be a new market for the fruits of the country, all the lands, especially those most adjacent, would rise in their yearly value, and pay greater yearly taxes to the public. The gain in this case would be as sensible as the former loss.

Whatsoever is assessed upon the general, is levied upon individuals. It were worth the while then to consider what is paid by, or by means of, the meanest subjects, in order to compute the value of every subject to the prince.

As I have always at heart the public good, so I am ever contriving schemes to promote it: and I think I may without vanity pretend to have contrived some as wise as any of the castle-builders. I had no sooner given up my former project, but my head was presently full of draining fens and marshes, banking out the sea, and joining new lands to my country; for since it is thought impracticable to increase the people to the land, I fell immediately to consider how much would be gained to the prince by increasing the land to the people.

For my own part, I should believe that If the same omnipotent Power which seven-eighths of the people are without made the world, should at this time raise property in themselves, or the heads of out of the ocean, and join to Great Britain, their families, and forced to work for their an equal extent of land, with equal builddaily bread; and that of this sort there are ings, corn, cattle, and other conveniences seven millions in the whole island of Great and necessaries of life, but no men, women, Britain: and yet one would imagine that nor children, I should hardly believe this seven-eighths of the whole people should would add either to the riches of the people, consume at least three-fourths of the whole or revenue of the prince; for since the prefruits of the country. If this is the case, sent buildings are sufficient for all the inthe subjects without property pay three- habitants, if any of them should forsake the fourths of the rents, and consequently enable old to inhabit the new part of the island, the landed men to pay three-fourths of their the increase of house-rent in this would be taxes. Now, if so great a part of the land-tax attended with at least an equal decrease of were to be divided by seven millions, it would it in the other. Besides, we have such a amount to more than three shillings to every head. And thus, as the poor are the cause, without which the rich could not pay this tax, even the poorest subject is, upon this account, worth three shillings yearly to the prince.

Again; one would imagine the consumption of seven-eighths of the whole people should pay two-thirds of all the customs and excises. And if this sum too should be divided by seven millions, viz. the number of poor people, it would amount to more than seven shillings to every head: and therefore with this and the former sum, every poor subject, without property, except of his limbs or labour, is worth at least ten shillings yearly to the sovereign. So

sufficiency of corn and cattle, that we give bounties to our neighbours to take what exceeds of the former off our hands, and we will not suffer any of the latter to be imported upon us by our fellow-subjects; and for the remaining product of the country, 'tis already equal to all our markets. But if all these things should be doubled to the same buyers, the owners must be glad with half their present prices; the landlords with half their present rents: and thus by so great an enlargement of the country, the rents in the whole would not increase, nor the taxes to the public.

*This is an ironical allusion to some of the popular

arguments which were urged in the year 1708, against a bill for the naturalization of foreign Protestants.

On the contrary, I should believe they | No. 201.] Saturday, October 20, 1711. would be very much diminished: for as the land is only valuable for its fruits, and these are all perishable, and for the most part must either be used within the year, or perish without use, the owners will get rid of them at any rate, rather than that they should waste in their possession: so that it is probable the annual production of those perishable things, even of the tenth part of them, beyond all possibility of use, will reduce one half of their value. It seems to be for this reason that our neighbour merchants who engross all the spices, and know how great a quantity is equal to the demand, destroy all that exceeds it. It were natural then to think that the annual production of twice as much as can be used, must reduce all to an eighth part of their present prices; and thus this extended island would not exceed one-fourth part of its present value, or pay more than one-fourth part of the present tax.

Religentem esse oportet, religiosum nefas.

Incerti Autoris apud Aul. Gell.

A man should be religious, not superstitious. It is of the last importance to season the passions of a child with devotion, which seldom dies in a mind that has received an early tincture of it. Though it may seem extinguished for a while by the cares of the world, the heats of youth, or the allurements of vice, it generally breaks out and discovers itself again as soon as discretion, consideration, age, or misfortunes have brought the man to himself. The fire may be covered and overlaid, but cannot be entirely quenched and smothered.

It is generally observed, that in countries of the greatest plenty there is the poorest living; like the schoolman's ass in one of my speculations, the people almost starve between two meals. The truth is, the poor, which are the bulk of a nation, work only that they may live; and if with two days' labour they can get a wretched subsistence, they will hardly be brought to work the other four. But then with the wages of two days they can neither pay such prices for their provisions, nor such excises to the government.

ΤΟ

That paradox, therefore. in old Hesiod, WREK YμIU TAUTOS, or, half is more than the whole,' is very applicable to the present case; since nothing is more true in political arithmetic, than that the same people with half the country is more valuable than with the whole. I begin to think there was nothing absurd in Sir W. Petty, when he fancied if all the highlands of Scotland and the whole kingdom of Ireland were sunk in the ocean, so that the people were all saved and brought into the lowlands of Great Britain; nay, though they were to be reimbursed the value of their estates by the body of the people, yet both the sovereign and the subjects in general would be enriched by the very loss.

If the people only make the riches, the father of ten children is a greater benefactor to the country than he who has added to it 10,000 acres of land, and no people. It is certain Lewis has joined vast tracts of land to his dominions: but if Philarithmus says true, that he is not now master of so many subjects as before; we may then account for his not being able to bring such mighty armies into the field, and for their being neither so well fed, nor clothed, nor paid as formerly. The reason is plain— Lewis must needs have been impoverished not only by his loss of subjects, but hy his acquisition of lands.

T.

A state of temperance, sobriety, and justice, without devotion, is a cold, lifeless, insipid condition of virtue; and is rather to be styled philosophy than religion. Devotion opens the mind to great conceptions, and fills it with more sublime ideas than any that are to be met with in the most exalted science; and at, the same time warms and agitates the soul more than sensual pleasure.

It has been observed by some writers, that man is more distinguished from the animal world by devotion than by reason, as several brute creatures discover in their actions something like a faint glimmering of reason, though they betray in no single circumstance of their behaviour any thing that bears the least affinity to devotion. It is certain, the propensity of the mind to religious worship, the natural tendency of the soul to fly to some superior being for succour in dangers and distresses, the gratitude to an invisible superintendent which arises in us upon receiving any extraordinary and unexpected good fortune, the acts of love and admiration with which the thoughts of men are so wonderfully transported in meditating upon the divine perfections, and the universal concurrence of all the nations under heaven in the great article of adoration, plainly show that devotion or religious worship must be the effect of tradition from some first founder of mankind, or that it is conformable to the natural light of reason, or that it proceeds from an instinct implanted in the soul itself. For my part, I look upon all these to be the concurrent causes; but whichever of them shall be assigned as the principle of divine worship, it manifestly points to a Supreme Being as the first author of it.

I may take some other opportunity of considering those particular forms and methods of devotion which are taught us by Christianity; but shall here observe into what errors even this divine principle may sometimes lead us, when it is not moderated by that right reason which was given us as the guide of all our actions.

The two great errors into which a mistaken devotion may betray us, are enthu siasm and superstition.

There is not a more melancholy object than a man who has his head turned with a religious enthusiasm. A person that is crazed, though with pride or malice, is a sight very mortifying to human nature; but when the distemper arises from any indiscreet fervours of devotion, or too intense an application of the mind to its mistaken duties, it deserves our compassion in a more particular manner. We may however learn this lesson from it, that since devotion itself (which one would be apt to think could not be too warm) may disorder the mind, unless its heats are tempered with caution and prudence, we should be particularly careful to keep our reason as cool as possible, and to guard ourselves in all parts of life against the influence of passion, imagination, and constitution.

Devotion, when it does not lie under the check of reason, is very apt to degenerate into enthusiasm. When the mind finds herself very much inflamed with her devotions, she is too much inclined to think they are not of her own kindling, but blown up by something divine within her. If she indulges this thought too far, and humours the growing passion, she at last flings herself into imaginary raptures and ecstacies; and when once she fancies herself under the influence of a divine impulse, it is no wonder if she slights human ordinances, and refuses to comply with any established form of religion, as thinking herself directed by a much superior guide.

part of public devotions were performed with a mitre on his head, and a crosier in his hand. To this a brother Vandal, as wise as the others, adds an antic dress, which he conceived would allude very aptly to such and such mysteries, till by degrees the whole office was degenerated into an empty show.

Their successors see the vanity and inconvenience of these ceremonies; but instead of reforming, perhaps add others, which they think more significant, and which take possession in the same manner, and are never to be driven out after they have been once admitted. I have seen the pope officiate at St. Peter's, where, for two hours together, he was busied in putting on or off his different accoutrements, according to the different parts he was to act in them.

Nothing is so glorious in the eyes of mankind, and ornamental to human nature, setting aside the infinite advantages which arise from it, as a strong, steady, masculine piety; but enthusiasm and superstition are the weaknesses of human reason, that ex pose us to the scorn and derision of infidels, and sink us even below the beasts that perish.

Idolatry may be looked upon as another error arising from mistaken devotion; but because reflections on that subject would be of no use to an English reader, I shall not enlarge upon it.

As enthusiasm is a kind of excess in devotion, superstition is the excess, not only No. 202.] Monday, October 22, 1711.

of devotion, but of religion in general, according to an old heathen saying, quoted by Aulus Gellius,* Religentem esse oportet, religiosum nefas;' 'A man should be religious, not superstitious.' For as the author tells us, Nigidius observed upon this passage, that the Latin words which terminate in osus generally imply vicious characters, and the having of any quality to an

excess.

An enthusiast in religion is like an obstinate clown, a superstitious man like an insipid courtier. Enthusiasm has something in it of madness, superstition of folly. Most of the sects that fall short of the church of England have in them strong tinctures of enthusiasm, as the Roman Catholic religion is one huge overgrown body of childish and idle superstitions.

L.

Sæpe decem vitiis instructior, odit et horret.
Hor. Lib. 1. Ep. xviii. 25.
Tho' ten times worse themselves, you'll frequent view,
Those who with keenest rage will censure you.-P

THE other day as I passed along. the street, I saw a sturdy 'prentice-boy disputing with a hackney-coachman; and in an instant, upon some word of provocation, throw off his hat and periwig, clench his fist, and strike the fellow a slap on the face; at the same time calling him a rascal, and telling him he was a gentleman's son. The young gentleman was, it seems, bound to a blacksmith; and the debate arose about payment for some work done about a coach, near which they fought. His master, during the combat, was full of his boy's praises; and as he called to him to play with his The Roman Catholic church seems ir-hand and foot, and throw in his head, he recoverably lost in this particular. If an absurd dress or behaviour be introduced in the world, it will soon be found out and discarded. On the contrary, a habit or ceremony, though never so ridiculous, which has taken sanctuary in the church, sticks in it for ever. A Gothic bishop, perhaps, thought it proper to repeat such a form in such particular shoes or slippers; another fancied it would be very decent if such a

*Noctes Atticæ, lib. iv. cap. 9.

made all us who stood round him of his party, by declaring the boy had very good friends, and he could trust him with untold gold. As I am generally in the theory of mankind, I could not but make my reflections upon the sudden popularity which was raised about the lad; and perhaps with my friend Tacitus, fell into observations upon it, which were too great for the occasion: or ascribed this general favour to causes which had nothing to do towards it. But the young blacksmith's being a gentle

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