has given me opportunity and leisure of wri-| But, without considering the supernatural ting you this letter, which I must not con-blessing which accompanies this duty, we may elude without assuring you, that all the mem- observe, that it has a natural tendency to its bers of our college, as well those who are un- own reward, or, in other words, that this firm der confinement as those who are at liberty, are your very humble servants, though none Should the whole frame of nature round him break, In ruit and confusion hurl'd, Anon. trust and confidence in the great Disposer of all things contributes very much to the getting clear of any affliction, or to the bearing it manfully. A person who believes he has succour at hand, and that he acts in the sight of his friend, often exerts himself beyond his abilities, and does wonders that are not to be matched by one who is not animated with such a confidence of success. I could produce instances from history, of generals, who, out of a belief that they were under the protection of some invisible assistant, did not only encourage their soldiers to do their utmost, but have acted themselves beyond what they would MAN, considered in himself, is a very help-have done had they not been inspired by such a belief. I might in the same manner show less and a very wretched being. He is subject every moment to the greatest calamities and how such a trust in the assistance of an Almisfortunes. He is beset with dangers on all mighty Being naturally produces patience, sides; and may become unhappy by number- hope, cheerfulness, and all other dispositions less casualties, which he could not forsee, nor of mind that alleviate those calamities which have prevented had he foreseen them. we are not able to remove. The practice of this virtue administers great It is our comfort, while we are obnoxious to comfort to the mind of man in times of poverso many accidents, that we are under the care of One who directs contingencies, and has in ty and affliction, but most of all in the hour of his hands the management of every thing that death. When the soul is hovering in the last is capable of annoying or offending us; who knows the assistance we stand in need of, and is always ready to bestow it on those who ask it of him. The natural homage which such a creature bears so infinitely wise and good a Being, is a firm reliance on him for the blessings and conveniencies of life, and an habitual trust in him for deliverance out of all such dangers and difficulties as may befall us. The man who always lives in this disposition of mind, has not the same dark and melancholy views of human nature, as he who considers himself abstractedly from this relation to the Supreme Being. At the same time that he reflects upon his own weakness and imperfection, he comforts himself with the contempla tion of those divine attributes which are employed for his safety and his welfare. He finds his want of foresight made up by the Omniscience or Him who is his support. He is not sensible of his own want of strength, when he knows that his helper is almighty. In short, the person who has a firm trust on the Supreme Being is powerful in His power, wise by His wisdom, happy by His happiness. He reaps the benefit of every divine attribute, and loses his own insufficiency in the fulness of finite perfection. To make our lives more easy to us, we are commanded to put our trust in Him, who is thus able to relieve and succour us; the divine goodness having made such reliance a duty, notwithstanding we should have been miserable had it been forbidden us. Among several motives which might be made use of to recommend this duty to us, I shall only take notice of those that follow. The first and strongest is, that we are promised, He will not fail those who put their trust in Him. moments of its separation, when it is just entering on another state of existence, to converse with scenes, and objects and companions that are altogether new,-what can support her under such tremblings of thought, such fear, such anxiety, such apprehensions, but the casting of all her cares upon Him who first gave her being, who has conducted her with her to guide and comfort her in her prothrough one stage of it, and will be always gress through eternity? David has very beautifully represented this steady reliance on God Almighty in his twenty-third psalm, which is a kind of pastoral hymn, and filled with those allusions which As the are usual in that kind of writing. reader with the following translation of it: poetry is very exquisite, I shall present my Hor. Ep. i. Lib. 2, 117. -Those who cannot write, and those who can, All rhyme and scrawl, and scribble to a man. ly wrong them, but deprive the world of a considerable satisfaction, should I any longer delay the making them public. After I have published a few of these Spectators, I doubt not but I shall find the success of them to equal, if not surpass, that of the best of my own. An author should take all methods to humble himself in the opinion he has of his own performances. When these papers appear to the world, I doubt not but they will be followed by many others; and I shall not repine, though I myself shall have left me but a very few days to appear in public: but preferring the general weal and advantage to any consideration of myself, I am resolved for the future to publish any Spectator that deserves it entire, and without any alteration; assuring the world (if there can be need of it) that it is none of mine, and if the authors think fit to subscribe their names, I will add them. Pope. I Do not know whether I enough explained myself to the world, when I invited all men to bel assistant to me in this my work of speculation; for I have not yet acquainted my readers, that besides the letters and valuable hints I have from time to time received from my correspondents, I have by me several curious and extraordinary papers sent with a design (as no one will doubt when they are published) that they may be printed entire, I think the best way of promoting this geneand without any alteration, by way of Spec-rous and useful design, will be by giving out tator. I must acknowledge also, that I my- subjects or themes of all kinds whotsoever, on self being the first projector of the paper, which (with a preamble of the extraordinary thought I had a right to make them my own, benefit and advantages that may accrue thereby dressing them in my own style, by leaving by to the public) I will invite all manner of out what would not appear like mine, and by persons, whether scholars, citizens, courtiers, adding whatever might be proper to adapt gentlemen of the town or country, and all them to the character and genius of my paper, beaus, rakes, smarts, prudes, coquettes, housewith which it was almost impossible these wives, and all sorts of wits, whether male or could exactly correspond, it being certain that female, and however distinguished, whether hardly two men think alike; and, therefore, they be true wits, whole or half wits, or wheso many men so many Spectators. Besides, ther arch, dry, natural, acquired, genuine, or I must own my weakness for glory in such, depraved wits; and persons of all sorts of that, if I consulted that only, I might be so far tempers and complexions, whether the severe, swayed by it, as almost to wish that no one the delightful, the impertinent, the agreeable, could write a Spectator besides myself, nor the thoughtful, the busy or careless, the secan I deny but, upon the first perusal of those rene or cloudy, jovial or melancholy, untowpapers, I felt some secret inclinations of ill-ardly or easy, the cold, temperate, or sanguine; will towards the persons who wrote them. and of what manners or dispositions soever, This was the impression I had upon the first whether the ambitious or humble-minded, reading them; but upon a late review (more the proud or pitiful, ingenuous or base-mindfor the sake of entertainment than use), re-ed, good or ill-natured, public-spirited or sel- · garding them with another eye than I had fish; and under what fortune or circumstance done at first (for by converting them as well soever, whether the contented or miserable, as I could to my own use, I thought I had ut- happy or unfortunate, high or low, rich or terly disabled them from ever offending me poor (whether so through want of money, or again as Spectators), I found myself moved desire of more), healthy or sickly, married by a passion very different from that of envy; or single: nay, whether tall or short, fat or sensibly touched with pity, the softest and lean; and of what trade, occupation, profesmost generous of all passions, when I reflect- sion, station, country, faction, party, persua ed what a cruel disappointment the neglect of sion, quality, age, or condition soever; who those papers must needs have been to the wri- have ever made thinking a part of their busiters who impatiently longed to see them ap-ness or diversion, and have any thing worthy per in print, and who, no doubt, triumphed to to impart on these subjects to the world, acthemselves in the hopes of having a share cording to their several and respective talents with me in the applause of the public; a or geniuses; and, as the subjects given out pleasure so great, that none but those who, hit their tempers, humours, or circumstances, have experienced it can have a sense of it. In or may be made profitable to the public by this manner of viewing those papers, I really their particular knowledge or experience in found I had not done them justice, there be- the matter proposed, to do their utmost on ing something so extremely natural and pe- them by such a time, to the end they may reculiarly good in some of them, that I will ap-ceive the inexpressible and irresistible pleapeal to the world whether it was possible to sure of seeing their essays allowed of and realter a word in them without doing them a lished by the rest of mankind. manifest hurt and violence; and whether I will not prepossess the reader with too they can ever appear rightly, and as they great expectation of the extraordinary advanought, but in their own native dress and co-tages which must redound to the public by lours. And therefore I think I should not on-these essays, when the different thoughts and Stir not a pulse; and let my Blood, Be softly staid: Let me be all, but my attention dead." observations of all sorts of persons, according to their quality, age, sex, education, professions, humours, manners, and conditions, &c. shall} be set out by themselves in the clearest and most genuine light, and as they themselves The whole city of Venice is as still when I am would wish to have them appear to the world. singing as this polite hearer was to Mrs. Hunt. The thesis proposed for the present exercise But when they break that silence, did you of the adventurers to write Spectators, is Mo-know the pleasure I am in, when every man ney; on which subject all persons are desired utters his applauses, by calling me aloud, to send in their thoughts within ten days after "The Dear Creature! The Angel! The Ve the date hereof. No. 443.] Tuesday, July, 29, 1712. Sublatam ex oculis quærimus invidi. Snatch'd from our sight, we eagerly pursue, Camilla* to the Spectator. T. nus! What attitudes she moves with! Hush, she sings again!" We have no boisterous wits who dare disturb an audience, and break the public peace merely to show they dare. Mr. Spectator, I write this to you thus in haste, to tell you I am so very much at ease here, that I know nothing but joy; and I will not return, but leave you in England to hiss all merit of your own growth off the stage. I know, sir, you were always my admirer, and therefore I am yours, CAMILLA.. 'P. S. I am ten times better dressed than ever I was in England.' MR. SPECTATOR, MR. SPECTATOR, Venice, July 10, N. S. 'I TAKE it extremely ill, that you do not reckon conspicuous persons of your nation are within your cognizance, though out of the dominions of Great Britain. I little thought, in the green years of my life, that I should ever The project in yours of the 11th instant, call it an happiness to be out of dear England; of furthering the correspondence and knowbut as I grew to woman, I found myself less ledge of that considerable part of mankind, the acceptable in proportion to the increase of my trading world, cannot but be highly commend. merit. Their cars in Italy are so differently able. Good lectures to young traders may have formed from the make of yours in England, very good effects on their conduct; but beware that I never come upon the stage, but a gene- you propagate no false notions of trade: let ral satisfaction appears in every countenance none of your correspondents impose on the of the whole people. When I dwell upon a world by putting forth base methods in a good note, I behold all the men accompanying me light, and glazing them over with improper with heads inclining, and falling of their per- terms. I would have no means of profit set sons on one side, as dying away with me. The for copies to others, but such as are laudable women too do justice to my merit, and no ill-in themselves. Let not noise be called indusnatured worthless creature cries, "The vain try, nor impudence courage. Let not good thing," when I am wrapt in the performance of fortune be imposed on the world for good mamy part, and sensibly touched with the effect nagement, nor poverty be called folly: impute my voice has upon all who hear me. I live not always bankruptcy to extravagance, nor here distinguished as one whom nature has an estate to foresight. Niggardliness is not been liberal to in a graceful person, and ex-good husbandry, nor generosity profusion. alted mein, and heavenly voice. These par'Honestus is a well-meaning and judicious ticularities in this strange country are argu-trader, hath substantial goods, and trades with ments for respect and generosity to her who is his own stock, husbands his money to the best possessed of them. The Italians see a thou- advantage, without taking all the advantages sand beauties I am sensible I have no pretence of the necessities of his workmen, or grinding to, and abundantly make up to me the injus- the face of the poor. Fortunatus is stocked tice I received in my own country, of disallow with ignorance, and consequently with selfing me what I really had. The humour of his opinion; the quality of his goods cannot but. sing which you have among you, I do not know be suitable to that of his judgment. Honestus any thing of; and their applauses are uttered pleases discerning people, and keeps their cusin sighs, and bearing a part at the cadences of voice with the persons who are performing. I am often put in mind of those complaisant lines of my own countryman,t when he is calling all his faculties together to hear Arabella. "Let all be hushed, each softest motion cease, Be ev'ry loud tumultuous thought at peace; And ev'ry ruder gasp of breath Be calm, as in the arms of death: And thou, most fickle, most uneasy part, Thou busy, idle thing to heave: tom by good usage; makes modest profit by modest means, to the decent support of his family; while Fortunatus, blustering always, pushes on, promising much and performing little; with obsequiousness offensive to people of sense, strikes at all, catches much the greater part, and raises a considerable fortune by imposition on others, to the discouragement. and ruin of those who trade fair in the same way. I give here but loose hints, and beg you to be very circumspect in the province you have now undertaken: if you perform it success Mrs. Tofts, who played the part of Camilla in the fully, it will be a very great good; for nothing opera of that name. + Mr. Congrève. VOL. II. is more wanting than that mechanic industry were set forth with the freedom and greatness 22 of mind which ought always to accompany a French disease, by a gentleman just come from man of a liberal education. his travels. 'Your humble servant,' From my shop under the Royal Exchange, July 14. 'MR. SPECTATOR, 'R. C.' 'In Russel-court, over-against the Cannon ball, at the Surgeon's-arms, in Drury-lane, is lately come from his travels, a surgeon who hath practised surgery and physic both by sea and land, these twenty-four years. He (by the blessing) cures the yellow jaundice, green-sickness, scurvy, dropsy, surfeits, long sea-voyages, campaigns, and women's miscarriages, lyingin, &c. as some people that has been lame these thirty years can testify; in short he cureth all diseases incident to men, women or chil July 24, 1712. 'Notwithstanding the repeated censures that your spectatorial wisdom has passed upon people more remarkable for impudence than wit, there are yet some remaining, who pass with the giddy part of mankind for sufficient sharers of the latter, who have nothing but the former qualification to recommend them. Ano-dren. ther timely animadversion is absolutely neces If a man could be so indolent as to look upon sary be pleased, therefore, once for all, to let this havoc of the human species, which is made these gentlemen know, that there is neither by vice and ignorance, it would be a good rimirth nor good humour in hooting a young fel-diculous work to comment upon the declaralow out of countenance; nor that it will ever tion of this accomplished traveller. There is constitute a wit, to conclude a tart piece of something unaccountably taking among the buffoonery with a "What makes you blush?" vulgar in those who come from a great way off. Pray please to inform them again, that to speak Ignorant people of quality, as many there are what they know is shocking, proceeds from ill-of such, doat excessively this way; many innature and sterility of brain; especially when stances of which every man will suggest to him the subject will not admit of raillery, and their discourse has no pretension to satire but what is in their design to disoblige. I should be very glad too if you would take notice, that a daily repetition of the same overbearing insolence is yet more insupportable, and a confirmation of very extraordinary dulness. The sudden publication of this may have an effect upon a notorious offender of this kind, whose reformation would redound very much to the satisfaction and quiet of T. • Your most humble servant,' No. 444.] Wednesday, July 30, 1712. Paturiunt montes 'F. B.' Hor. Ars Poet. v. 139. The mountain labours. self, without any enumeration of them. The ignorants of lower order, who cannot, like the upper ones, be profuse of their money to those recommended by coming from a distance, are no less complaisant than the others, for they venture their lives from the same admiration. 'The doctor is lately come from his travels,' and has practised both by sea and land,' and therefore cures the green-sickness, long seavoyages, campaigns, and lyings-in.' Both by sea and land!-I will not answer for the distempers called sea-voyages and campaigns; but I dare say those of green sickness and lying-in might be as well taken care of if the doctor staid ashore. But the art of managing mankind is only to make them stare a little, to keep up their astonishment, to let nothing he familiar to them, but ever have something in their sleeve, in which they must think you are IF gives me much despair in the design of fellow, a barber of my acquaintance, who, bedeeper than they are. There is an ingenious reforming the world by my speculations, when sides his broken fiddle and a dried sea-monI find there always arise, from one generation ster, has a twined-cord, strained with two nails to another, successive cheats and bubbles, as at each end, over his window, and the words naturally as beasts of prey, and those which rainy, dry, wet,' and so forth, written to denote are to be their food. There is hardly a man the weather according to the rising or falling in the world, one would think, so ignorant, as of the cord. We very great scholars are not not to know that the ordinary quack-doctors apt to wonder at this: but I observed a very who publish their great abilities in little brown honest fellow, a chance customer, who sat in billets, distributed to all that pass by are to a the chair before me to be shaved, fix his eye man impostors and murderers; yet such is the upon this miraculous performance during the credulity of the vulgar, and the impudence of operation upon his chin and face. When those those professors, that the affair still goes on, and his head also were cleared of all incumand new promises, of what was never done be-brances and excrescences, he looked at the fish, fore, are made every day. What aggravates then at the fiddle, still grubbing in his pockthe jest is, that even this promise has been ets, and casting his eye again at the twine, and made as long as the memory of man can trace the words writ on each side; then altered his it, yet nothing performed, and yet still prevails. mind as to farthings, and gave my friend a silAs I was passing along to-day, a paper given into my hand by a fellow without a nose, tells up the amazement; and if my friend had had ver sixpence. The business, as I said, is to keep us as follows what good news is come to town, only the skeleton and kit, he must have been to wit, that there is now a certain cure for the contented with a less payment. But the doctor Former motto. Quid dignum tento feret hic promissor hiatu-Hor. we were talking of adds to his long voyages the testimony of some people that has been thirty years lame.' When I received my paper, a sagacious fellow took one at the same time, and read till he came to the thirty years' will make its way in the world but very heaconfinement of his friends, and went off very vily. In short, the necessity of carrying a well convinced of the doctor's sufficiency. stamp, and the improbability of notifying a You have many of those prodigious persons, bloody battle, will, I am afraid, both concur who have had some extraordinary accident to the sinking of those thin folios, which have at their birth, or a great disaster in some every other day detailed to us the history of part of their lives. Any thing, however for- Europe for several years last past. A faceeign from the business the people want of tious friend of mine, who loves a pun, calls this of you, will convince them of your ability present mortality among authors,The fall in that you profess. There is a doctor in of the leaf.' Mouse-alley, near Wapping, who sets up for I remember, upon Mr. Baxter's death, there curing cataracts, upon the credit of having, was published a sheet of very good sayings, in. The as his bill sets forth, lost an eye in the em- scribed, The last words of Mr. Baxter.' peror's service. His patients come in upon title sold so great a number of these papers, this, and he shows his muster-roll, which con- that about a week after there came out a se firms that he was in his imperial majesty's cond sheet, inscribed, 'More last words of Mr. Baxter.' In the same manner I have troops; and he puts out their eyes with great success. Who would believe that a man reason to think, that several ingenious wrishould be a doctor for the cure of barsten ters, who have taken their leave of the pubchildren, by declaring that his father and lic, in farewell papers, will not give over so, grandfather were both bursten ? But Charles but intend to appear again, though perhaps Ingoltson, next door to the Harp in Barbi-under another form, and with a different title. can, has made a pretty penny by that as- Be that as it will, it is my business, in this servation. The generality go upon their first place, to give an account of my own intenconception, and think no further; all the tions, and to acquaint my reader with the morest is granted. They take it, that there is tives by which I act, in this great crisis of the something uncommon in you, and give you republic of letters. credit for the rest. You may be sure it is I have been long debating in my own heart, upon that I go, when sometimes, let it be to whether I should throw up my pen as an au. the purpose or not, I keep a Latin sentence thor that is cashiered by the act of parliament in my front; and I was not a little pleased, which is to operate within this four and twen when I observed one of my readers say, cast-ty hours, or whether I should still persist in ing his eye upon my twentieth paper, More-laying my speculations, from day to day, beLatin still? What a prodigious scholar is fore the public. The argument which prethis man!' But as I have taken much li- vails with me most on the first side of the berty with this learned doctor, I must make question is, that I am informed by my bookup all I have said by repeating what he seller he must raise the price of every sin, seems to be in earnest in, and honestly pro-gle paper to two-pence, or that he shall not Now as I mises to those who will not receive him as be able to pay the duty of it. a great man-to wit, That from eight to am very desirous my readers should have twelve, and from two to six, he attends, for their learning as cheap as possible, it is with the good of the public, to bleed for three-great difficulty that I comply with him in this pence.' No. 445.] Thursday, July 31, 1712. Tanti nou es, ais. Sapis, Luperce. You say, Lupercus, what I write T. particular. However, upon laying my reasons together in the balance, I find that those who plead for the continuance of this work, have much the greater weight. For, in the first place, in recompense for the expense to which this will put my readers, it is to be hoped they may receive from every paper so much instruction as will be a very good equivalent. And, in order to this, I would not advise any one to take it in, who, after the perusal of it, does not find himself two-pence the wiser or the better man for it, or who, upon examination, does not believe that he has had two-penny worth of mirth or instruction for his money. THIS is the day on which many eminent authors will probably publish their last words. I am afraid that few of our weekly historians, who are men that above all others delight in war, will be able to subsist under the weight But I must confess there is another moof a stamp, and an approaching peace. A tive which prevails with me more than the sheet of blank paper that must have this new former. I consider that the tax on paper was imprimatur clapt upon it, before it is quali-given for the support of the government; and, fied to communicate any thing to the public, as I have enemies who are apt to pervert eve ry thing I do or say, I fear they would ascribe * August 1, 1712, the stamp duty here alluded to, took the laying down my paper, on such an occaplace, and every single half-sheet paid a hlaf-penny to sion, to spirit of malcontentedness, which I the queen. Have you seen the red stamp? Methinks am resolved none shall ever justly upbraid me the stamping is worth a half-penny. The Observator is with. No, I shall glory in contributing my utfallen; the Medleys are jumbled together with he flying Post; the examiner is deadly sick. The Spectator keeps most to the public weal; and, if my country receives five or six pounds a day by my laup and doubles its price.' bours, I shall be very well pleased to find my Swift's Works, cr. 8vo. vol. xix. p. 173. |