ed desirous of recovering it; but finding her resolved to look into the lid begged her, that, if she should happen to know the person, she would not reveal her name. Upon carrying it to the window, she was very agreeably surprised to find there was nothing within the lid but a little looking glass; on which, after she had viewed her own face with more pleasure than she had ever done before, she returned the box with a smile, telling him she could not but admire his choice. Under a shade of flow'rs, much wond'ring where And what I was, whence hither brought, end how. Will, fancying that this story took, imme- My friend Will, to show us the whole compass of his learning upon this subject, further informed us, that there were still several nations in the world so very barbarous as not to have any looking-glasses among them; and that he had lately read a voyage to the South Sea, in which it is said that the ladies of Chili always dressed their heads over a bason of water. I am the more particular in my account of Multitudes like thyself, and thence be called Than that smooth watery image: back Itura'd; Will's last night's lecture on these natural No. 326.] Friday, March 14, 1711-12. mirrors, as it seems to bear some relation to the following letter, which I received the day before. SIR, Inclusum Danaën turris ahenea, 1 X. Hor. Lib. iii. Od. xvi. I. Of watchful dogs an odious ward ADAPTED. Be to her faults a little blind, I have read your last Saturday's observations on the fourth book of Milton with great satisfaction, and am particularly pleased with the hidden moral which you have taken notice of in several parts of the poem. The design of this letter is to desire your thoughts, whether there may not also be some moral couched under that place in the same book, where the poet lets us know, that the first woman immediately after her creation ran to a lookingglass, and became so enamoured of her own face, that she had never removed to view any of the other works of nature, had she not been 'YOUR correspondent's letter relating to led off to a man? If you think fit to set down fortune-hunters, and your subsequent disthe whole passage from Milton, your readers course upon it, have given me encouragewill be able to judge for themselves, and the ment to send you a state of my case, by which quotation will not a little contribute to the fill-you will see, that the matter complained ing up of your paper. of is a common grievance both to city and country. Your humble servant, 'R. T.' And clap your padlock on her mind.-Padlock. 6 MR. SPECTATOR, I am a country-gentleman of between five and six thousand a year. It is my misfortune The last consideration urged by my querist to have a very fine park and an only daughter; is so strong, that I cannot forbear closing with upon which account I have been so plagued it. The passage he alludes to is part of Eve's with deer-stealers and fops, that for these four speech to Adam, and one of the most beautiful years past I have scarce enjoyed a moment's passages in the whole poem: "That day I oft remember, when from sleep I first awak'd, and found myself repos'd VOL. II. rest. I look upon myself to be in a state of war; and am forced to keep as constant watch in my seat, as a governor would do that commanded a town on the frontier of an enemy's 3 country. I have indeed pretty well secured defrayed the charges of the month, but of their my park, having for this purpose provided my-education too; her fancy being so exorbitant self of four keepers, who are left-handed, and for the first year or two, as not to confine itself handle a quarter-staff beyond any other fel-to the usual objects of eatables and drinkables, lows in the country. And for the guard of my but running out after equipages and furniture, house, besides a band of pensioner matrons and the like extravagancies. To trouble you and an old maiden relation whom I keep on only with a few of them; when she was with constant duty, I have blunderbusses always child of Tom, my eldest son, she came home charged, and fox-gins planted in private places one day just fainting, and told me she had been about my garden, of which I have given fre- visiting a relation, whose husband had made quent notice in the neighbourhood; yet so it her a present of a chariot and a stately pair is, that in spite of all my care, I shall every of horses; and that she was positive she could now and then have a saucy rascal ride by, re- not breathe a week longer, unless she took connoitering (as I think you call it) under my the air in the fellow to it of her own within windows, as sprucely dressed as if he were go- that time. This, rather than lose an heir, I ing to a ball. I am aware of this way of at-readily complied with. Then the furniture of tacking a mistress on horseback, having heard her best room must be instantly changed, or that it is a common practice in Spain; and she should mark the child with some of the have therefore taken care to remove my daugh- frightful figures in the old-fashioned tapestry. ter from the road-side of the house, and to Well, the upholsterer was called, and her longlodge her next the garden. But to cut short ing saved that bout. When she went with my story: What can a man do after all? I Molly she had fixed her mind upon a new set durst not stand for member of parliament last of plate, and as much china as would have furelection, for fear of some ill consequences from nished an Indian shop: these also I cheerfully my being off my post. What I would there- granted, for fear of being father to an Indian fore desire of you is, to promote a project I pagod. Hitherto I found her demands rose have set on foot, and upon which I have writ- upon every concession; and had she gone on, ten to some of my friends: and that is, that I had been ruined: but by good fortune, with care may be taken to secure our daughters by her third, which was Peggy, the height of her law, as well as our deer; and that some hon-imagination came down to the corner of a veest gentleman, of a public spirit, would move nison pasty, and brought her once even upon for leave to bring in a bill for the better pre- her knees to gnaw off the ears of a pig from serving of the female game. the spit. The gratifications of her palate were easily preferred to those of her vanity and sometimes a patridge, or a quail, or a wheatear, or the pestle of a lark, were cheerfully Mile-End-Green, purchased; nay, I could be contented though March 6, 1711-12. I were to feed her with green peas in April, or Here is a young man walks by our door cherries in May. But with the babe she now every day about the dusk of the evening. He goes, she is turned girl again, and fallen to looks up at my window, as if to see me; and eating of chalk, pretending it will make the if steal towards it to peep at him, he turns child's skin white; and nothing will serve her another way, and looks frightened at finding but I must bear her company, to prevent its what he was looking for. The air is very cold; having a shade of my brown. In this, howand pray let him know, that, if he knocks at the door he will be carried to the parlour fire, and I will come down soon after, and give him an opportunity to break his mind. 'I am, Sir, 'Your humble servant.' MR. SPECTATOR, I am, Sir, Your most humble servant, 'MARY COMFIT.' 'If I observe he cannot speak, I'll give him time to recover himself, and ask him how he does.' ever, I have ventured to deny her. No longer ago than yesterday, as we were coming to town, she saw a parcel of crows so heartily at breakfast upon a piece of horse-flesh, that she had an invincible desire to partake with them, and (to my infinite surprise) begged the coachman to cut her off a slice, as if it were for himself, which the fellow did; and as soon as she came home, she fell to it with such an appetite, that she seemed rather to devour than eat it. What her next sally will be I cannot guess: but, in the mean time, my request to you is, that if there be any way to come at these wild unac'I beg you to print this without delay, and countable rovings of imagination by reason and by the first opportunity give us the natural argument, you would speedily afford us your causes of longing in women; or put me out assistance. This exceeds the grievance of pinof fear that my wife will one time or other be money; and I think in every settlement there delivered of something as monstrous as any ought to be a clause inserted, that the father thing that has yet appeared to the world; for should be answerable for the longings of his they say the child is to bear a resemblance of daughter But I shall impatiently expect your what was desired by the mother. I have been thoughts in this matter; and am, 'DEAR SIR, married upwards of six years, have had four children, and my wife is now big with the fifth. The expenses she has put me to, in procuring what she has longed for during her pregnancy with them, would not only have handsomely Sir, most faithful humble servant, 'T. B. Where the sapient king Held dalliance with bis fair Egyptian spouse, shows that the poet had this delightful scene in his mind. Eve's dream is full of those high conceits engendering pride, which, we are told, the devil endeavoured to instil into her. Of this kind is that part of it where she fancies herself awakened by Adam in the following beautiful lines: 'Why sleep'st thou, Eve? Now is the pleasant time, WE were told in the foregoing book, how the evil spirit practised upon Eve as she lay asleep, in order to inspire her with thoughts of vanity, pride, and ambition. The author, who shows a wonderful art throughout his whole poem, in preparing the reader for the several occurrences that arise in it, founds, upon the above-mentioned circumstance, the first part of the fifth book. Adam, upon his awaking, finds Eve still asleep, with an unusual An injudicious poet would have made Adam discomposure in her looks. The posture in talk through the whole work in such sentiments which he regards her is described with a ten-as these: but flattery and falsehood are not derness not to be expressed, as the whisper the courtship of Milton's Adam, and could not with which he awakens her is the softest that be heard by Eve in her state of innocence, ever was conveyed to a lover's ear. His wonder was, to find unwaken'd Eve Such whispering wak'd her, but with startled eye excepting only in a dream produced on purpose So cheer'd he his fair spouse, and she was cheer'd, I cannot but take notice, that Milton, in the conferences between Adam and Eve, had The morning hymn is written in imitation his eye very frequently upon the book of Can- of one of those psalms where, in the overflowticles, in which there is a noble spirit of eas-ings of gatitude and praise, the psalmist calls tern poetry, and very often not unlike what not only upon the angels. but upon the most we meet with in Homer, who is generally placed conspicuous parts of the inanimate creation, to near the age of Solomon. I think there is no question but the poet in the preceding speech remembered those two passages which are spoken on the like occasion, and filled with the same pleasing images of nature. join with him in extolling their common Maker. Invocations of this nature fill the mind with glorious ideas of God's works, and awaken that divine enthusiasm which is so natural to devotion. But if this calling upon the dead parts 'My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise of nature is at all times a proper kind of worup, my love, my fair one, and come away! ship, it was in a particular manner suitable to for, lo! the winter is past, the rain is over, and our first parents, who had the creation fresh gone, the flowers appear on the earth, the upon their minds, and had not seen the various time of the singing of birds is come, and the dispensations of Providence, nor consequently voice of the turtle is heard in our land. The could be acquainted with those many topics of fig-tree putteth forth her green figs, and the praise which might afford matter to the devovines with the tender grapes give a good smell. tions of their posterity. I ueed not remark the Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away! beautiful spirit of poetry which runs through 'Come, my beloved! let us go forth into this whole hymn, nor the holiness of that rethe field, let us get up early to the vineyards, solution with which it concludes. let us see if the vine flourish, whether the Having already mentioned those speeches tender grapes appear, and the pomegranates bud forth.' His preferring the garden of Eden to that which are assigned to the persons in this poem, I proceed to the description which the poet, gives of Raphael. His departure from befort the throne, and his flight through the choirs of graces that poetry is capable of bestowing. angels, is finely imagined. As Milton every The author afterwards gives us a particular where fills his poem with circumstances that description of Eve in her domestic employare marvellous and astonishing, he describesments: the gate of heaven as framed after such a manner that it opened of itself upon the approach of the angel who was to pass through it. So saying, with dispatchful looks in haste Though in this, and other parts of the same The poet here seems to have regarded two book, the subject is only the housewifery of or three passages in the 18th Iliad, as that in our first parent, it is set off with so many particular where speaking of Vulcan, Homer pleasing images and strong expressions, as says that he had made twenty tripods running make it none of the least agreeable parts in on golden wheels; which, upon occasion, might this divine work. go of themselves to the assembly of the gods, and, when there was no more use for them, same time, his submissive behaviour to the The natural majesty of Adam, and, at the return again after the same manner. Scaliger has rallied Homer very severely upon this superior being who had vouchsafed to be his point, as M. Dacier has endeavoured to de- stows upon the mother of mankind, with the guest; the solemn hail' which the angel befend it. I will not pretend to determine, whe- figure of Eve ministering at the table; are ther, in this particular of Homer, the marvel- circumstances which deserve to be admired. lous does not lose sight of the probable. As the miraculous workmanship of Milton's gates to the dignity of his nature, and to that chaRaphael's behaviour is every way suitable is not so extraordinary as this of the tripods, racter of a sociable spirit with which the auso I am persuaded he would not have mention thor has so judiciously introduced him. He ed it, had he not been supported in it by a had received instructions to converse with passage in the Scripture which speaks of Adam, as one friend converses with another, wheels in heaven that had life in them, and and to warn him of the enemy, who was conmoved of themselves, or stood still, in con- triving his destruction: accordingly, he is reformity with the cherubims, whom they ac-presented as sitting down at table with Adam, companied. There is no question but Milton had this cir-casion naturally leads him to his discourse on and eating of the fruits of Paradise. The occumstance in his thoughts; because in the the food of angels. After having thus entered following book he describes the chariot of the into conversation with man upon more indifMessiah with living wheels, according to the ferent subjects, he warns him of his obedience, plan in Ezekiel's vision: -Porth rushed with whirlwind sound Flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel undrawn, and makes a natural transition to the history of that angel who was employed in the circumvention of our first parents. Had I followed Monsieur Bossu's method in my first paper on Milton, I should have dated the action of Paradise Lost from the begin"ing of Raphael's speech in this book, as he supposes the action of the Æneid to begin in the second book of that poem. I could allege many reasons for my drawing the action of the Eneid rather from its immediate beginning in I question not but Bossu, and the two Daciers, who are for vindicating every thing that is censured in Homer, by something parallel in holy writ, would have been very well pleased had they thought of confronting Vulcan's tripods with Ezekiel's wheels. Raphael's descent to the earth, with the the first book, than from its remote beginning figure of his person, is represented in very ed the sacking of Troy as an episode, accordin the second; and show why I have considerlively colours. Several of the French, Italian, and English poets, have given a loose to their ing to the common acceptation of that word. imaginations in the description of angels piece of criticism, and perhaps unnecessary But as this would be a dry unentertaining but I do not remember to have met with any to those who have read my first paper, I shall so finely drawn, and so conformable to the notions which are given of them in Scripture, tions be true, the unity of Milton's action is not enlarge upon it. Whichsoever of the noas this in Milton. After having set him forth in all his heavenly plumage, und represented him as alighted upon the earth, the poet concludes his description with a circumstance which is altogether new, and imagined with the greatest strength of fancy. Like Maia's son he stood, And shook his plumes, that heavenly fragrance fill'd Raphael's reception of the guardian angels, his passing through the wilderness of sweets, bis distant appearance to Adam, have all the preserved according to either of them; whether we consider the fall of man in its immediate beginning, as proceeding from the resolutions taken in the infernal council, or in its more remote beginning, as proceeding from the first revolt of the angels in heaven. The occasion which Milton assigns for this revolt, as it is founded on hints in holy writ, and on the opinion of some great writers, so it was the most proper that the poet could have made use of. The revolt in heaven is described with great force of imagination, and a fine variety of cir- complishments we generally understand by cumstances. The learned reader cannot but good breeding and polite education. She be pleased with the poet's imitation of Homer sings, dances, plays on the lute and harpsiin the last of the following lines: At length into the limits of the north chord, paints prettily, is a perfect mistress of the French tongue, and has made a considerable progress in Italian. She is besides excellently skilled in all domestic sciences, as preserving, pickling, pastry, making wines of fruits of our own growth, embroidering, and needleworks of every kind. Hitherto, you will be apt to think there is very little cause of complaint; but suspend your opinion till I Homer mentions persons and things, which, have further explained myself, and then, I he tells us, in the language of the gods are make no question, you will come over to mine. called by different names from those they go You are not to imagine I find fault that she by in the language of men. Milton has imi- either possess or takes delight in the exercises tated him with his usual judgment in this par- of those qualifications I just now mentioned; ticular place, wherein he has likewise the au- it is the immoderate fondness she has to them thority of scripture to justify him. The part that I lament, and that what is only designed of Abdiel, who was the only spirit that in this for the innocent amusement and recreation of infinite host of angels preserved his allegiance life is become the whole business and study of to his Maker, exhibits to us a noble moral of hers. The six months we are in town (for religious singularity. The zeal of the seraphim the year is equally divided between that and breaks forth in a becoming warmth of senti- the country), from almost break of day till ments and expressions, as the character which noon, the whole morning is laid out in pracis given us of him denotes that generous scorn'tising with her several masters; and to make and intrepidity which attends heroic virtue. up the losses occasioned by her absence in The author doubtless designed it as a pattern summer, every day in the week their attendto those who live among mankind in their pre-ance is required; and, as they are all people sent state of degeneracy and corruption: So spake the seraph Abdiel, faithful found Nor number nor example with him wrought To swerve from truth, or change his constant mind, eminent in their professions, their skill and time must be recompensed accordingly. So how far these articles extend, I leave you to judge. Limning, one would think, is no expensive diversion; but, as she manages the matter, it is a very considerable addition to her disbursements; which you will easily be Though single. From amidst them forth he pass'd,lieve, when you know she paints fans for all Long way thro' hostile corn, which he sustain'd No. 328.] Monday, March 17, 1711-12. Nullum me à labore reclinat otium. 'MR. SPECTATOR, L. Dunscombe. her acquaintance, and draws all her relations' pictures in miniature: the first must be mounted by nobody but Colmar, and the other set by nobody but Charles Mather.* What follows is still much worse than the former; for as I told you she is a great artist at her needle, it is incredible what sums she expends in embroidery; for, besides what is appropriated to her Hor. Epod. xvii. 24. personal use, as mantuas, petticoats, stomaDay chases night, and night the day, chers, handkerchiefs, purses, pin cushions, But no relief to me convey. and working aprons, she keeps four French protestants continually employed in making divers pieces of superfluous furniture, as quilts, As I believe that this is the first complaint toilets, hangings for closets, beds, windowthat ever was made to you of this nature, so curtains, easy chairs, and tabourets : nor have you are the first person I ever could prevail I any hopes of ever reclaiming her from this upon myself to lay it before. When I tell you extravagance, while she obstinately persists in I have a healthy, vigorous constitution, a plen- thinking it a notable piece of good housetiful estate, no inordinate desires, and am mar-wifery, because they are made at home, and ried to a virtuous lovely woman, who neither she has bad some share in the performance. wants wit nor good-nature, and by whom I There would be no end of relating to you have a numerous offspring to perpetuate my the particulars of the annual charge, in furfamily, you will naturally conclude me a hap-nishing her store-room with a profusion of py man. But, notwithstanding these promising pickles and preserves; for she is not conappearances, I am so far from it, that the pros- tented with having every thing, unless it pecet of being ruined and undone by a sort of be done every way, in which she consults an extravagance, which of late years is in a less hereditary book of receipts: for her female andegree crept into every fashionable family, de-cestors have been always famed for good houseprives me of all the comforts of my life, and wifery, one of whom is made immortal, by renders me the most anxious, miserable man giving her name to an eye-water, and two on earth. My wife, who was the only child sorts of puddings. I cannot undertake to reand darling care of an indulgent mother, em ployed her early years in learning all those ac * A well known toyman in Fleet-street at the time. |