cite all her medicinal preparations, as salves, THAT useful part of learning which consists sere-cloths, powders, confects, cordials, ratafia, in emendations, knowledge of different readpersico, orange-flower, and cherry-brandy, to-ings, and the like, is what in all ages persons gether with innumerable sorts of simple waters. extremely wise and learned have had in great But there is nothing I lay so much to my heart veneration. For this reason I cannot but reas that detestable catalogue of counterfeit joice at the following epistle, which lets us inwines, which derive their names from the to the true author of the letter to Mrs. Marfruits, herbs, or trees, of whose juices they are garet Clark, part of which I did myself the chiefly compounded. They are loathsome to honour to publish in a former paper. I must the taste, and pernicious to the health; and confess I do not naturally effect critical learnas they seldom survive the year, and then are ing; but finding myself not so much regarded thrown away, under a false pretence of fruga- as I am apt to flatter myself I may deserve from lity, I may affirm they stand me in more than some professed patrons of learning, I could not if I entertained all our visitors with the best but do myself the justice to show I am not a burgundy and champaign. Coffee, chocolate, stranger to such erudition as they smile upon, and green imperial, peco, and bohea teas, if I were duly encouraged. However, this is seem to be trifles; but when the proper appur- only to let the world see what I could do; and tenances of the tea-table are added, they swell shall not give my reader any more of this the account higher than one would imagine. kind, if he will forgive the ostentatiou I show I cannot conclude without doing her justice in at present. one article; where her frugality is so remarkable, I must not deny her the merit of it, and that is in relation to her children, who are all SIR, March 13, 1711-12. UPON reading your paper of yesterday, I confined, both boys and girls, to one large room took the pains to look out a copy I had forin the remotest part of the house, with bolts on the doors and bars to the windows, under merly taken, and remembered to be very like the care and tuition of an old woman, who had your last letter: comparing them, I found they were the very same; and have, underbeen dry nurse to her grandmother. This is written, sent you that part of it which you say their residence all the year round; and as they was torn off. I hope you will insert it, that are never allowed to appear, she prudently posterity may know it was Gabriel Bullock that thinks it needless to be at any expense in ap-made love in that natural style of which you parel or learning. Her eldest daughter to this seem to be fond, But, to let you see I have day would have neither read nor wrote, if it other manuscripts in the same way, I have had not been for the butler, who, being the son sent you enclosed three copies, faithfully takof a country attorney, has taught her such a en by my own hand from the originals, which hand as is generally used for engrossing bills were wrote by a Yorkshire gentleman of a in Chancery. By this time I have sufficiently good estate to madam Mary, and an uncle of tired your patience with my domestic grievan hers, a knight very well known by the most ances; which I hope you will agree could not cient gentry in that and several other counwell be contained in a narrower compass, when ties of Great Britain. I have exactly followed you consider what a paradox I undertook to the form and spelling. I have been credibly maintain in the beginning of my epistle, and informed that Mr. William Bullock, the fawhich manifestly appears to be but too melanmous comedian, is the descendant of this Gacholy a truth. And now I heartily wish the briel, who begot Mr. William Bullock's great relation I have given of my misfortunes may grandfather, on the body of the above-menbe of use and benefit to the public. By the ex- tioned Mrs. Margaret Clark. As neither ample I have set before them, the truly virSpeed, nor Baker, nor Selden, take notice of tuous wives may learn to avoid those errors it, I will not pretend to be positive; but dewhich have so unhappily misled mine, and sire that the letter may be reprinted, and what which are visibly these three: First, in mis- is here recovered may be in Italics. 'I am, Sir, "Your daily Reader.' To her I very much respect, Mrs. Margaret taking the proper objects of her esteem, and fixing her affections upon such things as are only the trappings and decorations of her sex: Secondly, in not distinguishing what becomes the different stages of life. And, lastly, the abuse and corruption of some excellent qualities, which, if circumscribed within just LOVELY, and oh that I could write loving, bourds, would have been the blessing and pros- Mrs. Margaret Clark, I pray you let affection perity of her family; but by a vicious ex-excuse presumption. Having been so happy treme, are like to be the bane and destruction of it.' T.* as to enjoy the sight of your sweet countenance and comely body sometimes when I had occasion to buy treacle or liquorish powder at the apothecary's shop, I am so enamoured with you, that I can no more keep close my flaming desire to become your servant. And I am the more bold now to write to your sweet self, because I am now my own man, and may match where I please; for my father is taken away; and now I am come to my living, which is ten yard land, and a house: and there is never a yard land" in our field but is as well worth ten they will put you in the nunnery; and heed pounds a year as a thief's worth a halter; and not Mrs. Lucy what she saith to you, for she all my brothers nad sisters are provided for: will ly and ceat you. go from to another place, besides I have good household stuff, though I and we will gate wed so with speed. mind what say it, both brass and pewter, linens and wool- i write to you, for if they gate you to london lens; and though my house be thatched, yet they will keep you there; and so let us gate if you and I match, it shall go hard but I will wed, and we will both go. so if you go to lonhave one half of it slated. If you shall think don, you rueing yourself. so heed not what well of this motion, I will wait upon you as none of them saith to you let us gate wed, and soon as my new clothes are made, and hay- we shall lie to gader any time. i will do any harvest is in. I could, though I say it, have thing for you to my poore. i hope the devil good matches in our town; but my mother will faile them all, for a hellish company there (God's peace be with her) charged me upon her be. from there cursed trick and mischiefus death bed to marry a gentlewoman, one who ways good lord bless and deliver both you had been well trained up in the sowing and and me. cookery. I do not think but that if you and I tan agree to marry, and lay your means together, I shall be made grand jury-man ere This is for madam mary norton to go to london two or three years come about, and that will for a lady that belongs to dishforth. be a great credit to us. If I could have got a Madam Mary, i hope you are well. i am messenger for sixpence, I would have sent one soary that you went away from York. on purpose, and some trifle or other for a token loving sweet lady, i writt to let you know that of my love but I hope there is nothing lost for i do remain faithfull; and if can let me know that neither. So, hoping you will take this let-where I can meet you, i will wed you, and i will ter in good part, and answer it with what care do any thing to my poor; for you are a good and speed you can, I rest and remain, Yours, if my own, 'Mr. GABRIEL BULLOCK, 'Swepston, Leicestershire. When the coal-carts come, I shall send oftener; and may come in one of them myself.t 'For sir William to go to london at westminster remember a parlement. " SIR, i I think to be at York the 24 day.' deare woman, and will be a loving misteris. i am in So deare love think of Mr. george Nillson with speed; i sent 2 or 3 letters before. 'I gave misteris elcock some nots, and thay put me in pruson all the night for me pains, and non new whear i was, and i did gat cold. But it is for mrs. Lucy to go a good way from home, for in york and round about she is known; to writ any more her deeds, the same will tell her soul is black within, hor corkis March 19th, 1706*.' WILLIAM, i hope that you are well. write to let you kuow that i am in troubel about a lady your nease; and i do desire that you will be my friend: for when i did com to see her at your hall, i was mighty Abuesed. stinks of hell. i would fain a see you at topecliff, and thay would not let me go to you; but I desire that No. 329.] Tuesday, March 18, 1711-12. you will be our friends, for it is no dishonour neither for you nor she, for God did make us all. i wish that i might see you, for they say that you are a good man; and many doth wounder at it, but madam norton is abuesed and ceated two i believe. i might a had many a lady, but I con have none but her with a good consons, for there is a God that know our hearts. if you and madam norton will come to York, there I shill meet you if God be willing and if you be pleased. so be not angterie till you know the trutes of things. 'I give my to me lady, and to Mr. Aysenby, and to madam norton, March the 19th, 1706.' Ire tamen restat, Numó qua devenit et Ancus. Hor. Ep. vi. Lib. 1. 27. With Ancus, and with Numa, kings of Rome, We must descend into the silent tomb. My friend Sir Roger de Coverley told me t'other night, that he had been reading my paper upon Westminster-abbey, in which, says ́ 'George Nelson. In the original folio edition of the Spectator, the following letter is added to No. 330; It is given here as evidently relating to this paper, which, as already observed, was suppressed soon after its first publication. See 328,* MR. SPECTATOR, March 18, 1711-12. "The ostentation you showed yesterday [March 17] would have been pardonable, had you provided better for the two extremities of your paper, and placed in the one the letter R. in the other, Nescio quid meditans nugarum et totus in illis. 'I am your most humble servant, According to the emendation of the above correspondent, the reader is desired, in the paper of the 17th, tó read R for T. he, there are a great many ingenious fancies. As we went up the body of the church, the He told me at the same time, that he observed knight pointed at the trophies upon one of I had promised another paper upon the tombs, the new monuments, and cry'd out, A brave and that he should be glad to go and see them man, I warrant him! Passing afterwards by with me, not having visited them since he had Sir Cloudsley Shovel, he flung his hand that read history. I could not imagine how this way, and cried Sir Cloudsley Shovel! a very came into the knight's head, till I recollected gallant man.' As we stood before Busby's that he had been very busy ali last summer up- tomb, the knight uttered himself again after on Baker's Chronicle, which he has quoted se- the asme manner: Dr. Bushby! a great man: veral times in his disputes with Sir Andrew he whipped my grandfather; a very great Freeport since his last coming to town. Ac-man! I should have gone to him myself, if I cordingly I promised to call upon him the had not been a blockhead: a very great man!' next morning, that we might go together to We were immediately conducted into the the abbey. little chapel on the right hand. Sir Roger, I found the knight under his butler's hands, planting himself at our historian's elbow, was who always shaves him. He was no sooner very attentive to every thing he said, particu dressed, than he called for a glass of the widow larly to the account he gave us of the lord Truby's water, which he told me he always who had cut off the king of Morocco's head. drank before he went abroad. He recom- Among several other figures, he was very well mended to me a dram of it at the same time, pleased to see the statesman Cecil upon his with so much heartiness, that I could not for- knees; and concluding them all to be great bear drinking it. As soon as I had got it down, men, was conducted to the figure which reI found it very unpalatable; upon which the presents that martyr to good housewifery who knight, observing that I had made several wry died by the prick of a needle. Upon our infaces, told me that he knew I should not like it terpreter's telling us that she was a maid of at first, but that it was the best thing in the honour to queen Elizabeth, the knight was world against the stone or gravel. very inquisitive into her name and family; I could have wished indeed that he had ac- and, after having regarded her finger for quainted me with the virtues of it sooner; but some time, I wonder,' says he, that Sir it was too late to complain, and I knew what Richard Baker has said nothing of her in his he had done was out of good will. Sir Roger Chronicle.' told me further, that he looked upon it to be We were then conveyed to the two coronavery good for a man whilst he staid in town, tion chairs, where my old friend, after having to keep off infection, and that he got together heard that the stone underneath the most ana quantity of it upon the first news of the sick- cient of them, which was brought from Scotness being at Dantzick: when of a sudden land, was called Jacob's pillar, sat himself turning short to one of his servants, who stood behind him, he bid him call a hacknew-coach, and take care it was an elderly man that drove it. down in the chair, and, looking like the figure of an old Gothic king, asked our interpreter, what authority they had to say that Jacob had ever been in Scotland? The fellow instead of He then resumed his discourse upon Mrs. returning him an answer, told him, that he Truby's water, telling me that the widow Tru- hoped his honour would pay his forfeit. I by was one who did more good than all the could observe Sir Roger a little ruffled upon doctors and apothecaries in the country; that being thus trepanned; but our guide not inshe distilled every poppy that grew within five sisting upon his demand, the knight soon remiles of her; that she distributed her water covered his good humour, and whispered in gratis among all sorts of people: to which the my ear, that if Will Wimble were with us, knight added that she had a very great join- and saw those two chairs, it would go hard ture, and that the whole country would fain but he would get a tobacco stopper out of one have it a match between him and her; and or t'other of them. truly,' says Sir Roger 'If I had not been en- Sir Roger, in the next place, laid his hand gaged, perhaps I could not have done better.' upon Edward the Third's sword, and, leaning His discourse was broken off by his man's upon the pommel of it, gave us the whole histelling him he had called a coach. Upon our tory of the Black Prince; concluding, that, going to it, after having cast his eye upon the in Sir Richard Baker's opinion, Edward the wheels, he asked the coachman if his axle-tree the Third was one of the greatest princes was good: upon the fellow's telling him he that ever sat upon the English throne. would warrant it, the knight turned to me, told me he looked like an honest man, and went in without further ceremony. We were then shown Edward the Confessor's tomb; upon which Sir Roger acquainted us, that he was the first who touched for We had not gone far, when Sir Roger pop- the evil: and afterwards Henry the Fourth's; ping out his head, called the coachman down upon which he shook his head, and told us from his box, and, upon presenting himself at there was fine reading in the casualties of that the window, asked him if he smoked. As I reign. was considering what this would end in, he Our conductor then pointed to that monubid him stop by the way at any good tobacco-ment where there is the figure of one of nist's, and take in a roll of their best Vir- our English kings without a head; and upon ginia. Nothing material happened in the re-giving us to know, that the head, which was of maining part of our journey, till we were set beaten silver, had been stolen away several down at the west end of the abbey. years since: Some whig, I'll warrant you,' ་ ་ says Sir Roger; 'you ought to lock up your management or enjoyment of it. The natural kings better; they will carry off the body too, if you don't take care.' The glorious names of Henry the Fifth and queen Elizabeth gave the knight great opportunities of shining, and of doing justice to Sir Richard Baker, who, as our knight observed with some surprise, had a great many kings in him, whose monuments he had not seen in the abbey. consequence of this was (though I wanted no director, and soon had fellows who found me out for a smart young gentleman, and led me into all the debaucheries of which I was capable), that my companions and I could not well be supplied without running in debt, which I did very frankly, till I was arrested, and conveyed, with a guard strong enough for the most desperate assassin, to a bailiff's house, For my own part, I could not but be pleas- where I lay four days, surrounded with very ed to see the knight show such an honest pas- merry, but not very agreeable company. sion for the glory of his country, and such a As soon as I had extricated myself from respectful gratitude to the memory of its that shameful confinement, I reflected upon princes. it with so much horror, that I deserted all 1 must not omit, that the benevolence of my old acquaintance, and took chambers my good old friend, which flows out towards in an inn of court, with a resolution to stuevery one he converses with, made him very dy the law with all possible application. I kind to our interpreter, whom he looked upon trifled away a whole year in looking over a as an extraordinary man: for which reason thousand intricacies, without a friend to aphe shook him by the hand at parting, telling ply to in any case of doubt; so that I only lived him, that he should be very glad to see him at his lodgings in Norfolk-buildings, and talk over these matters with him more at leiL. sure. No. 330.] Wednesday, March 19, 1711-12. there among men, as little children are sent to school before they are capable of improvement, only to be out of harm's way. In the midst of this state of suspense, not knowing how to dispose of myself, I was sought for by a relation of mine, who, upon observing a good inclination in me, used me with great familiarity, and carried me to his seat in the country. When I came there, he introduced me to all the good company in the county; and the great obligation I have to him for this kind notice, and resiTHE following letters, written by two very dence with him ever since, has made so strong considerate correspondents, both under twen- an impression upon me, that he has an auty years of age, are very good arguments of thority of a father over me, founded upon the the necessity of taking into consideration the love of a brother. I have a good study of many incidents which affect the education books, a good stable of horses always at my of youth. Juc. Sut. xiv. 47. 'SIR, command; and, though I am not now quite eighteen years of age, familiar converse on his part, and a strong inclination to exert myself 'I have long expected that, in the course of on mine, have had an effect upon me that Thus your observations upon the several parts of makes me acceptable wherever I go. buman life, you would one time or other fall Mr. Spectator, by this gentleman's favour and upon a subject, which, since you have not, I patronage, it is my own fault if I am not wiser take the liberty to recommend to you. What and richer every day I live. I speak this as I mean is, the patronage of young modest men well by subscribing the initial letters of my to such as are able to countenance, and intro- name to thank him, as to incite others to an duce them into the world. For want of such imitation of his virtue. It would be a worthy assistances, a youth of merit languishes in ob- work to show what great charities are to be scurity or poverty when his circumstances are done without expense, and how many noble low, and runs into riot and excess when his for- actions are lost, out of inadvertency, in pertunes are plentiful. I cannot make myself bet- sons capable of performing them, if they were ter understood, than by sending you a history put in mind of it. If a gentleman of figure of myself, which I shail desire you to insert in a county would make his family a pattern in your paper, it being the only way I have of sobriety, good sense, and breeding, and would of expressing my gratitude for the highest kindly endeavour to influence the education obligations imaginable. and growing prospect of the young gentry 'I am the son of a merchant of the city of about him, I am apt to believe it would save London, who, by many losses, was reduced him a great deal of stale beer on a public ocfrom a very luxuriant trade and credit to very casion, and render him the leader of his counnarrow circumstances, in comparison to that ty from their gratitude to him, instead of of his former abundance. This took away being a slave to their riots and tumults in the vigour of his mind, and all manner of at- order to be made their representative. The tention to a fortune which he now thought des- same thing might be recommended to all who perate; insomuch that he died without a will, have made any progress in any parts of knowhaving before buried my mother, in the midst edge, or arrived at any degree in a profession. of his other misfortunes. I was sixteen years Others may gain preferments and fortunes from of age when I lost my father; and an estate their patrons; but I have, I hope, received of 2001. a year came into my possession, with- from mine good habits and virtues. I repeat out friend or guardian to instruèt me in the to you, sir, my request to print this, in return VOL. II. 4 WHEN I was last with my friend Sir Roger in Westminster-abbey, I observe that he stood longer than ordinary before the bust of a venerable old man. I was at a loss to guess the reason of it; when, after some time, he pointed to the figure, and asked me if I did not think that our forefathers looked much wiser in their beards than we do without them? For my part,' says he, when I am walking in my gallery in the country, and see my ancestors, who many of them died before they were of my age, I cannot forbear regarding them as so many old patriarchs, and at the same time, looking upon myself as an idle smock-faced young fellow. I love to see your Abrahams, your Isaacs, and your Jacobs, as we have them in old pieces of tapestry, with beards below their girdles, that cover half the hangings.' The knight added, if I would recommend beards in one of my papers and endeavour to restore human faces to their ancient dignity, that, upon a month's warning, he would undertake to lead up the fashion himself in a pair of whiskers.' I smiled at my friend's fancy; but, after we parted, could not forbear reflecting on the metamorphosis our faces have undergone in this particular. upon as the type of wisdom. Lucian more than once rallies the philosophers of his time, who endeavoured to rival one another in beards; and represents a learned man who stood for a professorship in philosophy, as unqualified for it by the shortness of his beard. 'I am a lad of about fourteen. I find a mighty pleasure in learning. I have been at the Latin school four years. I don't know I ever played truant, or neglected any task my master set me in my life. I think on what I read in school as I go home at noon and night, and so intently, that I have often gone half a mile out of my way, not minding whither went. Our maid tells me she often hears me talk Latin in my sleep, and I dream two or three nights in a week I am reading Juvenal and Homer. My master seems as well pleased with my performance as any boy's in the same class. I think, if I know my own mind, I would choose rather to be a scholar than a prince without learning. I have a very good, affectionate father; but though very rich, yet so mighty near, that he thinks much of the charges of my education. He often tells me he believes my schooling will ruin him; that The beard, conformable to the notion of my I cost him God knows what, in books. I trem-friend Sir Roger, was for many ages looked ble to tell him I want one. I am forced to keep my pocket-money, and lay it out for a book now and then, that he don't know of. He has ordered my master to buy no more books for me, but says he will buy them himself. I asked him for Horace t'other day, and he told me in a passion he did not believe I Ælian, in his account of Zolius, the pretendwas fit for it, but only my master had a mind ed critic, who wrote against Homer and Plato, to make him think I had got a great way in and thought himself wiser than all who had my learning. I am sometimes a month behind gone before him, tells us that this Zoilus had other boys in getting the books my master a very long beard that hung down upon his gives orders for. All the boys in the school, breast, but no hair upon his head, which he but I, have the classic authors in usum del- always kept close shaved, regarding, it seems, phini, gilt and lettered on the back. My fa- the hairs of his head as so many suckers, ther is often reckoning up how long I have been which if they had been suffered to grow, might at school, and tells me he fears I do little good. have drawn away the nourishment from his My father's carriage so discourages me, that chin, and by that means have starved his beard. he makes me grow dull and melancholy. My I have read somewhere, that one of the popes master wonders what is the matter with me; refused to accept an edition of a saint's works, I am afraid to tell him; for he is a man that which were presented to him, because the loves to encourage learning, and would be apt saint, in his effigies before the book, was drawn to chide my father, and, not knowing his tem-without a beard. per may make him worse. Sir, if you have We see by these instances what homage the any love for learning, I beg you would give me some instructions in this case, and persuade parents to encourage their children when they find them diligent and desirous of learning. I have heard some parents say, they would do any thing for their children, if they would but mind their learning: I would be glad to be in their place. Dear sir, pardon my boldness. If you will but consider and pity my case, I will pray for your prosperity as long as I live. London, March 2, 1711. Your humble servant, No. 331.] Thursday, March 20, 1711 12. world has formerly paid to beards; and that a barber was not then allowed to make those depredations on the faces of the learned, which have been permitted him of late years. Accordingly several wise nations have been so extremely jealous of the least ruffle offered to their beards, that they seem to have fixed the point of honour principally in that part. The Spaniards were wonderfully tender in this particular. Don Quevedo, in his third vision on the last jugment, has carried the humour very far, when he tells us that one of his vainglorious countrymen, after having received sentence, was taken into custody by a couple of evil spirits; but that his guides happening to disorder his mustaches, they were forced to recompose them with a pair of curling-irons before they could get him to file off. |