virtue makes us miserable in this life: but if only who are remarkable for their singularity we suppose, as it generally happens, that virtue would make us more happy even in this life than a contrary course of vice; how can we sufficiently admire the stupidity or madness of those persons who are capable of making so absurd a choice? Every wise man therefore will consider this life only as it may conduce to the happiness of the other, and cheerfully sacrifice the pleasures of a few years to those of an eternity. No. 576] Wednesday, August 4, 1714. Nitor in adversum; nec me, qui cætera, vincit I steer against their motions, nor am I Addison. in things of no importance; as in dress, behaviour, conversation, and all the little intercour. ses of life. In these cases there is a certain deference due to custom; and, notwithstanding there may be a colour of reason to deviate from the multitude in some particulars, a man ought to sacrifice his private inclinations and opinions to the practice of the public. It must be confessed that good sense often makes an humour. ist; but then it unqualifies him for being of any moment in the world, and renders him ridic ulous to persons of a much inferior understanding. I have heard of a gentleman in the north of England who was a remarkable instance of this foolish singularity. He had laid it down as a rule within himself, to act in the most indifferent parts of life according to the most abstracted notions of reason and good sense, without I REMEMBER a young man of very lively any regard to fashion or example. This huparts, and of a sprightly turn in conversation, mour broke out at first in many little oddnesses: who had only one fault, which was an inordi- he had never any stated hours for his dinner, nate desire of appearing fashionable. This ran supper, or sleep; because, said he, we ought him into many amours, and consequently into to attend the calls of nature, and not set our many distempers. He never went to bed until appetites to our meals, but bring our meals to two o'clock in the morning, because he would our appetites. In his conversation with counnot be a queer fellow; and was every now and try gentlemen, he would not make use of a then knocked down by a constable, to signal- phrase that was not strictly true; he never told ize his vivacity. He was initiated into half a any of them that he was his humble servant, dozen clubs before he was one-and-twenty but that he was his well-wisher, and would and so improved in them his natural gaiety of rather be thought a mal-content, than drink temper, that you might frequently trace him to the king's health when he was not dry. He his lodging by a range of broken windows, and would thrust his head out of his chamber winother the like monuments of wit and gallantry. dow every morning, and, after having gaped To be short, after having fully established his for fresh air about half an hour, repeat fifty reputation of being a very agreeable rake, he died of old age at five-and-twenty. verses as loud as he could bawl them, for the benefit of his lungs; to which end he generally There is indeed nothing which betrays a man took them out of Homer-the Greek tongue, into so many errors and inconveniences as the especially in that author, being more deep and desire of not appearing singular; for which sonorous, and more conducive to expectoration reason it is very necessary to form a right idea than any other. He had many other particuof singularity, that we may know when it is larities, for which he gave sound and philolaudable, and when it is vicious. In the first sophical reasons. As this humour still grew place, every man of sense will agree with me upon him, he chose to wear a turban instead of that singularity is laudable when, in contra- a periwig ; concluding, very justly, that a bandiction to a multitude, it adheres to the dic-dage of clean linen about his head was much tates of conscience, morality, and honour. In more wholesome, as well as cleanly, than the these cases we ought to consider that it is not caul of a wig, which is soiled with frequent custom, but duty, which is the rule of action; perspirations. He afterwards judiciously oband that we should be only so far sociable, as served, that the many ligatures in our Enklish we are reasonable creatures. Truth is never dress must naturally check the circulation of the less so for not being attended to: and it is the blood; for which reason he made his the nature of actions, not the number of actors, breeches and his doublet of one continued piece by which we ought to regulate our behaviour. Singularity in concerns of this kind is to be looked upon as heroic bravery, in which a man leaves the species only as he soars above it. What greater instance can there be of a weak and pusillanimous temper, than for a man to pass his whole life in oppositon to his own sentiments? or not to dare to be what he thinks he ought to be? of cloth, after the manner of the hussars. In short, by following the pure dictates of reason, he at length departed so much from the rest of his countrymen, and indeed from his whole species, that his friends would have clapped hint into Bedlam, and have begged his estate; but the judge, being informed he did no harm, contented himself with issuing out a commission of lunacy against him, and putting his esSingularity, therefore, is only vicious when tate into the hands of proper guardians. it makes men act contrary to reason, or when The fate of this philosopher puts me in mind it puts them upon distinguishing themselves by of a remark in monsieur Fontenelle's Dia trifles. As for the first of these, who are sin-logues of the Dead. The ambitious, and the gular in any thing that is irreligious, immoral, covetous,' says he, are madmen to all intents or dishonourable, I believe every one will easily and purposes as much as those who are shut up give them up. I shall therefore speak of those in dark rooms; but they have the good luck to have numbers on their side; whereas the walked to and fro with the book in my hand; phrensy of one who is given up for a lunatic is and, to speak the truth, I fear I made no little a phrensy hors d'œuvre;' that is,in other words, noise; when presently coming to the following something which is singular in its kind, and lines: does not fall in with the madness of a multitude. The subject of this essay was occasioned by a letter which I received not long since, and On a sudden open fly, With impetuous recoil and jarring sound, which, for want of room at present, I shall in-I in great transport threw open the door of sert in my next paper. my chamber, and found the greatest part of the family standing on the outside in a very great cousternation. I was in no less confusion, and begged pardon for having disturbed them; addressing myself particularly to comfort one of the children who received an unlucky fall in this action, while he was too intently surveying my meditations through THE letter mentioned in my last paper is as the key-hole. To be short, after this advenfollows. 'SIR, 'You have so lately decried that custom, too much in use amongst most people, of making themselves the subjects of their writings and conversation, that I had some difficulty to persuade myself to give you this trouble until I had considered that though I should speak in the first person, yet I could not be justly charged with vanity, since I shall not add my name as also, because what I shall write will not, to say the best, redound to my praise, but is only designed to remove a prejudice conceived against me, as I hope, with very little foundation. My short history is this. : ture, I easily observed that great part of the family, especially the women and children, looked upon me with some apprehensions of fear; and my friend himself, though he still continues his civilities to me, did not seem altogether easy: I took notice that the butler was never after this accident ordered to leave the bottle upon the table after dinner. Add to this, that I frequently overheard the servants mention me by the name of "the crazed gentleman, the gentleman a little touched, the mad 66 Londoner," and the like. This made me think it high time for me to shift ny quarters, which I resolved to do the first handsome opportunity; and was confirmed in this resolution by a young lady in the neighbourhood who fre'I have lived for some years last past alto-quently visited us, and who one day, after havgether in London, until about a month ago an ing heard all the fine things I was able to say, acquaintance of mine, for whom I have done was pleased with a scornful smile to bid me 'go to sleep." some small services in town, invited me to pass The first minute I got to my lodgings in part of the summer with him at his house in the country. I accepted his invitation, and town I set pen to paper to desire your opinion, whether upon the evidence before you, I am found a very hearty welcome. My friend, an mad or not. I can bring certificates that I honest plain man, not being qualified to pass away his time without the reliefs of business, behave myself soberly before company, and I has grafted the farmer upon the gentleman, hope there is at least some merit in withdrawand brought himself to submit even to the ing to be mad. Look you, sir, I am contented servile parts of that employment, such as in- to be esteemed a little touched, as they phrase specting his plough and the like. This neces-it, but should be sorry to be madder than my sarily takes up some of his hours every day; neighbours; therefore, pray let me be as much and, as I have no relish for such diversion, I in my senses as you can afford. I know I used at these times to retire either to my could bring yourself as an instance of a man chamber, or a shady walk near the house, and who has confessed talking to himself; but entertain myself with some agreeable author. yours is a particular case, and cannot justify Now, you must know, Mr. Spectator, that me, who have not kept silence any part of What if I should own myself in when I read, especially if it be poetry, it is my life. love? You know lovers are always allowed very usual with me, when I meet with any passage or expression which strikes me much, the comfort of soliloquy.—But I will say no to pronounce it aloud, with that tone of the more upon this subject, because I have long voice which I think agreeable to the senti- since observed the ready way to be thought ments there expressed; and to this I generally mad is to contend that you are not so: as add some motion or action of the body. It we generally conclude that man drunk who was not long before I was observed by some takes pains to be thought sober. I will thereof the family in one of these, heroic fits, who fore leave myself to your determination; but thereupon received impressions very much to am the more desirous to be thought in my my disadvantage. This however I did not senses, that it may be no discredit to you soon discover, nor should have done proba-when I assure you that I have always been bly, had it not been for the following acci- very much dent. I had one day shut myself up in my chamber, and was very deeply engaged in 'Your admirer. 'P. S. IfI must be mad, I desire the young the second bood of Milton's Paradise Lost. Ilady may believe it is for her.' The humble Petition of John-a-Nokes and 'SHOWETH, I was mightily pleased with a story in some measure applicable to this piece of philosophy, which I read the other day in the Persian Tales, as they are lately very well translated by Mr. Philips; and with an abridgement whereof I shall here present my readers. I shall only premise that these stories are writ after the eastern manner, but somewhat more correct. That your petitioners have causes depending in Westminster-hall above five hundred years, and that we despair of ever seeing them brought to an issue: that your petitioners have not been involved in these law-suits out of any litigious temper of their own, but by the insti- 'Fadlallah, a prince of great virtues, sucgation of contentious persons; that the young ceeded his father Bin Ortoc in the kingdom lawyers in our inns of court are continually of Mousel. He reigned over his faithful subsetting us together by the ears, and think jects for some time, and lived in great hapthey do us no hurt, because they plead for us piness with his beauteous consort queen Zemwithout a fee; that many of the gentlemen of roude, when there appeared at his court a the robe have no other clients in the world young dervis of so lively and entertaining a besides us two; that when they have nothing turn of wit, as won upon the affections of else to do, they make us plaintiffs and defend- every one he conversed with. His reputaants, though they were never retained by any tion grew so fast every day, that it at last of us that they traduce, condemn, or acquit raised a curiosity in the prince himself to us, without any manner of regard to our repu- see and talk with him. He did so; and, far tations and good names in the world. Your from finding that common fame had flatpetitioners therefore, being thereunto encou-tered him, he was soon convinced that every raged by the favourable reception which you thing he had heard of him fell short of the lately gave to our kinsman Blank, do humbly truth. pray, that you will put an end to the contro- Fadlallah immediately lost all manner of versies which have been so long depending be- relish for the conversation of other men; tween us your said petitioners, and that our enmity may not endure from generation to generation; it being our resolution to live hereafter as it becometh men of peaceable dispositions. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray, &c.' No. 578.] Monday, August 9, 1714. -Eque feris humana in corpora transit, Inque feras noster. Ovid. Met. Lib. xv. 167. -Th' unbodied spirit flies— Dryden. and, as he was every day more and more satisfied of the abilities of this stranger, offered him the first posts in his kingdom. The young dervis, after having thanked him with a very singular modesty, desired to be excused, as having made a vow never to accept of any employment, and preferring a free and independent state of life to all other conditions. The king was infinitely charmed with so great an example of moderation; and though he could not get him to engage in a life of business, made him however his chief companion and first favourite. 'As they were one day hunting together, and happened to be separated from the rest of the company, the dervis entertained Fadlallah with an account of his travels and adventures. THERE has been very great reason, on seve- After having related to him several curiosiral accounts, for the learned world to endea- ties which he had seen in the Indies, "It vour at settling what it was that might be said was in this place," says he, "that I contractto compose personal identity. ed an acquaintance with an old brachman, Mr. Locke, after having premised that the who was skilled in the most hidden powers word person properly signifies a thinking intel- of nature: he died within my arms, and ligent being that has reason and reflection, and with his parting breath communicated to me can consider itself as itself, concludes, that it one of the most valuable secrets, on condition is consciousness alone, and not an identity of I should never reveal it to any man." The substance, which makes this personal identity king immediately, reflecting on his young faof sameness. Had I the same consciousness,' vourite's having refused the late offers of says that author, that I saw the ark and greatness he had made him, told him he Noah's flood, as that I saw an overflowing of presumed it was the power of making gold. the Thames last winter, or as that I now" No, sir," says the dervis, "it is somewhat write; I could no more doubt that I who write more wonderful than that; it is the power of this now, that saw the Thames overflow last re-animating a dead body, by flinging my winter, and that viewed the flood at the general own soul into it." deluge, was the same self, place that self in 'While he was yet speaking, a doe came what substance you please, than that I who bounding by them, and the king, who had his write this am the same myself now while I bow ready, shot her through the heart; telwrite, whether I consist of all the same sub-ling the dervis, that a fair opportunity now stance, material or immaterial, or no, that offered for him to show his art. The young was yesterday; for as to this point of being the same self, it matters not whether this present self be made up of the same or other substances.' man immediately left his own body breathless on the ground, while at the same instant that of the doe was reanimated. She came to the king, fawned upon him, and, after having Zemroude was, likewise fond of a little lapdog which she kept in her apartment, and which one night happened to die. played several wanton tricks, fell again upon ate himself with her nightingale; and while the grass; at the same instant the body of the enraged Fadlallah pecked at him with the dervis recovered its life. The king was his bill, beat his wings, and showed all the infinitely pleased at so uncommon an opera- marks of an impotent rage, it only afforded tion, and conjured his friend by every thing his rival and the queen new matter for their that was sacred to communicate it to him. diversion. The dervis at first made some scruple of violating his promise to the dying brachman; but told him at last that he found he could conceal nothing from so excellent a prince; The king immediately found himself inafter having obliged him therefore by an oath clined to quit the shape of the nightingale, to secresy, he taught him to repeat two caba-and enliven this new body. He did so, and listic words, in pronouncing of which the the next morning Zemroude saw her favourwhole secret consisted. The king, impatient ite bird lie dead in the cage. It is impossito try the experiment, immediately repeated ble to express her grief on this occasion: and them as he had been taught, and in an instant when she called to mind all its little actions, found himself in the body of the doe. He had which even appeared to have somewhat in but a little time to contemplate himself in this them like reason, she was inconsolable for new being; for the treacherous dervis, shoot- her loss. ing his own soul into the royal corpse, and bending the prince's own bow against him, had laid him dead on the spot, had not the king, who perceived his intent, fled swiftly to 'Her women immediately sent for the dervis to come and comfort her, who after having in vain represented to her the weakness of being grieved at such an accident, touched at last by her repeated complaints, The dervis, now triumphing in his villainy," Well madam," says he, "I will exert the returned to Mousel, and filled the throne and utmost of my art to please you. Your nightbed of the unhappy Fadlallah. ingale shall again revive every morning, and the woods. 'Zemroude was more than ever amazed and concerned at this second accident, until the king, entreating her to hear him, related to her his whole adventure. The first thing he took care of, in order to serenade you as before." The queen beheld secure himself in the possession of his new ac-him with a look which easily showed she did quired kingdom, was to issue out a proclama-not believe him; when, laying himself down tion, ordering his subjects to destroy all the on a sofa, he shot his soul into the nightindeer in the realm. The king had perished gale, and Zemroude was amazed to see her among the rest had he not avoided his pur-bird revive. suers by reanimating the body of a nightingale The king who was a spectator of all that which he saw lie dead at the foot of a tree. In passed, lying under the shape of a lap-dog in this new shape he winged his way in safety to one corner of the room, immediately recovered the palace; where, perching on a tree which his own body, and running to the cage, with stood near the queen's apartment, he filled the the utmost indignation, twisted off the neck of whole place with so many melodious and me- the false nightingale. lancholy notes as drew her to the window. He had the mortification to see that, instead of being pitied, he only moved the mirth of his princess, and of a young female slave who was with her. He continued however to serenade The body of the dervis, which was found her every morning, until at last the queen, dead in the wood, and his edict for killing all charmed with his harmony, sent for the bird-the deer, left her no room to doubt of the catchers, and ordered them to employ their ut- truth of it: but the story adds, that out of an most skill to put that little creature in her pos-extreme delicacy, peculiar to the oriental lasession. The king, pleased with an opportu- dies, she was so highly afflicted at the innocent nity of being once more near his beloved con- adultery in which she had for some time lived sort, easily suffered himself to be taken: and with the dervis, that no arguments, even from when he was presented to her. though he Fadlallah himself, could compose her mind. showed a fearfulness to be touched by any of She shortly after died with grief, begging his the other ladies, flew of his own accord, and pardon with her last breath for what the most hid himself in the queen's bosom. Zemroude rigid justice could not have interpreted as a was highly pleased at the unexpected fondness crime. of her new favourite, and ordered him to be 'The king was so afflicted with her death, kept in an open cage in her own apartment. that he left his kingdom to one of his nearest He had there an opportunity of making his relations, and passed the rest of his days in socourt to her every morning, by a thousand lit-litude and retirement.' tle actions which his shape allowed him. The queen passed away whole hours every day, in hearing and playing with him, Fadlallah could No. 579.] Wednesday, August 11, 1714. even have thought himself happy in this state of life, had he not frequently endured the inexpressible torment of seeing the dervis enter the apartment and caress his queen even in his presence. -Odora canum vis. Sagacious hounds. Virg. Eu. iv. 132. In the reign of king Charles the First, the The usurper, amidst his toying with his company of stationers, into whose hands the princess, would often endeavour to ingrati-printing of the bible is committed by patent, 44 VOL. II. made a very remarkable erratum or blunder was which the dogs gave to these little misses, in one of the editions: for instead of Thou from that which they had shown to their mo shalt not commit adultery.' they printed off thers. It is said that the prince of Syracuse, several thousands of copies with Thou shalt having married a young lady, and being natucommit adultery.' Archbishop Laud, to pun-rally of a jealous temper, made such an inteish this their negligence, laid a considera- rest with the priests of this temple, that he ble fine upon that company in the star-chamber.procured a whelp from them of this famous By the practice of the world, which prevails breed. The young puppy was very troublein this degenerate age, I am afraid that very some to the fair lady at first, insomuch that she many young profligates of both sexes are pos- solicited her husband to send him away; but sessed of this spurious edition of the bible, and the good man cut her short with the old Siciobserve the commandment according to that lian proverb, "Love me, love my dog;" from faulty reading. which time she lived very peaceably with both Adulterers, in the first ages of the church, of them. The ladies of Syracuse were very were excommunicated for ever, and unquali- much annoyed with him, and several of very fied all their lives for bearing a part in Christian good reputation refused to come to court until assemblies, notwithstanding they might seek he was discarded. There were indeed some it with tears, and all the appearances of the of them that defied his sagacity; but it was obmost unfeigned repentance. served, though he did not actually bite them, I might here mention some ancient laws he would growl at them most confoundedly. among the heathens, which punished this crime To return to the dogs of the temple: after they with death: and others of the same kind, which had lived here in great repute for several years, are now in force among several governments it so happened, that as one of the priests, that have embraced the reformed religion. who had been making a charitable visit to a But, because a subject of this nature may be widow who lived on the promontory of Lilytoo serious for my ordinary readers, who are beum, returned home pretty late in the evenvery apt to throw by my papers when they ing, the dogs flew at him with so much fury, are not enlivened with something that is di- that they would have worried him if his brethverting or uncommon, I shall here publish ren had not come in to his assistance: upon the contents of a little manuscript lately fal-which, says my author, the dogs were all of them len into my hands, and which pretends to hanged, as having lost their original instinct.' great antiquity; though by reason of some I cannot conclude this paper without wishmodern phrases, and other particulars in it, I can by no means allow it to be genuine, but rather the production of a modern sophist. ing that we had some of this breed of dogs in Great Britain, which would certainly do jus tice, I should say honour, to the ladies of our It is well known by the learned, that there country, and show the world the difference bewas a temple upon Mount Etna dedicated to tween pagan women and those who are inVulcan, which was guarded by dogs of so ex-structed in sounder principles of virtue and requisite a smell, say the historians, that they ligion. could discern whether the persons who came thither were chaste or otherwise. They used to meet and fawn upon such who were chaste, No. 580.] Friday, August 13, 1714. caressing them as the friends of their master Vulcan; but flew at those who were polluted, and never ceased barking at them till they had driven them from the temple. My manuscript gives the following account of these dogs, and was probably designed as a comment upon this story. Si verbo audacia detur, Non metuam magni dixisse palatia cœli. SIR, But 'CONSIDERED in my two last letters that These dogs were given to Vulcan by his awful and tremenduous subject. the ubiquity sister Diana, the goddess of hunting and of or omnipresence of the Divine Being. I have chastity, having bred them out of some of shown that he is equally present in all places her hounds, in which she had observed this throughout the whole extent of infinite space. natural instinct and sagacity. It was thought This doctrine is so agreeable to reason, that she did it in spite to Venus, who, upon her re- we meet with it in the writings of the enlightturn home, always found her husband in a ened heathens, as I might show at large. were good or bad humour, according to the recep- it not already done by other hands. tion which she met with from his dogs. They though the Deity be thus essentially present lived in the temple several years, but were through all the immensity of space, there is such snappish curs, that they frighted away one part of it in which he discovers himself in most of the votaries. The women of Sicily a most transcendent and visible glory; this made a solemn deputation to the priest, by is that place which is marked out in scripture which they acquainted him, that they would under the different appellations of." Paradise, not come up to the temple with their aunua! the third heaven, the throne of God, and the offerings unless he muzzled his mastiffs; and habitation of his glory." It is here where at last compromised the matter with him, that the glorified body of our Saviour resides, and the offering should always be brought by a where all the celestial hierarchies, and the chorus of young girls, who were none of them innumerable hosts of angels, are represented above seven years old. It was wonderful, says as perpetually surrounding the seat of God the author to see how different the treatment with hallelujahs and hymns of praise. This is |