thus rallied, and reduced into regular bodies, ence to the heroic, as comic writers to their I flatter myself that I shall make no despica- serious brothes in the drama. ble figure at the head of them. By this short table of laws order is kept up, Whether these rules, which have been re-and distinction preserved, in the whole repubceived time out of mind in the commonwealth lic of letters. of letters, were not originally established Sic visum Veneri; Cui placet impares with an eye to our paper-manufacture, I shall No 530.] Friday, November 7, 1712. 0. Hor. Od. xxxiii. Lib. 1. 10. Thus Venus sports; the rich, the base, She ties the fatal noose, I come now to that point of precedency which is settled among the three learned professions by the wisdom of our laws. I. need And bids unequals to the brazen yokes.-Creech. not here take notice of the rank which is allotted to every doctor in each of these profes- severe upon marriage, in some part or other It is very usual for those who have been sions, who are all of them, though not so high of their lives, to enter into the fraternity which as knights, yet a degree above 'squires; this last order of men, being the illiterate body of they have ridiculed, and to see their raillery the nation, are consequently thrown together knew a woman-hater that did not, sooner or return upon their own heads. I scarce ever in a class below the three learned professions. I mention this for the sake of several rural later, pay for it. Marriage, which is a blessing to another man, falls upon such an one as a 'squies, whose reading does not rise so high as to The present State of England, and set forth to us with much wit and humour, as judgment. Mr. Congreve's Old Bachelor is who are often apt to usurp that precedency which by the laws of their country is not due an example of this kind. In short, those who to them. Their want of learning, which has have most distinguished themselves by railing planted them in this station, may in some honourable amends, by choosing one of the at the sex in general, very often make an measure extenuate their misdemeanour; and most worthless persons of it for a companion our professors ought to pardon them when they offend in this particular, considering in kind on those who turn his mysteries into and yoke-fellow. Hymen takes his revenge that they are in a state of ignorance, or, as we usually say, do not know their right hand from their left. ridicule. My friend Will Honeycomb, who was so There is another tribe of persons who are couple of letters which I lately communicated unmercifully witty upon the women, in a retainers to the learned world, and who re-to the public, has given the ladies ample sagulate themselves upon all occasions by seve- tisfaction by marrying a farmer's daughter; ral laws peculiar to their body; I mean the players or actors of both sexes. a piece of news which came to our club by Among these it is a standing and uncontroverted principle, that he has married a dairy-maid: but Will, the last post. The templar is very positive that a tragedian always takes place of a co-in his letter to me on this occasion, sets the median; and it is very well known the merry best face upon the matter that he can, and drolls who make us laugh are always placed gives a more tolerable account of his spouse. at the lower end of the table, and in every must confess I suspected something more entertainment give way to the dignity of the than ordinary, when upon opening the letter buskin. It is a stage maxim, Once a king, I found that Will was fallen off from his and always a king.' For this reason it would be thought very absurd in Mr. Bullock, not- which was his usual salute at the beginning of former gaiety, having changed 'Dear Spec,' withstanding the height and gracefulness of the letter, into 'My worthy Friend,' and subhis person, to sit at the right hand of an hero, scribed himself in the latter end, at full length, though he were but five foot high. The William Honey comb. In short, the gay, the same distinction is observed among the ladies loud, the vain Will Honeycomb, who had made of the theatre. Queens and heroines preserve love to every great fortune that has appeared their rank in private conversation, while those in town for above thirty years together, and who are waiting-women and maids of honour boasted of favours from ladies whom he had upon the stage keep their distance also behind the scenes. never seen, is at length wedded to a plain country girl. I shall only add that, by a parity of reason, all writers of tragedy look upon it as their due rake. The sober character of the husband is His letter gives us the picture of a converted to be seated, served, or saluted, before comic dashed with the man of the town, and enliwriters; those who deal in tragi-comedy usu-vened with those little cant phrases which ally taking their seats between the authors of have made my friend Will often thought very either side. There has been a long dispute for precedency between the tragic and heroic pretty company. But let us hear what he says poets. Aristotle would have the latter yield the pas to the former; but Mr. Dryden, and many others, would never submit to this deci for himself. MY WORTHY FRIEND, 'I question not but you, and the rest of sion. Burlesque writers pay the same defer- my acquaintance, wonder that I, who have Unde nil majus generatur ipso; Who guides below, and rules above, Creech. lived in the smoke and gallantries of the town for thirty years together, should all on a sudden grow fond of a country life. Had not my dog of a steward ran away as he did, without making up his accounts, had still been immersed in sin and sea-coal. But That can be, is, or was; since my late forced visit to my estate, I am Supreme he singly fills the throne. so pleased with it, that I am resolved to live and die upon it. I am every day abroad SIMONIDES being asked by Dionysius the among my acres, and can scarce forbear fill- tyrant what God was, desired a day's time to ing my letters with breezes, shades, flowers, consider of it before he made his reply. When meadows, and purling streams. The simpli- the day was expired he desired two days; and city of manners, which I have heard you so afterwards, instead of returning his answer, often speak of, and which appears here in demanded still double the time to consider of perfection, charms me wonderfully. As an it. This great poet and philosopher, the more instance of it I must acquaint you, and by he contemplated the nature of the Deity, found your means the whole club, that I have lately that he waded but the more out of his depth; married one of my tenant's daughters. She and that he lost himself in the thought, instead is born of honest parents; and though she has of finding an end of it. no portion, she has a great deal of virtue. The If we consider the idea which wise men, by natural sweetness and innocence of her be-the light of reason, have framed of the Divine haviour, the freshness of her complexion, the Being, it amounts to this; that he has in him unaffected turn of her shape and person, shot all the perfection of a spiritual nature. And, me through and through every time I saw her, since we have no notion of any kind of spiriand did more execution upon me in grogram tual perfection but what we discover in our than the greatest beauty in town or court had own souls, we join infinitude to each kind of ever done in brocade. In short, she is such these perfections, and what is a faculty in an one as promises me a good heir to my an human soul becomes an attribute in God. estate; and if by her means I cannot leave to We exist in place and time; the Divine Bemy children what are falsely called the gifts of ing fills the immensity of space with his prebirth, high titles, and alliances, I hope to con- sence, and inhabits eternity. We are posvey to them the more real and valuable gifts sessed of a little power and a little knowof birth-strong bodies, and healthy constitu- ledge: The Divine Being is almighty and omtions. As for your fine women I need not tell niscient. In short, by adding infinity to any thee that I know them. I have had my share kind of perfection we enjoy, and by joining all in their graces; but no more of that. It shall these different kinds of perfection in one bebe my business hereafter to live the life of an ing, we form our idea of the great Sovereign honest man, and to act as becomes the master of Nature. of a family. I question not but I shall draw Though every one who thinks must have upon me the raillery of the town, and be treat-made this observation, I shall produce Mr. ed to the tune of, The Marriage-hater Match-Locke's authority to the same purpose, out of ed; but I am prepared for it. I have been his Essay on Human Understanding. If we as witty upon others in my time. To tell thee examine the idea we have of the incompretruly, I saw such a tribe of fashionable young hensible Supreme Being, we shall find that we fluttering coxcombs shot up, that I did not come by it the same way; and that the comthink my post of an homme de ruelle any plex ideas we have both of God and separate longer tenable. I felt a certain stiffness in my spirits, are made up of the simple ideas we limbs, which entirely destroyed the jantiness receive from reflection: v. g. having, from of air I was once master of. Besides, for I may what we experience in ourselves, got the ideas now confess my age to thee, I have been eight-of existence and duration, of knowledge and and-forty above these twelve years. Since my powe: of pleasure and happiness, and of seretirement into the country will make a va- veral other qualities and powers, which it is cancy in the club, I could wish you would fill up my place with my friend Tom Dapperwit. He has an infinite deal of fire, and knows the town. For my own part, as I have said before, I shall endeavour to live hereafter suitable to a man in my station, as a prudent head of a family, a good husband, a careful father (when it shall so happen,) and as better to have than to be without: when we would frame an idea the most suitable we can to the Supreme Being, we enlarge every one of these with our own idea of infinity: and so putting them together, make our complex idea of God.' It is not impossible that there may be many kinds of spiritual perfection, besides these which are lodged in an human soul: but it is impossible that we should have the ideas of any kinds of perfection, except those of which we have some small rays and short imperfect strokes in ourselves. It would therefore be very high presumption to determine whether the Supreme Being has not many more attributes than those which enter into our conceptions of him. This is certain, that if there be any kind of spiritual perfec tion which is not marked out in an human the supreme model of all perfection. It would Soul, it belongs in its fulness to the divine na-likewise quicken our desires and endeavours of ture. uniting ourselves to him by all the acts of reli Several eminent philosophers have imagined gion and virtue. that the soul, in her separate state, may have Such an habitual homage to the Supreme new faculties springing up in her, which she Being would, in a particular manner, banish is not capable of exerting during her present from among us that prevailing impiety of union with the body; and whether these facul- using his name on the most trivial occaties may not correspond with other attributes sions. in the divine nature, and open to us hereafter I find the following passage in an excellent new matter of wonder and adoration, we are sermon, preached at the funeral of a gentlealtogether ignorant. This, as I have said be- man* who was an honour to his country, and fore, we ought to acquiesce in, that the So- a more diligent as well as successful inquirer vereign Being, the great author of nature has, into the works of nature than any other our in him all possible perfection, as well in kind nation has ever produced. He had the proas in degree to speak according to our me- foundest veneration for the great God of hea thods of conceiving, I shall only add under ven and earth that I ever observed in any perthis head, that when we have raised our no- son. The very name of God was never mention of this Infinite Being as high as it is pos- tioned by him without a pause and a visible sible for the mind of man to go, it will fall stop in his discourse; in which one, that knew infinitely short of what he really is. There him most particularly above twenty years, is no end of his greatness.' The most exalted has told me that he was so exact, that he does creature he has made is only capable of ador- not remember to have observed him once to ing it, none but himself can comprehend it. fail in it.' The advice of the son of Sirach is very just Every one knows the veneration which was and sublime in this light. By his word all paid by the Jews to a name so great, wonderthings consist. We may speak much, and yet ful, and holy. They would not let it enter come short: wherefore in sum he is all.. How even into their religious discourses. What shall we be able to magnify him? for he is can we think of those who make use of so great above all his works. The Lord is ter- tremendous a name in the ordinary expresrible and very great; and marvellous in his sions of their anger, mirth, and most imperpower. When you glorify the Lord, exalt him tinent passions? of those who admit it into as much as you can; for even yet will he far most familiar questions and assertions, ladiexceed. And when you exalt him, put forth crous phrases, and works of humour? not to all your strength, and be not weary; for you mention those who violate it by solemn perjucan never go far enough. Who hath seen him, ries! It would be an affront to reason to enthat he might tell us? and who can magnify deavour to set forth the horror and profanehim as he is? There are yet hid greater things ness of such a practice. The very mention than these be, for we have seen but a few of of it exposes it sufficiently to those in whom his works.' the light of nature, not to say religion, is not I have here only considered the Supreme utterly extinguished. Being by the light of reason and philosophy. If we would see him in all the wonders of his mercy, we must have recourse to revela- No. 532. Monday, November 10, 1712. 0. Fungor vice cotis, acutum Creech tion, which represents him to us not only as infinitely great and glorious, but as infinitely good and just in his dispensations towards man. But as this is a theory which falls under every one's consideration, though indeed it I play the whetstone: useless and unfit To cut myself, I sharpen others wit. can never be sufficiently considered, I shall here only take notice of that habitual worship Ir is a very honest action to be studious to and veneration which we ought to pay to this produce other men's merit; and I make no Almighty Being. We should often refresh our scruple of saying, I have as much of this temminds with the thought of him, and annihilate per as any man in the world It would not ourselves before him, in the contemplation of be a thing to be bragged of, but that it is what our own worthlessness, and of his transcend-any man may be master of, who will take ent excellency and perfection. This would pains enough for it. Much observation of the imprint in our minds such a constant and unworthiness in being pained at the excellence uninterrupted awe and veneration as that of another, will bring you to a scorn of yourwhich I am here recommending, and which self for that unwillingness; and when you is in reality a kind of incessant prayer, and have got so far, you will find it a greater pleareasonable humiliation of the soul before him sure than you ever before knew to be zealous who made it. in promoting the fame and welfare of the This would effectually kill in us all the little praise-worthy. I do not speak this as preseeds of pride, vanity, and self-conceit, which tending to be a mortified self-denying man, are apt to shoot up in the minds of such but as one who had turned his ambition into whose thoughts turn more on those compara- a right channel. I claim to myself the merit tive advantages which they enjoy over some of their fellow-creatures, than on that infinite distance which is placed between them and of the honourable Robert Boyle. See bishop Burnet's Sermon, preached at fhe füneral of having extorted excellent productions from levity, but rather of endearment and concern; a person of the greatest abilities, who would such as we find in Catullus, and the authors not have let them appeared by any other of Hendecasyllabi after him, where they are means;* to have animated a few young gen-used to express the utmost love and tenderness tlemen into worthy pursuits, who will be a for their mistresses. If you think me right in glory to our age; and at all times, and by my notion of the last words of Adrian, be all possible means in my power, undermined pleased to insert this in the Spectator; if not, the interest of ignorance, vice, and folly, and to suppress it. attempted to substitute in their stead, learning. It is from this honest piety, and good sense. heart that I find myself honoured as a gentleman-usher to the arts and sciences.Mr. Tickell and Mr. Pope have, it seems, this idea of me. The former has writ me an excellent paper of verses, in praise, forsooth, of myself; and the other enclosed for my perusal an admirable poem,t which I hope will shortly see the light. In the mean time I cannot suppress any thought of his, but insert this sentiment about the dying words of Adrian. I will not determine in the case he mentions; but have thus much to say in favour of his argument, that many of his own works which I have seen, convince me that very pretty and very sublime sentiments may be lodged in the same bosom without diminution of its greatness. MR. SPECTATOR, I was the other day in company with five or six men of some learning: where, chancing to mention the famous verses which the emperor Adrian spoke on his death-bed, they were all agreed that it was a piece of gaiety unworthy that prince in those circumstances. I could not but dissent from this opinion. Methinks it was by no means a gay but a very serious soliloquy to his soul at the point of his departure: in which sense I naturally took these verses at my first reading them, when I was very young, and before I knew what interpretation the world generally put upon them. "Animula vagula, blandula, "Alas, my soul! thou pleasing companion of this body, thou fleeting thing that art now deserting it, whither art thou flying? to what unknown regions? Thou art all trembling, fearful, and pensive. Now what is become of thy former wit and humour? Thou shalt jest and be gay no more." I confess I cannot apprehend where lies the trifling in all this; it is the most natural and obvious reflection imaginable to a dying man: and, if we consider the emperor was a heathen, that doubt concerning the future state of his soul will seem so far from being the effect of want of thought, that it was scarce reasonable he should think otherwise: not to mention that here is a plain confession included of his belief in its immortality. The diminutive epithets of vagula, blandula, and the rest, appear not to me as expressions of 'I am, &c. To the supposed Author of the Spectator. In courts licentious, and a shameless stage, Our youth run headlong in the fatal snare; Thy spotless thoughts unshock'd the priest may hear, Thy works in Chloe's toilet gain a part, The brainless stripling, who expell'd to town, 'Such readers scorn'd, thou wing'st thy daring flight To the Spectator General. MR. JOHN SLY HUMBLY SHOWETH. soft, obliging, tractable creature."-" After all," cries an old aunt (who belongs to the class of those who read plays with spectacles 'That upon reading the deputation given to the said Mr. John Sly, all persons passing by Dorothy ?"-"What do I think? why, I think on), "what think you, nephew, of proper Mrshis observatory behaved themselves with the she cannot be above six foot two inches same decorum as if your honour yourself had high."" Well, well, you may banter as long been present. faculties. tremes. For this end he has consulted the as you please, but height of stature is commanding and majestic."-" Come, come," That your said officer is preparing, according to your honour's secret instructions, hats for the several kinds of heads that says a cousin of mine in the family, "I will make figures in the realms of Great Britain, Fiddy must please you."-"Oh! your very fit him; Fidelia is yet behind-pretty Miss with cocks significant of their powers and humble servant, dear coz, she is as much too young as her eldest sister is too old."-" Is it 'That your said officer has taken due notice of your instructions and admonitions con- You that are but turned of twenty-two, and so, indeed," quoth she, "good Mr. Pert? cerning the internals of the head from the Miss Fiddy in half a year's time will be in her outward form of the same. His hats for men of the faculties of law and physic do but just thing. Then she will be so observant; she teens, and she is capable of learning any turn up, to give a little life to their sagacity will cry perhaps now and then, but never be his military hats glare full in the face; and he has prepared a familiar easy cock for all good matter, wherein I am more particularly conangry." Thus they will think for me in this companions between the above-mentioned ex-cerned than any body else. If I name any most learned of his acquaintance for the true has certainly the same qualities. You see by woman in the world, one of these daughters form and dimensions of the lequidum caput, these few hints, Mr. Spectator, what a comand made a hat fit for it. fortable life I lead. To be still more open and free with you, I have been passionately fond of a young lady (whom give me leave to call Miranda) now for these three years. I have with all the submission of a son, but the imoften urged the matter home to my parents patience of a lover. Pray, sir, think of three years: what inexpresible scenes of inquietude, what variety of misery must I have gone through in three whole years! Miranda's fortune is equal to those I have mentioned; but her relations are not intimates with mine! Ah! there's the rub! Miranda's person, wit, and humour, are what the nicest fancy could imaNay, says he, if one is too little, I will give you two;gine; and, though we know you to be so eleAnd if two will not satisfy you, I will add two more. 'Your said officer does further represent, that the young divines about town are many of them got into the cock military, and desires your instructions therein. That the town has been for several days very well behaved, and further your said officer saith not.' T. No. 533.] Tuesday, November 11, 1712. Immò duas dabo, inquit ille, una si parum est: Et si duarum pœnitebit, addentur quæ. Plaut. gant a judge of beauty, yet there is none among all your various characters of fine women preferable to Miranda. In a word, she is never guilty of doing any thing but 'You have often given us very excellent one amiss, (if she can be thought to do amiss discourses against that unnatural custom of by me) in being as blind to my faults, as she parents, in forcing their children to marry is to her own perfections. 'I am, Sir, Your very humble obedient servant, 'MR. SPECTATOR, contrary to their inclinations. My own case, without further preface, I will lay before you, and leave you to judge of it. My father and mother, both being in declining years, would fain see me, their eldest son, as they call it, settled. I am as much for that as they can be: but I must be settled, it seems, not ac- When you spent so much time as you did cording to my own, but their liking. Upon lately in censuring the ambitious young genthis account I am teazed every day, because I tlemen who ride in triumph through town and have not yet fallen into love, in spite of nature, country on coach-boxes, I wish you had emwith one of a neighbouring gentleman's ployed those moments in consideration of daughters; for, out of their abundant genero- what passes sometimes within-side of those sity, they give me the choice of four. "Jack," vehicles. I am sure I suffered sufficiently by begins my father. "Mrs. Catherine is a fine the insolence and ill-breeding of some perwoman."" Yes, sir, but she is rather too sons who travelled lately with me in the stage old."-" She will make the more discreet ma-coach out of Essex to London. I am sure, nager, boy." Then my mother plays her part. when you have heard what I have to say, you "Is not Mrs. Betty exceeding fair ?"-"Yes, will think there are persons under the cha madam, but she is of no conversation; she racter of gentlemen, that are fit to be no where has no fire, no agreeable vivacity; she neither else but on the coach-box. Sir, I am a young speaks nor looks with spirit."" True, son, woman of a sober and religious education, but for those very reasons she will be an easy, and have preserved that character; but on |