'I then removed all my china into a room which he never frequents; but I got nothing by this neither, for my looking-glasses immediately went to rack. fore. I then laid the fragments together in a tells us, that Cyrus having taken a most beauheap, and gave him his cane again, desiring tiful lady, named Panthea, the wife of Abradahim that, if he chanced to be in anger, he tas, committed her to the custody of Araspas, whould spend his passion upon the china that a young Persian nobleman, who had a little was broke to his hand; but the very next day, before maintained in discourse that a mind upon my giving a wrong message to one of the truly virtuous was incapable of entertaining servants, he flew into such a rage, that he an unlawful passion. The young gentleman swept down a do zen tea-dishes, which, to my had not long been in possession of his fair capmisfortune, stood very convenient for a side tive, when a complaint was made to Cyrus, blow. that he not only solicited the lady Panthea to receive him in the room of her absent husband, but that, finding his entreaties had no effect, he was preparing to make use of force. Cyrus, who loved the young man, immediately In short, sir, whenever he is in a passion sent for him, and in a gentle manner reprehe is angry at every thing that is brittle; and senting to him his fault, and putting him in if on such occasions he hath nothing to vent mind of his former assertion, the unhappy his rage upon, I do not know whether my youth, confounded with a quick sense of his bones would be in safety. Let me beg of you, guilt and shame, burst out into a flood of tears, sir, to let me know whether there be any and spoke as follows: cure for this unaccountable distemper; or if 'Oh Cyrus, I am convinced that I have two not, that you will be pleased to publish this souls. Love has taught me this piece of philetter for my husband having a great vene-losophy. If I had but one soul, it could not ration for your writings, will by that means know you do not approve of his conduct. I am, &c.' at the same time pant after virtue and vice, wish and abhor the same thing. It is certain therefore we have two souls: when the good soul rules, I undertake noble and virtuous actions; but, when the bad soul predominates, I am forced to do evil. All I can say at present is, that I find my good soul, encouraged by your presence, has got the better of my bad." I know not whether my readers will allow of this piece of philosophy; but if they will not, they must confess we meet with as different passions in one and the same soul as can be supposed in two. We can hardly read the life of a great man who lived in former ages, or converse with any who is eminent among our contemporaries, that is not an instance of what I am saying. Ir is the work of a philosopher to be every day subduing his passions, and laying aside his prejudices. I endeavour at least to look upon men and their actions only as an impartial Spectator, without any regard to them But as I have hitherto only argued against as they happen to advance or cross my own the partiality and injustice of giving our judg private interest. But while I am thus employment upon men in gross, who are such a comed myself, I cannot help observing how those position of virtues and vices, of good and evil about me suffer themselves to be blinded by I might carry this reflection still further, and prejudice and inclination, how readily they make it extend to most of their actions. If on pronounce on every man's character, which the one hand we fairly weighed every cir they can give in two words, and make him cumstance, we should frequently find them either good for nothing, or qualified for every obliged to do that action we at first sight conthing. On the contrary, those who search demn, in order to avoid another we should thoroughly into human nature will find it have been much more displeased with. If on much more difficult to determine the value of the other hand we nicely examined such actheir fellow-creatures, and that men's charac- tions as appear most dazzling to the eye, we ters are not thus to be given in general words. should find most of them either deficient and There is indeed no such thing as a person en-lame in several parts, produced by a bad amtirely good or bad; virtue and vice are blend-bition, or directed to an ill end. The very ed and mixed together, in a great or less pro- same action may sometimes be so oddly cirportion, in every one; and if you would cumstanced, that it is difficult to determine search for some particular good quality in whether it ought to be rewarded or punished. its most eminent degree of perfection, you Those who compiled the laws of England were will often find it in a mind where it is darkened so sensible of this, that they have laid it down and eclipsed by an hundred other irregular as one of their first maxims, 'It is better sufpassions. fering a mischief than an inconvenience;' Men have either no character at all, says a which is as much as to say, in other words, celebrated author, or it is that of being incon- that, since no law can take in or provide for sistent with themselves. They find it easier all cases, it is better private men should have to join extremities, than to be uniform and of some injustice done them than that a public a piece. This is finely illustrated in Xeno-grievance should not be redressed. This is phon's life of Cyrus the Great. That author usually pleaded in defence of all those hard ships which fall on particular persons on after another, until the whole firmament was particular occasions, which could not be for- in a glow. The blueness of the ether was seen when a law was made. To remedy this exceedingly heightened and enlivened by the however as much as possible, the court of chan-season of the year, and by the rays of cery was erected, which frequently mitigates all those luminaries that passed through it. and breaks the teeth of the common law, in The galaxy appeared in its most beautiful cases of men's properties, while in criminal white. To complete the scene, the full moon cases there is a power of pardoning still lodg-rose at length in that clouded majesty which ed in the crown. Milton takes notice of, and opened to the Notwithstanding this, it is perhaps impossi-eye a new picture of nature, which was more ble in a large government to distribute re- finely shaded, and disposed among softer wards and punishments strictly proportioned lights than that which the sun had before to the merits of every action. The Spartan discovered to us. commonwealth was indeed wonderfully exact As I was surveying the moon walking in her in this particular; and I do not remember brightness, and taking her progress among the in all my reading to have met with so nice constellations, a thought rose in me which I an example of justice as that recorded by believe very often perplexes and disturbs men Plutarch, with which I shall close my paper of this day. of serious and contemplative natures. David himself fell into it in that reflection, When The city of Sparta being unexpectedly at- I consider the heavens the work of thy fingers, tacked by a powerful army of Thebans, was the moon and the stars which thou hast orin very great danger of falling into the hands dained; what is man that thou art mindful of of their enemies. The citizens suddenly him, and the son of man that thou regardest gathered themselves into a body, fought with him!' In the same manner, when I consia resolution equal to the necessity of their dered that infinite host of stars, or, to speak affairs, yet no one so remarkably distinguished more philosophically, of suns which were himself on this occasion, to the amazement then shining upon me, with those innumeraof both armies, as Isidas the son of Phoebidas, ble sets of planets or worlds which were who was at that time in the bloom of his moving round their respective suns; when youth, and very remarkable for the comeli-I still enlarged the idea, and supposed another ness of his person. He was coming out of heaven of suns and worlds rising still above the bath when the alarm was given, so that this which we discovered, and these still enhe had not time to put on his clothes, much lightened by a superior firmanent of luminaless his armour; however, transported with ries, which are planted at so great a distance, a desire to serve his country in so great an that they may appear to the inhabitants of exigency, snatching up a spear in one hand the former as the stars do to us; in short, and a sword in the other, he flung himself while I pursued this thought, I could not but into the thickest ranks of his enemies. No- reflect on that little insignificant figure which thing could withstand his fury: in what part I myself bore amidst the immensity of God's soever he fought he put the enemies to works. flight without receiving a single wound.- Were the sun, which enlightens this part Whether, says Plutarch he was the particular of the creation, with all the host of planetary care of some god, who rewarded his valour that worlds that move about him, utterly extinday with an extraordinary protection, or that guished and annihilated, they would not be his enemies, struck with the unusualness of missed more than a grain of sand upon the his dress, and beauty of his shape, supposed sea-shore. The space they possess is so exhim something more than man, I shall not ceedingly little in comparison of the whole, determine. that it would scarce make a blank in the The gallantry of this action was judged so creation. The chasm would be imperceptible great by the Spartans, that the ephori, or chief magistrates, decreed he should be presented with a garland; but, as soon as they had done so, fined him a thousand drachmas for going out to the battle unarmed. to an eye that could take in the whole compass of nature, and pass from one end of the creation to the other; as it is possible there may be such a sense in ourselves hereafter, or in creatures which are at present more exalted than ourselves. We see many stars by the help of glasses, which we do not discover with our naked eyes; and the finer our telescopes are, the more still are our discoveries. Huygenius carries this thought so far, that he does not think it impossible there may be stars whose light is not yet travelled down to us since their first creation. There is no question but the universe has certain bounds set to it; but when we consider that it is the work of infinite power, prompted by infinite goodness, with an infinite space to exert itself in, how can our imagination set any bounds to it? I WAS yesterday, about sun-set, walking in the open fields, until the night insensibly fell upon me. I at first amused myself with all the richness and variety of colours which appeared in the western parts of heaven; in proportion as they faded away and went To return therefore to my first thought: out, several stars and planets appeared one I could not but look upon myself with secret horror, as a being that was not worth the well as omnipresent. His omniscience insmallest regard of one who had so great a work deed necessarily and naturally flows from under his care and superintendency. I was his omnipresence; he cannot but be conscious afraid of being overlooked amidst the immen- of every motion that arises in the whole masity of nature, and lost among that infinite terial world, which he thus essentially pervariety of creatures, which in all probability vades, and of every thought that is stirring swarm through all these immeasurable regions in the intellectual world, to every part of of matter. which he is thus intimately united. Several In order to recover myself from this morti-moralists have considered the creation as the fying thought, I considered that it took its rise temple of God, which he has built with his from those narrow conceptions which we are own hands, and which is filled with his apt to entertain of the divine nature. We presence. Others have considered infinite ourselves cannot attend to many different space as the receptacle, or rather the habobjects at the same time. If we are careful itation, of the Almighty but the noblest to inspect some things, we must of course and most exalted way of considering this neglect others. This imperfection, which we infinite space is that of Sir Isaac Newton, observe in ourselves, is an imperfection that who calls it the sensorium of the Godhead, cleaves in some degree to creatures of the Brutes and men have their sensoriola, or litfle highest capacities, as they are creatures, that sensoriums, by which they apprehend the is, beings of finite and limited natures. The presence and perceive the actions of a few presence of every created being is confined objects that lie contiguous to them. Their to a certain measure of space, and conse- knowledge and observation turn within a very quently his observation is stinted to a certain narrow circle. But as God Almighty cannot number of objects. The sphere in which we but perceive and know every thing in which move, and act, and understand, is of a wider he resides, infinite space gives room to inficircumference to one creature than another, nite knowledge, and is, as it were, an organ to according as we rise one above another in omniscience. the scale of existence. But the widest of these Were the soul separate from the body, our spheres has its circumferance. When, and with one glance of thought should start therefore, we reflect on the divine nature, beyond the bonds of the creation, should we are so used and accustomed to this im- it for millions of years continue its progress perfection in ourselves, that we cannot forbear through infinite space with the same activiin some measure ascribing it to him in whom ty, it would still find itself within the emthere is no shadow of imperfection. One rea-brace of its Creator, and encompassed round son indeed assures us that his attributes are with the immensity of the Godhead. Whilst infinite; but the poorness of our conceptions we are in the body he is not less present with is such, that it cannot forbear setting bounds us because he is concealed from us. O that to every thing it contemplates, until our rea-I knew where I might find him!' says Job. son comes again to our succour, and throws down all those little prejudices which rise in us unawares and are natural to the mind of man. absent from us, notwithstanding he is undiscovered by us. Behold I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him; on the left hand, where he does work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand We shall therefore utterly extinguish this that I cannot see him.' In short, reason, as melancholy thought, of our being overlook-well as revelation assures us, that he cannot be ed by our Maker in the multiplicity of his works, and the infinity of those objects among which he seems to be incessantly employed, In this consideration of God Almighty's if we consider, in the first place, that he is omnipresence and omniscience, every uncomomnipresent; and, in the second, that he is fortable thought vanishes. He cannot but omniscient. regard every thing that bas being, especially If we consider him in his omnipresence, such of his creatures who fear they are not his being passes through, actuates, and sup-regarded by him. He is privy to all their ports the whole frame of nature. His crea- thoughts, and to that anxiety of heart in tion, and every part of it, is full of him. particular, which is apt to trouble them on There is nothing he has made that is either this occasion: for, as it is impossible he should so distant, so little, or so inconsiderable which overlook any of his creatures, so we may be he does not essentially inhabit. His sub-confident that he regards, with an eye of merstance is within the substance of every being, cy, those who endeavour to recommend them whether material or immaterial, and as inti- selves to his notice, and in an unfeigned hu mately present to it as that being is to itself. mility of heart think themselves unworthy that It would be an imperfection in him, were he he should be mindful of them. able to remove out of one place into another, or to withdraw himself from any thing he No. 566.] Monday, July 12, 1714. has created, or from any part of that space which is diffused and spread abroad to infinity. In short, to speak of him in the language of the old philosopher, he is a Being whose centre is every where, and his circumference no where. In the second place, he is omniscient as Militia species amor est. Ovid, Ars. Am. ii. 233. Love is a kind of warfare. As my correspondents begin to grow pretty numerous, I think myself obliged to take 42 some notice of them, and shall therefore make the original he would copy after; but when he this paper a miscellany of letters. I have, sees the same things charged and aggravated since my re-assuming the office of Spectator, to a fault, he no sooner endeavours to come up received abundance of epistles from gentlemen to the pattern which is set before him, than, of the blade, who I find have been so used to though he stops somewhat short of that, he action that they know not how to lie still. naturally rests where in reality he ought. I They seem generally to be of opinion that was, two or three days ago, mightily pleased the fair at home ought to reward them for with the observation of an humorous gentle their services abroad, and that, until the man upon one of his friends, who was in other cause of their country calls them again into respects every way an accomplished person, the field, they have a sort of right to quar- that "he wanted nothing but a dash of the ter themselves upon the ladies. In order to coxcomb in him;" by which he understood a favour their approaches, I am desired by little of that alertness and unconcern in the some to enlarge upon the accomplishments common actions of life, which is usually so of their professions, and by others to give visible among gentlemen of the army, and them my advice in carrying on their attacks. which a campaign or two would infallibly have But let us hear what the gentlemen say for given him. themselves. 'MR. SPECTATOR, 'You will easily guess, sir, by this my panegyric upon a military education, that I am myself a soldier, and indeed I am so. I re Though it may look somewhat perverse member, within three years after I had been amidst the arts of peace to talk too much in the army, I was ordered into the country a of war, it is but gratitude to pay the last recruiting. I had a very particular success in office to its manes, since even peace itself, this part of the service, and was over and is, in some measure, obliged to it for its above assured, at my going away, that I might being. have taken a young lady, who was the most 'You have, in your former papers, always considerable fortune in the country, along recommended the accomplished to the favour with me. I preferred the pursuit of fame at of the fair; and I hope you will allow me that time to all other considerations, and to represent some part of a military life not though I was not absolutely bent on a wooden altogether unnecessary to the forming a gen-leg, resolved at least to get a scar or two for tleman. I need not tell you that in France, the good of Europe. I have at present as whose fashions we have been formerly so much as I desire of this sort of honour, and fond of, almost every one derives his pre- if you could recommend me effectually, should tences to merit from the sword; and that a be well enough contented to pass the remainman has scarce the face to make his court to der of my days in the arms of some dear kind a lady, without some credentials from the creature, and upon a pretty estate in the counservice to recommend him. As the profes-try. This, as I take it, would be following the sion is very ancient we have reason to think example of Lucius Cincinnatus, the old Roman some of the greatest men among the old Ro- dictator, who, at the end of a war left the mans derived many of their virtues from it, camp to follow the plough. I am, Sir, with the commanders being frequently in other all imaginable respect, respects some of the most shining characters Your most obedient, of the age. 'humble servant, 'WILL WARLEY.' MR. SPECTATOR, 'The army not only gives a man opportunities of exercising those two great virtues, patience and courage, but often produces them in minds where they had scarce any footing "I am an half-pay officer, and am at prebefore. I must add, that it is one of the best sent with a friend in the country. Here is a schools in the world to receive a general notion rich widow in the neighbourhood, who has of mankind in, and a certain freedom of made fools of all the fox-hunters within fifty behaviour, which is not so easily acquired in miles of her. She declares she intends to any other place. At the same time I must marry, but has not yet been asked by the own, that some military airs are pretty extra- man she could like. She usually admits her ordinary, and that a man who goes into the humble admirers to an audience or two; but, army a coxcomb, will come out of it a sort of after she has once given them denial, will ne public nuisance: but a man of sense, or one ver see them more. I am assured by a female who before had not been sufficiently used to a relation that I shall have fair play at her; mixed conversation, generally takes the true but as my whole success depends on my first turn. The court has in all ages been allowed approaches, I desire your advice, whether I to be the standard of good-breeding; and I be- had best storm, or proceed by way of sap. lieve there is not a juster observation in Monsieur Rochefoucault, than that "a man who has been bred up wholly to business, can never get the air of a courtier at court, but will immediately catch it in the camp." The reason of this most certainly is, that the very essence of good-breeding and politeness consists in several niceties, which are so minute that they escape his observation, and he falls short of I am, Sir, 'Yours, &c. 'P. S. I had forgot to tell you, that I have already carried one of her outworks, that is, secured her maid.' MR. SPECTATOR, 'I have assisted in several sieges in the Low Countries, and being still willing to employ my talents as a soldier and engineer, lay down introduced by T-m B-wn, of facetious this morning at seven o'clock before the door memory, who, after having gutted a proper of an obstinate female, who had for some name of all its intermediate vowels, used to time refused me admittance. I made a lodge-plant it in his works, and make as free with it ment in an outer parlour about twelve: the as he pleased, without any danger of the statute. That I may imitate these celebrated auenemy retired to her bed-chamber, yet I still pursued, and about two o'clock this afternoon thors, and publish a paper which shall be she thought fit to capitulate. Her demands more taking than ordinary. I have here are indeed somewhat high, in relation to the drawn up a very curious libel, in which a settlement of her fortune. But, being in pos-reader of penetration will find a great deal session of the house, I intend to insist upon of concealed satire, and, if he be acquainted carte blanche, and am in hopes, by keeping off with the present posture of affairs, will easily all other pretenders for the space of twenty-discover the meaning of it. four hours, to starve her into a compliance. I beg your speedy advice, and am, Sir, yours, 'PETER PUSH. day, four in the afternoon.' No. 567.] Wednesday, July 14, 1714. -Inceptus clamor frustratur hiantes. Virg. En. vi, 493. 'If there are four persons in the nation who endeavour to bring all things into confusion, and ruin their native country, I think every honest Englishman ought to be upon his ***, with From my camp in Red-lion square, Satur- guard. That there are such, every one will agree with me who hears me naine his first friend and favourite ***, not to mention *** nor ***. These people may cry ch-rch, ch-rch as long as they please; but, to make use of a homely proverb, " The proof of the p-dd-ng is in the eating." This I am sure of, that if a certain prince should concur with a certain prelate, (and we have monsieur Z-n's word for it) our posterity would be in a sweet I HAVE received private advice from some p-ckle. Must the British nation suffer, forsooth, of my correspondents, that if I would give because my lady Q-p-t-s has been disobliged? my paper a general run, I should take care Or is it reasonable that our English fleet, which to season it with scandal. I have indeed ob-used to be the terror of the ocean, should lie served of late that few writings sell which are wind-bound for the sake of a? I love to not filled with great names and illustrious ti- speak out, and declare my mind clearly, when tles. The reader generally casts his eye upon I am talking for the good of my country. I a new book, and, if he finds several letters will not make my court to an ill man, though separated from one another by a dash, he he were a By or a T-t. Nay, I would buys it up and pursues it with great satisfac-not stick to call so wretched a politician a traition. An M and an h, a T and an r, with a tor, an enemy to his country; and a bl-nd-rb-ss, short line between them, has sold many in- &c. &c.' The remaining part of this political treatise, sipid pamphlets. Nay, I have known a whole edition go off by virtue of two or three well-which is written after the manner of the most written &ccelebrated authors in Great Britain, I may A sprinkling of the words "faction, French-communicate to the public at a more conveniIn the mean while I shall leave man, papist, plunderer," and the like signifi-ent season. cant terms, in an italic character, have also this with my curious reader, as some ingenious a very good effect upon the eye of the pur-writers do their enigmas; and, if any sagacious "scribbler, liar, person can fairly unriddle it, I will print his chaser; not to mention rogue, rascal, knave, and villain," without explanation, and, if he pleases, acquaint the which it is impossible to carry on a modern world with his name. controversy. -S. I hope this short essay will convince my reaOur party writers are so sensible of the ders it is not for want of abilities that I avoid secret virtue of an inuendo to recommend state tracts, and that, if I would apply my their productions, that of late they never mind to it, I might in a little time be as great a mention the Q- -n or Pt at length, master of the political scratch as any the most though they speak of them with honour, and eminent writer of the age. I shall only add, with that deference which is due to them that in order to outshine all the modern race of from every private person. It gives a secret syncopists, and thoroughly content my English satisfaction to a peruser of these mysterious reader, I intend shortly to publish a Spectator works, that he is able to decypher them with- that shall not have a single vowel in it. out help, and, by the strength of his own na tural parts, to fill up a blank space, or make No. 568.] Some of our authors indeed, when they would be more satirical than ordinary, omit only the vowels of a great man's name, and fall most unmercifully upon all the consonThis way of writing was first of all ants. Marlborough. Treasurer. Friday, July 16, 1714. Mart. Epig. xxxix. 1. Reciting makes it thine. I WAS yesterday in a coffee-house not far from the Royal Exchange, where I observed three persons in close conference over a pipe * Tom Brown. |