Whom shall the Muse from out the shining throng "The Muse, if fir'd with thy enliv'ning beams, No. 621.] Wednesday, November 17, 1714. Implevit, stellasque vagas miratur, et astra Lncan, Lib. 9. 11. Rowe. THE following letter having in it some observations out of the common road, I shall make it the entertainment of this day. ing backward and forward on the several changes which we have already undergone, and hereafter must try, we shall find that the greater degrees of our knowledge and wisdom serve only to show us our own imperfections. As we rise from childhood to youth, we look with contempt on the toys and trifles which our hearts have hitherto been set upon. When we advance to manhood, we are held wise, in proportion to our shame and regret for the rashness and extravagance of youth. Old age fills us with mortifying reflections upon a life mis-spent in the pursuit of anxious wealth, or uncertain honour. Agreeable to this gradation of thought in this life, it may be reasonably supposed that, in a future state, the wisdom, the experience, and the maxims of old age, will be looked upon by a separate spirit in much the same light as an ancient man now sees the little follies and toyings of infants. The pomps, the honours, the policies, and arts of mortal men, will be thought as trifling as hobby-horses, mockbattles, or any other sports that now employ all the cunning and strength, and ambition of rational beings, from four years old to nine or ten. 'If the notion of a gradual rise in beings, from the meanest to the Most High, be not a vain imagination, it is not improbable that an angel looks down upon a man as a man doth the rational nature. By the same rule, if I upon a creature which approaches nearest to may indulge my fancy in this particular, a su6 MR. SPECTATOR, perior brute looks with a kind of pride on one 'The common topics against the pride of of an inferior species. If they could reflect, man, which are laboured by florid and decla- we might imagine, from the gestures of some matory writers, are taken from the baseness of of them, that they think themselves the sovehis original, the imperfections of his nature, or reigns of the world, and that all things were the short duration of those goods in which he made for them. Such a thought would 'not makes his boast. Though it be true that we be more absurd in brute creatures than one can have nothing in us that ought to raise our which men are apt to entertain, namely, that vanity, yet a consciousness of our own merit all the stars in the firmament were created may be sometimes laudable. The folly there- only to please their eyes and amuse their imafore lies here: we are apt to pride ourselves ginations. Mr. Dryden, in his fable of the in worthless or, perhaps, shameful things; Cock and the Fox, makes a speech for his and on the other hand count that disgraceful hero the cock, which is a pretty instance for which is our truest glory. this purpose. 'Hence it is, that the lovers of praise take wrong measures to attain it. Would a vain man consult his own heart, he would find that if others knew his weakness as well as he himself doth, he could not have the impudence to expect the public esteem. Pride therefore flows from want of reflection, and ignorance of ourselves. Knowledge and humility come upon us together. The proper way to make an estimate of ourselves, is to consider seriously what it is we value or despise in others. A man who boasts of the goods of fortune, a guy dress, or a new title, is generally the mark of ridicule. We ought therefore not to admire in ourselves what we are so ready to laugh at in other men. Much less can we with reason pride ourselves in those things, which at some time of our life we shall certainly despise. And yet, if we will give ourselves the trouble of look "Then turning, said to Partlet, 'See, my dear, How lavish nature hath adorn'd the year; How the pale primrose and the violets spring. And birds essay their throats, disus'd to sing: And these are ours, and I with pleasure see Man strutting on two legs, and aping me." 'What I would observe from the whole is this, that we ought to value ourselves upon those things only which superior beings think valuable, since that is the only way for us not to sink in our own esteem hereafter.' mankind are apt to place it. You have there justice of one mind, by putting them to explain taken notice, that virtue in obscurity often their notions to one another. appears more illustrious in the eye of superior beings, than all that passes for grandeur and magnificence among men. "Mem. To turn off Peter for shooting a doe while she was eating acorns out of his hand. "When my neighbour John, who hath often injured me, comes to make his request tomorrow: "Mem. I have forgiven him. "Laid up my chariot, and sold my horses, to relieve the poor in a scarcity of corn. "In the same year remitted to my tenants a fifth part of their rents. "As I was airing to-day I fell into a thought that warmed my heart, and shall, I hope, be the better for it as long as I live. "Mem. To charge my son in private to erect no monument for me; but not to put this in my last will." When we look back upon the history of those who have borne the parts of kings, statesmen, or commanders, they appear to us stripped of those outside ornaments that dazzle their contemporaries; and we regard their persons as great or little, in proportion to the eminence of their virtues or vices. The wise sayings, generous sentiments, or disinterested conduct of a philosopher under mean circumstances of life, set him higher in our esteem than the mighty potentates of the earth, when we view them both through the long prospect of many ages. Were the memoirs of au obscure man, who lived up to the dignity of his nature, and according to the rules of virtue, No. 623.] to be laid before us, we should find nothing in such a character which might not set him on a level with men of the highest stations. The following extract out of the private papers of an honest country gentleman, will set this matter in a clear light. Your reader will, perhaps, conceive a greater idea of him from these actions done in secret, and without a witness, than of those which have drawn upon them the admiration of multitudes. MEMOIRS. 'In my twenty-second year I found a violent affection for my cousin Charle's wife growing| upon me, wherein I was in danger of succeeding, if I had not upon that account begun my travels into foreign countries. "A little after my return to England, at a private meeting with my uncle Francis, I refused the offer of his estate, and prevailed upon him not to disinherit his son Ned. "Mem. Never to tell this to Ned, lest he should think hardly of his deceased father; though he continues to speak ill of me for this very reason. "Prevented a scandalous lawsuit betwixt my nephew Harry and his mother, by allowing her under-hand, out of my own pocket, so much money yearly as the dispute was about. "Procured a benefice for a young divine, who is sister's son to the good man who was my tutor, and hath been dead twenty years. "Gave ten pounds to poor Mrs. friend H's widow. -, my "Mem. To retrench one dish at my table, until I have fetched it up again. "Mem. To repair my house and finish my gardens, in order to employ poor people after harvest-time. "Ordered John to let out goodman D's sheep that were pounded, by night; but not to let his fellow-servants know it. "Prevailed upon M. T. esq. not to take the law of the farmer's son for shooting'a partridge, and to give him his gun again. "Paid the apothecary for curing an old wo man that confessed herself a witch. "Gave away my favorite dog for biting beggar. a "Made the minister of the parish and a whig VOL. II Monday, November 22, 1714. Sed mihi vel tellus optem priùs ima dehiscat, But first let yawning earth a passage rend, for the following curious piece of antiquity, MR. SPECTATOR, 'You may remember, that I lately transmitted to you an account of an ancient custom in the manors of East and West Enborne, in the county of Berks, and elsewhere. "If a customary tenant die, the widow shall have what the law calls her free-bench, in all his copyhold lands, dum sola et casta fuerit; that is, while she lives single and chaste; but if she commits incontinency, she forfeits her estate; yet if she will come into the court riding backward upon a black ram, with his tail in her hand, and say the words following, the steward is bound by the custom to re-admit her to her free-bench. 'Here I am, Riding upon a black ram, Therefore I pray you, Mr. Steward, let me After having informed you that my lord Coke observes that this is the most frail and slippery tenure of any in England, I shall tell you, since the writing of that letter, I have, according to my promise, been at great pains in searching out the records of the black ram; and have at last met with the proceedings of the courtbaron, held in that behalf, for the space of a 50 'The widow Maskwell, a woman who had whole day. The record saith, that a strict in-as not finding any ram that was able to carry quisition having been made into the right of the her: upon which the steward commuted her tenants to their several estates, by the crafty punishment, and ordered her to make her entry old steward, he found that many of the lands upon a black ox. of the manor were, by default of the several widows, forfeited to the lord, and accordingly long lived with a most unblemished character, would have entered on the premises: upon which the good women demanded the "beneat of the ram." The steward, after having perused their several pleas, adjourned the court to Barnaby-bright*, that they might have day enough before them. having turned off her old chamber-maid in a pet, was by that revengeful creature brought in upon the black ram nine times the same day. 'Several widows of the neighbourhood, being brought upon their trial, showed that they did not hold of the manor, and were discharged 'The court being set, and filled with a great accordingly. concourse of people, who came from all parts A pretty young creature, who closed the to see the solemnity; the first who entered was procession, came ambling in, with so bewitchthe widow Frontly, who had made her appear- ing an air, that the steward was observed to ance in the last year's cavalcade. The register cast a sheep's eye upon her, and married her observes that finding it an easy pad-ram, and within a month after the death of his wife. foreseeing she might have further occasion for 'N. B. Mrs. Touchwood appeared accordit, she purchased it of the steward. ing to summons, but had nothing laid to her 'Mrs. Sarah Dainty, relict of Mr. John charge; having lived irreproachably since the Dainty, who was the greatest prude of the decease of her husband, who left her a widow parish, came next in the procession. She at in the sixty-ninth year of her age. first made some difficulty of taking the tail in her hand; and was observed, in pronouncing 'I am, Sir, &c.' the form of penance, to soften the two most No. 624.] Wednesday, November, 24, 1714. emphatical words into clincum clancum: but the steward took care to make her speak plain English before he would let her have her land again. Audire, atque togam jubeo componere, quisquis Hor. Sat. iii. Lib. 2. 77. Creech The third widow that was brought to this worldly shame, being mounted upon a vicious ram, had the misfortune to be thrown by him: upon which she hoped to be excused from going MANKIND is divided into two parts, the busy through the rest of the ceremony; but the and the idle. The busy world may be divided steward, being well versed in the law, observed into the virtuous and the vicious. The vicious very wisely upon this occasion, that the break-again into the covetous, the ambitious and the ing of the rope does not hinder the execution sensual. The idle part of mankind are in a of the criminal. state inferior to any one of these. All the other The fourth lady upon record was the widow are engaged in the pursuit of happiness, Ogle, a famous coquette, who had kept half a though often misplaced, and are therefore score young fellows off and on for the space of more likely to be attentive to such means as two years; but having been more kind to her shall be proposed to them for that end. The carter John, she was introduced with the huz-idle, who are neither wise for this world nor the zas of all her lovers about her. next, are emphatically called by doctor Tillot'Mrs. Sable appearing in her weeds, which son, fools at large.' They propose to themwere very new and fresh, and of the same colour selves no end, but run adrift with every wind. with her whimsical palfrey, made a very decent Advice therefore would be but thrown away figure in the solemnity. upon them, since they would scarce take the Another, who had been summoned to make pains to read it. I shall not fatigue any of this her appearance, was excused by the steward, as worthless tribe with a long harangue; but well knowing in his heart that the good squire will leave them with this short saying of Plato, himself had qualified her for the ram. that labour is preferable to idleness, as brightness to rust.' 'Mrs. Quick, having nothing to object against the indictment, pleaded her belly. But it was The pursuits of the active part of mankind remembered that she made the same excuse are either in the paths of religion and virtue; the year before. Upon which the steward ob- or, on the other hand, in the roads to wealth, served, that she might so contrive it, as never honours, or pleasure. I shall, therefore, comto do the service of the manor. 'The widow Fidget being cited into court, insisted that she had done no more since the death of her husband than what she used to do in his lifetime; and withal desired Mr. Steward to consider his own wife's case if he should chance to die before her. 'The next in order was a dowager of a very corpulent make who would have been excused, pare the pursuits of avarice, ambition, and sensual delight with their opposite virtues; and shall consider which of these principles engages men in a course of the greatest labour, suffering, and assiduity. Most men, in their cool reasonings, are willing to allow that a course of virtue will in the end be rewarded the most amply; but represent the way to it as rugged and narrow. If therefore it can be made appear, that men struggle through as many Then the eleventh, now the twenty-second of June, troubles to be miserable, as they do to be being the longest day in the year. happy, my readers may, perhaps be persuaded No. 625.] Friday, November 26, 1714. amores De tenero mediatur ungui. to be good, when they find they shall lose no- difficulties to prove his patience and excite his thing by it. industry. The same, if not greater labour, is First, for avarice. The miser is more in- required in the service of vice and folly as of dustrious than the saint: the pains of getting, virtue and wisdom; and he hath this easy the fears of losing, and the inability of enjoy- choice left him-whether, with the strength ing his wealth, have been the mark of satire he is master of, he will purchase happiness or in all ages. Were his repentance upon his ne- repentance. glect of a good bargain, his sorrow for being over-reached, his hope of improving a sum, and his fear of falling into want, directed to their proper objects, they would make so many different Christian graces and virtue. He may apply to himself a great part of saint Paul's catalogue of sufferings. In journeying often; in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils among false brethren, In lowing letter of queries, with his answers to weariness and painfuluess, in watchings often, each question, for my approbation. I have acin hunger and thirst, in fastings often.'-At cordingly considered the several matters therehow much less expense might he lay up to in contained, and hereby confirm and ratify his himself treasures in heaven !' Or, if I may answers, and require the gentle querist to conin this place be allowed to add the sayings of form herself thereunto. a great philosopher, he may provide such possessions as fear neither arms, nor men, nor Jove himself.' In the second place, if we look upon the toils of ambition in the same light, as we have considered those of avarice, we shall readily own that far less trouble is requisite to gain lasting glory, than the power and reputation of a few years; or, in other words, we may with more ease deserve honour than obtain it. The ambitious man should remember cardinal Wolsey's complaint, 'Had I served God with the same application wherewith I served my king, he would not have forsaken me in my old age. The cardinal here softens his ambition by the specious pretence of serving his king; whereas his words, in the proper construction, imply, that, if instead of being acted by ambition, he had been acted by religion, he should now have felt the comforts of it, when the whole world turned its back upon him. Hor. Od. vi. Lib. 3. 23. Love, from her tender years, her thoughts employ'd. SIR, 'I was thirteen the 9th of November last, and must now begin to think of settling myself in the world; and so I would humbly beg your advice, what I must do with Mr. Fondle, who makes his addresses to me. He is a very pretty man, and hath the blackest eyes and whitest teeth you ever saw. Though he is but a younger brother, he dresses like a man of quality, and nobody comes into a room like him. I know he hath refused great offers, and if he cannot marry me, he will never have any body else. But my father hath forbid him the house, because he sent me a copy of verses; for he is one of the greatest wits in town. My eldest sister, who, with her good will, would call me miss as long as I live, must be married before me, they say. She tells them that Mr. Fondle makes a fool of me, and will spoil the child, as she calls me, like a confident thing as she is. In short, I am resolved to marry Mr. Thirdly, let us compare the pains of the sen- Fondle, if it be but to spite her. But because sual with those of the virtuous, and see which I would do nothing that is imprudent, I beg are heavier in the balance. It may seem of you to give me your answers to some quesstrange, at the first view, that the men of tions I will write down, and desire you to get pleasure should be advised to change their them printed in the Spectator, and I do not course, because they lead a painful life. Yet doubt but you will give such advice as, I am when we see them so active and vigilant in sure, I shall follow. quest of delight; under so many disquiets, and the sport of such various passions; let them answer, as they can, if the pains they undergo do not outweigh their enjoyments. The infidelities on the one part between the two sexes, and the caprices on the other, the debasement of reason, the pangs of expectation, the disappointments in possession, the stings of remorse, the vanities and vexations attending even the most refined delights that Whether I, who have been acquainted with make up this business of life, render it so him this whole year almost, am not a betsilly and uncomfortable, that no man is ter judge of his merit than my father and thought wise until he hath got over it, or hap-mother, who never heard him talk but at table?' py, but in proportion as he hath cleared himself from it. The sum of all is this. Man is made an active being. Whether he walks in the paths of virtue or vice, he is sure to meet with many Actuated. When Mr. Fondle looks upon me for half an hour together, and calls me Angel, is he not in love?" Answer. No. 'May not I be certain he will be a kind husband, that has promised me half my portion in pin money, and to keep me a coach and six in the bargain?' No. No. Whether I am not old enough to choose for 'Should not I be a very barbarous creature, I HAVE seen a little work of a learned man, if I did not pity a man who is always sighing for my sake?' No. 'Whether you would not advise me to run down any sudden start of thought which arose away with the poor man?' No. consisting of extemporary speculations, which owed their birth to the most trifling occurrences of life. His usual method was, to write in his mind upon the sight of any odd gesticulation in a man, any whimsical mimickry remarkable in any subject of the visible creation. He was able to moralize upon a snuff Whether you do not think, that if I will not of reason in a beast, or whatever appeared have him, he will drown himself?' No. 'What shall I say to him the next time he box, would flourish eloquently upon a tuckasks me if I will marry him?' No. er or a pair of ruffles, and draw practical inferences from a full-bottomed periwig. This I thought fit to mention, by way of excuse, The following letter requires neither intro- for my ingenious correspondent, who hath duction nor answer. me. MR. SPECTATOR, introduced the following letter by an image which, I will beg leave to tell him, is too ridicu lous in so serious and noble a speculation. MR. SPECTATOR, 'I wonder that, in the present situation of affairs, you can take pleasure in writing any thing but news; for, in a word, who minds When I have seen young puss playing any thing else? The pleasure of increasing her wanton gambols, and with a thousand in knowledge, and learning something new antic shapes express her own gaiety at the every hour of life, is the noblest entertain- same time that she moved mine, while the ment of a rational creature. I have a very old grannum hath set by with the most exgood ear for a secret, and am naturally of emplary gravity, unmoved at all that passed; a communicative temper; by which means it hath made me reflect what should be I am capable of doing you great services in the occasion of humours so opposite in two this way. In order to make myself useful, I creatures, between whom there was no visible am early in the anti-chamber, where I thrust difference but that of age; and I have been my head into the thick of the press, and able to resolve it into nothing else but the catch the news at the opening of the door, force of novelty. while it is warm. Sometimes I stand by the In every species of creatures, those who beef-eaters, and take the buz as it passes by have been least time in the world appear best At other times I lay my ear close to the pleased with their condition: for, besides that wall, and suck in many a valuable whisper, as to a new comer the world hath a freshness on it runs in a straight line from corner to corner. it that strikes the sense after a most agreeable When I am weary with standing, I repair to manner, being itself unattended with any great one of the neighbouring coffee-houses, where I variety of enjoyments, excites a sensation of sit sometimes for a whole day, and have the pleasure: but, as age advances, every thing news as it comes from court fresh and fresh. seems to wither, the senses are disgusted with In short, sir, I spare no pains to know how their old entertainments, and existence turns the world goes. A piece of news loses its flat and insipid. We may see this exemplified flavour when it hath been an hour in the air. in mankind. The child let him be free from I love, if I may so speak, to have it fresh pain, and gratified in his change of toys, is difrom the tree; and to convey it to my friends verted with the smallest trifle. Nothing disbefore it is faded. Accordingly, my expenses turbs the mirth of the boy but a little punishin coach-hire make no small articie: which men or confinement. The youth must have you may believe when I assure you, that I more violent pleasures to employ his time The post away from coffee-house to coffee-house, man loves the hurry of an active life, devoted and forestall the Evening Post by two hours. to the pursuits of wealth or ambition. And, There is a certain gentleman, who hath given lastly, old age, having lost its capacity for these me the slip twice or thrice, and hath been avocations, becomes its own unsupportable burbeforehand with me at Child's. But I have then. This variety may in part be accounted played him a trick. I have purchased a pair for by the vivacity and decay of the faculties ; of the best coach-horses I could buy for mo- but I believe is chiefly owing to this, that the ney, and now let him out-strip me if he can. longer we have been in possession of being, the Once more, Mr. Spectator, let me advise you to deal in news. You may depend upon my assistance. But I must break off abruptly, for I have twenty letters to write. 'Your's in haste, 'THO. QUID NUNC.' less sensible is the gust we have of it; and the more it requires of adventitious amusements to relieve us from the satiety and weariness it brings along with it. And as novelty is of a very powerful so is it of a most extensive influence. Moralists have long since observed it to be the source of admiration, which lessens in proportion to our familiarity with objects, and upon a thorough acquaintance is utterly extinguished. But I think it hath not been so commonly remarked, that all the other passions depend considerably on the same circunstance. |