great Model; but where Goodness and Justice are not effential to the Ruler, I would by no means put my self into his Hands to be difpofed of according to his particular Will and Pleasure.

IT is odd to confider the Connection between Defpotic Government and Barbarity, and how the making of one Perfon more than Man, makes the reft lefs. About nine Parts of the World in ten are in the lowest State of Slavery, and confequently funk in the most grofs and brutal Ignorance. European Slavery is indeed a State of Liberty, if compared with that which prevails in the other three Divifions of the World; and therefore it is no Wonder that those who grovel under it have many Tracks of Light among them, of which the others are wholly deftitute.

RICHES and Plenty are the natural Fruits of Liberty, and where these abound, Learning and all the Liberal Arts will immediately lift up their Heads and flourish. As a Man must have no flavish Fears and Apprehenfions hanging upon his Mind, who will indulge the Flights of Fancy or Speculation, and push his Researches into all the abftrufe Corners of Truth, fo it is neceffary for him to have about him a Competency of all the Conveniencies of Life.

THE first thing every one looks after, is to provide himself with Neceffaries. This Point will engrofs our Thoughts 'till it be fatisfied. If this is taken Care of to our Hands, we look out for Pleasures and Amusements; and among a great Number of idle People, there will be many whofe Pleafures will lie in Reading and Contemplation. Thefe are the two great Sources of Knowledge, and as Men grow wife they naturally love to communicate their Discoveries; and others feeing the Happiness of fuch a Learned Life, and improving by their Converfation, emulate, imitate, and furpafs one another, till a Nation is filled with Races of wife and understanding Perfons. Eafe and Plenty are therefore the great Cherifhers of Knowledge; and as moft of the Defpotic Governments of the World have neither of them, they are naturally over-run with Ignorance and Barbarity. In Europe, indeed, notwithstanding feveral of its Princes are abfolute, there are Men famous for Knowledge and Learning,

Learning, but the Reason is because the Subjects are many of them rich and wealthy, the Prince not thinking fit to exert himself in his full Tyranny like the Princes of the Eastern Nations, left his Subjects fhould be invited to new-mould their Conftitution, having fo many Profpects of Liberty within their View. But in all Defpotic Governments, tho' a particular Prince may favour Arts and Letters, there is a natural Degeneracy of Mankind, as you may obferve from Auguftus's Reign, how the Romans loft themfelves by Degrees till they fell to an Equality with the most barbarous Nations that furrounded them. Look upon Greece under its free States, and you would think its Inhabitants lived in different Climates, and under different Heavens, from thofe at prefent; fo different are the Genius's which are formed under Turkif Slavery, and Grecian Liberty.

BESIDES Poverty and Want, there are other Rea fons that debase the Minds of Men, who live under Slavery, though I look on this as the Principal. This natural Tendency of Defpotic Power to Ignorance and Barbarity, tho' not infifted upon by others, is, I think, an unanswerable Argument against that Form of Government, as it fhews how repugnant it is to the Good of Mankiud, and the Perfection of human Nature, which ought to be the great Ends of all Civil Inftitutions. L

N° 288.

Wednesday, January 30.

Pavor eft utrique moleftus.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

WH

Hor.

HEN you spoke of the Jilts and Coquettes, you then promised to be very impartial, and not to fpare even your own Sex, fhould any of their fecret or open Faults come under your Cognizance; which has given me Encouragement to defcribe a certain Species of Mankind under the Denomination of Male Filts. They are Gentlemen who do not defign VOL. IV. G

⚫ to

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to marry, yet, that they may appear to have fome Sense of Galantry, think they must pay their Devoirs to one particular Fair; in order to which they fingle out from amongst the Herd of Females her to whom they defign to make their fruitless Addreffes. This done, they firft take every Opportunity of being in her Company, and then never fail upon all Occafions to be particular to her, laying themselves at her Feet, protefting the Reality of their Paffion with a thousand Oaths, foliciting a Return, and faying as many fine Things as their Stock of Wit will allow; and if they are not deficient that way, generally speak fo as to admit of a double Interpretation; which the credulous Fair is apt to turn to her own Advantage, fince it frequently happens to ⚫ be a raw, innocent, young Creature, who thinks all the • World as fincere as herself, and fo her unwary Heart ⚫ becomes an eafy Prey to thofe deceitful Monsters, who no fooner perceive it, but immediately they grow cool, and fhun her whom they before feemed fo much to admire, and proceed to act the fame common-place Villany towards another. A Coxcomb flushed with many of thefe infamous Victories fhall fay he is forry for the poor Fools, proteft and vow he never thought of Matrimo⚫ny, and wonder talking civilly can be fo ftrangely mifinterpreted. Now, Mr. SPECTATOR, you that are a profeffed Friend to Love, will, I hope, obferve upon thofe who abufe that noble Paffion, and raise it in innocent Minds by a deceitful Affectation of it, after ⚫ which they defert the Enamoured. Pray beftow a little ⚫ of your Counsel to thofe fond believing Females who already have or are in Danger of broken Hearts; in which you will oblige a great Part of this Town, but in a particular Manner,

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SIR, Your (yet Heart-whole) Admirer,

and devoted humble Servant,

MELAINIA.

MELAINIA's Complaint is occafioned by fo general a Folly, that it is wonderful one could fo long overlook it. But this falfe Galantry proceeds from an Impotence of Mind, which makes those who are guilty of it incapa

ble

ble of purfuing what they themselves approve. Many a Man wifhes a Woman his Wife whom he dares not take for fuch. Tho' no one has Power over his Inclinations or Fortunes, he is a Slave to common Fame. For this Reason I think Melainia gives them too foft a Name in that of Male Coquets. I know not why Irrefolution of Mind fhould not be more contemptible than Impotence of Body; and these frivolous Admirers would be but tenderfy used, in being only included in the fame Term with the Infufficient another way. They whom my Correfpondent calls Male Coquets, fhall hereafter be called Fribblers. A Fribbler is one who profeffes Rapture and Admiration for the Woman to whom he addreffes, and dreads nothing fo much as her Confent. His Heart can flutter by the Force of Imagination, but cannot fix from the Force of Judgment. It is not uncommon for the Parents of young Women of moderate Fortune to wink at the Addreffes of Fribblers, and expofe their Children to the ambiguous Behaviour which Melainia complains of, till by the Fondness to one they are to lofe, they become incapable of Love towards others, and by Confequence in their future Marriage lead a joyless or a miferable Life. As therefore I fhall in the Speculations which regard Love be as fevere as I ought on Jilts and Libertine Women, fo will I be as little merciful to infignificant and mischievous Men. In order to this, all Vifitants who frequent Families wherein there are young Females, are forthwith required to declare themselves, or abfent from Places where their Prefence banishes fuch as would pafs their Time more to the Advantage of those whom they vifit. It is a Matter of too great Moment to be dallied with ; and I shall expect from all my young People a fatisfactory Account of Appearances. Strephon has from the Publication hereof feven Days to explain the Riddle he prefented to Eudamia; and Chloris an Hour after this comes to her Hand, to declare whether fhe will have Philotas, whom a Woman of no less Merit than herfeif, and of fuperior Fortune, languishes to call her own.

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SIR,

S

F

To the SPECTATOR.

INCE fo many Dealers turn Authors, and write. quaint Advertisements in praise of their Wares, one who from an Author turn'd Dealer may be allowed for the Advancement of Trade to turn Author again. I will not however fet up like some of 'em, for felling cheaper than the most able honest Tradefinen can; nor do I fend this to be better known for Choice and Cheapnefs of China and Japan Wares, Tea, Fans, · Mullins, Pictures, Arrack, and other Indian Goods. Placed as I am in Leadenhall-fireet near the India-Company, and the Centre of that Trade, Thanks to my fair Customers, my Warehouse is graced as well as the Be'nefit Days of my Plays and Operas; and the foreign • Goods I fell, feem no lefs acceptable than the foreign • Books I tranflated, Rabelais and Don Quixote: This the ⚫ Criticks allow me, and while they like my Wares they

may difpraife my Writing. But as 'tis not fo well ⚫ known yet that I frequently cross the Seas of late, and fpeaking Dutch and French, befides other Languages, I have the Conveniency of buying and importing rich Brocades, Dutch Atlaffes, with Gold and Silver, or without, and other foreign Silks of the newest Modes and best Fabricks, fine Flanders Lace, Linens, and Pictures, at ⚫ the best hand: This my new way of Trade I have fal⚫len into I cannot better publish than by an Application to you. My Wares are fit only for fuch as your Rea'ders; and I would beg of you to print this Address in your Paper, that those whofe Minds you adorn may take the Ornaments for their Perfons and Houfes from me. This, Sir, if I may prefume to beg it, will be the greater Favour, as I have lately received rich Silks and fine Lace to a confiderable Value, which will be fold cheap for a quick Return, and as I have alfo a large Stock of other Goods. Indian Silks were formerly a great Branch of our Trade; and fince we must not sell 'em, we must seek Amends by dealing in others. This I hope will plead for one who would leffen the Number of Teazers of the Muses, and who, fuiting his Spirit to