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Before mine Eyes in Oppofition fits

Grim Death my Son and Foe, who sets them on,
And me his Parent would full foon devour

For want of other Prey, but that he knows

His End with mine involv'd

I need not mention to the Reader the beautiful Circumstance in the last Part of this Quotation. He will likewife obferve how naturally the three Perfons concerned in this Allegory are tempted by one common Interest to enter into a Confederacy together, and how properly Sin is made the Portrefs of Hell, and the only Being that can open the Gates to that World of Tortures.

THE defcriptive Part of this Allegory is likewife very ftrong, and full of Sublime Ideas. The Figure of Death, the Regal Crown upon his Head, his Menace of Satan, his advancing to the Combat, the Outcry at his Birth, are Circumstances too noble to be past over in Silence, and extremely fuitable to this King of Terrors. I need not mention the Juftnefs of Thought which is obferved in the Generation of these feveral Symbolical Perfons; that Sin was produced upon the firft Revolt of Satan, that Death appeared foon after he was caft into Hell, and that the Terrors of Confcience were conceived at the Gate of this Place of Torments. The Defcription of the Gates is very poetical, as the opening of them is full of Milton's Spirit.

On a fudden open fly

With impetuous Recoil and jarring Sound
Th infernal Doors, and on their Hinges grate
Harfh Thunder, that the loweft Bottom book
Of Erebus. She open'd but to shut

Excell'd her Pow'r; the Gates wide open flood,
That with extended Wings a banner'd Hoft
Under Spread Enfigns marching might pass through
With Horfe and Chariots rank'd in loofe Array;
So wide they food, and like a Furnace Mouth
Caft forth redounding Smoke and ruddy Flame.

IN Satan's Voyage through the Chaos there are several Imaginary Perfons defcribed, as refiding in that immense Waste of Matter. This may perhaps be conformable to

the

the Taste of thofe Criticks who are pleased with nothing in a Poet which has not Life and Manners afcribed to it but for my own Part, I am pleafed moft with those Paffages in this Defcription which carry in them a greater Measure of Probability, and are fuch as might poffibly have happened. Of this kind is his first mounting in the Smoke that rifes from the infernal Pit, his falling into a Cloud of Nitre, and the like combuftible Materials, that by their Explosion still hurried him forward in his Voyage; his fpringing upward like a Pyramid of Fire, with his laborious Paffage through that Confufion of Elements which the Poet calls

The Womb of Nature, and perhaps her Grave.

THE Glimmering Light which shot into the Chaos from the utmost Verge of the Creation, with the diftant Discovery of the Earth that hung close by the Moon, are wonderfully Beautiful and Poetical.

L

N° 310. Monday, February 25.

Connubio jungam ftabili

Mr. SPECTATOR,

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Virg.

Am a certain young young Man very heartily; and my Father and Mother were for it a great while, but now they say I can do better, but I think I cannot. They bid me ⚫ love him, and I cannot unlove him. What must I do? • fpeak quickly.,

Woman that love a certain

Dear SPEC.

Biddy Dow-bake.

Feb. 19. 1712.

:I Have lov'd a Lady entirely for this Year and half, tho' for a great Part of the Time (which has contributed not a little to my Pain) I have been debarred the Liberty of converfing with her. The Grounds of 6 our Difference was this; that when we had inquired

into each other's Circumftances, we found that at our first fetting out into the World, we fhould owe five • hundred Pounds more than her Fortune would pay off. My Estate is seven hundred Pounds a Year, befides the • Benefit of Tin Mines. Now, dear S P E C. upon this State of the Cafe, and the Lady's pofitive Declaration that there is still no other Objection, I beg you'll not • fail to infert this, with your Opinion as foon as poffible, whether this ought to be efteemed a juft Cause or Impediment why we should not be join'd, and you will for ever oblige

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Yours fincerely,

Dick Lovefick.

P. S. SIR, if I marry this Lady by the Affiftance of your Opinion, you may expect a Favour for it.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

I

Have the Misfortune to be one of those unhappy Men who are diftinguished by the Name of difcarded Lovers; but I am the lefs mortified at my Difgrace, because the young Lady is one of thofe Creatures who fet up for Negligence of Men, are forfooth the moft rigidly Virtuous in the World, and yet their Nicety will permit them at the Command of Parents, to go to bed to the moft utter ftranger that can be propofed to them. As to me my felf, I was introduced by the Father of my Mistress; but find I owe my being at firft received to a Comparison of my Estate with that of a former Lover, and that I am now in like manner • turned off, to give way to an humble Servant ftill richer than I am. What makes this Treatment the more extravagant is, that the young Lady is in the Management of this way of Fraud, and obeys her Father's Ŏrders on these Occafions without any Manner of Reluctance, but does it with the fame Air that one of your Men of the World would fignify the Neceffity of Affairs for turning another out of Office. When I came home last Night, I found this Letter from my Mistress.

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SIR,

I

Hope you

will not think it is any manner of Difrefpect to your Perfon or Merit, that the intended "Nuptials between us are interrupted. My Father fays ❝ he has a much better Offer for me than you can make, " and has order'd me to break off the Treaty between us. If it had proceeded, I fhould have behaved my "felf with all fuitable Regard to you, but as it is, I "beg we may be Strangers for the Future.

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Adieu.
LYDIA.

THIS great Indifference on this Subject, and the mercenary Motives for making Alliances, is what I ⚫ think lies naturally before you, and I beg of you to give me your Thoughts upon it. My Answer to Lydia was as follows, which I hope you will approve; for you are to know the Woman's Family affect a wonderful • Ease on these Occafions, tho' they expect it should be painfully received on the Man's Side.

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MADAM,

Have received yours, and knew the Prudence of your House fo well, that I always took Care to "be ready to obey your Commands, the' they fhould "be to fee you no more. Pray give my Service to all "the good Family.

The Opera Subfcrip❝tion is full.

Adieu.

Clitophon.

Memorandum. THE Cenfor of Marriage to confider this Letter, and report the common Ufages on fuch Treaties, with how many Pounds or Acres are generally esteemed • fufficient Reafon for preferring a new to an old Pretender; with his Opinion what is proper to be determined in fuch Cafes for the future.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

T HERE is an elderly Perfon, lately left off Bufiness and fettled in our Town, in order, as he thinks, to retire from the World; but he has brought with him ⚫ fuch an Inclination to Tale bearing, that he disturbs

• both

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⚫ both himself and all our Neighbourhood. Notwith⚫ ftanding this Frailty the honeft Gentleman is fo happy • as to have no Enemy: At the fame time he has not one • Friend who will venture to acquaint him with his Weaknefs. It is not to be doubted but if this Failing were fet in a proper Light, he would quickly perceive the Indecency and evil Confequences of it. Now, Sir, this being an Infirmity which I hope may be corrected, and knowing that he pays much Deference to you, I beg ⚫ that when you are at leifure, to give us a Speculation on Goffipping, you would think of my Neighbour: You ⚫ will hereby oblige feveral who will be glad to find a Re⚫formation in their gray-haired Friend: And how becoming will it be for him, inftead of pouring forth Words at all Adventures to fet a Watch before the Door of his Mouth, to refrain his Tongue, to check its Impetuofity, and guard against the Sallies of that little, pert, forward, bufy Perfon; which, under a fober Conduct, might prove a useful Member of a Society. In Compliance with whose Imitations, I have taken the Liberty to make this Addrefs to you. I am, SIR,

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Your moft obfcure Servant,

Mr. SPECTATOR,

TH

Philanthropos.

Feb. 16. 1712.

HIS is to Petition you in Behalf of my self and many more of your gentle Readers, that at any time when you may have private Reasons againft letting us know what you think your felf, you would be pleased to pardon us fuch Letters of your Correfpondents as feem to be of no Ufe but to the Printer.

⚫ IT is further our humble Request, that you would • fubftitute Advertisements in the Place of fuch Epiftles; and that in Order hereunto Mr. Buckley may be autho• rized to take up of your zealous Friend Mr. Charles Lillie, any Quantity of Words he fhall from time to time have occafion for.

THE many useful Parts of Knowledge which may ⚫ be communicated to the Publick this Way, will, we hope, be a Confideration in favour of your Petitioners. And your Petitioners, &c. Note,

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