Mr. SPECTATOR, S Oxford, Dec. 29. INCE you appear inclined to be a Friend to the diftreffed, I beg you would affift me in an Affair ⚫ under which I have fuffered very much. The reigning Toaft of this Place is Patetia; I have purfued her with the utmost Diligence this Twelve-month, and find nothing stands in my Way but one who flatters her more • than I can. Pride is her Favourite Paffion; therefore if you would be fo far my Friend as to make a favour⚫able Mention of her in one of your Papers, I believe I fhould not fail in my Addreffes. The Scholars ftand in Rows, as they did to be fure in your Time, at her Pew-door; and fhe has all the Devotion paid to her by a Crowd of Youths who are unacquainted with the Sex, and have Inexperience added to their Paffion: However, if it fucceeds according to my Vows, you will ⚫ make me the happiest Man in the World, and the most obliged amongst all Mr. SPECTATOR, Your humble Servants. Came to my Miftrefs's Toilet this Morning, for I am admitted when her Face is ftark naked: She frowned, and cried Pifh when I faid a Thing that I ⚫ftole; and I will be judged by you whether it was not very pretty. Madam, faid I, you fhall forbear that Part of your Drefs; it may be well in others, but you can⚫ not place a patch where it does not hide a Beauty. T N® 269. I Tuesday, January 8. Evo rariffima noftra Simplicitas Ovid. Was this Morning furprived with a great knocking at the Door, when my Landlady's Daughter came up to me, and told me, that there was a Man below defired to fpeak with me. Upon my asking her who it was, she told told me it was a very grave elderly Perfon, but that she did not know his Name. I immediately went down to him, and found him to be the Coachman of my worthy Friend Sir ROGER DE COVERLEY. He told me that his Mafter came to Town laft Night, and would be glad to take a Turn with me in Grays-Inn Walks. As I was wondring in my felf what had brought Sir ROGER to Town, not having lately received any Letter from him, he told me that his Mafter was come up to get a Sight of Prince Eugene, and that he defired I would immediately meet him. I was not a little pleased with the Curiofity of the old Knight, though I did not much wonder at it, having heard him fay more than once in private Difcourfe, that he looked upon Prince Eugenio (for fo the Knight always calls him) to be a greater Man than Scanderbeg. I was no fooner come into Grays-Inn Walks, but I heard my Friend upon the Terrace hemming twice or thrice to himself with great Vigour, for he loves to clear his Pipes in good Air (to make ufe of his own Phrase) and is not a little pleased with any one who takes notice of the Strength which he still exerts in his Morning Hemms. I was touched with a fecret Joy at the Sight of the good old Man, who before he faw me was engaged in Converfation with a Beggar Man that had asked an Alms of him. I could hear my Friend chide him for not finding out fome Work; but at the fame time saw him put his Hand in his Pocket and give him Six-pence. OUR Salutations were very hearty on both Sides, confifting of many kind Shakes of the Hand, and feveral affectionate Looks which we caft upon one another. After which the Knight told me my good Friend his Chaplain was very well, and much at my Service, and that the Sunday before he had made a most incomparable Sermon out of Doctor Barrow. I have left, fays he, all my Affairs in his Hands, and being willing to lay an Obligation upon him, have depofited with him thirty Marks, to be distributed among his poor Parishioners. HE then poceeded to acquaint me with the Welfare of Will Wimble. Upon which he put his Hand into his Fob and prefented me in his Name with a Tobacco D 2 Stopper, No. 269. Stopper, telling me that Will had been bufy all the Beginning of the Winter in turning great Quantities of them; and that he made a Present of one to every Gentleman in the Country who has good Principles, and fmokes. He added, that poor Will was at present under great Tribulation, for that Tom Touchy had taken the Law of him for cutting fome Hazel Sticks out of one of his Hedges. AMONG other Pieces of News which the Knight brought from his Country Seat, he informed me that Moll White was dead; and that about a Month after her Death the Wind was fo very high, that it blew down the End of one of his Barns. But for my own part, says Sir ROGER, I do not think that the old Woman had hand in it. any HE afterwards fell into an Account of the Diverfions which had paffed in his Houfe during the Holidays; for Sir ROGER, after the laudable Custom of his Ancestors, always keeps open House at Chriftmas. I learned from him, that he had killed eight fat Hogs for this Season, that he had dealt about his Chines very liberally amongst his Neighbours, and that in particular he had fent a string of Hogs-puddings with a pack of Cards to every poor Family in the Parish. I have often thought, fays Sir RoGER, it happens very well that Christmas fhould fall out in the middle of Winter. It is the moft dead uncomfortable Time of the Year, when the poor People would fuffer very much from their Poverty and Cold, if they had not good Cheer, warm Fires, and Christmas Gambols to fupport them. I love to rejoice their poor Hearts at this Seafon, and to fee the whole Village merry in my great Hall. I allow a double Quantity of Malt to my fmall Beer, and fet it a running for twelve Days to every one that calls for it. I have always a Piece of cold Beef and a Mince-Pye upon the Table, and am wonderfully pleafed to fee my Tenants pafs away a whole Evening in playing their innocent Tricks, and fmutting one another. Our Friend Will Wimble is as mery as any of them, and fhews a thousand roguish Tricks upon thefe Occafions. I was very much delighted with the Reflexion of my old Friend, which carried fo much Goodness in it. He then then lanched out into the Praise of the late A&t of Parliament for fecuring the Church of England, and told me, with great Satisfaction, that he believed it already began to take Effect, for that a rigid Diffenter who chanced to dine at his Houfe on Christmas Day, had been obferved to eat very plentifully of his Plumb-porridge. AFTER having dispatch'd all our Country Matters, Sir ROGER made feveral Inquiries concerning the Club, and particularly of his old Antagonist Sir ANDREW FREEPORT. He asked me with a kind of a Smile, whether Sir ANDREW had not taken the Advantage of his Abfence, to vent among them fome of his Republican Doctrines; but foon after gathering up his Countenance into a more than ordinary Serioufnefs, Tell me truly, fays he, don't you think Sir ANDREW had a Hand in the Pope's Proceffion- -but without giving me time to anfwer him, Well, well, says he, I know you are a wary Man, and do not care to talk of publick Matters. THE Knight then asked me, if I had feen Prince Eugenio, and made me promife to get him a Stand in fome convenient Place where he might have a full Sight of that extraordinary Man, whofe Prefence does fo much Honour to the British Nation. He dwelt very long on the Praises of this Great General, and I found that, fince I was with him in the Country, he had drawn many Obfervations together out of his reading in Baker's Chronicle, and other Authors, who always lie in his Hall Window, which very much redound to the Honour of this Prince. HAVING paffed away the greatest Part of the Mor ning in hearing the Knight's Reflexions, which were partly private, and partly political, he asked me if I would fmoke a Pipe with him over a Difh of Coffee at Squires. As I love the old Man, I take Delight in complying with every thing that is agreeable to him, and accordingly waited on him to the Coffee-house, where his venerable Figure drew upon us the Eyes of the whole Room. He had no fooner feated himself at the upper End of the high Table, but he called for a clean Pipe, a Paper of Tobacco, a Difh of Coffee, a Wax Candle, and the Supplement, with fuch an Air of Chearfulness and Good-humour, that all the Boys in the Coffee-room (who D 3 feemed feemed to take Pleasure in ferving him) were at once employed on his feveral Errands, infomuch that no Body elfe could come at a Dish of Tea, till the Knight had got all his Conveniencies about him. L N° 270. Wednesday, January 9. I Dicit enim citiùs, meminitque libentiùs illud, Hor. Do not know that I have been in greater Delight for thefe many Years, than in beholding the Boxes at the Play the last Time the Scornful Lady was acted. So great an Affembly of Ladies placed in gradual Rows in all the Ornaments of Jewels, Silks and Colours, gave fo lively and gay an Impreffion to the Heart, that me thought the Seafon of the Year was vanifhed; and I did not think it an ill Expreffion of a young Fellow who ftood near me, that called the Boxes Thofe Beds of Tulips. It was a pretty Variation of the Profpect, when any one of thefe fine Ladies rofe up and did Honour to herself and Friend at a Distance, by curtifying; and gave Opportunity to that Friend to fhew her Charms to the fame Advantage in returning the Salutation. Here that Action is as proper and graceful, as it is at Church unbecoming and impertinent. By the way, I must take the Liberty to obferve that I did not fee any one who is u fually fo full of Civilities at Church, offer at any fuch Indecorum during any Part of the Action of the Play. Such beautiful Profpects gladden our Minds, and when confidered in general, give innocent and pleafing Ideas. He that dwells upon any one Object of Beauty may fix his Imagination to his Difquiet; but the Contemplation of a whole Affembly together, is a Defence against the Encroachment of Defire: At leaft to me, who have taken Pains to look at Beauty abstracted from the Confideration of its being the Object of Defire; at Power, only as it fits upon another, without any Hopes of partaking any Share |