quick conception; for the imitation there- | Arsinoe, and did it to the best advantage so fore of such as are, as I may so speak, cor- great a novelty would allow. It is not proporeal wits, or nimble fellows, I would fain per to trouble you with particulars of the ask any of the present mismanagers, why just complaints we all of us have to make; should not rope-dancers, vaulters, tumblers, but so it is, that without regard to our obligladder-walkers, and posture-masters ap- ing pains, we are all equally set aside in the pear again on our stage? After such a re- present opera. Our application therefore presentation a five-bar gate would be leaped to you is only to insert this letter in your with a better grace next time any of the paper, that the town may know we have all audience went a hunting. Sir, these things three joined together to make entertaincry aloud for reformation, and fall properly ments of music for the future at Mr. Clayunder the province of Spectator-General; ton's house in York-buildings. What we but how indeed should it be otherwise, promise ourselves is, to make a subscription while fellows (that for twenty years toge- of two guineas, for eight times; and that the ther were never paid but as their master entertainment, with the names of the auwas in the humour) now presume to pay thors of the poetry, may be printed, to be others more than ever they had in their sold in the house, with an account of the lives: and in contempt of the practice of several authors of the vocal as well as the persons of condition, have the insolence to instrumental music for each night; the owe no tradesman a farthing at the end of money to be paid at the receipt of the the week. Sir, all I propose is the public tickets, at Mr. Charles Lillie's. It will, good; for no one can imagine I shall ever we hope, sir, be easily allowed, that we are get a private shilling by it: therefore I hope capable of undertaking to exhibit, by our you will recommend this matter in one of joint force and different qualifications, all your this week's papers, and desire when that can be done in music; but lest you my house opens you will accept the liberty should think so dry a thing as an account of of it for the trouble you have received from, our proposal should be a matter unworthy sir, your humble servant, of your paper, which generally contains something of public use; give us leave to say, that favouring our design is no less than reviving an art, which runs to ruin by the utmost barbarism under an affectation of knowledge. We aim at establishing some settled notion of what is music, at recovering from neglect and want very many families who depend upon it, at making all foreigners who pretend to succeed in England to learn the language of it as we ourselves have done, and not to be so insolent as to expect a whole nation, a refined and learned nation, should submit to learn theirs. In a word, Mr. Spectator, with all deference and humility, we hope to behave ourselves in this undertaking in such a manner, that all Englishmen who have any skill in music may be furthered in it for their profit or diversion by what new things we shall produce; never pretending to surpass others, or asserting that any thing which is a science, is not attainable by all men of all nations who have proper genius for it. We say, sir, what we hope for, it is not expected will arrive to us by contemning others, but through the utmost diligence recommending ourselves. We are, sir, your most humble servants,

RALPH CROTCHET. 'P. S. I have assurances that the trunkmaker will declare for us.'

'MR. SPECTATOR,-We whose names are subscribed, think you the properest person to signify what we have to offer the town in behalf of ourselves, and the art which we profess, music. We conceive hopes of your favour from the speculations on the mistakes which the town runs into with regard to their pleasure of this kind; and believing your method of judging is, that you consider music only valuable, as it is agreeable to, and heightens the purpose of poetry, we consent that it is not only the true way of relishing that pleasure, but also that without it a composure of music is the same thing as a poem, where all the rules of poetical numbers are observed, though the words have no sense or meaning; to say it shorter, mere musical sounds in our art are no other than nonsense verses are in poetry. Music therefore is to aggravate what is intended by poetry; it must always have some passion or sentiment to express, or else violins, voices, or any other organs of sound, afford an entertainment very little above the rattles of children. It was from this opinion of the matter, that when Mr. Clayton had finished his studies in Italy, and brought over the opera of Arsinoe, that Mr. Haym and Mr. Dieupart, who had the honour to be well known and received No. 259.] Thursday, December 27, 1711. among the nobility and gentry, were zealously inclined to assist by their solicitations, in introducing so elegant an entertainment as the Italian music grafted upon English poetry. For this end Mr. Dieupart and Mr. Haym, according to their several opportunities, promoted the introduction of

T.

THOMAS CLAYTON, NICOLINO HAYM, 'CHARLES DIEUPART.'

Quod decet honestum est, et quod honestum est decet.
Tull.

What is becoming is honourable, and what is honour

able is becoming.

THERE are some things which cannot come under certain rules, but which one would think could not need them, Of this

the room, when certainly common sense should suggest, that all regards at that time should be engaged, and cannot be diverted to any other object, without disrespect to the sovereign. But as to the complaint of my correspondents, it is not to be imagined what offence some of them take at the custom of saluting in places of worship. I have a very angry letter from a lady, who tells me of one of her acquaintance, who, out of mere pride and a pretence to be rude, takes upon her to return no civilities done to her in time of divine service, and is the most religious woman, for no other reason but to appear a woman of the best quality in the church. This absurd custom had better be abolished than retained; if it were but to prevent evils of no higher a nature than this is; but I am informed of objections much more considerable. A dissenter of rank and distinction was lately prevailed upon by a friend of his to come to one of the greatest congregations of the church of England about town. After the service was over, he declared he was very well satisfied with the little ceremony which was used towards God Almighty; but at the same time he feared that he should not be able to go through those required towards one another; as to this point he was in a state of despair, and feared he was not well-bred enough to be a convert. There have been many scandals of this kind given to our protestant dissenters from the outward pomp and respect we take to ourselves in our religious assemblies. A quaker who

kind are outward civilities and salutations. | sions thought it a very great absurdity in These one would imagine might be regu- the company (during the royal presence lated by every man's common sense, with- to exchange salutations from all parts of out the help of an instructor; but that which we call common sense suffers under that word; for it sometimes implies no more than that faculty which is common to all men, but sometimes signifies right reason, and what all men should consent to. In this latter acceptation of the phrase, it is no great wonder people err so much against it, since it is not every one who is possessed of it, and there are fewer who, against common rules and fashions, dare obey its dictates. As to salutations, which I was about to talk of, I observe, as I stroll about town, there are great enormities committed with regard to this particular. You shall sometimes see a man begin the offer of a salutation, and observe a forbidding air, or escaping eye, in the person he is going to salute, and stop short in the poll of his neck. This, in the person who believed he could do it with a good grace, and was refused the opportunity, is justly resented with a coldness the whole ensuing season. Your great beauties, people in much favour, or by any means or for any purpose overflattered, are apt to practise this, which one may call the preventing aspect, and throw their attention another way, lest they should confer a bow or a courtesy upon a person who might not appear to deserve that dignity. Others you shall find so obsequious, and so very courteous as there is no escaping their favours of this kind. Of this sort may be a man who is in the fifth or sixth degree of favour with a minister. This good creature is resolved to show the world, that great honours can-came one day into a church, fixed his eye not at all change his manners; he is the same civil person he ever was; he will venture his neck to bow out of a coach in full speed, at once to show he is full of business, and yet not so taken up as to forget his old friend. With a man who is not so well formed for courtship and elegant behaviour, such a gentleman as this seldom finds his account in the return of his compliments; but he will still go on, for he is in his own way, and must not omit; let the neglect fall on your side, or where it will, his business is still to be well-bred to the end. I think I have read, in one of our English comedies, a description of a fellow that affected knowing every body, and for want of judgment in time and place, would bow and smile in the face of a judge sitting in the court, would sit in an opposite gallery and smile in the minister's face as he came up into the pulpit, and nod as if he alluded to some familiarities between them in another place. But now I happen to speak of salutation at church, I must take notice that several of my correspondents have importuned me to consider that subject, and settle the point of decorum in that particular.

I do not pretend to be the best courtier in the world, but I have often on public occa

upon an old lady with a carpet larger than that from the pulpit before her, expecting when she would hold forth. An anabaptist who designs to come over himself, and all his family, within a few months, is sensible they wat breeding enough for our congregations, and has sent his two eldest daughters to learn to dance, that they may not misbehave themselves at church. It is worth considering whether, in regard to awkward people with scrupulous consciences, a good Christian of the best air in the world ought not rather to deny herself the opportunity of showing so many graces, than keep a bashful proselyte without the pale of the church.

T.

No. 260.] Friday, December 28, 1711.
Singula de nobis anni prædantur euntes.

Hor. Lib. 2. Ep. ii. 55.
Years following years steal something every day,
At last they steal us from ourselves away.-Popc.
'MR. SPECTATOR,-I am now in the
sixty-fifth year of my age, and having been
the greater part of my days a man of plea-
sure, the decay of my faculties is a stagna-
tion of my life. But how is it, sir, that my
appetites are increased upon me with the

'MR. SPECTATOR,-You will infinitely oblige a distressed lover, if you will insert in your very next paper, the following letter to my mistress. You must know I am not a person apt to despair, but she has got an odd humour of stopping short unaccountably, and as she herself told a confidant of hers, she has cold fits. These fits shall last her a month or six weeks together; and as she falls into them without provocation, so it is to be hoped she will return from them without the merit of new services. But life and love will not admit of such intervals, therefore pray let her be admonished as follows:

loss of power to gratify them? I write this | ponder, the vagaries of a child are not more like a criminal, to warn people to enter ridiculous than the circumstances which upon what reformation they please to make are heaped up in my memory; fine gowns, in themselves in their youth, and not expect country dances, ends of tunes, interrupted they shall be capable of it from a fond opinion conversations, and midnight quarrels, are some have often in their mouths, that if what must necessarily compose my soliwe do not leave our desires, they will leave loquy. I beg of you to print this, that some us. It is far otherwise; I am now as vain in ladies of my acquaintance and my years, my dress, and as flippant, if I see a pretty may be persuaded to wear warm nightwoman, as when in my youth I stood upon caps this cold season: and that my old a bench in the pit to survey the whole cir- friend Jack Tawdry may buy him a cane, cle of beauties. The folly is so extravagant and not creep with the air of a strut. I with me, and I went on with so little check must add to all this, that if it were not for of my desires, or resignation of them, that one pleasure, which I thought a very mean I can assure you, I very often, merely to one until of very late years, I should have entertain my own thoughts, sit with my no one great satisfaction left; but if I live to spectacles on, writing love-letters to the the tenth of March, 1714, and all my sebeauties that have been long since in their curities are good, I shall be worth fifty graves. This is to warm my heart with thousand pounds. I am, sir, your most humthe faint memory of delights which were ble servant, JACK AFTERDAY.' once agreeable to me; but how much happier would my life have been now, if I could have looked back on any worthy action done for my country? if I had laid out that which I profused in luxury and wantonness, in acts of generosity or charity? I have lived a bachelor to this day; and instead of a numerous offspring, with which in the regular ways of life I might possibly have delighted myself, I have only to amuse myself with the repetition of old stories and intrigues which no one will believe I ever was concerned in. I do not know whether you have ever treated of it or not; but you cannot fall on a better subject than that of the art of growing old. In such a lecture you must propose, that no one set his heart upon what is transient; the beauty grows wrinkled while we are yet gazing at her. The witty man sinks into a humourist imperceptibly, for want of reflecting that all things around him are in a flux, and continually changing: thus he is in the space of ten or fifteen years surrounded by a new set of people, whose manners are as natural to them as his delights, method of thinking, and mode of living, were formerly to him and his friends. But the mischief is, he looks upon the same kind of errors which he himself was guilty of with an eye of scorn, and with that sort of ill-will which men entertain against each other for different opinions. Thus a crazy constitution, and an uneasy mind is fretted with vexatious passions for young men's doing foolishly, what it is folly to do at all. Dear sir, this is my present state of mind; I hate those I should laugh at, and envy those I contemn. The time of youth and vigorous manhood, passed the way in which I have disposed of it, is attended with these consequences; but to those who live and pass away life as they ought, all parts of it are equally pleasant; only the memory of good and worthy actions is a feast which must give a quicker relish to the soul than ever it could possibly taste in the highest enjoy- 'MR. SPECTATOR,I am a footman in ments or jollities of youth. As for me, if I a great family, and am in love with the sit down in my great chair and begin to house-maid. We were all at hot-cockles

'MADAM,-I love you, and honour you: therefore, pray do not tell me of waiting until decencies, until forms, until humours are consulted and gratified. If you have that happy constitution as to be indolent for ten weeks together, you should consider that all that while I burn in impatiences and fevers: but still you say it will be time while we are yet talking. Which do you enough, though I and you too grow older think the most reasonable, that you should alter a state of indifference for happiness, and that to oblige me; or I live in torment, and that to lay no manner of obligation on you? While I indulge your insensibility I am doing nothing; if you favour my passion, you are bestowing bright desires, gay and transporting raptures upon, madam, hopes, generous cares, noble resolutions, your most devoted humble servant.'

'MR. SPECTATOR,-Here is a gentlewoman lodges in the same house with me, that I never did any injury to in my whole life; and she is always railing at me to those that she knows will tell me of it. Do not you think she is in love with me? or would you have me break my mind yet, or not? Your servant,

T. B.'

last night in the hall these holy-days; when | make our present state agreeable, but often I lay down and was blinded, she pulled off determine our happiness to all eternity. her shoe, and hit me with the heel such a Where the choice is left to friends, the rap, as almost broke my head to pieces. chief point under consideration is an estate; Pray, sir, was this love or spite?' T. where the parties choose for themselves, their thoughts turn most upon the person. They have both their reasons. The first

No. 261.] Saturday, December 29, 1711. would procure many conveniences and plea

Γαμος γαρ ανθρώποισιν ευκταίον κακον.

Frag. Vet. Poet.

Wedlock's an ill men eagerly embrace:

sures of life to the party whose interests they espouse; and at the same time may hope that the wealth of their friends will turn to their own credit and advantage. The others are preparing for themselves a perpetual feast. A good person does not only raise but continue love, and breeds a secret pleasure and complacency in the beholder, when the first heats of desire are extinguished. It puts the wife or husband in countenance, both among friends and strangers, and generally fills the family with a healthy and beautiful race of children.

I should prefer a woman that is agreeable in my own eye, and not deformed in that of the world, to a celebrated beauty. If you marry one remarkably beautiful, you must have a violent passion for her, or you have not the proper taste for her charms; and if you have such a passion for her, it is odds but it would be embittered with fears and jealousies.

My father, whom I mentioned in my first speculation, and whom I must always name with honour and gratitude, has very frequently talked to me upon the subject of marriage. I was in my younger years engaged partly by his advice, and partly by my own inclinations, in the courtship of a person who had a great deal of beauty, and did not at my first approaches seem to have any aversion to me; but as my natural taciturnity hindered me from showing myself to the best advantage, she by degrees began to look upon me as a very silly fellow, and being resolved to regard merit more than any thing else in the persons who made their applications to her, she married a captain of dragoons, who happened to be beating up for recruits in those parts. This unlucky accident has given me an Good-nature and evenness of temper will aversion to pretty fellows ever since, and give you an easy companion for life; virtue discouraged me from trying my fortune and good sense, an agreeable friend; love with the fair sex. The observations which and constancy, a good wife or husband. I made at this conjuncture, and the re- Where we meet one person with all these peated advices which I received at that accomplishments, we find a hundred withtime from the good old man above-men-out any one of them. The world, notwithtioned, have produced the following essay upon love and marriage.

The pleasantest part of a man's life is generally that which passes in courtship, provided his passion be sincere, and the party beloved, kind with discretion. Love, desire, hope, all the pleasing emotions of the soul rise in the pursuit.

standing, is more intent on trains and equipages, and all the showy parts of life: we love rather to dazzle the multitude than consult our proper interests; and as I have elsewhere observed, it is one of the most unaccountable passions of human nature, that we are at greater pains to appear easy and happy to others than really to make It is easier for an artful man who is not ourselves so. Of all disparities, that in huin love, to persuade his mistress he has a mour makes the most unhappy marriages, passion for her, and to succeed in his pur-yet scarce enters into our thoughts at the suits, than for one who loves with the greatest violence. True love has ten thousand griefs, impatiences, and resentments, that render a man unamiable in the eyes of the person whose affection he solicits; besides that, it sinks his figure, gives him fears, apprehensions, and poorness of spirit, and often makes him appear ridiculous where he has a mind to recommend himself.

Those marriages generally abound most with love and constancy, that are preceded by long courtship. The passion should strike root, and gather strength before marriage be grafted on it. A long course of hopes and expectations fixes the idea in our minds, and habituates us to a fondness of the person beloved.

There is nothing of so great importance to us as the good qualities of one to whom we join ourselves for life; they do not only

contracting of them. Several that are in this respect unequally yoked, and uneasy for life with a person of a particular character, might have been pleased and happy with a person of a contrary one, notwithstanding they are both perhaps equally virtuous and laudable in their kind.

Before marriage we cannot be too inquisitive and discerning in the faults of the person beloved, nor after it too dim-sighted and superficial. However perfect and accomplished the person appears to you at a distance, you will find many blemishes and imperfections in her humour, upon a more intimate acquaintance, which you never discovered or perhaps suspected. Here, therefore, discretion and good-nature are to show their strength; the first will hinder your thoughts from dwelling on what is disagreeable, the other will raise in you all the tenderness of compassion and humanity,

and by degrees soften those very imperfec-|ficed their good sense and virtue to their tions into beauties. fame and reputation. No man is so sunk Marriage enlarges the scene of our hap-in vice and ignorance but there are still piness and miseries. A marriage of love some hidden seeds of goodness and knowis pleasant; a marriage of interest easy; and ledge in him; which give him a relish of a marriage where both meet, happy. A such reflections and speculations as have happy marriage has in it all the pleasures an aptness to improve the mind, and make of friendship, all the enjoyments of sense the heart better. and reason; and, indeed, all the sweets of life. Nothing is a greater mark of a degenerate and vicious age, than the common ridicule which passes on this state of life. It is, indeed, only happy in those who can look down with scorn and neglect on the impieties of the times, and tread the paths of life together in a constant uniform course