Chapter CV: Letter I: found that Will was fallen off from his former Gayety, having (14)

Welcome, great Stranger, to our longing Eyes,
Oh! King desir'd, adopted_ Albion _cries.
For thee the East breath'd out a prosperous Breeze,
Bright were the Suns, and gently swell'd the Seas.
Thy Presence did each doubtful Heart compose,
And Factions wonder'd that they once were Foes;
That joyful Day they lost each Hostile Name,
The same their Aspect, and their Voice the same.

So two fair Twins, whose Features were design'd
At one soft Moment in the Mother's Mind,
Show each the other with reflected Grace,
And the same Beauties bloom in either Face;
The puzzled Strangers which is which enquire,
Delusion grateful to the smiling Sire.

From that fair Hill, where hoary Sages boast
To name the Stars, and count the heavenly Host,
By the next Dawn doth great_ Augusta _rise,
Proud Town! the noblest Scene beneath the Skies.
O'er_ Thames _her thousand Spires their Lustre shed,
And a vast Navy hides his ample Bed,
A floating Forest. From the distant Strand
A Line of Golden Carrs strikes o'er the Land_:
Britannia's _Peers in Pomp and rich Array,
Before their King, triumphant, lead the Way.
Far as the Eye can reach, the gawdy Train,
A bright Procession, shines along the Plain.

So haply through the Heav'n's wide pathless Ways
A Comet draws a long-extended Blaze;
From East to West [burns through [2]] th' ethereal Frame,
And half Heav'n's Convex glitters with the Flame.

Now to the Regal Towers securely brought,
He plans_ Britannia's _Glories in his Thought;
Resumes the delegated Pow'r he gave,
Rewards the Faithful and restores the Brave.
Whom shall the Muse from out the shining Throng
Select to heighten and adorn her Song?
Thee_, Halifax. _To thy capacious Mind,
O Man approved, is_ Britain's _Wealth consigned.
Her Coin (while_ Nassau _fought) debas'd and rude,
By Thee in Beauty and in Truth renew'd,
An Arduous Work! again thy Charge we see,
And thy own Care once more returns to Thee.
O! form'd in every Scene to awe and please,
Mix Wit with Pomp, and Dignity with Ease:
Tho' call'd to shine aloft, thou wilt not scorn
To smile on Arts thy self did once adorn:
For this thy Name succeeding Time shall praise,
And envy less thy Garter, than thy Bays.

The Muse, if fir'd with thy enlivening Beams,
Perhaps shall aim at more exalted Themes,
Record our Monarch in a nobler Strain,
And sing the opening Wonders of his Reign;
Bright_ CAROLINA'_s heavenly Beauties trace,
Her valiant_ CONSORT, _and his blooming Race.
A Train of Kings their fruitful Love supplies,
A glorious Scene to_ Albion'_s ravish'd Eyes;
Who sees by_ BRUNSWICK'_s Hand her Sceptre sway'd,
And through his Line from Age to Age convey'd.'

[Footnote 1: [artless Muse the]]

[Footnote 2: he burns].

* * * * *

No. 621. Wednesday, November 17, 1714.

'--postquam se lumine puro
Implevit, stellasque vagas miratur et Astra
Fixa Polis, vidit quanta sub nocte jaceret
Nostra dies, risitque sui ludibria--'

Lucan.

The following Letter having in it some Observations out of the common Road, I shall make it the Entertainment of this Day.

_Mr_. SPECTATOR,

'The common Topicks against the Pride of Man which are laboured by
florid and declamatory Writers, are taken from the Baseness of his
Original, the Imperfections of his Nature, or the short Duration of
those Goods in which he makes his Boast. Though it be true that we can
have nothing in us that ought to raise our Vanity, yet a Consciousness
of our own Merit may be sometimes laudable. The Folly therefore lyes
here: We are apt to pride our selves in worthless, or perhaps shameful
Things; and, on the other hand, count that disgraceful which is our
truest Glory.

'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 Weaknesses as well as he himself doth, he could not
have the Impudence to expect the publick Esteem. Pride therefore flows
from want of Reflection, and Ignorance of our selves. Knowledge and
Humility come upon us together.

'The proper way to make an Estimate of our selves, is to consider
seriously what it is we value or despise in others. A Man who boasts
of the Goods of Fortune, a gay Dress or a new Title, is generally the
Mark of Ridicule. We ought therefore not to admire in our selves, what
we are so ready to laugh at in other Men.

'Much less can we with Reason pride our selves in those things, which
at some time of our Life we shall certainly despise. And yet, if we
will give our selves the Trouble of looking 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 shew 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, Mock Battles, 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 upon a Creature which
approaches the nearest to the rational Nature. By the same Rule (if I
may indulge my Fancy in this Particular) a superior Brute looks with a
kind of Pride on one of an inferior Species. If they could reflect, we
might imagine from the Gestures of some of them, that they think
themselves the Sovereigns of the World, and that all things were made
for them. Such a Thought would not be more absurd in Brute Creatures,
than one which Men are apt to entertain, namely, That all the Stars in
the Firmament were created only to please their Eyes and amuse their
Imaginations. Mr. _Dryden_, in his Fable of the _Cock and the Fox_,
makes a Speech for his Hero the Cock, which is a pretty Instance for
this Purpose,

'Then turning, said to_ Partlet, _See, my Dear,
How lavish Nature hath adorn'd the Year;
How the pale Primrose and the Violet spring,
And Birds essay their Throats, disus'd to sing:
All 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
our selves 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.

* * * * *

No. 622. Friday, November 19, 1714.

'--Fallentis Semita Vitæ.'

Hor.

_Mr_. SPECTATOR,

'In a former Speculation you have observed, that true Greatness doth
not consist in that Pomp and Noise wherein the Generality of Mankind
are apt to place it. You have there taken Notice, that Virtue in
Obscurity often appears more illustrious in the Eye of superior
Beings, than all that passes for Grandeur and Magnificence among Men.

When we look back upon the History of those who have born the Parts of
Kings, Statesmen, or Commanders, they appear to us stripped of those
out-side Ornaments that dazzled 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 an obscure Man, who lived up to the Dignity of his
Nature, and according to the Rules of Virtue, 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 22d Year I found a violent Affection for my Cousin
_Charles'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 into _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 Law-suit 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.--, my Friend _H--_'s Widow.

"_Mem_. To retrench one Dish at my Table, till 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 Woman that confessed her self
a Witch.

"Gave away my favourite Dog for biting a Beggar.

"Made the Minister of the Parish and a _Whig_ Justice of one Mind,
by putting them upon explaining their Notions to one another.

"_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 to Morrow:

"_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.

* * * * *

No. 623. Monday, November 22, 1714. Addison [1].

'Sed mihi vel tellus optem prius ima dehiscat,
Vel pater omnipotens adigat me fulmine ad umbras,
Pallentes umbras Erebi noctemque profundam,
Ante, pudor, quam te violem aut tua jura resolvam.
Ille meos, primos qui me sibi junxit, amores
Abstulit: ille habeat secum, servetque sepulchro.'

Virg.

I am obliged to my Friend, the _Love-Casuist_[2], for the following Curious Piece of Antiquity, which I shall communicate to the Publick in his own Words.

_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,
Like a Whore as I am;
And, for my_ Crincum Crancum,
_Have lost my_ Bincum Bancum;
_And, for my Tail's Game,
Have done this worldly Shame;
Therefore, I pray you Mr. Steward, let me have my Land again.'

'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
Court-Baron, held in that Behalf, for the Space of a whole Day. The
Record saith, that a strict Inquisition having been made into the
Right of the Tenants to their several Estates, by a crafty old
Steward, he found that many of the Lands of the Manor were, by default
of the several Widows, forfeited to the Lord, and accordingly would
have enter'd on the Premises: Upon which the good Women demanded the
Benefit of the Ram. The Steward, after having perused their several
Pleas, adjourn'd the Court to _Barnaby-bright_ [3], that they might
have Day enough before them.

'The Court being set, and filled with a great Concourse of People, who
came from all Parts to see the Solemnity, the first who entered was
the Widow _Frontly_, who had made her Appearance in the last Year's
Cavalcade. The Register observes, that finding it an easy Pad-Ram, and
foreseeing she might have further Occasion for it, she purchased it of
the Steward.

'Mrs. _Sarah Dainty_, Relict of Mr. _John Dainty_, (who was the
greatest Prude in the Parish) came next in the Procession. She at
first made some Difficulty of taking the Tail in her Hand; and was
observed in pronouncing the Form of Penance, to soften the two most
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_.

'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 thro' the rest of the
Ceremony: But the Steward being well versed in the Law, observed very
wisely upon this Occasion, that the breaking of the Rope does not
hinder the Execution of the Criminal.

'The fourth Lady upon Record was the Widow _Ogle_, a famous Coquette,
who had kept half a Score young Fellows off and on for the Space of
two Years; but having been more kind to her Carter _John_, she was
introduced with the Huzza's of all her Lovers about her.

'Mrs. _Sable_ appearing in her Weeds, which were very new and fresh,
and of the same Colour with her whimsical _Palfrey_, made a very
decent Figure in the Solemnity.

'Another, who had been summoned to make her Appearance, was excused by
the Steward, as well knowing in his Heart, that the good Squire
himself had qualified her for the Ram.

'Mrs. _Quick_ having nothing to object against the Indictment, pleaded
her Belly. But it was remembred that she made the same Excuse the Year
before. Upon which the Steward observ'd, that she might so contrive
it, as never to 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 Life-time; and withal desir'd 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 as not finding any Ram that was able to carry her;
upon which the Steward commuted her Punishment, and ordered her to
make her Entry upon a black Ox.

'The Widow _Maskwell_, a Woman who had long lived with a most
unblemished Character, 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 Tryal,
they shewed that they did not hold of the Manor, and were discharged
accordingly.

'A pretty young Creature who closed the Procession, came ambling in,
with so bewitching an Air, that the Steward was observ'd to cast a
Sheep's Eye upon her, and married her within a Month after the Death
of his Wife.

'_N. B._ Mrs. _Touchwood_ appeared, according to Summons, but had
nothing laid to her Charge; having liv'd irreproachably since the
Decease of her Husband, who left her a Widow in the Sixty-ninth Year
of her Age.'

_I am, SIR_, &c.

[Footnote 1: See note to No. 608.]

[Footnote 2: See Nos. 591, 602, 605, 614, and 625.]

[Footnote 3: Then the 11th, now the 22nd of June, longest day of the year.]

* * * * *

No. 624. Wednesday, November 24, 1714.

'Audire, atque togam jubeo componere, quisquis
Ambitione mala, aut argenti pallet amore
Quisquis luxuria--'

Hor.

Mankind is divided into two Parts, the Busie and the Idle. The Busie World may be divided into the Virtuous and the Vicious. The Vicious again into the Covetous, the Ambitious, and the Sensual. The idle Part of Mankind are in a State inferior to any one of these. All the other are engaged in the Pursuit of Happiness, though often misplaced, and are therefore more likely to be attentive to such Means, as shall be proposed to them for that End. The Idle, who are neither wise for this World, nor the next, are emphatically called by Dr. _Tillotson_, _Fools at large_. They propose to themselves no End, but run adrift with every Wind. Advice therefore would be but thrown away upon them, since they would scarce take the Pains to read it. I shall not fatigue any of this worthless Tribe with a long Harangue; but will leave them with this short Saying of _Plato_, that _Labour is preferable to Idleness, as Brightness to Rust_.

The Pursuits of the Active Part of Mankind, are either in the Paths of Religion and Virtue; or, on the other Hand, in the Roads to Wealth, Honours or Pleasure. I shall therefore compare 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 Troubles to be miserable, as they do to be happy, my Readers may perhaps be perswaded to be Good, when they find they shall lose nothing by it.

_First_, for Avarice. The Miser is more Industrious than the Saint: The Pains of getting, the Fears of losing, and the Inability of enjoying his Wealth, have been the Mark of Satyr in all Ages. Were his Repentance upon his Neglect 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 Virtues. He may apply to himself a great Part of St. _Paul's_ Catalogue of Sufferings. _In journeying often; in Perils of Water, in Perils of Robbers, in Perils among false Brethren. In Weariness and Painfulness, in Watchings often, in Hunger and Thirst, in Fastings often_,--At how much less Expence might he _lay up to himself Treasures in Heaven_; or if I may, in this Place, be allowed to add the Saying of 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 _Woolsey'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 have now felt the Comforts of it, when the whole World turned its Back upon him.

_Thirdly,_ Let us compare the Pains of the Sensual, with those of the Virtuous, and see which are heavier in the Balance. It may seem strange, at the first View, that the Men of Pleasure should be advised to change their Course, because they lead a painful Life. Yet when we see them so active and vigilant in 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 make up this Business of Life, render it so silly and uncomfortable, that no Man is thought wise till he hath got over it, or happy, 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 Difficulties to prove his Patience, and excite his Industry. The same if not greater Labour, is required in the Service of Vice and Folly, as of Virtue and Wisdom: And he hath this easie Choice left him, whether with the Strength he is Master of, he will purchase Happiness or Repentance.

* * * * *

No. 625. Friday, November 26, 1714.

'--amores
A tenero meditatur Ungui--'

Hor.

The _Love Casuist_ hath referred to me the following Letter of Queries, with his Answers to each Question, for my Approbation. I have accordingly consider'd the several Matters therein contained, and hereby confirm and ratifie his Answers, and require the gentle Querist to conform her self thereunto.

_SIR_,

'I was Thirteen the Ninth of November last, and must now begin to
think of settling my self 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 no Body 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. _Fondle_, if it be but to spite her. But because
I would do nothing that is imprudent, I beg of you to give me your
Answers to some Questions I will write down, and desire you to get
them printed in the SPECTATOR, and I do not doubt but you will give
such Advice, as, I am sure, I shall follow.

'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.

'Whether I, who have been acquainted with him this whole Year almost,
am not a better Judge of his Merit, than my Father and Mother, who
never heard him talk, but at Table?

No.

'Whether I am not old enough to chuse for my self?

No.

'Whether it would not have been rude in me to refuse a Lock of his
Hair?

No.

'Shou'd not I be a very barbarous Creature, if I did not pity a Man
that is always Sighing for my Sake?

No.

'Whether you would not advise me to run away with the poor Man?

No.

'Whether you do not think, that if I won't have him, he won't drown
himself?

No.

What shall I say to him the next time he asks me if I will marry him?

No.

The following Letter requires neither Introduction, nor Answer.

_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 any
thing else? The Pleasure of increasing in Knowledge, and learning
something new every Hour of Life, is the noblest Entertainment of a
Rational Creature. I have a very good Ear for a Secret, and am
naturally of a communicative Temper; by which Means I am capable of
doing you great Services in this way. In order to make my self useful,
I am early in the Antichamber, where I thrust my Head into the thick
of the Press, and catch the News, at the opening of the Door, while it
is warm. Sometimes I stand by the Beef-Eaters, and take the Buz as it
passes by me. At other times I lay my Ear close to the Wall, and suck
in many a valuable Whisper, as it runs in a streight Line from Corner
to Corner. When I am weary with standing, I repair to one of the
neighbouring Coffee-houses, where I sit sometimes for a whole Day, and
have the News as it comes from Court fresh and fresh. In short, Sir, I
spare no Pains to know how the World goes. A Piece of News loses its
Flavour when it hath been an Hour in the Air. I love, if I may so
speak, to have it fresh from the Tree; and to convey it to my Friends
before it is faded. Accordingly my Expences in Coach-hire make no
small Article; which you may believe, when I assure you, that I post
away from Coffee-house to Coffee-house, and forestall the
_Evening-Post_ by two Hours. There is a certain Gentleman who hath
given me the slip twice or thrice, and hath been beforehand with me at
_Child's_. But I have play'd him a Trick. I have purchas'd a pair of
the best Coach-horses I could buy for Money, and now let him out-strip
me if he can. 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.

_Yours in haste_,
Tho. Quid-nunc.

* * * * *

No. 626. Monday, November 29, 1714. Henry Grove.

'--Dulcique animos novitate tenebo--'

Ov. Met. 1. I.

I have seen a little Work of a learned Man, [1] consisting of extemporary Speculations, which owed their Birth to the most trifling Occurrences of Life. His usual Method was, to write down any sudden Start of Thought which arose in his Mind upon the sight of an odd Gesticulation in a Man, any whimsical Mimickry of Reason in a Beast, or whatever appeared remarkable in any Object of the visible Creation. He was able to moralize upon a Snuff-Box, would flourish eloquently upon a Tucker or a Pair of Ruffles, and draw practical Inferences from a full-bottomed Perriwig. This I thought fit to mention, by way of Excuse, for my ingenious Correspondent, who hath introduced the following Letter by an Image which, I will beg leave to tell him, is too ridiculous in so serious and noble a Speculation.

_Mr_. SPECTATOR,

'When I have seen young Puss playing her wanton Gambols, and with a
thousand antick Shapes express her own Gayety at the same time that
she moved mine, while the old Grannum hath sat by with a most
exemplary Gravity, unmov'd at all that past; it hath made me reflect
what should be the occasion of Humours so opposite in two Creatures,
between whom there was no visible Difference but that of Age; and I
have been able to resolve it into nothing else but _the Force of
Novelty_.

'In every Species of Creatures, those who have been least Time in the
World, appear best pleased with their Condition: For, besides that to
a new Comer the World hath a Freshness on it that strikes the Sense
after a most agreeable Manner, _Being_ it self, unattended with any
great Variety of Enjoyments, excites a Sensation of Pleasure. But as
Age advances, every thing seems to wither, the Senses are disgusted
with their old Entertainments, and Existence turns flat and insipid.
We may see this exemplified in Mankind: The Child, let him be free
from Pain, and gratified in his Change of Toys, is diverted with the
smallest Trifle. Nothing disturbs the Mirth of the Boy, but a little
Punishment or Confinement. The Youth must have more violent Pleasures
to employ his Time; the Man loves the Hurry of an active Life, devoted
to the Pursuits of Wealth or Ambition; and Lastly, old Age, having
lost its Capacity for these Avocations, becomes its own insupportable
Burthen. This Variety may in part be accounted for by the Vivacity and
Decay of the Faculties; but I believe is chiefly owing to this, That
the longer we have been in Possession of Being, the 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 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 Circumstance. What is it but
Novelty that awakens Desire, enhances Delight, kindles Anger, provokes
Envy, inspires Horror? To this Cause we must ascribe it, that Love
languishes with Fruition, and Friendship it self is recommended by
Intervals of Absence: Hence Monsters, by use, are beheld without
loathing, and the most enchanting Beauty without Rapture. That Emotion
of the Spirits in which Passion consists, is usually the Effect of
Surprize, and as long as it continues, heightens the agreeable or
disagreeable Qualities of its Object; but as this Emotion ceases (and
it ceases with the Novelty) things appear in another Light, and
affects us even less than might be expected from their proper Energy,
for having moved us too much before.

'It may not be an useless Enquiry how far the Love of Novelty is the
unavoidable Growth of Nature, and in what Respects it is peculiarly
adapted to the present State. To me it seems impossible, that a
reasonable Creature should rest absolutely satisfied in any
Acquisitions whatever, without endeavouring farther; for after its
highest Improvements, the Mind hath an Idea of an Infinity of things
still behind worth knowing, to the Knowledge of which therefore it
cannot be indifferent; as by climbing up a Hill in the midst of a wide
Plain, a Man hath his Prospect enlarged, and, together with that, the
Bounds of his Desires. Upon this Account, I cannot think he detracts
from the State of the Blessed, who conceives them to be perpetually
employed in fresh Searches into Nature, and to Eternity advancing into
the fathomless Depths of the Divine Perfections. In this Thought there
is nothing but what doth Honour to these glorified Spirits; provided
still it be remembred, that their Desire of more proceeds not from
their disrelishing what they possess; and the Pleasure of a new
Enjoyment is not with them measured by its Novelty (which is a thing
merely foreign and accidental) but by its real intrinsick Value. After
an Acquaintance of many thousand Years with the Works of God, the
Beauty and Magnificence of the Creation fills them with the same
pleasing Wonder and profound Awe, which _Adam_ felt himself seized
with as he first opened his Eyes upon this glorious Scene. Truth
captivates with unborrowed Charms, and whatever hath once given
Satisfaction will always do it: In all which they have manifestly the
Advantage of us, who are so much govern'd by sickly and changeable
Appetites, that we can with the greatest Coldness behold the
stupendous Displays of Omnipotence, and be in Transports at the puny
Essays of humane Skill; throw aside Speculations of the sublimest
Nature and vastest Importance into some obscure Corner of the Mind, to
make Room for new Notions of no Consequence at all; are even tired of
Health, because not enlivened with alternate Pain, and prefer the
first Reading of an indifferent Author, to the second or third Perusal
of one whose Merit and Reputation are established.

Our being thus formed serves many useful Purposes in the present
State. It contributes not a little to the Advancement of Learning;
for, as _Cicero_ takes Notice, That which makes Men willing to undergo
the Fatigues of Philosophical Disquisitions, is not so much the
Greatness of Objects as their Novelty. It is not enough that there is
Field and Game for the Chace, and that the Understanding is prompted
with a restless Thirst of Knowledge, effectually to rouse the Soul,
sunk into the State of Sloth and Indolence; it is also necessary that
there be an uncommon Pleasure annexed to the first Appearance of Truth
in the Mind. This Pleasure being exquisite for the Time it lasts, but
transient, it hereby comes to pass that the Mind grows into an
Indifference to its former Notions, and passes on after new
Discoveries, in hope of repeating the Delight. It is with Knowledge as
with Wealth, the Pleasure of which lies more in making endless
Additions, than in taking a Review of our old Store. There are some
Inconveniencies that follow this Temper, if not guarded against,
particularly this, that through a too great Eagerness of something new
we are many times impatient of staying long enough upon a Question
that requires some time to resolve it, or, which is worse, perswade
our selves that we are Masters of the Subject before we are so, only
to be at the Liberty of going upon a fresh Scent; in Mr. _Lock's_
Words, _We see a little, presume a great deal, and so jump to the
Conclusion_.

'A farther Advantage of our Inclination for Novelty, as at present
circumstantiated, is, that it annihilates all the boasted Distinctions
among Mankind. Look not up with Envy to those above thee. Sounding
Titles, stately Buildings, fine Gardens, gilded Chariots, rich
Equipages, what are they? They dazzle every one but the Possessor: To
him that is accustomed to them they are cheap and regardless Things:
They supply him not with brighter Images, or more sublime
Satisfactions than the plain Man may have, whose small Estate will
just enable him to support the Charge of a simple unencumbered Life.
He enters heedless into his Rooms of State, as you or I do under our
poor Sheds. The noble Paintings and costly Furniture are lost on him;
he sees them not: As how can it be otherwise, when by Custom, a
Fabrick infinitely more grand and finish'd, that of the Universe,
stands unobserved by the Inhabitants, and the everlasting Lamps of
Heaven are lighted up in vain, for any Notice that Mortals take of
them? Thanks to indulgent Nature, which not only placed her Children
originally upon a Level, but still, by the Strength of this Principle,
in a great Measure preserves it, in spite of all the Care of a Man, to
introduce artificial Distinctions.

'To add no more, Is not this Fondness for Novelty, which makes us out
of Conceit with all we already have, a convincing Proof of a future
State? Either Man was made in vain, or this is not the only World he
was made for: For there cannot be a greater Instance of Vanity, than
that to which Man is liable, to be deluded from the Cradle to the
Grave with fleeting Shadows of Happiness. His Pleasures, and those not
considerable neither, die in the Possession, and fresh Enjoyments do
not rise fast enough to fill up half his Life with Satisfaction. When
I see Persons sick of themselves any longer than they are called away
by something that is of Force to chain down the present Thought; when
I see them hurry from Country to Town, and then from the Town back
again into the Country, continually shifting Postures, and placing
Life in all the different Lights they can think of; _Surely_, say I to
my self, _Life is vain, and the Man beyond Expression stupid or
prejudic'd, who from the Vanity of Life cannot gather, He is designed
for Immortality_.

[Footnote 1: Meditations, &c, by the Hon. Robert Boyle.]

* * * * *

No. 627. Wednesday, December 1, 1714.

'Tantum inter densas umbrosa cacumine fagos
Assidue veniebat; ibi hæc incondita solus
Montibus et Sylvis studio jactabat inani.'

Virg.

The following Account, which came to my Hands some time ago, may be no disagreeable Entertainment to such of my Readers, as have tender Hearts and nothing to do.

_Mr._ SPECTATOR,

'A Friend of mine died of a Feaver last Week, which he caught by
walking too late in a dewy Evening amongst his Reapers. I must inform
you that his greatest Pleasure was in Husbandry and Gardening. He had
some Humours which seemed inconsistent with that good Sense he was
otherwise Master of. His Uneasiness in the Company of Women was very
remarkable in a Man of such perfect Good-breeding, and his avoiding
one particular Walk in his Garden, where he had used to pass the
greatest Part of his Time, raised abundance of idle Conjectures in the
Village where he lived. Upon looking over his Papers we found out the
Reason, which he never intimated to his nearest Friends. He was, it
seems, a passionate Lover in his Youth, of which a large Parcel of
Letters he left behind him are a Witness. I send you a Copy of the
last he ever wrote upon that Subject, by which you will find that he
concealed the true Name of his Mistress under that of _Zelinda._

'A long Month's Absence would be insupportable to me, if the
Business I am employed in were not for the Service of my_ Zelinda_,
and of such a Nature as to place her every Moment in my Mind. I have
furnished the House exactly according to your Fancy, or, if you
please, my own; for I have long since learned to like nothing but
what you do. The Apartment designed for your Use is so exact a Copy
of that which you live in, that I often think my self in your House
when I step into it, but sigh when I find it without its proper
Inhabitant. You will have the most delicious Prospect from your
Closet-window that_ England _affords: I am sure I should think it
so, if the Landskip that shows such Variety did not at the same time
suggest to me the Greatness of the Space that lies between us.

'The Gardens are laid out very beautifully; I have dressed up every
Hedge in Woodbines, sprinkled Bowers and Arbours in every Corner,
and made a little Paradise round me; yet I am still like the first
Man in his Solitude, but half blest without a Partner in my
Happiness. I have directed one Walk to be made for two Persons,
where I promise ten thousand Satisfactions to my self in your
Conversation. I already take my Evening's Turn in it, and have worn
a Path upon the Edge of this little Alley, while I soothed my self
with the Thought of your walking by my Side. I have held many
imaginary Discourses with you in this Retirement; and when I have
been weary have sat down with you in the midst of a Row of
Jessamines. The many Expressions of Joy and Rapture I use in these
silent Conversations have made me for some Time the Talk of the
Parish; but a neighbouring young Fellow, who makes Love to the
Farmer's Daughter, hath found me out, and made my Case known to the
whole Neighbourhood.

'In planting of the Fruit-Trees I have not forgot the Peach you are
so fond of. I have made a Walk of Elms along the River Side, and
intend to sow all the Place about it with Cowslips, which I hope you
will like as well as that I have heard you talk of by your Father's
House in the Country.

'Oh!_ Zelinda, _What a Scheme of Delight have I drawn up in my
Imagination! What Day-Dreams do I indulge my self in! When will the
Six Weeks be at an End, that lye between me and my promised
Happiness?

'How could you break off so abruptly in your last, and tell me you
must go and dress for the Play? If you loved as I do, you would find
no more Company in a Crowd, than I have in my Solitude._

'I am, _&c._'

'On the Back of this Letter is written, in the Hand of the Deceased,
the following Piece of History.

Mem. _Having waited a whole Week for an Answer to this Letter, I
hurried to Town, where I found the Perfidious Creature married to my
Rival. I will bear it as becomes a Man, and endeavour to find out
Happiness for my self in that Retirement, which I had prepared in
vain for a false ungrateful Woman._

I am, _&c._

* * * * *

No. 628. Friday, December 3, 1714.

'Labitur et labetur in omne volubilis avum.'

Hor.

_Mr._ SPECTATOR,

'There are none of your Speculations which please me more than those
upon Infinitude and Eternity. [1] You have already considered that
Part of Eternity which is past, and I wish you would give us your
Thoughts upon that which is to come.

'Your Readers will perhaps receive greater Pleasure from this View of
Eternity than the former, since we have every one of us a Concern in
that which is to come: Whereas a Speculation on that which is past is
rather curious than useful.

'Besides, we can easily conceive it possible for successive Duration
never to have an End; tho', as you have justly observed, that Eternity
which never had a Beginning is altogether incomprehensible; That is,
we can conceive an Eternal Duration which _may be_, though we cannot
an Eternal Duration which _hath been_; or, if I may use the
Philosophical Terms, we may apprehend a _Potential_ though not an
_Actual_ Eternity.

'This Notion of a future Eternity, which is natural to the Mind of
Man, is an unanswerable Argument that he is a Being designed for it;
especially if we consider that he is capable of being Virtuous or
Vicious here; that he hath Faculties improvable to all Eternity, and
by a proper or wrong Employment of them, may be happy or miserable
throughout that infinite Duration. Our Idea indeed of this Eternity is
not of an adequate or fixed Nature, but is perpetually growing and
enlarging itself toward the Object, which is too big for human
Comprehension. As we are now in the Beginnings of Existence, so shall
we always appear to our selves as if we were for ever entring upon it.
After a Million or two of Centuries, some considerable Things, already
past, may slip out of our Memory; which, if it be not strengthened in
a wonderful Manner, may possibly forget that ever there was a Sun or
Planets. And yet, notwithstanding the long Race that we shall then
have run, we shall still imagine ourselves just starting from the
Goal, and find no Proportion between that Space which we know had a
Beginning, and what we are sure will never have an End.

'But I shall leave this Subject to your Management, and question not
but you will throw it into such Lights as shall at once improve and
entertain your Reader.

'I have enclos'd sent you a Translation [2] of the Speech of _Cato_ on
this Occasion, which hath accidentally fallen into my Hands, and which
for Conciseness, Purity, and Elegance of Phrase, cannot be
sufficiently admired.