A poet of less judgment and invention is a very good one, if it be true:' but as for than this great author, would have found the following relation, I should be glad were it very difficult to have filled these tender I sure it were false. It is told with such parts of the poem with sentiments proper simplicity, and there are so many artless for a state of innocence; to have described touches of distress in it, that I fear it comes the warmth of love, and the professions of too much from the heart. it, without artifice or hyperbole; to have made the man speak the most endearing 'MR. SPECTATOR,-Some years ago it things without descending from his natural happened that I lived in the same house dignity, and the woman receiving them with a young gentleman of merit, with without departing from the modesty of her whose good qualities I was so much taken, character: in a word, to adjust the pre-as to make it my endeavour to show as rogatives of wisdom and beauty, and make many as I was able in myself. Familiar each appear to the other in its proper force converse improved general civilities into and loveliness. This mutual subordination an unfeigned passion on both sides. He of the two sexes is wonderfully kept up in watched an opportunity to declare himself the whole poem, as particularly in the to me; and I, who could not expect a man speech of Eve I have before mentioned, of so great an estate as his, received his adand upon the conclusion of it in the follow-dresses in such terms, as gave him no reaing lines:

So spake our general mother, and with eyes
Of conjugal attraction unreprov'd,
And meek surrender, half embracing lean'd
On our first father; half her swelling breast
Naked met his, under the flowing gold
Of her loose tresses hid; he in delight
Both of her beauty and submissive charms
Smil'd with superior love.

The poet adds, that the devil turned away with envy at the sight of so much happiness.

We have another view of our first parents in their evening discourses, which is full of pleasing images and sentiments suitable to their condition and characters. The speech of Eve in particular, is dressed up in such a soft and natural turn of words and sentiments, as cannot be sufficiently

admired.

I shall close my reflections upon this book with observing the masterly transition which the poet makes to their evening worship in the following lines:

Thus at their shady lodge arriv'd, both stood,
Both turn'd, and under open sky ador'd
The God that made both sky, air, earth, and heav'n,
Which they beheld, the moon's resplendent globe,
And starry pole: Thou also mad'st the night,
Maker omnipotent, and thou the day,' &c.

Most of the modern heroic poets have imitated the ancients, in beginning a speech without premising that the person said thus or thus; but as it is easy to imitate the ancients in the omission of two or three words, it requires judgment to do it in such a manner as they shall not be missed, and that the speech may begin naturally without them. There is a fine instance of this kind cut of Homer, in the twenty-third chapter of Longinus.

L.

No. 322.] Monday, March 10, 1711-12.
-Ad humum mærore gravi deducit et angit.
Hor. Ars Poet. v. 110.

-Grief wrings her soul, and bends it down to earth.

Francis.

IT is often said, after a man has heard a story with extraordinary circumstances, 'It

son to believe I was displeased with them,
though I did nothing to make him think me
more easy than was decent. His father was
a very hard worldly man, and proud; so
that there was no reason to believe he
would easily be brought to think there was
any thing in any woman's person, or cha-
racter, that could balance the disadvantage
In the mean time
of an unequal fortune.
the son continued his application to me, and
omitted no occasion of demonstrating the
most disinterested passion imaginable to
me; and in plain direct terms offered to
marry me privately, and keep it so till he
should be so happy as to gain his father's
approbation, or become possessed of his
estate. I passionately loved him, and you
will believe I did not deny such a one what
was my interest also to grant. However, I
was not so young as not to take the precau-
tion of carrying with me a faithful servant,
who had been also my mother's maid, to be
present at the ceremony. When that was
over, I demanded a certificate to be signed
by the minister, my husband, and the ser-
vant I just now spoke of. After our nup-
tials, we conversed together very familiarly
in the same house; but the restraints we
were generally under, and the interviews
we had being stolen and interrupted, made
our behaviour to each other have rather
the impatient fondness which is visible in
lovers, than the regular and gratified affec-
tion, which is to be observed in man and
wife. This observation made the father
very anxious for his son, and press him to
a match he had in his eye for him. To re-
and conceal the secret of our marriage,
lieve my husband from this importunity,
which I had reason to know would not be
long in my power in town, it was resolved
that I should retire into a remote place in
the country, and converse under feigned
names by letter. We long continued this
way of commerce; and I with my needle, a
few books, and reading over and over my
husband's letters, passed my time in a
resigned expectation of better days. Be
pleased to take notice, that within four,
months after I left my husband I was deli-

vered of a daughter, who died within a few myself; let him remember how awkward I hours after her birth. This accident, and was in my dissembled indifference towards the retired manner of life I led, gave cri- him before company; ask him how I, who minal hopes to a neighbouring brute of a could never conceal my love for him, at his country gentleman, whose folly was the own request can part with him for ever? Oh, source of all my affliction. This rustic is Mr. Spectator, sensible spirits know no inone of those rich clowns who supply the difference in marriage: what then do you want of all manner of breeding by the think is my piercing affliction?—I leave neglect of it, and with noisy mirth, half un-you to represent my distress your own way, derstanding and ample fortune, force them-in which I desire you to be speedy, if you selves upon persons and things, without any have compassion for innocence exposed to sense of time or place. The poor ignorant infamy. OCTAVIA.' people where I lay concealed, and now passed for a widow, wondered I could be

so shy and strange, as they called it, to the No. 323.] Tuesday, March 11, 1711-12.

Virg.

-Modo vir, modo fœmina.
Sometimes a man, sometimes a woman.

THE journal with which I presented my

stances, I find that the intention of my last Tuesday's paper has been mistaken by many of my readers. I did not design so much to expose vice as idleness, and aimed at those persons who passed away their time rather in trifles and impertinence, than in crimes and immoralities. Offences of this latter kind are not to be dallied with, or treated in so ludicrous a manner. short, my journal only holds up folly to the light, and shows the disagreeableness of such actions as are indifferent in themselves, and blameable only as they proceed from creatures endowed with reason.

In

'squire; and were bribed by him to admit him whenever he thought fit: I happened to be sitting in a little parlour which belonged to my own part of the house, and musing over one of the fondest of my hus-reader on Tuesday last has brought me in band's letters, in which I always kept the several letters, with accounts of many pricertificate of my marriage, when this rude vate lives cast into that form. I have the fellow came in, and with the nauseous fami- Rake's Journal,' the Sot's Journal,' the liarity of such unbred brutes snatched the Whoremaster's Journal,' and, among sepapers out of my hand. I was immediately veral others, a very curious piece, entitled, under so great a concern, that I threw my-The Journal of a Mohock. By these inself at his feet, and begged of him to return them. He, with the same odious pretence to freedom and gaiety, swore he would read them. I grew more importunate, he more curious, till at last, with an indignation arising from a passion I then first discovered in him, he threw the papers into the fire, swearing that since he was not to read them, the man who writ them should never be so happy as to have me read them over again. It is insignificant to tell you my tears and reproaches made the boisterous calf leave the room ashamed and out of countenance, when I had leisure to ruminate on this accident with more than ordinary sorMy following correspondent, who calls row. However, such was then my confi- herself Clarinda, is such a journalist as I dence in my husband, that I writ to him require. She seems by her letter to be the misfortune, and desired another paper placed in a modish state of indifference beof the same kind. He deferred writing two tween vice and virtue, and to be susceptible or three posts, and at last answered me in of either, were there proper pains taken general, that he could not then send me with her. Had her journal been filled with what I asked for; but when he could find a gallantries, or such occurrences as had proper conveyance, I should be sure to have shown her wholly divested of her natural it. From this time his letters were more innocence, notwithstanding it might have cold every day than other, and, as he grew been more pleasing to the generality of indifferent I grew jealous. This has at last readers, I should not have published it: brought me to town, where I find both the but as it is only the picture of a life filled witnesses of my marriage dead, and that with a fashionable kind of gaiety and lazimy husband, after three month's cohabita-ness, I shall set down five days of it, as I tion, has buried a young lady whom he mar- have received it from the hand of my fair ried in obedience to his father. In a word correspondent. he shuns and disowns me. Should I come to the house and confront him, the father would join in supporting him against me, though he believed my story; should I talk it to the world, what reparation can I expect for an injury I cannot make out? I believe he means to bring me, through necessity, to resign my pretensions to him for some provision for my life; but I will die first. Pray bid him remember what he said, and how he was charmed when he laughed at the heedless discovery I often made of

'DEAR MR. SPECTATOR,-You having set your readers an exercise in one of your last week's papers, I have performed mine according to your orders, and herewith send it you enclosed. You must know, Mr. Spectator, that I am a maiden lady of a good fortune, who have had several matches offered me for these ten years last past, and have at present warm applications made to me by a very pretty fellow.' As I am at my own disposal, I come up to town every winter, and pass my time in it

after the manner you will find in the follow-flowered handkerchief. Worked half a vioing journal, which I began to write the very let leaf in it. Eyes ached and head out of day after your Spectator upon that subject.' order. Threw by my work, and read over TUESDAY night. Could not go to sleep the remaining part of Aurengzebe. till one in the morning for thinking of my journal.

Six o'clock. Went to the opera. I did not see Mr. Froth till the beginning of the Rest of the morning. Fontange, the tire-second act. Mr. Froth talked to a gentlewoman, her account of my lady Blithe's wash. Broke a tooth in my little tortoiseshell comb.

SUNDAY.

MONDAY. Miss Kitty. chair by me. the eight best

I am at leisure. As for Mr. Froth and Veny, I did not think they took up so much of my time and thoughts as I find they do upon my journal. The latter of them I will turn off, if you insist upon it; and if Mr. Froth does not bring matters to a conclusion very suddenly, I will not let my life run away in a dream. Your humble servant, CLARINDA.'

To resume one of the morals of my first paper, and to confirm Clarinda in her good inclinations, I would have her consider what a pretty figure she would make among posterity, were the history of her whole life published like these five days of it. I shall conclude my paper with an epitaph written by an uncertain author on Sir Philip Sydney's sister, a lady who seems to have been of a temper very much different from that of Clarinda. The last thought of it is so very noble, that I dare say my reader will pardon me the quotation.

ON THE COUNTESS DOWAGER OF PEM

BROKE.

Underneath this marble hearse
Lies the subject of all verse,
Sidney's sister, Pembroke's mother:
Death, ere thou hast kill'd another,
Fair and learn'd and good as she,
Time shall throw a dart at thee.

L.

required in the members. In order to exert this principle in its full strength and perfection, they take care to drink themselves to a pitch, that is, beyond the possibility of attending to any motions of reason or humanity; then make a general sally, and attack all that are so unfortunate as to walk the streets through which they patrole. Some are knocked down, others

stabbed, others cut and carbonadoed. To put the watch to a total rout, and mortify some of those inoffensive militia, is reckonby which these misanthropes are distined a coup d'eclat. The particular talents guished from one another, consist in the various kinds of barbarities which they lebrated for a happy dexterity in tipping execute upon the prisoners. Some are cethe lion upon them; which is performed by squeezing the nose flat to the face, and bring out the eyes with their fingers. Others are called the dancing-masters, and teach their scholars to cut capers by running swords through their legs; a new invention, whether originally French I cannot tell. A third sort are the tumblers, whose office is to set women on their heads, and commit certain indecencies, or rather barbarities, on the limbs which they expose. But these I forbear to mention, because they cannot but be very shocking to the reader as well as the Spectator. In this manner

No. 324.] Wednesday, March 12, 1711-12. they carry on a war against mankind; and

by the standing maxims of their policy, are to enter into no alliances but one, and that is offensive and defensive with all bawdyhouses in general, of which they have declared themselves protectors and guarantees.

You

'MR. SPECTATOR,-The materials you have collected together towards a general 'I must own, sir, these are only broken, history of clubs, make so bright apart of your incoherent memoirs of this wonderful sospeculations, that I think it is but justice we ciety; but they are the best I have been yet all owe the learned world, to furnish you with able to procure: for, being but of late estasuch assistance as may promote that useful blished, it is not ripe for a just history; and, work. For this reason I could not forbear to be serious, the chief design of this troucommunicating to you some imperfect in- ble is to hinder it from ever being so. formations of a set of men (if you will allow have been pleased, out of a concern for the them a place in that species of being) who good of your countrymen, to act, under the have lately erected themselves into a noc- character of a Spectator, not only the turnal fraternity, under the title of the part of a looker-on, but an overseer of their Mohock-club, a name borrowed it seems actions; and whenever such enormities as from a sort of cannibals in India, who this infest the town, we immediately fly to subsist by plundering and devouring all you for redress. I have reason to believe, the nations about them. The president is that some thoughtless youngsters, out of a styled, Emperor of the Mohocks; and his false notion of bravery, and an immoderate arms are a Turkish crescent, which his im- fondness to be distinguished for fellows of perial majesty bears at present in a very fire, are insensibly hurried into this senseextraordinary manner engraven upon his less, scandalous project. Such will proforehead. Agreeable to their name, the bably stand corrected by your reproofs, avowed design of their institution is mis- especially if you inform them, that it is not chief; and upon this foundation all their courage for half a score fellows, mad with rules and orders are framed. An outrage-wine and lust, to set upon two or three soous ambition of doing all possible hurt to berer than themselves; and that the mantheir fellow-creatures, is the great cementners of Indian savages are not becoming of their assembly, and the only qualification accomplishments to an English fine gentle

man. Such of them as have been bullies and scowerers of a long standing, and are grown veterans in this kind of service, are, I fear, too hardened to receive any impres

-Quid frustra simulacra fugacia captas?
Quod petis, est nusquam: quod amas avertere, perdes.
1sta repercussæ, quam cernis, imaginis umbra est,
Nil habet ista sui: tecum venitque, manetque;
Tecum discedet; si tu discedere possis.

sions from your admonitions. But I beg No. 325.] Thursday, March 13, 1711-12. you would recommend to their perusal your ninth speculation. They may there be taught to take warning from the club of duellists; and be put in mind, that the common fate of those men of honour was, to be hanged. I am, sir, your most humble serPHILANTHROPOS.

vant,

'March 10, 1711-12.'

Ovid. Met. Lib. iii. 432.

[From the fable of Narcissus.]

What could, fond youth, this helpless passion move?
What kindled in thee this unpitied love?

Thy own warm blush within the water glows;
With thee the colour'd shadow comes and goes;
Its empty being on thyself relies:

The following letter is of a quite contrary nature; but I add it here, that the reader Step thou aside, and the frail charmer dies.-Addison. may observe, at the same view, how amiWILL HONEYCOMB diverted us last night able ignorance may be, when it is shown in its simplicities; and how detestable in bar- with an account of a young fellow's first disbarities. It is written by an honest coun-covering his passion to his mistress. The tryman to his mistress, and came to the hands of a lady of good sense, wrapped about a thread-paper, who has long kept it by her as an image of artless love.

• To her I very much respect, Mrs. Margaret Clark.

Lovely, and oh that I could write loving, Mrs. Margaret Clark, I pray you let affection excuse presumption. Having been so happy as to enjoy the sight of your sweet countenance and comely body, sometimes when I had occasion to buy treacle or liquorish powder at the apothecary's shop, I am so enamoured with you, that I can no more keep close my flaming desires to become your servant. And I am the more bold now to write to your sweet self, because I am now my own man, and may match where I please; for my father is taken away, and now I am come to my living, which is ten yard land, and a house; and there is never a yard land, † in our field, but it is as well worth ten pounds a year as a thief is worth a halter, and all my brothers and sisters are provided for: besides, I have good household stuff, though I say it, both brass and pewter, linens and woollens; and though my house be thatched, yet, if you and I match, it shall go hard but I will have one half of it slated. If you think well of this motion, I will wait upon you as soon as my new clothes are made, and hay harvest is in. I could, though I say it, have good -The rest is torn off; and posterity must be contented to know, that Mrs. Margaret Clark was very pretty; but are left in the dark as to the name of her lover.

T.

* A note in Mr. Chalmers's edition of the Spectator in forms us, that this letter was really conveyed in the manner here mentioned to a Mrs. Cole, of Northampton: the writer was a gentleman of the name of Bullock:

-the part torn off is given in the note alluded to as follows: good matches amongst my neighbours. My mother, peace be with her soul! the good old gen

lewoman, has left me good store of household linen of her own spinning, a chest full. If you and I lay our means together, it shall go hard but I will pave the way to do well. Your loving servant till death, Mister Gabriel Bullock, now my father is dead.' See No. 328.* A yard land [virgata terra] in some counties, contains 20 acres, in some 24, and in others 30 acres of

land.-Les Termes de la Ley. Ed. 1667.

young lady was one, it seems, who had long before conceived a favourable opinion of him, and was still in hopes that he would

some time or other make his advances. As he was one day talking with her in company of her two sisters, the conversation happening to turn upon love, each of the young ladies was, by way of raillery, recommending a wife to him; when, to the no small surprise of her who languished for him in secret, he told them, with a more than ordinary seriousness, that his heart had been long engaged to one whose name he thought himself obliged in honour to conceal; but that he could show her picture in the lid of his snuff-box. The young lady, who found herself most sensibly touched by this confession, took the first opportunity that offered of snatching his box out of his hand. He seemed desirous of recovering it; but finding her resolved to look into the lid, begged her, that, if she should happen to know the person, she would not reveal her name. Upon carrying it to the window, she was very agreeably surprised to find there was nothing within the lid but a little looking-glass; on which, after she had viewed her own face with more pleasure than she had ever done before, she returned the box with a smile, telling him she could not but admire his choice.

Will, fancying that this story took, immediately fell into a dissertation on the usefulness of looking-glasses; and, applying himself to me, asked if there were any looking-glasses in the times of the Greeks and Romans; for that he had often observed, in the translations of poems out of those languages, that people generally talked of seeing themselves in wells, fountains, lakes, and rivers. Nay, says he, I remember Mr. Dryden, in his Ovid, tells us of a swinging fellow, called Polypheme, that made use of the sea for his looking-glass, and could never dress himself to advantage but in a calm.

My friend Will, to show us the whole compass of his learning upon this subject, further informed us, that there were still several nations in the world so very barbarous as not to have any looking-glasses among them; and that he had lately read a voyage to the South Sea, in which it is