not folemn times and occafions, when all the multitude of heaven celebrate the prefence of their Maker in more extraordinary forms of praise and 'adoration; as Adam, though he had continued in a ftate of innocence, would, in the opinion of our divines, have kept holy the Sabbath Day, in a ⚫ more particular manner than any other of the feven. These, and the like fpeculations, we may very innocently indulge, fo long as we make ufe of them to infpire us with a defire of becoming inhabitants of this delightful place. I have in this, and in two foregoing letters, treated on the, moft serious subject that can employ the mind of man, the Omniprefence of the Deity; a fubject which, if poffible, fhould never depart from 6 our meditations. We have confidered the Divine Being, as he inhabits infinitude, as he dwells among his works, as he is present to the mind of man, and as he difcovers himself in a more glorious manner among the regions of the bleffed. Such a confideration fhould be kept awake in us at all times, and in all places, and poffefs our minds • with a perpetual awe and reverence. It should be interwoven with all our thoughts and perceptions, and become one with the consciousness of our own being. It is not to be reflected on in the coldness of philofophy, but ought to fink us into the lowest • proftration before him, who is so astonishingly great, wonderful, and holy.' MONDAY, No. 581. MONDAY, AUGUST 16. I Sunt bona, funt quædam mediocria, funt mala plura, Am at prefent fitting with a heap of letters before me, which I have received under the character of SPECTATOR; I have complaints from lovers, fchemes from projectors, fcandal from ladies, congratulations, compliments, and advice in abundance. I have not been thus long an author, to be infenfible of the natural fondness every perfon must have for their own productions; and I begin to think I have treated my correfpondents a little too uncivilly in ftringing them all together on a file, and letting them lie fo long unregarded. I thall therefore, for the future, think myself at least obliged to take fome notice of such letters as I receive, and may possibly do it at the end of every month. In the mean time, I intend my present paper as a fhort answer to most of those which have been already fent me. The public, however, is not to expect I should let them into all my fecrets; and, though I appear abftrufe to most people, it is fufficient if I am underftood by my particular correfpondents. My well-wisher Van Nath is very arch, but not quite enough fo to appear in print. Philadelphus will, in a little time, fee his query fully answered, by a treatise which is now in the prefs. It was very improper at that time to comply with Mr. G. Mifs Kitty muft excuse me. The gentleman who fent me a copy of verfes on his mistress's dancing, is, I believe, too thoroughly in love to compofe correctly. I have too great a refpect for both the universities to praise one at the expence of the other. Tom Nimble is a very honeft fellow, and I defire him to prefent my humble fervice to his coufin Fill Bumper. I am obliged for the letter upon prejudice. I may, in due time, animadvert on the cafe of Grace Grumble. The petition of P. S. granted. The papers of A. S. are returned. I thank Ariftippus for his kind invitation. My friend at Woodstock is a bold man, to undertake for all within ten miles of him. I am afraid the entertainment of Tom Turnover will hardly be relished by the good cities of London and Westminster. I must confider farther of it, before I indulge W. F. in those freedoms he takes with the ladies ftockings. I am obliged to the ingenious gentleman, who fent me an ode on the fubject of a late SPECTATOR, and fhall take particular notice of his last letter. When the lady who wrote me a letter, dated July the 20th, in relation to fome paffages in a Lover, will be more particular in her directions, I fhall be fo in my answer. The poor gentleman, who fancies my writings could reclaim an husband who can abuse fuch a wife as he defcribes, has, I am afraid, too great an opinion of my skill. Philanthropos is, I dare fay, a very well-meaning man, but a little too prolix in his compofitions. Conftantius himself must be the best judge in the affair he mentions. The letter dated from Lincoln is received. Arethusa and her friend may hear farther from me. Celia is a little too hafty. Harriot is a good girl, but must not courtfey to folks the does not know. I must ingenuously confefs, my friend Sampson Bentftaff has quite puzzled me, and writ me a long letter which I cannot comprehend one word of. Collidan muft alfo explain what he means by his Drigelling. I think it beneath my Spectatorial dignity, to concern myself in the affair of the boiled dumpling. I fhall confult fome Literati on the project fent me for the discovery of the longitude. I know not how to conclude this paper better, than by inferting a couple of letters which are really genuine, and which I look upon to be two of the smartest pieces I have received from my correfpondents of either sex. Brother SPEC, While you are furveying every object that falls in your way, I am wholly taken up with one. Had that fage, who demanded what beauty was, lived to see the dear angel I love, he would not have afked fuch a queftion. Had another feen her, he would himself have loved the person in whom heaven has made virtue visible; and were you yourself to be in her company, you could never, with all your loquacity, fay enough of her good-humour and fenfe. I fend you the outlines of a picture, which I can no more finish than I can fufficiently • admire the dear original. I am, Your most affectionate brother, Good Mr. PERT, • CONSTANTIO SPEC.' I will allow you nothing until you refolve me the following queftion. Pray what is the reason that while you only talk now upon Wednesdays, Fridays, • and Mondays, you pretend to be a greater tatler ⚫ than than when you spoke every day, as you formerly ufed to do? If this be your plunging out of your taciturnity, pray let the length of your speeches compenfate for the scarcenefs of them. I am, • Good Mr. PERT, your admirer, If you will be long enough for me, No. 582. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18. Tenet infanabile multos Scribendi Cacoethes Juy. Sat. vii. ver. 51. The curfe of writing is an endless itch. CH. DRYDEN. HERE is a certain diftemper, which is men Ttioned neither by Galen nor Hippocrates, nor to be met with in the London Difpenfary. Juvenal, in the motto of my paper, terms it a Cacoethes ; which is a hard word for a disease called in plain Englifb, The itch of writing. This Cacoethes is as epidemical as the fmall-pox, there being very few who are not feized with it fome time or other in their lives. There is, however, this difference in these two diftempers, that the firft, after having indisposed you for a time, never returns again; whereas, this I am fpeaking of, when it is once got into the blood, feldom comes out of it. The British nation is very much afflicted with this malady, and though very many remedies have been applied to perfons infected with it, few of them have ever proved fuccefsful. Some have been cauterized with fatires and lampoons, but have received little or no benefit from them; others have had their heads faftened for an hour to ⚫gether |