pain is doubled by being foreseen. Upon all these, and feveral other accounts, we ought to reft satisfied in this portion beftowed on us; to adore the hand that hath fitted every thing to our nature, and hath not more difplayed his goodness in our knowledge than in our ignorance. It is not unworthy obfervation, that fuperftitious inquiries into future events prevail more or lefs, in proportion to the improvement of liberal arts and ufeful knowledge in the several parts of the world. Accordingly we find, that magical incantations remain in Lapland: in the more remote parts of Scotland they have their second fight, and several of our own countrymen have feen abundance of fairies. In Afia this credulity is ftrong; and the greatest part of the refined learning there confifts in the knowledge of amulets, talifmans, occult numbers, and the like. When I was at Grand Cairo, I fell into the acquaintance of a good-natured muffulman, who promifed me many good offices, which he defigned to do me when he became the Prime Minifter, which was a fortune beftowed on his imagination, by a doctor very deep in the curious fciences. At his repeated folicitations I went to learn my destiny of this wonderful fage. For a small fum Í had his promise, but was defired to wait in a dark apartment until he had run through the preparatory ceremonies. Having a ftrong propenfity, even then, to dreaming, I took a nap upon the fofa where I was placed, and had the following vision, the particulars whereof I picked up the other day among my papers. I found myself in an unbounded plain, where methought the whole world, in feveral habits, and with different tongues, was affembled. The multitude glided fwiftly along, and I found in myself a strong inclination to mingle in the train. My eyes quickly fingled out fome of the moft fplendid figures. Several in rich caftans and glittering turbans buftled through through the throng, and trampled over the bodies of those they threw down; until, to my great furprise, I found that the great pace they went, only haftened them to a scaffold or a bowftring. Many beautiful damfels on the other fide moved forward with great gaiety; fome danced until they fell all along; and others painted their faces until they loft their noses. A tribe of creatures with bufy looks falling into a fit of laughter at the misfortunes of the unhappy ladies, I turned my eyes upon them. They were each of them filling his pockets with gold and jewels, and when there was no room left for more, thefe wretches looking round with fear and horror, pined away before my face with famine and difcon tent. This profpect of human mifery ftruck me dumb for fome miles. Then it was that, to difburden my mind, I took pen and ink, and did every thing that hath fince happened under my office of SPECTATOR. While I was employing myself for the good of mankind, I was furprised to meet with very unfuitable returns from my fellow-creatures. Never was poor author fo befet with pamphleteers, who fometimes marched directly against me, but oftner fhot at me from ftrong bulwarks, or rofe up fuddenly in ambush. They were of all characters and capacities, fome with enfigns of dignity, and others in liveries; but what moft furprifed me was to fee two or three in black gowns among my enemies. It was no fmall trouble to me, fometimes to have a man come up to me with an angry face, and reproach me for having lampooned him, when I had never feen or heard of him in my life. With the ladies it was otherwise many became my enemies for not being particularly pointed out; as there were others who refented the fatire which they imagined I had directed against them. My great confort was in the com'pany of half a dozen friends, who I found fince,, were the club which I have so often mentioned in my : papers. papers. I laughed often at Sir Roger in my fleep, and was the more diverted with Will Honeycomb's gallantries, (when we afterwards became acquainted), because I had foreseen his marriage with a farmer's daughter. The regret which arofe in my mind upon the death of my companions, my anxieties for the public, and the many calamities ftill fleeting before my eyes, made me repent my curiofity; when the magician entered the room, and awakened me by telling me (when it was too late) that he was just going to begin. N. B. I have only delivered the prophecy of that part of my life which is paft, it being inconvenient to divulge the second part until a more proper opportunity. No. 605. MONDAY, OCTOBER II. Exuerint fylveftrem animum; cultuque frequenti, -They change their favage mind, HA DRYDEN. AVING perufed the following letter, and finding it to run upon the fubject of love, I referred it to the learned Cafuift, whom I have retained in my service for fpeculations of that kind. He returned it to me the next morning with his report annexed to it, with both of which I fhall here present my reader. • Mr. SPECTATOR, Finding that you have entertained an useful perfon in your fervice in quality of Love Cafuift, I apply myself to you, under a very great • difficulty, difficulty, that hath for fome months perplexed me. I have a couple of humble fervants, one of which I have 'no averfion to; the other I think of very kindly. The firft hath the reputation of a man of good sense, and is one of those people that your fex are apt to value. My fpark is reckoned a coxcomb among the men, but is a favourite of the ladies. If I marry the man of worth, as they call him, I fhall oblige my parents, and improve my fortune; but with my dear beau I promise myself happiness, although not a jointure. Now I would afk you, whether I should confent to lead my life with a man that I have only no objection to, or with him against whom all objections to me appear frivolous. I am determined to follow the Cafuift's advice, and I dare fay he will not put me upon so serious a thing as matrimony contrary to my inclination. I am, &c. FANNY FICKLE." P. S. I forgot to tell you, that the pretty gentleman is the most complaifant creature in the world, and is always of my mind, but the other, forfooth, fancies he has as much wit as myfelf, flights my lap-dog, and hath the infolence to contradict me ⚫ when he thinks I am not in the right. About half an hour ago, he maintained to my face, that a � patch always implies a pimple.' As I look upon it to be my duty rather to fide with the parents than the daughter, I fhall propofe fome confiderations to my gentle querift, which may incline her to comply with thofe under whofe direction she is and at the fame time convince her, that it is not impoffible but she may, in time, have a true affection for him who is at present indifferent to her; or, to use the old family maxim, that, If fhe marries first, love will come after. : The only objection that the feems to infinuate a- S gainit gainst the gentleman proposed to her, is his want of complaifance, which, I perceive, fhe is very willing to return. Now, I can difcover from this very circumftance, that fhe and her lover, whatever they may think of it, are very good friends in their hearts. It is difficult to determine, whether love delights more in giving pleasure or pain. Let Mifs Fickle afk her own heart, if she doth not take a fecret pride in making this man of good fenfe look very filly. Hath she ever been better pleafed than when her behaviour hath made her lover ready to hang himself? Or doth fhe ever rejoice more than when the thinks the hath driven him to the very brink of a purling ftream? Let her confider, at the fame time, that it is not im- . poffible but her lover may have discovered her tricks, and hath a mind to give her as good as the brings. I remember a handfome young baggage that treated a hopeful Greek of my acquaintance, juft come from Oxford, as if he had been a Barbarian. The first week, after he had fixed him, fhe took a pinch of fnuff out of his rival's box, and apparently touched the enemy's little finger. She became a profeffed enemy to the arts and fciences, and fcarce ever wrote a letter to him without wilfully mifpelling his name. The young fcholar, to be even with her, railed at coquettes as foon as he had got the word; and did not want parts to turn into ridicule her men of wit and pleasure of the town. After having irritated one another for the space of five months, fhe made an affignation with him fourfcore miles from London. But as he was very well acquainted with her pranks, he took a journey the quite contrary way. Accordingly they met, quarrelled, and in a few days were married. Their former hostilities are now the subject of their mirth, being content at prefent with that part of love only which beftows pleasure. Women who have been married fome time, not having it in their heads to draw after them a numerous train of followers, find their fatisfaction in the poffef 1 ། |