IT DRYDEN. T is reckoned a piece of ill-breeding for one man to ingrofs the whole talk to himself. For this reafon, fince I keep three vifiting-days in the week, I am content now and then to let my friends put in a word. There are several advantages hereby accruing both to my readers and to myself. As firft, young and modeft writers have an opportunity of getting into print again, the town enjoys the pleasure of variety; and pofterity will fee the humour of the prefent age, by the help of thefe little lights into private and domeftic life. The benefits I receive from thence, are fuch as thefe; I gain more time for future fpeculations; pick up hints, which I improve for the public good; give advice; redress grievances; and, by leaving commodious fpaces between the feveral letters that I print, furnish out a Spectator with little labour and great oftentation. Mr. SPECTATOR, I was mightily pleafed with your fpeculation of Friday. Your fentiments are noble, and the whole worked up in fuch a manner, as cannot but ftrike upon every reader. But give me leave to make this remark; that while you write fo pathetically on ⚫ contentment, and a retired life, you footh the paffion of melancholy, and deprefs the mind from actions truly glorious. Titles and honours are the reward of virtue : we, therefore, ought to be af •fected fected with them: and though light minds are too much puffed up with exterior pomp, yet I cannot fee why it is not as truly philofophical, to admire the glowing ruby, or the fparkling green of an emerald, as the fainter and lefs-permanent beauties of a rofe or a myrtle. If there are men of extraordinary capacities who lie concealed from the world, I fhould impute it to them as a blot in their character, did not I believe it owing to the meanness of their fortune rather than of their fpirit. Cowley, who tells the story of Aglaüs with fo much pleafure, was no stranger to courts, nor infenfible of praise. What fball I do to be for ever known, And make the age to come my own? was the refult of a laudable ambition. It was not • until after frequent disappointments, that he termed himself the melancholy Cowley; and he praised • folitude, when he despaired of fhining in a court. The foul of man is an active principle. He, therefore, who withdraws himself from the scene before he has played his part, ought to be hiffed off the stage, ⚫ and cannot be deemed virtuous, because he refufes to answer his end. I muft own I am fired with an honeft ambition to imitate every illuftrious example. The battles of Blenheim and Ramillies have more than once made me with myself a foldier. And when I have seen those actions so nobly celebrated by our poets, I have fecretly aspired to be one of that diftinguished class. But in vain I with, in vain I pant with the defire of action. I am chain⚫ed down in obfcurity, and the only pleasure I can take is in feeing fo many brighter geniufes join their friendly lights, to add to the fplendor of the throne. • Farewel, then, dear Spec, and believe me to be, with great emulation, and no envy, Your profeffed admirer, WILL HOPELESS 3 SIR2 SIR, Middle Temple, 08. 26, 1714, • Though you have formerly made Eloquence the fubject of one or more of your papers, I do not remember that you ever confidered it as poffeffed by a fet of people, who are fo far from making • Quintilian's rules their practice, that I dare fay for them, they never heard of fuch an author, and yet are no lefs mafters of it than Tully or Demosthenes among the ancients, or whom you pleafe among the moderns. The perfons I am fpeaking of are " among our common beggars about town; and that what I fay is true, I appeal to any man who has a heart one degree fofter than a ftone. As for my part, who don't pretend to more humanity than my neighbours, I have oftentimes gone from my cham⚫bers with money in my pocket, and returned to them not only pennylefs, but destitute of a farthing, ⚫ without beftowing of it any other way than on these feeming objects of pity. In fhort, I have feen more eloquence in a look from one of thofe defpi⚫ cable creatures, than in the eye of the fairest she I • ever faw, yet no one is a greater admirer of that fex than myself. What I have to defire of you is, to lay down fome directions in order to guard against thefe powerful orators, or else I know nothing to the contrary, but I must myself be forced to leave the profeffion of the law, and endeavour to get the qualifications neceffary to that more profitable one of begging. But, in which foever of thefe two • capacities I fhall fhine, I shall always defire to be • your conftant reader, and ever will be, Your most humble fervant, SIR, J. B.' • Upon reading a Spectator last week, where Mrs. Fanny Fickle fubmitted the choice of a lover for • life in order to draw the chafervants, whom I have efome time. But, alas! life to your decifive determination, and imagining I might claim the favour of your advice in an affair of the like, but much more difficult nature, I • called for pen and ink, ⚫racters of seven humble qually encouraged for while I was reflecting on the agreeable fubject, • and contriving an advantageous description of the • dear perfon I was most inclined to favour, I happened to look into my glafs. The fight of the • fmall-pox, out of which I am just recovered, tor⚫mented me at once with the lofs of my captivating arts and my captives. The confufion I was in on this unhappy, unfeasonable discovery, is inexpref• fible. Believe me, Sir, I was fo taken up with the thoughts of your fair correfpondent's cafe, and fo intent upon my own defign, that I fancied myfelf as triumphant in my conquefts as ever. Now, Sir, finding I was incapacitated to amuse myself on that pleasing subject, I refolved to apply myself to you, or your cafuiftical agent, for advice in my prefent circumstances. I am fenfible the tincture of my skin, and the regularity of my features, which the malice of my late illness has altered, are irrecoverable; yet do not defpair, but that lofs, by your affiftance, may in fome measure be re• parable, if you will please to propose a way for the recovery of one only of my fugitives. One of them is in a more particular manner be◄ holden to me than the reft; he for fome private • reasons being defirous to be a lover incognito, al· ways addreffed me with billet-doux, which I was fo careful of in my sickness, that I fecured the key of my love magazine under my head, and hearing noife of opening a lock in my chamber, endangered my life by getting out of bed, to prevent, had been attempted, the difcovery of that a a mour. I have formerly made ufe of all thofe artifices, which our fex daily practises over yours, to draw, as it were undefignedly, the eyes of a whole con'gregation to my pew; I have taken a pride in the number of admirers at my afternoon's levée; but am now quite another creature. I think, could I regain the attractive influence I once had, if I had a legion, of fuitors, I fhould never be ambitious of entertaining more than one. I have almoft contracted an antipathy to the trifling discourses of impertinent lovers, though I muft needs own, I have thought it very • odd of late to hear gentlemen, inflead of their usual complacencies, fall into disputes before me of politics, or else weary me with the tedious repetition • of how thankful I ought to be, and fatisfied with my recovery out of fo dangerous a diftemper: this, though I am very fenfible of the bleffing, yet I cannot but diflike, because such advice from them ra⚫ther feems to insult than comfort me, and reminds me too much of what I was; which melancholy ⚫ confideration I cannot yet perfectly furmount, but hope your fentiments on this head, will make it ⚫ fupportable. To show you what a value I have for your, dictates, these are to certify the perfons concerned, that unless one of them returns to his colours (if I may fo call them now) before the winter is over, I will voluntarily confine myself to a retirement, where I will punish them all with my needle. I ⚫ will be revenged on them by decyphering them on a carpet, humbly begging admittance, myself fcorn⚫ fully refusing it. If you disapprove of this, as favouring too much of malice, be pleafed to acquaint • me with a draught you like better, and it shall be ⚫ faithfully performed by • The unfortunate MONIMIA VOL. VIII. X MONDAY, |