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need for a foldier, a politician, a lawyer, or what 'you please. I have known in my time many a brother Blank that has been born under a lucky planet, heap up great riches, and fwell into a man of figure and importance, before the grandees of his party could agree among themselves which of them thould ftep into his place. Nay, I have known a Blank continue fo long in one of these vacant pofts, (for fuch it is to be reckoned all the time a Blank is in it) that he has grown too formi⚫dable and dangerous to be removed.

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But to return to myself. Since I am so very commodious a perfon, and fo very neceffary in all well-regulated governments, I defire you will take my cafe into confideration, that I may be no longer made a tool of, and only employed to ftop a gap. Such ufage, without a pun, makes me look very blank. For all which reafons I humbly recommend myfelf to your protection, and am,

Your moft obedient fervant,

BLANK.'

P. S. I herewith fend you a paper drawn up by a country-attorney, employed by two gentlemen, 'whose names he was not acquainted with, and who did not think fit to let him into the fecret which they were tranfacting. I heard him call it a blank. inftrument, and read it after the following manner. You may fee by this fingle inftance of what 'ufe I am to the bufy world.

IT. Blank, Efq; of Blank town, in the county of Blank, do own myself indebted in the fum of Blank, to Goodman Blank, for the fervice he did me in procuring for me the goods following, Blank: And I do hereby promife the faid Blank, to pay unto him the faid fum of Blank, on the Blank day f the month of Blank next enfuing, under the penalty and forfeiture of Blank.'

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I fhall

I fhall take time to confider the cafe of this my, imaginary correfpondent, and in the mean while fhall prefent my reader with a letter which feems to come from a person who is made up of flesh and blood.

Good Mr. SPECTATOR,

I am married to a very honeft gentleman that is exceedingly good-natured, and at the fame time very • choleric. There is no ftanding before him when he is in a paffion; but as foon as it is over he is the • beft-humoured creature in the world. When he is angry he breaks all my china-ware that chances to lie in his way, and the next morning fends me in twice as much as he broke the day before. I may pofitively fay, that he has broke ine a child's fortune fince we were firft married together.

As foon as he begins to fret, down goes every thing that is within reach of his cane. I once pre• vailed upon him never to carry a ftick in his hand, but this faved me nothing; for upon feeing me do fomething that did not please him, he kicked down a great jar, that cost him above ten pounds but the week before. I then laid the fragments together in a heap, and gave him his cane again, de< firing him, that if he chanced to be in anger he would fpend his paffion upon the china that was broke to his hand; but the very next day, upon my giving a wrong meffage to one of the fervants, be flew into fuch a rage, that he swept down a dozen tea-difhes, which, to my misfortune, flood very • convenient for a fide-blow.

I then removed all my china into a room which he never frequents; but I got nothing by this neither, for my looking-glaffes immediately went to • wreck.

In short, Sir, whenever he is in a paffion he is angry at every thing that is brittle; and, if on fuch • occafions

• occafions he had nothing to vent his rage upon, I do not know whether my bones would be in fafety. Let me beg of you, Sir, to let me know whether there be any cure for this unaccountable diftemper; or, if not, that you will be pleafed to publish this letter for my hufband, having a great veneration for your writings, will by that means know you do ' not approve of his conduct.

• I am,

• Your most humble fervant, &c.'

No. 564.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 7.

-Adfit

Regula, peccatis quæ panas irroget æquas:
Ne fcutica dignum horribili_fectere flagello.
HOR. Sat. iii. l. i. ver. 117.

Let rules be fix'd that may our rage contain,
And punish faults with a proportion'd pain;
And do not flay him who deferves alone
A whipping for the fault that he hath done.

CREECH.

T is the work of a philofopher to be every day fubduing his paffions, and laying afide his prejudices. I endeavour at least to look upon men and their actions only as an impartial Spectator, without any regard to them as they happen to advance or cross my own private intereft. But while I am thus employed myself, I cannot help obferving, how thofe about me fuffer themselves to be blinded by prejudice and inclination; how readily they pronounce on every

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man's

man's character, which they can give in two words, and make him either good for nothing or qualified for every thing. On the contrary, thofe who fearch thoroughly into Buman nature, will find it much more difficult to determine the value of their fellow-creatures, and that men's characters are not thus to be given in general words. There is indeed no fuch thing as a perfon entirely good or bad; virtue and vice are blended and mixed together, in a greater or lefs proportion, in every one; and if you would fearch for fome particular good quality in its moft eminent degree of perfection, you will often find it in a mind where it is darkened and eclipfed by an hundred other irregular passions.

The

Men have either no character at all, fays a celebrated author, or it is that of being inconfiftent with themfelves. They find it easier to join extremities, than to be uniform and of a piece. This is finely illuftrated in Xenophon's life of Cyrus the Great. That author tells us, that Cyrus having taken a most beautiful lady, named Panthea, the wife of Abradratus, committed her to the cuftody of Arafpas, a young Perfian nobleman, who had a little before maintained in a difcourfe, that a mind truly virtuous was incapable of entertaining an unlawful paffion. young gentleman had not long been in poffeffion of his fair captive, when a complaint was made to Cyrus, that he not only folicited the lady Panthea to receive him in the room of her abfent husband, but that finding his entreaties had no effect, he was preparing to make ufe of force. Cyrus, who loved the young man, immediately fent for him, and, in a gentle manner, reprefenting to him his fault, and putting him in mind of his former affertion, the unhappy youth, confounded with a quick fenfe of his guilt and fhame, burft out into a flood of tears, and fpoke as follows:

o Cyrus, I am convinced that I have two fouls. Love has taught me this piece of philofophy. If I

had

had but one foul, it could not at the fame time pant after virtue and vice, wifh and abhor the fame thing. It is certain therefore we have two fouls: when the good foul rules, I undertake noble and virtuous actions; but when the bad foul predominates, I am forced to do evil. All I can fay at prefent is, that I find my good foul, encouraged by your prefence, has got the better of my bad.

I know not whether my readers will allow of this piece of philofophy; but if they will not, they muft confefs we meet with as different paffions in one and the fame foul, as can be fuppofed in two.

We can

hardly read the life of a great man who lived in former ages, or converfe with any one who is eminent among our contemporaries, that is not an inftance of what I am faying.

But as I have hitherto only argued against the partiality and injuftice of giving our judgment upon men in grofs, who are fuch a compofition of virtues and vices, of good and evil, I might carry this reflection still farther, and make it extend to most of their actions. If, on the one hand, we fairly weighed every circumftance, we fhouid frequently find them obliged to do that action we at firit fight condemn, in order to avoid another we fhould have been much more displeased with. If, on the other hand, we nicely examined fuch actions as appcar most dazzling to the eye, we should find most of them either deficient and lame in feveral parts, produced by a bad ambition, or directed to an ill end. The very fame action onay fometimes be fo oddly circumstanced, that it is difficult to determine whether it ought to be rewarded or punifhed. Those who compiled the laws of England were fo fenfible of this, that they have laid it down as one of their first maxims, It is better fuffering a mischief than an inconvenience, which is as much as to fay in other words, That fince no law can take in or pro

vide

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