the intellectual world, to every part of which he is thus intimately united. Several moralifts have confidered the creation as the Temple of God, which he has built with his own hands, and which is filled with his prefence. Others have confidered infinite fpace as the receptacle, or rather the habitation of the Almighty: but the nobleft and most exalted way of confidering this infinite fpace is that of Sir Ifaac Newton, who calls it the fenforium of the Godhead. Brutes and men have their fenforiala, or little fenforiums, by which they apprehend the prefence, and perceive the actions, of a few objects that lie contiguous to them. Their knowledge and obfervation turn within a very narrow circle. But, as God Almighty cannot but perceive and know every thing in which he refides, infinite fpace gives room to infinite knowledge, and is, as it were, an organ to omniscience.

Were the foul feparate from the body, and, with one glance of thought, fhould ftart beyond the bounds of the creation; fhould it for millions of years continue its progrefs through infinite fpace with the fame activity, it would ftill find itself within the embrace of its Creator, and encompaffed round with the immenfity of the Godhead. While we are in the body, he is not lefs prefent with us, because he is concealed from us. O that I knew where I might find him! says Job. Behold I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: on the left hand, where he does work, but I cannot behold him : he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot fee him. In fhort, reafon as well as revelation affure us, that he cannot be abfent from us, notwithstanding he is undiscovered by us.

In this confideration of God Almighty's omniprefence and omnifcience, every uncomfortable thought vanithes. He cannot but regard every thing that has being, especially fuch of his creatures who fear they VOL. VIII. t E

are

are not regarded by him. He is privy to all their thoughts, and to that anxiety of heart in particular, which is apt to trouble them on this occafion. For, as it is impoffible he fhould overlook any of his creatures, so we may be confident that he regards, with an eye of mercy, thofe who endeavour to re

commend themselves to his notice, and, in an unfeigned humility of heart, think themselves unworthy that he should be mindful of them.

No. 566. MONDAY, JULY 12,

Militia fpecies amor eft

OVID. Ars Am. 1. ii. ver. 233.

Love is a kind of warfare.

AS my correfpondents begin to grow pretty nue

merous, I think myself obliged to take fome notice of them, and fhall therefore make this paper a mifcellany of letters. I have, fince my reaffuming the office of SPECTATOR, received abundance of epiftles from gentlemen of the blade, who, I find, have been fo ufed to action, that they know not how to lie ftill. They feem generally to be of opinion, that the fair at home ought to reward them for their fervices abroad, and that, until the cause of their country calls them again into the field, they have a fort of right to quarter themselves upon the ladies. In order to favour their approaches, I am defired by fome to enlarge upon the accomplishments of their profeffion, and by others to give them my advice in the carrying on of their attacks. But let us hear what the gentlemen fay for themselves.

- Mr.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

Though it may look fomewhat perverfe, amidst the arts of peace, to talk too much of war, it is but gratitude to pay the laft office to its manes, fince even peace itself is, in some measure, obliged to it for its being.

You have, in your former papers, always re• commended the accomplished to the favour of the fair; and, I hope, you will allow me to represent fome part of a military life, not altogether unneceffary to the forming a gentleman. I need not tell B you, that in France, whofe fashions we have been formerly fo fond of, almoft every one derives his pretences to merit from the fword; and that a man has scarce the face to make his court to a lady, without fome credentials from the fervice to re⚫commend him. As the profeffion is very ancient,' we have reason to think fome of the greatest men · among the old Romans derived many of their virtues from it, their commanders being frequently in • other refpects fome of the moft fhining characters ♦ of the age.

The army not only gives a man opportunities of exercifing thofe two great virtues, patience and courage, but often produces them in minds where they had fcarce any footing before. I muft • add, that it is one of the best schools in the world to receive a general notion of mankind in, and a ⚫ certain freedom of behaviour, which is not fo eafily acquired in any other place. At the fame time I must own, that fome military airs are pretty extraordinary, and that a man who goes into the army a coxcomb will come out of it a fort of public nuisance but a man of fenfe, or one who before had not been fufficiently used to a mixed converfation, generally takes the true turn. The court has in all ages been allowed to be the standard of goodbreeding; and I believe there is not a jufter obfer

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vation in Monfieur Rochefoucault, than that A man, who has been bred up wholly to business, can • never get the air of a courtier at court, but wil! • immediately catch it in the camp. The reafon of this moft certainly is, that the very effence of good• breeding and politenefs confifts in feveral niceties, which are fo minute that they escape his obfervation, and he falls fhort of the original he would copy after; but, when he fees the fame things charged and aggravated to a fault, he no fooner ⚫endeavours to come up to the pattern which is fet before him, than, though he flops fomewhat fhort of that, he naturally refts where in reality he ought. I was, two or three days ago, mightily pleafed with the observation of an humourous gen• tleman upon one of his friends, who was in other respects every way an accomplished perfon, that • he wanted nothing but a dab of the coxcomb in him; by which he understood a little of that alertnefs and unconcern in the common actions of life, which is ufually fo visible among gentlemen of the army, and which a campaign or two would infallibly have given him.

You will eafily guefs, Sir, by this my panegyric upon a military education, that I am myself a foldier, and indeed I am fo. I remember, within three years after I had been in the army, I was ordered into the country a-recruiting. I had very particular fuccefs in this part of the fervice, and was over and above affured, at my going away, that I might have taken a young lady, who was the most confiderable fortune in the country, along with me. I preferred the purfuit of fame at that time to all other confiderations, and, though I was not abfolutely bent on a wooden leg, refolved at leaft to get a fear or two for the good of Europe. I have at present as much as I defire of this fort of honour, and, if you could recommend me effectually, fhould be well enough contented to pass the • remainder

' remainder of my days in the arms of fome dear 'kind creature, and upon a pretty eftate in the' country. This, as I take it, would be following the example of Lucius Cincinnatus, the old Roman 'dictator, who, at the end of a war, left the camp to follow the plough. I am, Sir, with all imagin-' ⚫able refpects,

Your moft obedient,

humble fervant,

'WILL WARLY.'

Mr. SPECTATOR,

I am an half-pay officer, and am at present with • a friend in the country. Here is a rich widow in the neighbourhood, who has made fools of all the • fox-hunters within fifty miles of her. She declares, she intends to marry, but has not yet been asked • by the man fhe could like. She usually admits her humble admirers to an audience or two; but, after fhe has once given them denial, will never see them more. I am affured by a female relation, that I fhall have fair play at her; but, as my whole fuccefs depends on my firft approaches, I defire your advice, whether I had best storm, or proceed by way of fap.

I am, SIR,

• Yours, &c.

‹ P. S. I had almost forgot to tell you, that I have already carried one of her outworks, that is, fe'cured her maid.'

Mr. SPECTATOR,

I have affifted in feveral fieges in the Low Countries, and, being ftill willing to employ my talents as a foldier and engineer, lay down this morning at feven o'clock before the door of an obftinate fe

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male,