a remark in Monfieur Fontenelle's dialogues of the dead. The ambitious and the covetous (fays he) are madmen to all intents and purpofes, as much as thofe who are shut up in dark rooms; but they have the good luck to have numbers on their fide; whereas the frenzy of one who is given up for a lunatick, is a frenzy hors d'oeuvre; that is, in other words, fomething which is fingular in its kind, and does not fall in with the madnefs of a multitude. The fubject of this effay was occafioned by a letter which I received not long fince, and which, for want of room at prefent, I fhall infert in my next paper. FRIDAY, AUGUST 6.. *** No 577. Et furere incipias -Hoc tolerabile, fi non Juv. Sat. vi. ver. 613; This might be borne with, if you did not rave. THE letter mentioned in my laft paper is as follows. • YOU have fo lately decried that cuftom, too much in ufe amongst most people, of making • themselves the fubjects of their writings and con verfation, that I had fome difficulty to perfuade myfelf to give you this trouble, until I had confidered that though I fhould fpeak in the first perfon, yet I could not be justly charged with vanity, fince I fhall not add my name; as alfo, becaufe what I fhall write will not, to fay. the best, redound to my praife; but it is only defigned to remove a prejudice conceived against me, as I 'hope, hope, with very little foundation. My fhort hif is this. tory • I Í have lived for fome years laft paft altogether in London, until about a month ago an acquaintance of mine, for whom I have done fome small fervices in town, invited me to pafs part of the • fummer with him at his house in the country. I accepted his invitation, and found a very hearty welcome. My friend, an honest plain man, not being qualified to pafs away his time without the reliefs of bufinefs, has grafted the farmer upon the gentleman, and brought himfelf to fubmit even to the fervile parts of that employment, fuch as infpecting his plough, and the like. This neceffarily takes up fome of his hours every day; and, as I have no relish for fuch diverfions, I ufed at these times to retire either to my chamber, or a fhady walk near the house, and entertain myself with fome agreeable author. Now you must know, Mr. SPECTATOR, that when I read, especially if it be poetry, it is very ufualwith me, when I meet with any paffage or expreffion which ftrikes me much, to pronounce it aloud, with that tone of the voice which I think agreeable to the fentiments there expreffed; and to this I generally add fome motion or action of the body. It was not long before I was observed by fome of the family in one of these heroic fits, who thereupon received impreffions very much to my disadvantage. This however I did not foon difcover, nor fhould I have done, probably, had it not been for the following accident. I had one day fhut myfelf up in my chamber, and was very deeply engaged in the fecond book of Milton's Paradife Loft. I walked to and fro with the book in my hand, and, to speak the truth, I fear I made no little noife; when prefently coming to the following lines; On a fudden open fly, With impetuous recoil and jarring found, I in great tranfport threw open the door of my chamber, and found the greatest part of the family standing on the outfide in a very great con fternation. I was in no lefs confufion, and begged pardon for having disturbed them; addreffing myself particularly to comfort one of the children, who received an unlucky fall in this action, while he was too intently furveying my • meditations through the key-hole. To be short, • after this adventure I eafily observed that great part of the family, especially the women and children, looked upon me with fome apprehen• fions of fear; and my friend himself, though he ftill continues his civilities to me, did not seem. altogether eafy: I took notice, that the butler ⚫ was never after this accident ordered to leave the < bottle upon the table after dinner. Add to this, that I frequently overheard the fervants mention me by the name of the crazed gentleman, the gentleman a little touched, the mad Londoner, ⚫ and the like. This made me think it high time for me to fhift my quarters, which I refolved to do the first favourable opportunity; and was confirmed in this refolution by a young Lady in 'the neighbourhood, who frequently vifited us, and who one day after having heard all the fine things I was able to fay, was pleafed with a fcorn⚫ful fmile to bid me go to fleep. The firft minute I got to my lodgings in town, I fet pen to paper to defire your opinion, whether, upon the evidence before you, I am mad or not. I can bring certificates that I behave myfelf foberly before company, and I hope there is at least fome merit in withdrawing to be mad. Look • Look you, Sir, I am contented to be efteemed a little touched, as they phrase it, but fhould be forry to be madder than my neighbours; there • fore pray let me be as much in my fenfes as you can afford. I know I could bring yourself as an inftance of a man who has confeffed talking to himself; but yours is a particular cafe, and cannot juftify me, who have not kept filence any part of my life. What if I fhould own myself in love? • You know lovers are always allowed the comfort of foliloquy. But I will fay no more upon this fubject, because I have long fince obferved, the ready way to be thought mad is to contend that you are not fo; as we generally conclude that man drunk, who takes pains to be thought fober. I will therefore leave myself to your de termination; but am the more defirous to be "thought in my fenfes, that it may be no difcredit when I affure you that I have always been € to you very much Your admirer.' · P. S. If I must be mad, I defire the young Lady may believe it is for her.' The humble petition of John a Nokes, and John a Stiles, เ 6 દ • Sheweth, THA HAT your petitioners have had caufes depending in Westminster-Hall above five hundred years, and that we defpair of ever feeing them brought to an iffue: That your petitioners have not been involved in these law-fuits out of any litigious temper of their own, but by the inftiga⚫tion of contentious perfons; that the young lawyers in our inns of court are continually fetting us together by the ears, and think they do us no hurt, because they plead for us without a fee; that many of the gentlemen of the robe have no VOL. VIII. ⚫ other . I 藏 other clients in the world befides us two; that when they have nothing elfe to do, they make us plaintiffs and defendants, though they were never retained by any of us: That they traduce, condemn, or acquit us, without any manner of regard to our reputations and good names in the world. Your petitioners therefore (being thereunto encouraged by the favourable reception which you lately gave to our kinfinan Blank) do humbly pray that you will put an end to the con. troverfies which have been fo long depending between us your faid petitioners, and that our enmity may not endure from generation to generaration; it being our refolution to live hereafter as it becometh men of peaceable difpofitions. '. And your petitioners (as in duty bound) fhall < ever pray, &c. MONDAY, AUGUST 9. Eque feris humana in corpora tranfit, No 578. Inque feras nofter OVID. Met. 1. xv. ver. 167. Th' unbodied fpirit flies And lodges where it lights in man or beast. THE DRYDEN. "HERE has been very great reafon, on feveral accounts, for the learned world to endeavour at fettling what it was that might be faid to compofe perfonal identity. Mr. Locke, after having premifed that the word perfon properly fignifies a thinking intelligent being that has reafon and reflection, and can confider itself as itfelf; concludes, that it is confcioufnefs alone, and not an identity of fubftance, which makes this perfonal identity of famenefs. Had I the fame confcioufnefs |