I am the more pleased with, as it is fent me from Gentlemen who belong to a Body which I fhall always honour, and where (I cannot fpeak it without a secret Pride) my Speculations have met with a very kind Reception. It is ufual for Poets, upon the publishing of their Works, to print before them fuch Copies of Verfes as have been made in their Praife. Not that you muft imagine they are pleafed with their own Commendations, but because the elegant Compofitions of their Friends fhould not be loft. I must make the fame Apology for the Publication of the enfuing Letter, in which I have fuppreffed no Part of thofe Praifes that are given my Speculations with too lavish and good-natured a Hand; tho' my Correfpondents can witnefs for me, that at other times I have generally blotted out thofe Parts in the Letters which I have received from them. O

Mr. SPECTATOR,

Oxford, Nov. 25.

IN N fpite of your invincible Silence you have found out a Method of being the moft agreeable Companion in the World: That kind of Conver fation which you hold with the Town, B. 4

has

has the good Fortune of being always pleafing to the Men of Tafte and Leifure, and never offenfive to thofe of Hurry and Bufinefs. You are never heard, but at what Horace calls dextro tempore, and have the Happiness to ob• ferve the politick Rule, which the fame difcerning Author gave his Friend, ' when he enjoin'd him to deliver his Book to Auguftus.

Si validus, fi latus erit, fi denique pofcet.

You never begin to talk, but when People are defirous to hear you; you; and I defy any one to be out of humour 'till you leave off. But I am led unawares into Reflections, foreign to the • Original Defign of this Epiftle; which was to let you know, that fome unC feigned Admirers of your inimitable Papers, who could, without any Flattery, greet you with the Salutation used to the Eaftern Monarchs, viz. O Spec. live for ever, have lately been under the fame Apprehenfions with Mr. Philo-Spec; that the hafte you have made to dispatch your best Friends, portends no long Duration to your own fhort Vilage. We could not, indeed, find any just • Grounds

Grounds for Complaint in the Method you took to diffolve that venerable Body: No, the World was not • worthy of your Divine. WILL. HONEYCOMB could not, with any Reputation, live fingle any longer. It was high time for the TEMPLER to turn. himself to Cake: And Sir ROGER's dying was the 'wisest thing he ever did in his Life. It was, however, matter of great Grief to us, to think that we were in danger of lofing fo Elegant and Valuable an Entertainment. And we 'could not, without Sorrow, reflect that we were likely to have nothing to interrupt our Sips in a Morning, and to fufpend our Coffee in midair, between our Lips and right Ear, but the ordinary Trash of NewsPapers. We refolved, therefore, not to part with you fo. But fince, to make ufe of your own Allufion, the 'Cherries began now to crowd the ' Market, and their Seafon was almost over, we confulted our future Enjoyments, and endeavoured to make the exquifite Pleasure that delicious Fruit gave our Tafte as lafting as we could, and by drying them protract Br their

their stay beyond its natural Dáte. "We own that thus they have not a Flavour equal to that of their jucy Bloom; but yet, under this Difadvantage, they pique the Palate, and become a Salver better than any other Fruit at its firft Appearance. To speak plain, there are a Number of us who have begun your Works afresh, and meet two Nights in the Week in order to give you a Rehearing. We never come together without drinking your Health, and as feldom part without general Expreffions of Thanks to you for our Night's Improvement. This we conceive to be a more ufeful Inftitution than any other Club whatever, not excepting even that of ugly Faces. We have one manifest Advantage over that renowned Society, with respect to Mr. Spectator's Company. For though they may brag, that you fometimes make your perfonal Appearance amongst them, it is impoffible they fhould ever get a Word from you. Whereas you are with us the Reverfe of what Phedria would have his Miftrefs be in his Rival's Company, Prefent in your Abfence. We make you talk as much

and

and as long as we pleafe; and let me tell you, you feldom hold your Tongue for the whole Evening. I promise my self you will look with an Eye of Favour upon a Meeting which owes its Original to a mutual Emulation among its Members, who fhall fhew the moft profound Refpect for your Paper; not but we have a very great Value for your Perfon: and I dare fay you can no where find four more fincere Admirers, and humble Servants, than

TF. GS. JT. EF.

RS MOON DORCE

BAJORCE

N° 554. Friday, December 5.

Tentanda Via eft, qua me quoque poffim

Tollere bumo, Victorque virum volitare per Ora.

Virg.

I

Am obliged for the follow

ing Effay, as well as for that which lays down Rules out of Tully for Pronunciation and Action, to the ingeni

ous