The SPECTATOR. No 556. Friday, June 18. 1714. Qualis ubiin lucem coluber, mala gramina paftus, Virg. PON laying down_the_Office of SPECTATOR, I acquainted the World with my Design of electing a new Club, and of opening my Mouth in it after a moft folemn manner. Both the Election and the Ceremony are now paft; but not finding it fo eafy as I at firft imagined, to break thro' a fifty Years Silence, I would not venture into the World under the Character of a Man who pretends to talk like other People, till I had arrived ata full Freedom of Speech. I fhall referve for another time the History of such Club or Clubs of which I am now a Talkative, but unworthy Member; and shall here give an Account of this furprifing Change which has been produced in me, and which. I look upon to be as remarkable an Accident as any recorded in Hiftory, fince that which happened to the Son of Cræfus, after having been many Years as much Tongue-tied as my felf. UP ON the firft opening of my Mouth, I made a Speech confifting of about half a Dozen well-turned Periods; but grew fo very hoarfe upon it, that for three Days together, inftead of finding the ufe of my Tongue, I was afraid that I had quite loft it. Befides, the unusual Extenfion of my Muscles on this Occafion, made my Face ake on both Sides to fuch a degree, that nothing but an invincible Resolution and Perfeverance could have prevented me from falling back to my Monofyllables. I afterwards made feveral Effsays towards fpeaking; and that I might not be startled at my own Voice, which has happened to me more than once, I ufed to read aloud in my Chamber, and have often stood in the middle of the Street Cf Street to call a Coach, when I knew there was none within hearing. 4 WHEN I was thus grown pretty well acquainted with my own Voice, I laid hold of all Opportunities to exert it. Not caring however to fpeak much by my felf, and to draw upon me the whole Attention of those I converfed with, I used, for fome time, to walk every Morning in the Mall, and talk in Chorus with a Parcel of Frenchmen. I found my Modefty greatly relieved by the communicative Temper of this Nation, who are fo very fociable, as to think they are never better Company, than when they are all opening at the fame time. I then fancied I might receive great Benefit from Female Conversation, and that I should have a Convenience of talking with the greater Freedom, when I was not under any Impediment of thinking: I therefore threw my felf into an Affembly of Ladies, but could not for my Life get in a Word among them; and found that if I did not change my Company, I was in Danger of being reduced to my primitive Ta citurnity. THE Coffee-houfes have ever fince been my chief Places of Refort, where I have made the greatest Improvements; in order to which I have taken a particular Care never to be of the fame Opinion with the Man I converfed with. I was a Tory at Button's, and a Whig at Child's; a Friend to the Englishman, or an Advocate for the Examiner, as it best served my Turn; fome fancy me a great Enemy to the French King, though, in reality, I only make use of him for a Help to Difcourfe. In short, I wrangle and difpute for Exercife; and have carried this Point fo far that I was once like to have been run through the Body for making a little too free with my Betters. IN a word, I am quite another Man, to what I was. Tam difpar fibi. Nil fuit unquam MY old Acquaintance fcarce know me; nay I was asked the other Day by a few at Jonathan's, whether I was not related to a dumb Gentleman, who used to come to that Coffee-houfe? But I think I never was better pleafed in my Life than about a Week ago, when, as I was battling it across the Table with a young Templar, his Companion gave him him a Pull by the Sleeve, begging him to come away, for that the old Prig would talk him to Death. BEING now a very good Proficient in Discourse, I fhall appear in the World with this Addition to my Character, that my Countrymen may reap the Fruits of my new acquired Loquacity. THOSE who have been present at publick Difputes in the Univerfity, know that it is ufual to maintain Herefies for Argument's fake. I have heard a Man a most impudent Socinian for half an Hour, who has been an Orthodox Divine all his Life after. I have taken the fame Method to accomplish my self in the Gift of Utterance, having talked above a Twelvemonth, not fo much for the Benefit of my Hearers as of my felf. But fince I have now gained the Faculty I have been fo long endeavouring after, I intend to make a right Ufe of it, and fhall think my felf obliged, for the future, to speak always in Truth and Sincerity of Heart. While a Man is learning to Fence, he practises both on Friend and Foe; but when he is a Master in the Art, he never exerts it but on what he thinks the right Side. THAT |