methods. But notwithstanding I have rejected every thing that favours of party, every thing that is loofe and immoral, and every thing that might create uneafinefs in the minds of particular perfons, I find that the demand for my papers has increased every month fince their first appearance in the world. This does not perhaps reflect fo much honour upon myself, as on my readers, who give a much greater attention to difcourfes of virtue and morality, than ever I expected, or indeed could hope.

When I broke loofe from that great body of writers who have employed their wit and parts in propagating vice and irreligion, I did not queftion but I fhould be treated as an odd kind of fellow, that had a mind to appear fingular in my way of writing: but the general reception I have found, convinces me that the world is not fo corrupt as we are apt to imagine; and that if those men of parts who have been employed in vitiating the age had endeavoured to rectify and amend it, they needed not have facrificed their good fenfe and virtue to their fame and reputation. No man is fo funk in vice and ignorance, but there are still some hidden feeds of goodness and knowledge in him; which give him a relish of fuch reflexions and fpeculations as have an aptnefs to improve the mind, and make the heart better.

I have fhewn in a former paper, with how much carè I have avoided all fuch thoughts as are loofe, obfcene, or immoral; and I believe my reader would ftill think the better of me, if he knew the pains I am at in qualifying what I write after fuch a manner, that nothing may be interpreted as aimed at private perfons. For this reafon when I draw any faulty character, I confider all thofe perfons to whom the malice of the world may poffibly apply it, and take care to dafh it with fuch particular circumstances as may prevent all fuch ill-natured applications. If I write any thing on a black man, I run over in my mind all the eminent perfons in the nation who are of that complexion: when I place an imaginary name at the head of a character, I examine every fyllable and letter of it, that it may not bear any resemblance to one that is real. I know very well the value which every man fets upon his reptitation, and

how

how painful it is to be expofed to the mirth and derifion of the public, and fhould therefore fcorn to divert my reader at the expence of any private man.

As I have been thus tender of every particular perfon's reputation, fo I have taken more than ordinary care not to give offence to thofe who appear in the higher figures of life. I would not make myfelf merry even with a piece of pafteboard that is invefted with a public character; for which reafon I have never glanced upon the late defigned proceffion of his holinefs and his attendants, notwithstanding it might have afforded matter to many ludicrous fpeculations. Among thofe advantages, which the public may reap from this paper, it is not the leaft, that it draws men's minds off from the bitternefs of party, and furnishes them with fubjects of difcourfe that may be treated without warmth or paffion. This is faid to have been the firft defign of thofe gentlemen who fet on foot the Royal Society; and had then a very good effect, as it turned many of the greateft geniufes of that age to the difquifitions of natural knowledge, who, if they had engaged in politics with the fame parts and application, might have fet their country in a flame. The air-pump, the barometer, the quadrant, and the like inventions, were thrown out to these bufy fpirits, as tubs and barrels are to a whale, that he may let the fhip fail on without disturbance, while he diverts himself with thofe innocent amufements.

I have been fo very fcrupulous in this particular of not hurting any man's reputation that I have forborn mentioning even fuch authors as I could not name withhonour. This I must confefs to have been a piece of very great felf-denial: for as the public relishes nothing better than the ridicule which turns upon a writer of any eminence, fo there is nothing which a man that has but a very ordinary talent in ridicule may execute with greater ease. One might raise laughter for a quarter of a year together upon the works of a perfon who has published but a very few volumes. For which reafon I am aftonished, that thofe who have appeared against this paper have made fo very little of it. The criticisms which I have hitherto published, have been made with an intention rather to difcover beauties and excellencies

excellencies in the writers of my own time, than to publish any of their faults and imperfections. In the mean while I should take it for a very great favour from fome of my underhand detractors, if they would break all measures with me fo far, as to give me a pretence for examining their performances with an impartial eye: nor fhall I look upon it as any breach of charity to cri ticife the author, fo long as I keep clear of the perfon,

In the mean while, until I am provoked to fuch hoftilities, I fhall from time to time endeavour to do juftice to those who have diftinguished themselves in the politer parts of learning, and to point out fuch beauties in their works as may have escaped the obfervation of others.

As the first place among our English poets is due to Milton; and as I have drawn more quotations out of him than from any other, I fhall enter into a regular criticifm upon his Paradife Loft, which I fhall publish every Saturday until I have given my thoughts upon that poem: I fhall not however prefume to impofe upon others my own particular judgment on this author, but only deliver it as my private opinion. Criticism is of a very large extent, and every particular master in this art has his favourite paffages in an author, which do not équally strike the best judges. It will be fufficient for me if I discover many beauties or imperfections which others have not attended to, and I fhould be very glad to fee any of our eminent writers publifh their discoveries on the fame fubject. In short, I would always be understood to write my papers of criticifm in the fpirit which Horace has expreffed in those two famous lines;

-Si quid novifti rectius iftið,

Candidus imperti; fi non, his utere mecum.

Ep. 6. lib. 1. ver. ult.

If you have made any better remarks of your own; communicate them with candour; if not, make use of thefe I prefent you with.'

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VOL. IV.

Tueflay,

N° 263

Tuesday, January 1, 1712.

Gratulor quòd eum quem neceffe erat diligere, qualifcunque effet, talem habemus ut libenter quoque diligamus. Trebonius apud Tull. I rejoice, that the perfon, whom it was my duty to love, good or bad, is fuch an one, that I can love him with a willing mind.

I

Mr. Spectator,

Am the happy father of a very towardly fon, in whom I do not only fee my life, but alfo my manner of life, renewed. It would be extremely beneficial to fociety, if you would frequently refume fub•jects which ferve to bind these fort of relations fafter, and endear the ties of blood with those of good-will, ⚫ protection, obfervance, indulgence, and veneration. I would, methinks, have this done after an uncommon • method, and do not think any one, who is not capable of writing a good play, fit to undertake a work wherein there will neceffarily occur fo many fecret instincts, ⚫ and biaffes of human nature which would pass unobferved by common eyes. I thank heaven I have no outrageous offence against my own excellent parents to anfwer for; but when I am now and then alone, and • look back upon my paft life, from my earlieft infancy to this time, there are many faults which I commit⚫ted that did not appear to me, even until I myself be⚫came a father. I had not until then a notion of the yearnings of heart, which a man has when he sees his child do a laudable thing, or the fudden damp which ⚫feizes him when he fears he will act fomething unworthy. It is not to be imagined, what a remorfe touched me for a long train of childish negligences of my mother, when I faw my wife the other day look out of the window, and turn as pale as afhes upon feeing my younger boy fliding upon the ice. These flight

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flight intimations will give you to understand, that 'there are numberlefs little crimes which children take no notice of while they are doing, which, upon reflexion, when they fhall themselves become fathers, they will look upon with the utmoft forrow and contrition, that they did not regard, before thofe whom they offended were to be no more feen. How many thousand things do I remember, which would have highly pleafed my father, and I omitted for no other reason, but that I thought what he propofed the effect of humour and old age, which I am now convinced had reafon and good fenfe in it. I cannot now go into the parlour to him, and make his heart glad with an account of a matter which was of no confequence, but that I told it, and acted in it. The good man and woman are long fince in their graves, who used to fit and plot the welfare of us their children, while, perhaps, we were fometimes laughing at the old folks at another end of the house. The truth of it is, were we merely to follow nature in thefe great duties of life, though we have a ftrong inftinct towards the performing of them, we fhould be on both fides very deficient. Age is fo unwelcome to the generality of mankind, and growth towards manhood fo defirable to all, that refignation to decay is too difficult a task in the father; and deference, amidst the impulfe of gay defires, appears unreasonable to the fon. There are fo few who can grow old with a good grace, and yet ⚫ fewer who can come flow enough into the world, that. a father, were he to be actuated by his defires, and a fon, were he to confult himself only, could neither ⚫ of them behave himself as he ought to the other. when reafon interpofes against inftin&t, where it would carry either out of the interefts of the other, there arifes that happiest intercourfe of good offices between thofe dearest relations of human life. The father, according to the opportunities which are offered to him, is throwing down bleflings on the fon, and the fon endeavouring to appear the worthy offspring of fuch a father. It is after this manner that Camillus and his firft-born dwell together. Camillus enjoys a pleafing and indolent old age, in which paffion is fubdued,

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But