< Things went on pretty well, as we threw our eyes occafionally over the tree, when unfortunately he percei ved a merchant-tailor, perched on a bough, who was faid greatly to have increased the estate; he was just agoing to cut him off, if he had not seen Gext, after the · name of his fon; who was recorded to have mortgaged one of the manors his honeft father had purchased. 'A weaver who was burnt for his religion in the reign of queen Mary, was pruned away without mercy; as was likewife a yeoman, who died of a fall from his own cart. But great was our triumph in one of the blood 'who was beheaded for high-treafon; which nevertheless was not a little allayed by another of our ancestors who was hanged for ftealing fheep. The expectations of my good coufin were wonderfully raised by a match into the 'family of a knight, but unfortunately for us, this branch proved barren: on the other hand Margery the milk'maid being twined round a bough, it flourished out into fo many fhoots, and bent with so much fruit, that the old gentleman was quite out of countenance. To comfort me, under this difgrace, he fingled out a branch ten times more fruitful than the other, which he told me he ' valued more than any in the tree, and bade me be of good comfort. This enormous bough was a graft out of a Welsh heirefs, with fo many Ap's upon it that it might have made a little grove by itself. From the ' trunk of the pedigree, which was chiefly composed of la'bourers and fhepherds, arofe a huge sprout of farmers; this was branched out into yeomen; and ended in a fhe' riff of the country, who was knighted for his good fer'vice to the crown in bringing up an addrefs. Several of the names that feemed to difparage the family, being looked upon as mistakes, were lopped off as rotten or withered; as, on the contrary, no fmall number appearing without any titles, my coufin, to fupply the defects ' of the manufcript, added Efq; at the end of each of them. THIS tree fo pruned, dreffed, and cultivated, was, within a few days, tranfplanted into a large fheet of vellum, and placed in the great hall, where it attracts the veneration of his tenants every Sunday morning, while they wait till his worship is ready to go to church; wondering that a man, who had so many fathers before ་ him, should not be made a knight, or at least a justice of the peace.' N° 613. Friday, October 29. -Studiis florentem ignobilis oti.. Virg. Georg. 4. v. 564. Affecting ftudies of less noify praife. IT Dryden. T is reckoned a piece of ill breeding for one man to engrofs the whole talk to himself. For this reafon, fince I keep three vifiting-days in the week, I am content now and then to let my friends put in a word. There are feveral advantages hereby accruing both to my readers and to myself. As firft, young and modeft writers have an opportunity of getting into print: again, the town enjoys the pleasure of variety; and pofterity will fee the humour of the prefent age, by the help of thefe little lights into private and domestic life. The benefits I receive from thence, are fuch as thefe: I gain more time for future fpeculations; pick up hints which I improve for the public good; give advice; redrefs grievances; and, by leaving commodious fpaces between the feveral letters that I print, furnish out a Spectator with little labour and great oftentation. • Mr SPECTATOR, I day; worked. WAS mightily pleafed with your fpeculation of FriYour fentiments are noble, and the whole up in fuch a manner, as cannot but strike upon every reader. But give me leave to make this remark that while you write fo pathetically on contentment, and a retired life, you footh the paffion of melancholy, and deprefs the mind from actions truly gloTitles and honours are the reward of virtue: we therefore ought to be affected with them: and though light minds are too much puffed up with exterior pomp, <rious. e yet I cannot fee why it is not as truly philofophical, to admire the glowing ruby, or the fparkling green of an emerald, as the fainter and lefs permanent beauties of a rofe or a myrtle. If there are men of extraordinary capacities who lie concealed from the world, I should impute it to them as a blot in their character, did not I ' believe it owing to the meannefs of their fortune rather ⚫ than of their spirit. Cowley, who tells the ftory of Aglaus with fo much pleasure, was no stranger to courts, nor insensible of praise. What shall I do to be for ever known, And make the age to come my own? . Iwas the refult of a laudable ambition. It was not till after frequent difappointments, that he termed himself the melancholy Cowley; and he praifed folitude, when •he defpaired of shining in a court. The foul of man is 6 an active principle. He therefore, who withdraws him⚫ felf from the scene before he has played his part, ought ' to be hiffed off the ftage, and cannot be deemed virtuous, because he refufes to anfwer his end. I must own I am fired with an honeft ambition to imitate every illuftrious example. The battles of Blenheim and Ramillies have more than once made me wish myself a fol• dier. And when I have seen those actions so nobly celebrated by our poets, I have fecretly afpired to be one of that diftinguished class. But in vain I wish, in vain pant with the defire of action. I am chained down in obfcurity, and the only pleasure I can take is in feeing fo many brighter genuifes join their friendly lights, to add to the fplendor of the throne. Farewel then, dear Spec, and believe me to be with great emulation, and < I no envy, SIR, Your profeffed admirer, WILL HOPELESS. Middle-Temple, October 26. 1714. HOUGH you have formerly made Eloquence the Tfubject of one or more of your papers, I do not remember that you ever confidered it as poffeffed by a fet of people, who are fo far from making Quintilian's • rules ' rules their practice, that, I dare fay for them, they ne- < a · SIR, Your most obedient humble fervant, J. B. PON reading a SPECTATOR last week, where Mrs U Fan Fickle fubmitted the choice of a lover for life to your decifive determination, and imagining I might claim the favour of your advice in an affair of the like, but much more difficult nature, I called for pen and ink, in order to draw the characters of seven humble fervants, whom I have equally encouraged for fome time. But, alas! while I was reflecting on the agreeable fubject, and contriving an advantageous defcription of the dear perfon I was moft inclined to favour, I happened to look into my glafs. The fight of the small'pox, out of which I am juft recovered, tormented me ' at at once, with the lofs of my captivating arts, and my I captives. The confufion I was in, on this unhappy, ⚫ unseasonable discovery, is inexpreffible. Believe me, Sir, I was fo taken up with the thoughts of your fair correfpondent's cafe, and fo intent on my own defign, that I fancied myself as triumphant in my conquests as ever. Now, Sir, finding I was incapacitated to amufe myself on that pleafing fubject, I refolved to apply myself to · you, or your cafuiftical agent, for advice in my prefent circumstances. I am fenfible the tincture of my skin, ' and the regularity of my features, which the malice of " my late illness has altered, are irrecoverable; yet don't defpair but that lofs, by your affiftance, may in fome measure be repairable, if you'll pleafe to propofe a way ⚫ for the recovery of one only of my fugitives. 'ONE of them is in a more particular manner beholden to me than the reft; for he for fome private reafons being defirous to be a lover incognito, always addressed me • with billet-doux, which I was fo careful of in my sickness, • that I fecured the key of my love-magazine under my head, and hearing a noife of opening a lock in my chamber, endangered my life by getting out of bed to prevent, ' if it had been attempted, the difcovery of that amour. I HAVE formerly made ufe of all thofe artifices which our fex daily practises over yours, to draw, as it were undefignedly, the eyes of a whole congregation to my pew; I have taken a pride in the number of admirers at · my afternoon's levee; but am now quite another crea· ture. I think, could I regain the attractive influence I once had, if I had a legion of fuitors, I thould never ⚫ be ambitious of entertaining more than one. I have al' most contracted an antipathy to the trifling discourses of impertinent lovers, though I must needs own, I have thought it very odd of late, to hear gentlemen, instead of their ufual complacencies, fall into difputes before me of politics, or else weary me with the tedious repetition ' of how thankful I ought to be, and fatisfied with my recovery out of fo dangerous a diftemper: this, though I am very fenfible of the bleffing, yet I cannot but dislike, becaufe fuch advice from them rather feems to infult ' than comfort me, and reminds me too much of what I C was: |