We without art all faculties employ, And all our fenfes without guilt enjoy. N° 50. Thursday, August 4, 1709. The History of Orlando the Fair. Chap. I. White's Chocolate-houfe, August 17. Hatever malicious men may fay of our Lucubra known merit, or place in a proper light the actions of our contemporaries who labour to diftinguish themfelves, whether it be by vice or virtus. For we fhall never give accounts to the world of any thing, but what the lives and endeavours of the perfons, of whom we treat, make the bafis of their fame and reputation. For this reafon, it is to be hoped that our appearance is reputed a public benefit; and though certain perfons may turn what we mean for panygyric into fcandal, let it be answered once for all, that if our praifes are really defigned as a raillery, fucn malevolent perfons owe their fafety from it, only to their being too inconfiderable for hiflory. It is not every man who deals in rats bane, or is unfeafonably amorous, that can adorn story like Efculapius; nor every Stock-jobber of the India company can affume the port, and perfonate the figure of Aurengezebe. My noble ancefter, Mr. Shakespear, who was of the race of the Staffs, was not more fond of the memorable Sir John Falfaff, than I am of thofe Worthies; but the Latins have an admirable admonition expreffed in three words, to wit, Ne quid nimis, which forbids my indulging myfelf on those delightful fubjects, and calls me to do justice to others, who make no lefs figures in our generation Of fuch, the first and most renowned is, that eminent hero and lover Orlando the handfome, whose whofe difappointments in love, in gallantry, and in war, have banished him from public view, and made him voluntarily enter into a confinement, to which the ungrateful age would otherwife have forced him. Ten Luftra and more are wholly paffed fince Orlando first appeared in the metropolis of this ifland: His defcent is noble, his wit humorous, his perfon charming. But to none of thefe recommendatory advantages was his title fo undoubted, as that of his beauty. His complexion was fair, but his countenance manly; his ftature of the talleft, his fhape the most exact: And though in all his limbs he had a proportion as delicate as we fee in the works of the most skilful ftatuaries, his body had a ftrength and firmness little inferior to the marble of which fuch images are formed. This made Orlando the univerfal flame of all the fair Sex; innocent virgins fighed for him, as Adonis; experienced widows, as Hercules. Thus did this Figure walk alone the pattern and ornament of our Species, but of courfe the envy of all who had the fame paffions, without his fuperior merit, and pretences to the favour of that inchanting creature, Woman. However, the generous Orlando believed himfelf formed for the world, and not to be engroffed by any particular affection. He fighed not for Delia, for Chloris, for Chloe, & 31, nor my Lady, nor for the ready chambermaid, nor diftant Baronefs: Woman was his mittrefs, and the whole Sex his feraglio. His form was always irrenftible And if we confider, that not one of five hundred can bear the leaft favour from a lady without being exalted above himself; if alfo we must allow, that a fmile from a fide-box has made Jack Spruce half mad; we cannot think it wonderful that Orlando's repeated conquefts touched his brain: fo it certainly did, and Orlando became an enthufiaft in love; and in all his addrefs contracted fomething out of the ordinary course of breeding and civility. However, powerful as he was, he would still add to the advantages of his perfon, that of a profeffion which the ladies always favour, and immediately commenced foldier. Thus equipped for love and honour, our hero feeks diftant climes and adventures, and leaves the defpairing nymphs of GreatBritain 0 4 Britain to the courtships of beaus and witlings until his return. His exploits in foreign nations and courts have not been regularly enough communicated unto us, to report them with that veracity which we profefs in our narrations: But after many feats of arms, (which those who were witneffes to them have fuppreffed out of envy, but which we have had faithfully related from his own mouth in our public ftreets) Orlando returns home full, but not loaded, with years. Beaus born in his abfence made it their business to decry his furniture, his drefs, his manner; but all fuch rivalry he fuppreffed (as the philofopher did the fceptic, who argued there was no fuch thing as motion) by only moving. The beauteous Villaria, who only was formed for his paramour, because the object of his affection. His firk fpeech to her was as follows: MADAM, "It is not only that Nature has made us two the "moft accomplished of each Sex, and pointed to us to obey her dictates in becoming one; but that there "is alfo an ambition in following the mighty perfons you have favoured. Where kings and heroes, as great as Alexander, or fuch as could perfonate Alex"ander, have bowed, permit your General to lay his "laurels." " According to Milton; The Fair with confcious majefty approv'd Fortune having now fupplied Orlondo with neceffaries for his high tate of gallantry and pleasure, his equipage and economy had fomething in them more fumptuous and gallant than could be received in our degenerate age; therefore his figure, though highly graceful, apDeared fo exotic, that it affembled all the Britons under the age of fixteen, who faw his grandeur, to follow his chariot with fhouts and acclamations; which he regarded with the contempt which great minds affect in the midft of of applauses. I remember, I had the honour to see him one day ftop, and call the youths about him, to whor he fpake as follows: 66 "Good baftards-Go to fchool, and do not lofe your time in following my wheels: I am loth to hurt you, because I know not but you are all my own "offspring: Hark ye, you firrah, with the white hair, "I am fure you are mine: There is half a crown: "Tell your mother, This, with the half crown' I gave "her when I got you, comes to five fhillings. Thou haft coft me all that, and yet thou art good for nothing. Why, you young dogs, did you never fee a man "before? Never fuch a one as you, noble General, "replied a truant from Westminster. Sirrah, I believe "thee: There is a crown for thee. Drive on coach This vehicle, though facred to love, was not adorned with doves Such an hieroglyphic denoted too languifing a paffion. Orlando therefore gave the eagle, as being of a conftitution which inclined him rather to feize his prey with talons, than pine for it with ar murs. From my own Apartment, August z. I have received the following letter from Mr. Powel of: the Bath, who, I think, runs from the point between us, which I leave the whole world to judge.. deal of business at prefent on my hands, I thought to "have deferred answering your Tatler of the twenty"first instant until the company was gone, and feason 86 over; but having refolved not to regard any imper "tinences of your Paper, except what relate particalady to me, I am the more eafily induced to answer 66 66 ·you ·་ you, as I fhall find time to do it: First, partly left 66 you fhould think yourself neglected, which I have "reafon to believe you would take heinously ill. Se"condly, partly because it will increase my fame, and confequently my audience, when all the Quality "fhall fee with how much wit and raillery I fhew you "I do not care a farthing for you. Thirdly, "partly because being without books, if I do not fhew "much learning, it will not be imputed to my having ་་ none. "I have travelled Italy, France, and Spain, and fully comprehend whatever any German artist in the world can do; yet cannot I imagine, why you fhould endeavour to disturb the repofe and plenty which, *though unworthy, I enjoy at this place. It cannot be, that you take offence at my prologues and epilogues, which you are pleased to mifcall foolish and abufive, No, no, until you give a better, I fhall *not forbear thinking, that the true reafon of your picking a quarrel with me was, because it is more agreeable to your principles, as well as more to the "" honour of your affured victory, to attack a governor. "Mr. Ifaac, Mr. Ifaac, I can fee into a mill-ftone as "far as another, as the faying is, you are for sowing the feeds of fedition and difobedience among my puppets, and your zeal for the good old Caufe would "make you perfuade Punch to pull the ftring from his "chops, and not move his jaw when I have a mind he fhould harangue. Now I appeal to all men, if this "be not contrary to that unaccountable and uncon"trollable dominion, which by the laws of Nature I "exercise over them; for all forts of wood and wire ་་ were made for the ufe and benefit of man: I have "therefore an unquestionable right to frame, fashion, "and put them together as I please; and having made "them what they are, my puppets are my property, and therefore my flaves: Nor is there in Nature any thing more juft, than the homage which is paid by a lefs to a more excellent Being: So that by the right therefore of a fuperior genius, I am their fupreme moderator, although you would in"finuate, agreeably to your levelling principles, that |