treat of. By this means I meet with fome celebrated thought upon it, or a thought of my own expreffed in better words, or fome fimilitude for the illuftration of my subject. This is what gives birth to the motto of a fpeculation, which I rather chufe to take out of the poets-than the profe-writers, as the former generally give a finer turn to a thought than the latter, and by couching it in few words, and in harmonious numbers, make it more portable to the memory. My reader is therefore fure to meet with at least one good line in every paper, and very often finds his imagination entertained by a hint that awakens. in his memory fome beautiful paffage of a claffick author. It was a faying of an ancient philofopher, which I find fome of our writers have afcribed to Queen Elizabeth, who perhaps might have taken occafion to repeat it, that a good face is a letter of recommendation. It naturally makes the beholders inquifitive into the person who is the owner of it, and generally prepoffeffes them in his favour. A handfome motto has the fame effect. Befides that it always gives a fupernumerary beauty to a paper, and is fometimes in a manner neceffary when the writer is engaged in what may appear a paradox to vulgar minds, as it fhews that he is fupported by good authorities, and is not fingular in his opinion. I must confefs, the motto is of little ufe to an unlearned reader, for which reafon I confider it only as a Word to the Wife. But as for my unlearned friends, if they cannot relish the motto, I take care to make provifion for them in the body of my paper. If they do not understand the fign that is hung out, they know very well by it, that they may meet with entertainment in the houfe; and I think I was never better pleased than with a plain man's compliment, who, upon his friend's telling him that he would like the Spectator much better. if he understood the motto, replied, That good wine needs no bufb. I have heard of a couple of preachers in a country town, who endeavoured which fhould outfhine. one another, and draw together the greatest congregation. One of them being well verfed in the fathers, used to quote every now and then a Latin fentence to his illiterate hearers, who it seems found themfelves fo edified by it, that they flocked in greater numbers to this learned man than to his rival. The other finding his congregation mouldering every Sunday, and hearing at length what was the occafion of it, refolved to give his parish a little Latin in his turn; but being unacquainted with any. of the fathers, he digefted into his fermons the whole book of Quae Genus, adding however fuch explications to it as he thought might be for the benefit of his people. He afterwards entered upon As in Præfenti, which he converted in the fame manner to the ufe of his parishioners. This in a very little time thickned his audience, filled his church, and routed his antagonist. The natural love to Latin, which is fo prevalent in our common people, makes me think that my fpeculations fare never the worfe among them for that little fcrap which appears at the head of them; and what the more encourages me in the ufe of quotations in an unknown tongue, is, that I hear the Ladies, whofe approbation. I value more than that of the whole learned world, declare themselves in a more particular manner pleased with my Greek mottos. Defigning this day's work for a differtation upon the two extremities of my paper, and having already difpatched my motto, I fhall, in the next place, difcourfe upon thofe fingle capital letters, which are placed at the end of it, and which have afforded great matter of fpeculation to the curious. I have heard various conjectures upon this fubject. Some tell us that C is the mark of those papers that are written by the clergyman, though others afcribe them to the club in general: That the papers marked with R were written by my friend Sir ROGER: That L fignifies the lawyer, whom I have defcribed in my fecond fpeculation; and that T ftands for the trader or merchant: But the letter X, which is placed at the end of fome few of my papers, is that which has puzzled the whole town, as they cannot think of any name which begins with that letter, except Xenopbon and Xerxes, who can neither of them be supposed to have had any hand in thefe fpeculations. In answer to thefe inquifitive Gentlemen, who have many of them made inquiries of me by letter, I muft tell them the reply of an ancient philofopher, who carried fomething hidden under his cloke. A certain acquaintance defiring him to let him know what it was he covered fo carefully; I cover it, fays he, on purpose that you should not know. I have made use of these obfcure marks for the fame purpose. They are, perhaps, little amulets or charms to preserve the paper against the fascination and malice of evil eyes; for which reafon I would not have my reader surprised; if hereafter he fees any of my papers marked with a Q, a Z, a Y, an &c. or with the word Abracradabra. I fhall, however, fo far explain myself to the reader, as to let him know that the letters C, L, and X, are cabaliftical, and carry more in them than it is proper for the world to be acquainted with. Thofe who are verfed in the philofophy of Pythagoras, and fwear by the Tetrachtys, that is the number four, will know very well that the number Ten, which is fignified by the letter X, (and which has fo much perplexed the town) has in it many particular powers; that it is called by platonick writers the complete number; that one, VOL. III. U two, two, three, and four, put together, make up the number ten; and that ten is all. But thefe are not myfteries for ordinary readers to be let into. A man must have spent many years in hard ftudy before he can arrive at the knowledge of them. We had a rabbinical divine in England, who was chaplain to the Earl of Effex in Queen Elizabeth's time, that had an admirable head for fecrets of this nature. Upon his taking the doctor of divinity's degree, he preached before the university of Cambridge, upon the first verfe of the first chapter of the first book of Chronicles, in which, fays he, you have the three following words, Adam, Sheth, Enofh. He divided this fhort text into many parts, and by difcovering feveral myfteries in each word, made a moft learned and elaborate difcourfe. The name of this profound preacher was Dr. Alabafter, of whom the reader may find a more particular account in Dr. Fuller's book of English Worthies. This inftance will, I hope, convince my readers that there may be a great deal of fine writing in the capital letters which bring up the rear of my paper, and give them fome fatisfaction in that particular. But as for the full explication of thefe matters, I muft refer them to time, which difcovers all things. C WEDNESDAY, X*X*X*X*X*X *X*X*X*X*X No 222. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14. Cur alter fratrum ceffare, et ludere, et ungi, HOR. Ep. ii. lib. 2. ver. 185. Why, of two brothers, one his pleasure loves, Prefers his fports to Herod's fragrant groves. • Mr. SPECTATOR, THER CREECH. ; HERE is one thing I have often looked for in your papers, and have as often wondered to find myself difappointed; the rather, becaufe I think it a fubject every way agreeable to your defign, and by being left unattempted by others, feems referved as a proper employment 6 for you; I mean a difquifition, from whence it proceeds, that men of the brightest parts, and moft comprehenfive genius, completely furnished" with talents for any province in human affairs fuch as by their wife leffons of oeconomy to others have made it evident, that they have the jufteft notions of life, and of true fenfe in the • conduct of it- from what unhappy contra'dictious caufe it proceeds, that perfons thus fi• nifhed by nature and by art, fhould fo often fail in the management of that which they fo well • understand, and want the addrefs to make a right application of their own rules. This is certainly a prodigious inconfiftency in behaviour, and makes much fuch a figure in morals as a monftrous birth in naturals, with this differenceonly, which greatly aggravates the wonder, that it happens much more frequently; and what a • blemish does it caft upon wit and learning in the general account of the world? and in how dif advantageous a light does it expose them to the U 2 bufy |