advantage of my countrymen, I fhall take the liberty to make an humble propofal, that whenever the trunk-maker fhall depart this life, or whenever he fhall have loft the fpring of his arm by ficknefs, old age, infirmity, or the like, fome able-bodied critick fhould be advanced to this poft, and have a competent falary fettled on him for life, to be furnished with bamboos for operas, crabtree-cudgels for comedies, and oaken plants for tragedy, at the publick expence. And, to the end that this place fhould be always difpofed of according to merit, I would have none preferred to it, who has not given convincing proofs both of a found judgment and a strong arun, and who could not, upon occafion, either knock down an ox, or write a comment upon Horace's art of poetry. In fhort, I would have him a due compofition of Hercules and Apollo, and fo rightly qualified for this important office, that the trunk-maker may not be miffed by by our pofterity. ************ No 236. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30. ' -Dare jura maritis. HoR. Ars Poet. ver. 398. • Mr. SPECTATOR, • YOU have not fpoken in fo direct a manner upon the fubject of marriage as that important cafe deferves. It would not be improper to obferve upon the peculiarity in the youth of Great Britain, of railing and laughing at that inftitution; and when they fall into it, from a profligate habit of mind, and being infenfible of the fatisfaction in that way of life, and treating their wives with the moft barbarous difrefpect. Particular circumftances and caft of temper, • muft muft teach a man the probability of mighty uneafineffes in that ftate, (for unquestionably fome there are whofe very difpofitions are ftrangely averfe to conjugal friendship ;) but no one, I believe, is by his own natural complexion prompted to teaze and torment one another for no reafon. but being nearly allied to him: And can there be any thing more bafe, or ferve to fink a man fo ⚫ much below his own diftinguifhing characteristick, (I mean reafon) than returning evil for good in. fo open a manner, as that of treating an helplefs. ⚫ creature with unkindness, who has had fo good. an opinion of him as to believe what he fiid relating to one of the greatest concerns of life, by delivering her happinefs in this world to his care and protection? Muft not that man be abandon⚫ed even to all manner of humanity, who can deceive a woman with appearances of affection and. kindness, for no other end but to torment her. with more cafe and authority? Is any thing more unlike a gentleman, than when his honour is engaged for the performing his promifes, because 'nothing but that can oblige him to it, to become afterwards falfe to his word, and be alone the occafion of mifery to one whofe happinefs he but lately pretended was dearer to him than his own? Ought fuch a one to be trusted in his common. affairs? or treated but as one whofe honefty confifted only in his incapacity of being otherwife? There is one caufe of this ufage no lefs abfurd than common, which takes place among the more unthinking men; and that is the defire to appear to their friends free and at liberty, and without thofe trammels they have fo much ridi⚫culed. To avoid this they fly into the other extreme, and grow tyrants that they may feem maf• ters. Becaufe an uncontrolable command of their own actions is a certain fign of intire dominion, they will not fo much as recede from the govern Bb 3 government even in one mufcle of their faces. A kind look they believe would be fawning, and a civil anfwer yielding the fuperiority. To this muft we attribute an aufterity they betray in every action: What but this can put a man out of humour in his wife's company, though he is fo diftinguifhingly pleafant every where elfe? The bitterness of his replies, and the feverity of his frowns to the tendereft of wives, clearly demonfirate, that an ill-grounded fear of being thought too fubmiffivè, is at the bottom of this, as I am willing to call it, affected moroseness; but if it be fuch only, put on to convince his acquaintance of his intire dominion, let him take care of the confequence, which will be certain and worfe than the prefent evil; his feeming indifference will by degrees grow into real contempt, and if it doth not wholly alienate the affections of his wife for ever from him, make both him and her more miferable than if it really did fo. However inconfiftent it may appear, to be thought a well-bred perfon has no fmall fhare in this clownish behaviour: A difcourfe therefore relating to good-breeding towards a loving and a tender wife, would be of great ufe to this fort of gentlemen. Could you but once convince them, that to be civil at least is not beneath the character of a gentleman, nor even tender affection towards one who would make it reciprocal, betrays any foftnefs of effeminacy that the most mafculine difpofition need be afhamed of; could you fatisfy them of the generofity of voluntary civility, and the greatnefs of foul that is confpicuous in benevolence without immediate obligations; could you recommend to peoples practice the faying of the gentlemen quoted in one of your fpeculations, That he thought it incumbent upon him to make the inclinations of a woman of merit go along with her duty: Could you, I fay, perfuade thefe thefe men of the beauty and reafonableness of this fort of behaviour, I have fo much charity for fome of them at least, to believe you would ⚫ convince them of a thing they are only ashamed to allow Befides you would recommend that state in its trueft, and consequently its moft agreeable colours; and the gentlemen who have for any time been fuch profeffed enemies to it, when occafion fhould ferve, would return you their thanks for affifting their intereft in prevailing "over their prejudices. Marriage in general would by this means be a more eafy and comfortable "condition; the hufband would be no where fo '. well fatisfied as in his own parlour, nor the wife fo pleasant as in the company of her husband: A defire of being agreeable in the lover would be increased in the hufband, and the miftrefs be 'more amiable by becoming the wife. Besides all 'which, I am apt to believe we fhould find the race of men grow wifer as their progenitors grew kinder, and the affection of their parents would <be confpicuous in the wifdom of their children; in fhort, men would in general be much better humoured than they are, did not they fo frequently exercife the worft turns of their temper ⚫ where they ought to exert the best.' Mr. SPECTATOR, Aм a woman who left the admiration of this whole town, to throw myself (for love of wealth) into the arms of a fool. When I married him, I could have had any one of feveral men of fenfe who languished for me; but my cafe is juft. I believed my fuperior understanding would form him into a tractable creature. But, alas, my spouse has cunning and fufpicion, the infeparable companions of little minds; and every attempt I make to divert, by putting on an agreeable air, a fudden cheerfulness, or kind behaviour, 'viour, he looks upon as the first act towards an infurrection against his undeserved dominion over me. Let every one who is ftill to chufe, and hopes to govern a fool, remember ་ TRISTISSA.* Mr. SPECTATOR, St. Martin's, November 25. THIS His is to complain of an evil practice which I think very well deferves a redress, though 'you have not as yet taken any notice of it: If you mention it in your paper, it may perhaps have a very good effect. What I mean is the ⚫ disturbance fome people give to others at church, by their repetition of the prayers after the minifter, and that not only in the prayers, but also the ab• folution and the commandments fare no better, which are in a particular manner the priest's office: • This I have known done in so audible a manner, that fometimes their voices have been as loud as his. As little as you would think it, this is frequently done by people feemingly devout. This irreligious inadvertency is a thing extremely offenfive; But I do not recommend it as a thing I give you liberty to ridicule, but hope it may be amend ⚫ed by the bare mention. • TT is very reafonable to believe, that part of the pleafure which happy minds fhall enjoy in a future ftate, will arife from an enlarged contempla-. |