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or he will be in danger of making a wrong judgment. If men as they walk abroad would make more frequent obfervations on those beautics of · nature, which every moment prefent themfelves to our view, they would be better judges when they faw her well imitated at home: This would help to correct thofe errors which moft pretenders fall into, who are over-hafty in their judgments, and will not stay to let reafon come in for * a fhare in the decifion. It is for want of this that men miftake in this cafe, and in common life, a wild extravagant pencil for one that is truly bold and great, an impudent fellow for a man of true courage and bravery, hafty and un⚫ reasonable actions for enterprizes of spirit and refolution, gaudy colouring for that which is truly beautiful, a falfe and infinuating difcourfe for fimple truth elegantly recommended. The para!'lel will hold through all the parts of life and painting too; and the virtuofos above-mentioned will be glad to fee you draw it with your terms As the fhadows in picture reprefent the ferious or melancholy, fo the lights do the bright and lively thoughts: As there fhould be ⚫ but one 'forcible light in a picture which should 'catch the eye and fall on the hero, fo there fhould be but one object of our love, even the author of nature. Thefe and the like reflections well im• proved, might very much contribute to open the beauty of that art, and prevent young people from being poifoned by the ill gufto of an extravagant workman that fhould be impofed up

• of art.

on us.

I am, SIR, your moft humble fervant."

Mr. SPECTATOR,

Though I am a woman, yet I am one of those who confefs themfelves highly pleafed with a fpeculation you obliged the world with fometime E e 2 " ago,

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ago, from an old Greek poet you call Simonides, in relation to the feveral natures and diftinctions of our own fex. I could not but admire how juftly the characters of women in this age fall in with the times of Simonides, there being no one of thofe forts I have not at fome time or other of my life met with a fample of. But, Sir, the subject of this prefent addrefs, are a fet of women. comprehended, I think, in the ninth fpecie of that fpeculation, called the Apes; the defcription of whom I find to be, "That they are fuch as are both ugly and ill-natured, who have nothing beautiful themfelves, and endeavour to detract "from or ridicule every thing that appears fo in "others." Now, Sir, this fect, as I have been told, is very frequent in the great town where you live; but as my circumftance of life obliges me to refide altogether in the country, though 6 not many miles from London, I cannot have met with a great number of them, nor indeed is it a 'defirable acquaintance, as I have lately found by experience. You must know, Sir, that at the beginning of this fummer a family of these apes came and fettled for the feafon not far from the place where I live. As they were strangers in 'the country, they were vifited by the Ladies a 'bout them, of whom I was, with an humanity ' ufual in thofe that pass most of their time in folitude. The apes lived with us very agreeably our own way, until towards the end of the fummer, when they began to bethink themfelves of returning to town; then it was, Mr. SPECTATOR, that they began to fet themselves about the proper and diftinguishing bufinefs of their character; and, as it is faid of evil fpirits, that they are apt to carry away a piece of the houfe they are about to leave, the apes, without regard to common mercy, civility, or gratitude, thought fit to mimick and fall foul on the faces, drefs, and behaviour

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' behaviour of their innocent neighbours, bestow❝ing abominable cenfures and difgraceful appellations, commonly called nick-names, on all of • them ; and in fhort, like true Fine Ladies, made their honeft plainnefs and fincerity matter of ri'dicule. I could not but acquaint you with thefe grievances, as well at the defire of all the parties injured, as from my own inclination. I hope, Sir, if you cannot propose intirely to reform this evil, you will take fuch notice of it in fome of 'your future fpeculations, as may put the deferving part of our fex on their guard against these creatures; and at the fame time the apes may be ⚫ fenfible, that this fort of mirth is fo far from an ⚫ innocent diverfion, that it is in the highest degree that vice which is faid to comprehend all others. I am, SIR,

T

Your humble fervant,

• CONSTANTIA FIELD.'

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No 245. TUESDAY, DECEMBER II.

Ficta voluptatis caufa fit proxima veris.

HOR. Ars. Foet. ver. 338. Fictions, to pleafe, fhould wear the face of truth.

HERE is nothing which one regards fo much

TH

with an eye of mirth and pity as innocence, when it has in it a dafh of folly. At the fame time that one efteems the virtue, one is tempted to Laugh at the fimplicity which accompanies it. When a man is made up wholly of the dove, without the leaft grain of the ferpent in his compofition, he becomes ridiculous in many circumstances of life, and very often difcredits his beft actions. The Cordeliers tell a ftory of their founder St. Francis, that as he paffed the ftreets in the dusk of the even

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ing, he discovered a young fellow with a maid in a corner; upon which the good man, fay they, lifted up his hands to heaven with a fecret thankfgiving, that there was ftill fo much Chriftian charity in the world. The innocence of the faint made him mistake the kifs of a lover for a falute of charity. I am heartily concerned when I fee a virtuous man without a competent knowledge of the world; and if there be any ufe in these my papers, that without reprefenting vice under any falfe alluring notions, they give my reader an infight into the ways of men, and reprefent human nature in all its changeable colours. The man who has not been engaged in any of the follies of the world, or, as Shakespear expreffès it, hackneyed in the ways of men, may here find a picture of its follies and extravagancies. The virtuous and the inocent may know in fpeculation what they could never arrive at by practcie, and by this means avoid the fnares of the crafty, the corruptions of the vicious, and the reafonings of the prejudiced. Their minds may be opened without being vitiated.

It is with an eye to my following correfpondent, Mr. Timothy Doodle, who feems a very well-meaning man, that I have written this fhort preface, to which 1 fhall fubjoin a letter from the faid Mr. Doodle.

SIR,

COULD heartily with that you would let us know your opinion upon feveral innocent di' verfions which are in ufe among us, and which are very proper to pafs away a winter-night for 'thofe who do not care to throw away their time at an opera, or at the play-houfe. I would gladly know in particular, what notion you have * of hot-cockles; as alfo whether you think that queftions and and cominands, mottoes, fimiles, and cross-purposes have not more mirth and wit

in them, than those publick diverfions which are · grown fo very fashionable among us. If you would recommend to our wives and daughters, who read your papers with a great deal of pleafure, fome of thofe fports and paftimes that may be practifed within doors, and by the fire-fide, we who are masters of families fhould be hugely obliged to you. I need not tell you that I would have these fports and paftimes not only merry but innocent, for which reafon I have not men'tioned either whisk or lanterloo, nor indeed fo 'much as one and thirty. After having cominunicated to you my request upon this fubject, I 'will be fo free as to tell you how my wife and I pass away these tedious winter-evenings with a great deal of pleasure. Though the be young and handfome, and good-humoured to a miracle, fhe does not care for gadding abroad like others of her fex. There is a very friendly man, a colonel in the army, whom I am mightily obliged to for his civilities, that comes to fee me ་ almoft every night; for he is not one of those giddy young fellows that cannot live out of a play houfe. When we are together, we very often make a party at blind-man's buff, which is a fport that I like the better, because there is a good deal of exercise in it. The colonel and I are blinded by turns, and you would laugh your heart out to fee what pains my dear takes to hoodwink us, fo that it is impoffible for us to fee the leaft glimpfe of light. The poor colonel fometimes hits his nofe against a poft, and makes us die with laughing. I have generally the good luck not to hurt myfelf, but am very ⚫ often above half an hour before I can catch either of them; for you must know we hide ourselves up and down in corners, that we may have the more fport. I only give you this hint as a fam

ple