crouds; but to have the approbation of a good man in the cool reflections of his clofet, is a gratification worthy an heroick fpirit. The applaufe of the croud makes the head giddy, but the atteftation of a reasonable man makes the heart glad. What makes the love of popular or general praife ftil more ridiculous, is, that it is ufually given for circumftances which are foreign to the perfons admired. Thus they are the ordinary attendants on power and riches, which may be taken out of one man's hands, and put into another's. The application only, and not the poffeffion, makes thofe outward things honourable. The vulgar and men of fenfe agree in admiring men for having what they themselves would rather be poffeffed of; the wife man applaudes him whom he thinks most virtuous, the reft of the world him who is most wealthy. When a man is in this way of thinking, I do not know what can occur to one more monftrous, than to fee perfons of ingenuity addrefs their fervicesand performances to men no way addicted to liberal arts: In these cafes, the praife on one hand, and the patronage on the other, are equally the objects of ridicule. Dedications to ignorant men are as abfurd as any of the fpeeches of Bulfinch in the droll: Such an addrefs one is apt to tranflate into other words; and when the different parties are thoroughly confidered, the panegyrick generally implies no more than if the author fhould fay to the patriot; my very good Lord, you and I can never understand one another, therefore I humbly defire we may be intimate friends for the future. The rich may as well afk to borrow of the poor, as the man of virtue or merit hope for addition to his character from any but fuch as himself. He that commends another engages fo much of his own reputation as he gives to that perfon commended; and he that has nothing laudable in him- H 2 felfi felf is not of ability to be fuch a furety.. The wife Phocion was fo fenfible how dangerous it was to be touched with what the multitude approved, thatupon a general acclamation made when he was. making an oration, he turned to an intelligent: friend who stood near him, and afked in a furpris ed manner, What flip have I made? I fhall conclude this paper with the billet which, has fallen into my hands, and was written to a Lady from a Gentleman whom the had highly commended. The author of it had formerly been her lover. When all poffibility of commerce between them on the fubject of love was cut off, fhe spoke fo handfomely of him, as to give occafion for this letter, • MADAM, I SHOULD be infenfible to a stupidity, if I could. forbear making you my acknowledgments for your late mention of me with so much applause. It is, I think, your fate to give me new fentiments; as you formerly, infpired me with the true fenfe of love, fo do you now with the true 'fense of glory. As defire had the leaft part in the paffion I heretofore profeffed towards you, fo has vanity no share in the glory to which you. have now raised me. Innocence, knowledge, beauty, virtue, fincerity, and difcretion, are the. 'conftant ornaments of her who has faid this of < me. Fame is a babler, but I have arrived at the. higheft glory in this world, the commendation of, the most deferving perfon in it. < T SATURDAY -Pariæ pietatis imago. VIRG. Æn. x, ver. 824. THE following letter being written to my book-feller, upon a fubject of which I treated fome time fince, I fhall publish it in this paper, together. with the letter that was inclosed in it, Mr. BUCKLEY, MR. SPECTATOR having of late defcanted' upon the cruelty of parents to their children, I have been induced (at the request of several of Mr. SPECTATOR's admirers) to inclofe this letter, which I affure you is the original from a father to his own fon, notwithstanding the latter gave but little or no provocation. It would be wonderfully obliging to the world, if Mr. SPECTATOR would give his opinion of it in fome of his fpeculations, and particularly to, (Mr. BUCKLEY,) • SIRRAH, Your humble fervant.* You are a faucy audacious rafcal, and both' fool and inad, and I care not a farthing whe⚫ther you comply or no; that does not raze out my impreffions of your infolence, going about · railing at me, and the next day to folicit my favour: These are inconfiftencies, fuch as difcover thy reafon depraved. To be brief, I never de-· · fire to fee your face; and, Sirrah, if you go to the work-house, it is no difgrace to me for you to be fupported there; and if you ftarve in the ftreets, I will never give any thing underhand. in your behalf. If I have any more of your* scribbling nonsense, I will break your head the H.3 firft 'first time I fet fight on you. You are a ftubborn beaft; is this your gratitude for my giving you " money? You rogue, I will better your judgment, and give you a greater fenfe of your duty to (I regret to fay) your father, &c. P. S. It is prudence for you to keep out of my · fight; for to reproach me, that Might overcomes Right, on the outfide of your letter, I "fhall give you a great knock on the fcull for it." Was there ever fuch an image of paternal tendernefs! It was ufual among some of the Greeks to make their flaves drink to excefs, and then expose them to their children, who by that means conceived an early averfion to a vice which makes men appear fo monftrous and irrational. I have expofed this picture of an unnatural father with the fame intention, that its deformity may deter others from its refemblance. If the reader has a mind to see a father of the fame stamp reprefented in the most exquifite ftrokes of humour, he may meet with it in one of the finest comedies that ever appeared upon the English ftage: I mean the part of Sir Sampfon in Love for Love. I must not however engage myself blindly on the fide of the fon, to whom the fond letter abovewritten was directed. His father calls him a faucy and audacious rafcal in the first line, and I am afraid upon examination he will prove but an ungracious youth. To ga about railing at his father, and to find no other place but the outside of his letter to tell him that might overcomes right, if it does not discover his reafon to be depraved and that he is either fool or mad, as the cholerick old Gentleman tells him, we may at least allow that the father will do very well in endeavouring to better his judgment, and give him a greater sense of his duty. But whether this may be brought about by breaking his head, or giving him a great knock on the fcull, ought, Í think, to be well confidered. Upon the whole, I wish the father has not met with his match, and that he may not be as equally paired with a fon, as the mother in Virgil. Crudelis tu quoque mater: Crudelis mater magis, an puer improbus ille? Cruel alike the mother and the fon. Or like the crow and her egg, in the Greek proverb. Κακό κόρακα κακὸν ὠν. Bad the crow, bad the egg. I must here take notice of a letter which I have received from an unknown correfpondent, upon the fubject of my paper, upon which the foregoing letter is likewife founded. The writer of it feems very much concerned left that paper should feem to give encouragement to the difobedience of children towards their parents; but if the writer of it will take the pains to read it over again attentively, I dare say his apprehenfions will vanish. Pardon and reconciliation are all the penitent daughter requests, and all that I contend for in her behalf; and in this cafe I may use the faying of an eminent wit, who, upon fome great mens preffing him to forgive his daughter who had married againft his confent, told them he could refufe nothing to their inftances, but that he would have them remember there was difference between giving and forgiving. I must confefs, in all controverfies between parents and their children, I am naturally prejudiced in favour of the former. The obligations on that fide can never be acquitted, and I think it is one of the greatest reflections upon human nature, thất paternal inftinct should be a ftronger motive to love than filial gratitude; that the receiving of favours fhould be a lefs inducement to good-will, tenderness |