⚫ time naufeous in us. I fhall, Sir, hereafter, from time to time, give you the names of thefe wretches who pretend to enter our houfes merely as spectators. These men think it wit to ufe us ill: Pray • tell them, however worthy we are of fuch treatment, it is unworthy them to be guilty of it to'wards us. Pray, Sir, take notice of this, and pity the oppreffed: I wish we could add to it, the innocent.

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No 191. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9..

- ὅλον όνειρον.

SOME

HOм. II. 2. ver. 6.

Deluding vifion of the night.

POPE. OME ludicrous schoolmen have put the cafe, that if an ass were placed between two bundles of hay, which affected his fenfes equally on each fide, and tempted him in the very fame degree, whether it would be poffible for him to eat of either. They generally determine this question to the disadvantage of the afs, who they fay would ftarve in the midst of plenty, as not having a fingle grain of freewill to determine him more to the one than to the other. The bundle of hay on either fide striking his fight and finell in the fame proportion, would keep him in a perpetual fufpenfe, like the two magnets which, travellers have told us, are placed one of them in the roof, and the other in the floor of Mahomet's burying-place at Mecca, and by that means, fay they, pull the impoftor's iron coffin with fuch an equal attraction, that it hangs in the air between both of them. As for the afs's behaviour in fuch nice circumstances, whether he would starve fooner than violate his neutrality to the two bundles of hay, I fhall not prefume to determine: But only take notice of the conduct of our own fpecies in the fame perplexity. When a man has a mind to venture VOL. III. I

his

his money in a lottery, every figure of it appears equally alluring, and as likely to fucceed as any of its fellows. They all of them have the fame pretenfions to good-luck, ftand upon the fame foot of competition, and no manner of reason can be given why a man fhould prefer one to the other before the lottery is drawn. In this cafe therefore caprice very often acts in the place of reafon, and forms to itself fome groundless imaginary motive, where real and fubftantial ones are wanting. I know a well-meaning man that is very well pleased to ritk his good-fortune upon the number 1711, because it is the year of our Lord. I am acquainted with a tacker that would give a good deal for the number 134 On the contrary, I have been told of a certain zealous diffenter, who being a great enemy to popery, and believing that bad men are the most fortunate in this world, will lay two to one on the number 666 against any other number; becaufe, fays he, it is the number of the beast. Several would prefer the number 12000 before other, as it is the number of the pounds in the great prize. In fhort, fome are pleafed to find their own age in their number; fome that they have got a number which makes a pretty appearance in the ciphers; and others, because it is the fame number that fucceeded in the laft lottery. Each of thefe, upon no other grounds, thinks he ftands faireft for the great lot, and that he is poffeffed of what may not be improperly called The Golden Number.

any

Thefe principles of election are the pastimes and extravagances of human reason, which is of fo bufy a nature, that it will be exerting itself in the meaneft trifles, and working even when it wants materials. The wifeft of men are sometimes actuated by fuch unaccountable motives, as the life of the fool and the fuperftitious is guided by nothing else.

I a furprifed that none of the fortune-tellers,

or,

or, as the French call them, the Difeurs de bonne Avanture, who publish their bills in every quarter of the town, have not turned our lotteries to their advantage: Did any of them fet up for a cafter of fortunate figures, what might he not get by his pretended discoveries, and predictions?

I remember among the advertisements in the PostBay of September the 27th, I was furprifed to fee the following one:

This is to give notice, That ten fhillings over and above the market-price, will be given for the ticket in 1500000l. Lottery, N. 132, by Nath. Cliff, at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapfide.

This advertisement has given great matter of fpeculation to coffeehoufe theorifts. Mr. Cliff's principles and converfation have been canvaffed upon this occafion, and various conjectures made why he fhould thus fet his heart upon No 132. I have examined all the powers in thofe numbers, broken them into fractions, extracted the fquare and cube root, divided and multiplied them all ways, but could not arrive at the fecret until about three days ago, when I received the following letter from an unknown hand, by which I find that Mr. Nathaniel Cliff is only the agent, and not the principal in this advertisement.

• Mr. SPECTATOR,

'I

Aм the perfon that lately advertifed I would give ten fhillings more than the current price for the ticket No 132 in the lottery now drawing; which is a fecret I have communicated to fome friends, who rally me inceffantly upon that ac< count. You must know I have but one ticket, for which reafon, and a certain dream I have lately had more than once, I was refolved it should be the number I most approved. I am so pofitive I have pitched upon the great lot, that I could • almoft

I 2

6

almoft lay all I am worth of it. My vifions are fo frequent and ftrong upon this occafion, that I have not only poffeffed the lot, but difpofed of the money which in all probability it will fell for. This morning, in particular, I fet up an equipage which I look upon to be the gaieft in the town ; ⚫ the liveries are very rich, but not gaudy. I should be very glad to fee a fpeculation or two upon lottery subjects, in which you will oblige all people concerned, and in particular

་

Your most humble Servant,
GEORGE GOSLING.'

P. S. Dear SPEC, if I get the 12000 pound, I will make thee a handfome prefent.'

After having wifhed my correfpondent good luck, and thanked him for his intended kindnefs, I fhall for this time difmifs the subject of the lottery, and only obferve, that the greatest part of mankind are in fome degree guilty of my friend Goling's extravagance. We are apt to rely upon future profpects, and become really expenfive while we are only rich in poffibility. We live up to our expectations, not to our poffeffions, and make a figure proportionable to what we may be, not what we are We outrun our prefent income, as not doubting to difburfe ourselves out of the profits of fome future place, project, or reverfion that we have in view. It is through this temper of mind, which is fo common among us, that we fee tradefmen break, who have met with no misfortunes in their business; and men of eftates reduced to poverty, who have never fuffered from loffes or repairs, tenants, taxes, or lawfuits. In fhort, it is this foolish fanguine temper, this depending upon contingent futurities, that occafions romantick generofity, chimerical grandeur, fenfelefs oftentation, and generally ends in beggary and ruin. The man, who will live above his prefent circumstances, is in great danger of living in a

fuch a fucceffor to a good man, is worse than laid wafte; and the family, of which he is the head, ist in a more deplorable condition than that of being extinct.

When I vifit the agreeable feat of my honoured friend Ruricola, and walk from room to room revolving many pleafing occurrences, and the expreffions of many juft fentiments I have heard him utter, and fee the booby his heir in pain while he is doing the honours of his houfe to the friend of his father, the heavinefs it gives one is not to be expreffed. Want of genius is not to be imputed to any man, but want of humanity is a man's own fault. The fon of Ruricola, (whofe life was one continued feries of worthy actions and gentlemanlike inclinations) is the companion of drunken clowns, and knows no fenfe of praise but in the flattery he receives from his own fervants; his pleafures are mean and inordinate, his language bafe and filthy, his behaviour rough and abfurd. Is this creature to be accounted the fucceffor of a man of virtue, wit, and breeding? At the fame time that I have this melancholy prospect at the house where I mifs my old friend, I can go to a Gentleman's not far off it, where he has a daughter who is the picture both of his body and mind, but both improved with the beauty and modefty peculiar to her fex. It is the who fupplies the lofs of her father to the world; fhe, without his name or fortune, is a truer memorial of him than her brother who fucceeds him in both. Such an offspring as the eldest son of my friend perpetuates his father in the fame manner as the appearance of his ghoft would: It is indeed Ruricola, but it is Ruricola grown frightful.

I know not what to attribute the brutal turn which this young man has taken, except it may be to a certain feverity and diftance which his father used towards him, and might, perhaps, have occa

fioned