I WONDER, that not one of the critics or editors, through whofe hands this ode has paffed, has taken occafion from it to mention a circumstance related by Plutarch. That author, in the famous story of Antiochus, whe fell in love with Stratonice, his mother-in-law, and (not daring to discover his passion) pretended to be confined to his bed by fickness, tells us, that Erafiftratus, the phyficain, found out the nature of his diftemper by thofe fymp. toms of love which he had learned from Sappho's writings. Stratonice was in the room of the love-fick prince, when thefe fymptoms difcovered themfelves to his phyfician; and it is probable, that they were not very different from thofe which Sappho here defcribes in a lover fitting by his miftrefs. This ftory of Antiochus is fo well known, that I need not add the fequel of it, which has no relation to my prefent fubject.

No 230.

Friday, November 23.

Homines ad Deos nulla re propius accedunt, quam falutem hominibus dando.

TULL

Men refemble the gods in nothing so much, as in doing good to their fellow-creatures.

Hearful object, recording to the different lights in

UMAN nature appears a very deformed, or a very

which it is viewed. When we fee men of inflamed paffions, or of wicked defigns, tearing one another to pieces by open violence, or undermining each other by fecret treachery; when we observe base and narrow ends purfued by ignominious and dishoneft means; when we behold men mixed in fociety as if it were for the destruction of it; we are even afhamed of our fpecies, and out of humour with our own being: but in another light, when we behold them mild, good, and benevolent, full of a generous regard for the public profperity, compaffionating each other's diftreffes, and relieving each other's wants, we can hardly believe they are creatures of the fame kind. In this view they appear gods to each other, in the exercife of the nobleft power, that of doing good; and the greatest compli

ment

ment we have ever been able to make to our own being, has been by calling this difpofition of mind humanity. We cannot but obferve a pleafure arifing in our own breast upon the feeing or hearing of a generous action, even when. we are wholly difinterefted in it. I cannot give a more proper inftance of this, than by a letter from Pliny, in which he recommends a friend in the most handfome manner, and, methinks, it would be a great pleafire to know the fuccefs of this epiftle, though each party concerned in it has been fo many hundred years in his grave.

To MAXIMUS.

WHAT Ihould gladly do for any friend of yours,

< friend of mine. Arrianus Maturius is the most confi'derable man of his country; when I call him fo, I do not speak with relation to his fortune, though that is ve < ry plentiful, but to his integrity, juftice, gravity, and prudence; his advice is useful to me in business, and his judgment in matters of learning: his fidelity, truth, and 6. good understanding, are very great; befides this, he loves me as you do, than which I cannot fay any thing. that fignifies a warmer affection. He has nothing that is. afpiring; and though he might rife to the highest order of nobility, he keeps himself in an inferior rank: yet I "think myself bound to use my endeavours to serve and promote him; and would therefore find the means of < adding fomething to his honours while he neither expects. nor knows it, nay, though he fhould refufe it. Some thing, in fhort, I fhould have for him that may be ho nourable, but not troublesome; and I intreat that you " will procure him the first thing of this kind that offers, <by which you will not only oblige me, but him alfo; 'for tho' he does not covet it, I know he would be as. grateful in acknowledging your favour as if he had afked it.

Mr SPECTATOR,

T

HE reflections in fome of your papers on the fervile manner of education now in ufe, have given birth to an ambition, which, unless you discountenance it, will, I doubt, engage me in a very difficult, though

( not

not ungrateful adventure. I am about to undertake, for the fake of the British youth, to inftruct them in fuch a manner, that the most dangerous page in Virgil 6 or Homer may be read by them with much pleasure, and with perfect fafety to their perfons:

COULD I prevail fo far as to be honoured with the protection of fome few of them, (for Fam not hero enough to rescue many) iny defign is to retire with them to an agreeable folitude; though within the neighbour'hood of a city, for the convenience of their being in ftructed in mufic, dancing, drawing, defigning, or any other fuch accomplishments; which it is conceived may " make as proper diverfions for them, and almost as pleafant, as the little fordid games which dirty fchool-boys are fo much delighted with. It may cafily be imagined, how fuch a pretty fociety, converfing with none beneath theinfelves, and fometimes admitted as perhaps not unentertaining parties amongst better company, commended and careffed for their little performances, and turned by 'fucli converfations to a certain gallantry of foul, might be brought early acquainted with fome of the moft polite English writers.. Thus having given them fome tolerable "taste of books, they would make themselves inafters of the Latin tongue by methods far easier than those in Lilly, with as little difficulty or reluctance as young la-dies learn to fpeak French or to fing Italian operas. When they had advanced thus far, it would be time to form their tafte fomething more exactly one that had any true relish of fine writing, might, with great pleasure both to himself and them, run over together with them the best Roman hiftorians, poets, and orators, and point out their more remarkable beauties; give them a short. ⚫ftheine of chronology, a little view of geography, me-dals, aftronomy, or what elfe miglít best feed the bufy inquifitive humour so natural to that age. Such of them as had the leaft fpark of genius, when it was

6.

once.a

wakened by the fhining thoughts and great fentiments of thofe admired writers, could not, I believe, be easily < withheld from attempting that more difficult fifter-lan guage, whofe exalted beauties they would have heard fo often celebrated as the pride and wonder of the whole learned world. In the mean while, it would be requi-.

fite to exercise their stile in writing any light pieces that afk more of fancy than of judgment: and that frequently in their native language, which every one, methinks, fhould be moft concerned to cultivate, especially letters in which a gentleman must have so frequent occafions to diftinguish himself. A fet of genteel good natured youths fallen into fuch a manner of life, would form almost a < little academy, and doubtless prove no fuch contemptible companions, as might not often tempt a wiser man to mingle himself in their diverfions, and draw them into fuch ferious fports as might prove nothing lefs inftructing than the graveft leffons. I doubt not but it might be made fome of their favourite plays, to contend which of them should recite a beautiful part of a poem or oration moft gracefully, or fometimes to join in action a scene of Terence, Sophocles, or our own Shakespear. The caufe of Milo night again be pleaded before more favourable judges, Cafar a fecond time be taught to trem. ble, and another race of Athenians be afresh enraged at the ambition of another Fhilip. Amidst these noble amufements, we could hope to fee the early dawnings of their imagination daily brighten into fenfe, their innocence improve into virtue, and their unexperienced goodnature directed to a generous love of their country.

L

Ι

OOKING over the letters which I have lately received from my correfpondents, I net with the following one, which is written with fuch a spirit of politenefs, that I could not but be very much pleased with it myfelf, and question not but it will be as acceptable to the reader.

Mr

Mr SPECTATOR,

7OU, who are no ftranger to public affemblies, can

Y nut but have obferved the awe they often ftrike on

fuch as are obliged to exert any talent before them. This is a fort of elegant diftrefs, to which ingenuous minds are the moft liable, and may therefore deferve fome remarks in your paper. Many a brave fellow, who " has put his enemy to flight in the field, has been in the utmoft diforder upon making a fpeech before a body of his friends at home: one would think there was fome kind of fafcination in the eyes of a large circle of people, when darting altogether upon one perfon. I have feen a new actor in a tragedy fo bound up by it as to be scarce able to speak or move, and have expected he would have • died above three acts before the dagger or cup of poifon were brought in. It would not be amifs, if fuch an " one were at first introduced as a ghoft, or a statue, till he recovered his fpirits, and grew fit for fome living part.

As this fudden defertion of one's felt fhews a diffidence, which is not difpleafing, it implies at the fame time the greatest respect to an audience that can be. It is a fort

of mute eloquence, which pleads for their favour much better than words could do; and we find their generofity naturally moved to fupport those who are in fo much perplexity to entertain them. I was extremely pleafed with a late inftance of this kind at the opera of Almahide, in the encouragement given to a young finger, whofe more than ordinary concern on her first appearance, recommended her no lefs than her agreeable voice, and juft performance. Mere bafhfulness without merit is aukward; and merit without modefty, infolence. But modeft merit has a double claim to acceptance, and ge nerally meets with as many patrons as beholders.

I am, &c.

It is impoffible that a perfon fhould exert himself to advantage in an affembly, whether it be his part either to fing or fpeak, who lies under too great oppreflions of modefty. I remember, upon talking with a friend of mine concerning the force of pronunciation, our difcourfe led us into the enumeration of the feveral organs of speech ;