thro' a fresh Set of Hands, and give life to another Trade. Those who have Mills on their Eftates, by this means confiderably raise their Rents, and the whole Nation is in a great measure fupply'd with a Manufacture, for whichformerly fhe was obliged to her Neighbours.

THE Materials are no fooner wrought into Paper, but they are diftributed among the Preffes, where they again fet innumerable Artifts at work, and furnish Business to another Mystery. From hence, accordingly as they are ftain'd with News or Politicks, they fly thro' the Town in Poft Men, Poft-Boys, Daily Courants, Reviews, Medleys, and Examiners. Men, Women, and Children contend who fhall be the first Bearers of them, and get their daily Suftenance by spreading them. In fhort, when I trace in my Mind a Bundle of Rags to a Quire of Spectators, I find fo many Hands employ'd in every Step they take thro' their whole Progrefs, that while I am writing a Spectator, I fancy my felf providing Bread for a Multitude.

IFI do not take care to obviate fome of my witty Readers, they will be apt to tell me, that my Paper, after it is thus printed and published, is ftill beneficial to the Publick on feveral Occafions. I must confefs I have lighted my Pipe with my own Works for this Twelve-month paft: My Landlady often fends up her little Daughter to defire fome of my old Spectators, and has frequently told me, that the Paper they are printed on is the beft in the World to wrap Spice in. They likewife make a good Foundation for a Mutton pye, as I have more than once experienced, and were very much fought for last Christmas by the whole Neighbourhood.

IT is pleafant enough to confider the Changes that a Linnen Fragment undergoes, by paffing thro' the feveral Hands above-mentioned. The finest Pieces of Holland, when worn to Tatters, affume a new Whiteness more beautiful than their first, and often return in the shape of Letters to their native Country. A Lady's Shift may be metamorphofed into Billets-doux, and come into her gof feffion a second time. A Beau may peruse his Craver after it is worn out, with greater Pleafüre and Advantage than ever he did in a Glass. In a word, a Piece of Cloth,

after having officiated for fome Years as a Towel or a Napkin, may by this means be raised from a Dunghill, and become the most valuable Piece of Furniture in a Prince's Cabinet.

THE politeft Nations of Europe have endeavoured to vie with one another for the Reputation of the finest Printing: Abfolute Governments, as well as Republicks, have encouraged an Art which feems to be the nobleft and most beneficial that was ever invented among the Sons of Men, The prefent King of France, in his Purfuits after Glory, has particularly diftinguished himself by the promoting of this ufeful Art, infomuch that feveral Books have been printed in the Louvre at his own Expence, upon which he fets fo great a value, that he confiders them as the nobleft Prefents he can make to foreign Princes and Ambassadors, If we look into the Commonwealths of Holland and Venice, we shall find that in this Particular they have made themselves the Envy of the greatest Monarchies. Elzevir and Aldus are more frequently mentioned than any Penfioner of the one or Doge of the other.

THE feveral Preffes which are now in England, and the great Encouragement which has been given to Learning for fome years laft paft, has made our own Nation as glorious upon this account, as for its late Triumphs and Conquefts. The new Edition which is given us of Cafar's Commentaries, has already been taken notice of in foreign Gazettes, and is a Work that does honour to the English Prefs. It is no wonder that an Edition fhould be very correct, which has paffed thro' the Hands of one of the most accurate, learned, and judicious Writers this Age has produced. The Beauty of the Paper, of the Character, and of the feveral Cuts with which this noble Work is illuftrated, makes it the finest Book that I have ever feen; and is a true Inftance of the English Genius, which, tho' it does not come the firft into any Art, generally carries it to greater Heights than any other Country in the World. I am particularly glad that this Author comes from a British Printing-houfe in fo great a Magnificence, as he is the first who has given us any tolerable Account of our Country.

MY illiterate Readers, if any fuch there are, will be furprized to hear me talk of Learning as the Glory of a Nation, and of Printing as an Art that gains a Reputation to a People among whom it flourishes. When Mens Thoughts are taken up with Avarice and Ambition, they cannot look upon any thing as great or valuable, which does not bring with it an extraordinary Power or Interest to the Perfon who is concerned in it. But as I fhall ne ver link this Paper fo far as to engage with Goths and Vandals, I fall only regard fuch kind of Reafoners with that Pity which is due to fo deplorable a Degree of Stupidity and Ignorance.

L

N® 368.

Friday, May 2.

Nos decebat

Lugere ubi effet aliquis in lucem editus
Humane vita varia reputantes mala ;
At qui labores morte finiffet graves

Omnes amicos laude & latitia exequi. Eurip, apud Tull.

S the Spectator is in a kind a Paper of News from the natural World, as others are from the busy and politick Part of Mankind, I fhall tranflate the following Letter written to an eminent French Gentleman in this Town from Paris, which gives us the Exit of an Heroine who is a Pattern of Patience and Generofity.

SIR,

IT

Paris, April 18, 1712. TT is fo many Years fince you left your native Country, that I am to tell you the Characters of your neareft Relations as much as if you were an utter Stranger ⚫ to them. The occafion of this is to give you an ac count of the Death of Madam de Villacerfe, whofe Departure out of this Life I know not whether a Man of your Philofophy will call unfortunate or not, fince it was

On

attended with fome Circumftances as much to be defir<ed as to be lamented. She was her whole Life happy in < an uninterrupted Health, and was always honoured for ⚫ an Evenness of Temper and Greatnefs of Mind. <the 10th inftant that Lady was taken with an Indifpofition which confined her to her Chamber, but was fuch as was too flight to make her take a fick Bed, and yet too grievous to admit of any Satisfaction in being out of it. It is notoriously known, that fome Years ago Monfieur Fefteau, one of the most confiderable Surgeons in Paris, was defparately in love with this Lady Her Quality placed her above any Application to her on the account of his Paffion; but as a Woman always has fome regard to the Perfon whom he believes to be her real Admirer, the now took it in her head (upon Advice of ber Phyficians to lofe fome of her Blood) to fend for Monfieur Fefteau on that occafion. I happened to be there at that time, and my near Relation gave me the Privilege to be prefent. As foon as her Arm was ftripped bare, and he began to prefs it in order to raise the Vein, his Colour changed, and I obferved him feized with a fudden Tremor, which made me take the liberty to fpeak of it to my. Coufin with fome Apprehenfion : She fmiled, and faid the knew Mr. Fefteau had no Inclination to do her Injury. He feemed to recover himself, and fmiling alfo, proceeded in his Work. Immediately after the Operation he cried out, that he was the most unfortunate of all Men, for that he had open'd an Arte<ry instead of a Vein. It is as impoffible to exprefs the Artift's Diftraction as the Patient's Compofure. I will not dwell on little Circumstances, but go on to inform you, that within three days time it was thought neceffary <to take off her Arm. She was fo far from ufing Festeau as it would be natural to one of a lower Spirit to treat him, that he would not let him be abfent from any Confultation about her prefent Condition, and on every ⚫ occafion asked whether he was fatisfy'd in the Measures that were taken about her. Before this laft Operation fhe ordered her Will to be drawn, and after having been about a quarter of an hour alone, the bid the Surgeons,

¡ of

of whom poor Fefteau was one, go on in their Work. I know not how to give you the Terms of Art, but there appeared fuch Symptoms after the Amputation of her Arm, that it was vifible fhe could not live four and twenty hours. Her Behaviour was fo magnanimous throughout this whole Affair, that I was particularly curiin taking notice of what paffed as her Fate approached nearer and nearer, and took Notes of what the faid to all about her, particularly word for word what she spoke . to Mr. Fefteau, which was as follows.

ous

"SIR, you give me inexpreffible Sorrow for the Anguifh with which I fee you overwhelmed. I am remo"ved to all intents and purposes from the Interefts of hu 66 man Life, therefore I am to begin to think like one whol"ly unconcerned in it. I do not confider you as one by "whofe Error I have loft my Life; no, you are my Be "nefactor, as you have haften'd my Entrance into a happy "Immortality. This is my Senfe of this Accident; but "the World in which you live may have Thoughts of it <c to your difadvantage, I have therefore taken care to "provide for you in my Will, and have placed you above "what you have to fear from their Ill-Nature."

WHILE this excellent Woman spoke thefe Words, Fefteau looked as if he received a Condemnation to die, inftead of a Penfion for his Life. Madam de Villacerfe lived till Eight of the Clock the next Night; and tho the must have labour'd under the most exquifite Tor-> ments, the poffeffed her Mind with fo wonderful a Pa tience, that one may rather fay fhe ceafed to breathe than fhe died at that hour. You who had not the happinefs to be perfonally known to this Lady, have nothing but to rejoice in the Honour you had of being related to fo great Merit; but we who have loft her Conversation, cannot so easily refign our own Happiness by ReflectionSupon hers.

.

I am, Sir, your affectionate Kinfman,

and moft obedient humble Servant,

Paul Regnaud.

THERE