1712.

No. 532, that Doubt concerning the future Fate of his Soul will Monday, seem so far from being the Effect of want of Thought, Nov. 10, that 'twas scarce reasonable he should think otherwise; not to mention that here is a plain Confession included of his Belief in its Immortality. The diminutive Epithets of Vagula, Blandula, and the rest, appear not to me as Expressions of Levity, but rather of Endearment and Concern; such as we find in Catullus, and the Authors of Hendeca-syllabi after him, where they are used to express the utmost Love and Tenderness for their Mistresses If you think me right in my Notion of the last Words of Adrian, be pleased to insert this in the Spectator; if not, to suppress it

I am, &c'

'To the supposed Author of the Spectator.
In Courts licentious, and a shameless Stage,
How long the War shall Wit with Virtue wage?
Enchanted by this prostituted Fair,

Our Youth run headlong in the fatal Snare ;
In height of Rapture clasp unheeded Pains,
And suck Pollution through their tingling Veins,

Thy spotless Thoughts unshock'd the Priest may
hear,

And the pure Vestal in her Bosom wear.
To conscious Blushes, and diminish'd Pride,

Thy Glass betrays what treach'rous Love would hide,
Nor harsh thy Precepts, but infus'd by Stealth,
Please while they cure, and cheat us into Health.
Thy Works in Chloe's Toilet gain a Part,

And with his Tailor share the Fopling's Hearts
Lash'd in thy Satyr, the penurious Cit
Laughs at himself, and finds no Harm in Wits
From Felon Gamesters the raw Squire is free,
And Britain owes her rescued Oaks to thee.
His Miss the frolick Viscount dreads to toast,
Or his third Cure the shallow Templar boast;
And the rash Fool, who scorn'd the beaten Road,
Dares quake at Thunder, and confess his God,

The

The brainless Stripling, who, expell'd to Town,
Damn'd the stiff College and pedantick Gown,
Aw'd by thy Name, is dumb, and thrice a Week
Spells uncouth Latin, and pretends to Greek.
A sauntring Tribe! such born to wide Estates,
With Yea and No in Senates hold Debates :
At length despis'd, each to his Fields retires,
First with the Dogs, and King amidst the Squires 1
From Pert to Stupid sinks supinely down,

In Youth a Coxcomb, and in Age a Clown.

Such Readers scorn'd, thou wing'st thy daring Flight
Above the Stars, and tread'st the Fields of Light
Fame, Heav'n, and Hell, are thy exalted Theme,
And Visions such as Jove himself might dream,
Man sunk to Slav'ry, tho' to Glory born,
Heav'n's Pride when upright, and deprav'd his Scorn.

Such Hints alone could British Virgil lend,
And Thou alone deserve from such a Friend
A Debt, so borrow'd, is illustrious Shame,

And Fame when shar'd with him is double Fame.
So flush'd with Sweets, by Beauty's Queen bestow'd,
With more than mortal Charms Æneas glow'd.
Such gen'rous Strifes Eugene and Marlbro' try,
And as in Glory, so in Friendship vie.

Permit these Lines by Thee to live-nor blame
A Muse that pants and languishes for Fame
That fears to sink when humbler Themes she sings,
Lost in the Mass of mean forgotten Things.
Receiv'd by Thee, I prophesie my Rhymes
The Praise of Virgins in succeeding Times
Mix'd with thy Works, their Life no Bounds shall see,
But stand protected, as inspir'd by Thee.

So some weak Shoot, which else would poorly rise,
Jove's Tree adopts, and lifts him to the Skies
Through the new Pupil fost'ring Juices flow,
Thrust forth the Gems, and give the Flow'rs to blow
Aloft, immortal reigns the Plant unknown,
With borrow'd Life, and Vigour not his own.'

'To

No. 532. Monday, Nov. 10,

1712.

No, 532,
Monday,
Nov. 10.

1712.

'To the SPECTATOR-GENERAL

Mr. John Sly humbly sheweth,

That upon reading the Deputation given to the said Mr. John Sly, all Persons passing by his Observatory behaved themselves with the same Decorum, as if your Honour your self had been present.

That your said Officer is preparing, according to your Honour's secret Instructions, Hats for the several kind of Heads that make Figures in the Realms of Great Britain, with Cocks significant of their Powers and Faculties,

That your said Officer has taken due Notice of your Instructions and Admonitions concerning the Internals of the Head from the outward Form of the same, His Hats for Men of the Faculties of Law and Physick do but just turn up, to give a little Life to their Sagacity; his Military Hats glare full in the Face; and he has prepared a familiar easie Cock for all good Companions between the above-mentioned Extreams. For this End he has con sulted the most Learned of his Acquaintance for the true Form and Dimensions of the Lepidum Caput, and made a Hat fit for it.

Your said Officer does further represent, That the young Divines about Town are many of them got into the Cock Military, and desires your Instructions therein. That the Town has been for several Days very well behaved; and further your said Officer saith not."

No. 533,

[STEELE.]

Sir.

You

Tuesday, November 11.

Immo duas dabo, inquit ille, una si parum est
Et si duarum poenitebit, addentur duae.-Plaut.

'To the SPECTATOR

T

OU have often given us very excellent Discourses against that unnatural Custom of Parents, in forcing their Children to marry contrary to their Inclinations. My own Case, without further Preface, I will lay before you, and leave you to judge of it. My Father and

Mother

Mother, both being in declining Years, would fain see No. 533, me, their eldest Son, as they call it, settled. I am as Tuesday, Nov. 11, much for that as they can be; but I must be settled, it 1712, seems, not according to my own, but their Liking. Upon this Account I am teiz'd every Day, because I have not yet fallen in Love, in spite of Nature, with one of a neighbouring Gentleman's Daughters; for, out of their abundant Generosity, they give me the Choice of Four. Jack, begins my Father, Mrs. Katherine is a fine Woman

-Yes, Sir; but she is rather too old- -She will make the more discreet Manager, Boy, Then my Mother plays her Part. Is not Mrs. Betty exceeding fair? Yes, Madam ; but she is of no Conversation; she has no Fire, no agree able Vivacity; she neither speaks nor looks with Spirit. True, son; but for those very Reasons she will be an easie, soft, obliging, tractable Creature. After all, cries an old Aunt, (who belongs to the Class of those who read Plays with Spectacles on) what think you, Nephew, of proper Mrs. Dorothy? What do I think? Why I think she cannot be above six Foot two Inches high, Well, well, you may banter as long as you please, but Height of Stature is commanding and majestick. Come, come, says a Cousin of mine in the Family, I'll fit him: Fidelia is yet behind- -Pretty Miss Fiddy must please youOh! your very humble Servant, dear Cos, she is as much too young as her eldest Sister is too old. Is it so indeed, quoth she, good Mr. Pert? You who are but barely turned of twenty two, and Miss Fiddy in half a Year's Time will be in her Teens, and she is capable of learning any Thing. Then she will be so observant; she'll cry per haps now and then, but never be angry, Thus they will think for me in this Matter, wherein I am more parti cularly concerned than any Body else. If I name any Woman in the World, one of these Daughters has cer tainly the same Qualities. You see by these few hints, Mr. SPECTATOR, what a comfortable Life I lead. To be still more open and free with you, I have been passionately fond of a young Lady (whom give me leave to call Miranda) now for these three Years. I have often urged the Matter home to my Parents with all the Submission of a Son, but the Impatience of a Lover, Pray, Sir, think

of

No. 533. of three Years; what inexpressible Scenes of Inquietude,
Tuesday, what Variety of Misery must I have gone through in
Nov. 11,
three long whole Years? Miranda's Fortune is equal
1712.
to those I have mentioned; but her Relations are not
Intimates with mine. Ah! there's the Rub. Miranda's
Person, Wit, and Humour, are what the nicest Fancy could
imagine; and though we know you to be so Elegant a
Judge of Beauty, yet there is none among all your various
Characters of fine Women preferable to Miranda. In a
Word, she is never guilty of doing any thing but one
amiss (if she can be thought to do amiss by me), in being
as blind to my Faults, as she is to her own Perfections.
I am, Sir,

Your very Humble Obedient Servant,
Dustererastus.'

'Mr. SPECTATOR,

When you spent so much Time as you did lately in censuring the ambitious young Gentlemen who ride in Triumph through Town and Country in Coach boxes, I wished you had employed those Moments in Consideration of what passes sometimes within Side of those Vehicles, I am sure I suffered sufficiently by the Insolence and ill Breeding of some Persons who travelled lately with me in a Stage Coach out of Essex to London. I am sure, when you have heard what I have to say, you will think there are Persons under the Character of Gentlemen that are fit to be no where else but in the Coach-box. Sir, I am a young Woman of a sober and religious Education, and have preserved that Character, but on Monday was Fortnight it was my Misfortune to come to London. I was no sooner clapt in the Coach, but, to my great Surprize, two Persons in the Habit of Gentlemen attack'd me with such indecent Discourse as I cannot repeat to you, so you may conclude not fit for me to hear. I had no Relief but the Hopes of a speedy End of my short Journey, Sir, form to your self what a Persecution this must needs be to a virtuous and a chast Mind; and in order to your proper handling such a Subject, fancy your Wife or Daughter, if you

had