THE BEE, No I.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1759.

THERE is not, perhaps, a more whimfically difmal figure in Nature, than a man of real modefty who affumes an air of impudence; who, while his heart beats with anxiety, ftudies ease, and affects good humour. In this fituation, however, a periodical writer often finds himself, upon his first attempt to address the public in form. All his power of pleafing is damped by folicitude, and his chearfulnefs dashed with apprehenfion. Impreffed with the terrors of the tribunal before which he is going to appear, his natural humour turns to pertnefs, and for real wit he is obliged to fubftitute vivacity. His first publication draws a crowd; they part diffatisfied, and the author, never more to be indulged with a favourable hearing, is left, to condemn the indelicacy of his own addrefs, or their want of discernment. For my part, as I was never diftinguished for addrefs, and have often even blundered in making my bow, fuch bodings as these had like to have totally repreffed my ambition. I was at a lofs whether to give the public fpecious promifes, or give none; whether to be merry or fad on this folemn occafion. If I fhould decline all merit, it was too probable the hafty reader might have taken me at my word. If on the other hand, like labourers in the Magazine trade, I had, with modeft impudence, humbly prefumed to promise an epitome of all the good things that ever were faid or written, this might have difgufted

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thofe readers I moft defire to please. Had I been merry, I might have been cenfured as vastly low; and had I been forrowful, I might have been left to mourn in folitude and filence: in fhort, which ever way I turned, nothing prefented but profpects of terror, defpair, chandlers fhops, and waste paper.

In this debate between fear and ambition, my publisher happening to arrive interrupted for a while my anxiety. Perceiving my embarraffment about making my firft appearance, he inftantly offered his affiftance and advice: You must know, "fir, fays he, that the republic of letters is at pre"fent divided into three claffes. One writer, for "inftance, excels at a plan, or a title-page, another "works away the body of the book, and a third is "a dab at an index. Thus a Magazine is not the "refult of any fingle man's induftry; but goes "through as many hands as a new pin, before it is "fit for the public. I fancy, fir, continues he, I "can provide an eminent hand, and upon moderate "terms, to draw up a promifing plan to fmooth up our readers a little, and pay them, as Colonel "Charteries paid his feraglio, at the rate of three "half pence in hand, and three fhillings more in "promises."

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He was proceeding in his advice, which however I thought proper to decline, by affuring him, that as I intended to purfue no fixed method, fo it was impoffible to form any regular plan; determined never to be tedious, in order to be logical, wherever pleasure prefented, I was refolved to follow, Like the Bee, which I had taken for the title of my paper, I would rove from flower to flower, with feeming inattention, but concealed choice, expatiate over all the beauties of the feafon, and make my induftry my amufement.

This reply may alfo ferve as an apology to the reader, who expects, before he fits down, a bill of his future

future entertainment. It would be improper to pall his curiofity by leffening his furprize, or anticipate any pleasure I am able to procure him, by faying what fhall come next. Thus much, however, he may be affured of, that neither war nor fcandal shall make any part of it. Homer finely imagines his deity turning away with horror from the profpect of a field of battle, and feeking tranquillity among a nation noted for peace and fimplicity. Happy could any effort of mine, but for a moment, reprefs that favage pleasure fome men find in the daily accounts of human mifery! How gladly would I lead them from fcenes of blood and altercation, to profpects of innocence and eafe, where every breeze breathes health, and every found is but the echo of tranquillity!

But whatever the merit of his intentions may be, every writer is now convinced that he must be chiefly indebted to good fortune for finding readers willing to allow him any degree of reputation. It has been remarked that almost every character which has excited either attention or praife, has owed part of its fuccefs to merit, and part to an happy concurrence of circumstances in its favour. Had Cæfar or Cromwell exchanged countries, the one might have been a ferjeant, and the other an excifeman. So it is with wit, which generally fucceeds more from being happily addreffed, than from its native poignancy. A bon mot, for inftance, that might be relifhed at White's, may lofe all its flavour when delivered at the Cat and Bag-pipes in St. Giles's. A jeft calculated to fpread at a gaming-table, may be received with a perfect neutrality of face, fhould it happen to drop in a mackrel-boat. We have all feen dunces triumph in fome companies, when men of real humour were difregarded, by a general combination in favour of stupidity. To drive the observation as far

as it will go, fhould the labours of a writer, who defigns his performances for readers of a more refined appetite, fall into the hands of a devourer of compilations, what can he expect but contempt and confufion! If his merits are to be determined by judges who eftimate the value of a book from its bulk, or its frontispiece, every rival muft acquire an eafy fuperiority, who with perfuafive eloquence promifes four extraordinary pages of letter prefs, or three beautiful prints, curioufly coloured from nature.

But to proceed; though I cannot promise as much entertainment, or as much elegance, as others have done, yet the reader may be affured he fhall have as much of both as I can. He fhall, at least, find me alive while I ftudy his entertainment; for I folemnly affure him, I was never yet poffeffed of the fecret at once of writing and fleeping.

During the courfe of this paper, therefore, all the wit and learning I have are heartily at his fervice which if, after fo candid a confeffion, he fhould, notwithstanding, ftill, find it intolerably dull, low, or fad ftuff, this I proteft is more than I know. have a clear confcience, and am entirely out of the fecret.

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Yet I would not have him, upon the perufal of a fingle paper, pronounce me incorrigible; he may try a fecond, which, as there is a ftudied difference in fubject and style, may be more fuited to his tafte; if this alfo fails, I muft refer him to a third, or even to a fourth, in cafe of extremity: If he fhould still continue refractory, and find me dull to the laft, I must inform him, with Bays in the Rehearsal, that I think him a very odd kind of a fellow, and defire no more of his acquaintance.

It is with fuch reflections as thefe I endeavour to fortify myself against the future contempt or neglect of fome readers, and am prepared for their diflike

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by mutual recrimination. If fuch fhould impute dealing neither in battles nor fcandal to me as a fault, inftead of acquiefcing in their cenfure, I muft beg' leave to tell them a ftory.

A traveller, in his way to Italy, happening to pass at the foot of the Alps, found himself at laft in. a country where the inhabitants had each a large excrefcence depending from the chin, like the pouch of a monkey. This deformity, as it was endemic, and the people little ufed to ftrangers, it had been the custom time immemorial to look upon as the greatest ornament of the human vifage. Ladies grew toafts from the fize of their chins, and none were regarded as pretty fellows, but fuch whofe faces were broadeft at the bottom. It was Sunday, a country church was at hand, and our traveller was willing to perform the duties of the day. Upon his firft appearance at the church door, the eyes of all were naturally fixed upon the ftranger; but what was their amazement, when they found that he actually wanted that emblem of beauty, a purfed chin! This was a defect that not a fingle creature had fufficient gravity (though they were noted for being grave) to withftand. Stifled bursts of laughter, winks, and whifpers circulated from visage to visage, and the prifmatic figure of the ftranger's face was a fund of infinite gaiety; even the parfon, equally remarkable for his gravity and chin, could hardly refrain joining in the good humour. Our traveller could no longer patiently continue an object for deformity to point at. Good folks, faid he, I perceive that I am the unforhate caufe of all this good humour. It is true, I may have faults in abundance, but I fhall never be induced to reckon my want of a fwelled face among the number*.

* Dr. Goldsmith inferted this Introduction, with a few trifling alterations, in the Volume of Effays he published in the year 1765.

VOL. IV.

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