"MR. SPECTATOR, "THE just value you have expressed for the matrimonial state is the reason that I now venture to write to you, without the fear of being ridiculous and confess to you that though it is three months since I lost a very agreeable woman, who was my wife, my sorrow is still fresh; and I am often, in the midst of company, upon any circumstance that revives her memory, with a reflection what she should say or do on such an occasion: I say, opun any occurrence of that nature, which I can give you a sense of, though I cannot express it wholly, I am all over softness, and am obliged to retire and give way to a few sighs and tears before I can be easy. I cannot but recommend the subject of male widowhood to you, and beg you to touch upon it by the first opportunity. To those who have not lived like husbands during the lives of their spouses this would in a passage which I shall here set down, after hav. ing premised, that notwithstanding there is such infinite room between man and his Maker for the creative power to exert itself in, it is impossible that it should ever be filled up, since there will be still an infinite gap or distance between the highest created being and the Power which produced him. "That there should be more species of intelligent creatures above us, than there are of sensible and material below us, is probable to me from hence: that in all the visible corporeal world we see no chasms, or no gaps. All quite down from us the descent is by easy steps, and a continued series of things, that in each remove differ very little one from the other. There are fishes that have wings, and are not strangers to the airy region; and there are some birds that are inhabitants of the water, whose blood is cold as fishes, and their flesh so like in taste, that the scrupulous are allowed them on fish-be a tasteless jumble of words; but to such (of days. There are animals so near of kin both to birds and beasts, that they are the middle between both. Amphibious animals link the terrestrial and aquatic together. Seals live at land and at sea, and porpoises have the warm blood and entrails of a hog; not to mention what is confidently reported of mermaids, or sea-men, there are some brutes that seem to have as much knowledge and reason as some that are called men; and the animal and vegetable kingdoms are so nearly joined, that if you will take the lowest of one, and the highest of the other, there will scarce be perceived any great difference between them and so on, until we come to the lowest and the most inorganical parts of matter, we shall find every where that the several species are linked together, and differ but in almost insensible degrees. And, when we consider the infinite power and wisdom of the Maker, we have reason to think that it is suitable to the magnificent harmony of the universe, and the great design and infinite goodness of the Architect, that the species of creatures should also by gentle degrees ascend upward from us towards his infinite perfection, as we see they gradually descend from us downward: which if it be probable, we have reason then to be persuaded that there are far more species of creatures above us than there are beneath; we being in degrees of perfection much more remote from the infinite being of God, than we are from the lowest state of being, and that which approaches nearest to nothing. And yet of all those distinct species we have no clear dis-shall I let you know that all the comfort she gives tinct ideas." whom there are not a few) who have enjoyed that state with the sentiments proper for it, you will have every line, which hits the sorrow, attended with a tear of pity and consolation; for I know not by what goodness of Providence it is that every gush of passion is a step towards the relief of it; and there is a certain comfort in the very act of sorrowing, which, I suppose, arises from a secret echsciousness in the mind, that the affliction it is under flows from a virtuous cause. My concern is not indeed so outrageous as at the first transport; for I think it has subsided rather into a soberer state of mind than any actual perturbation of spirit. There might be rules formed for men's behaviour on this great incident, to bring them from that misfortune into the condition I am at present; which is, I think, that my sorrow has converted all roughness of temper into meekness, good-nature, and compiacency. But indeed, when in a serions and lonely hour I present my departed consort to my imagina tion, with that air of persuasion in her countenance when I have been in passion, that sweet affability when I have been in good humour, that tender compassion when I have had anything which gave me uneasiness; I confess to you I am inconsolable, and my eyes gush with grief, as if I had seen her but just then expire. In this condition I am broken in upon by a charming young woman, my daughter, who is the picture of what her mother was on her weddingday. The good girl strives to comfort me; but now me is to make my tears flow more easily? The In this system of being, there is no creature so child knows she quickens my sorrows, and rejoices wonderful in its nature, and which so much deserves my heart at the same time. Oh, ye learned! tell our particular attention, as man, who fills up the me by what word to speak a motion of the soul for middle space between the animal and intellectual which there is no name. When she kneels, and bids nature, the visible and invisible world, and is that me be comforted, she is my child: when I take ber link in the chain of beings which has been often in my arms, and bid her say no more, she is my termed the nerus utriusque mundi. So that he who, very wife, and is the very comforter 1 lament the in one respect is associated with angels and arch-loss of. I banish her the room, and weep aloud that angels, may look upon a Being of infinite perfection I have lost her mother, and that I have her. as his father, and the highest order of spirits as his brethren, may in another respect say to corruption, Thou art my father; and to the worm, Thou art my mother and my sister."-O. No. 520.] MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1712. And who can grieve too much? What time shall end Mr. Spectator, I wish it were possible for you to have a sense of these, pleasing perplexities; you might communicate to the guilty part of mankind that they are incapable of the happiness which is in the very sorrows of the virtuous. "But pray spare me a little longer; give me leave to tell you the manner of her death. She took leave of all her family, and bore the vain application of medicines with the greatest patience imag nable. When the physician told her she must certainly die, she desired as well as she could that all who were present, except myself, might depart the room. She said she had nothing to say, for she was resigned, and I knew all she knew that concerned us in this world; but she desired to be alone, that in the presence of God only she might, without interruption, do her last duty to me, of thanking me for all my kindness to her: adding, that she hoped in my last moments I should feel the same comfort for my goodness to her, as she did in that she had acquitted herself with honour, truth, and virtue, to me. No. 521.] TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1712. "I HAVE been for many years loud in this assertion, that there are very few that can see or hear; I mean, that can report what they have seen or heard; and this through incapacity or prejudice, one of which disables almost every man who talks to you from representing things as he ought. For which reason I am come to a resolution of believing nothing I hear; and I contemn the man given to nar "I curb myself, and will not tell you that this kindness cut my heart in twain; when I expected an accusation for some passionate starts of mine, in some parts of our time together, to say nothing but thank me for the good, if there was any good suit-ration under the appellation of a matter of fact able to her own excellence! All that I had ever said to her, all the circumstances of sorrow and joy between us, crowded upon my mind in the same instant: and when, immediately after, I saw the pangs of death, come upon that dear body whieh I had often embraced with transport; when I saw those cherishing eyes begin to be ghastly, and their last struggle to be to fix themselves on me, how did I lose all patience! She expired in my arms, and in my distraction I thought I saw her bosom still heave. There was certainly life yet still left. I cried, she just now spoke to me. But, alas! I grew giddy, and all things moved about me, from the distemper of my own head; for the best of women was breathless and gone for ever. man: and, according to me, a matter-of-fact man is one whose life and conversation is spent in the re-. port of what is not matter of fact. "Now the doctrine I would, methinks, have you raise from this account I have given you is, that there is a certain equanimity in those who are good and just, which runs into their very sorrow, and dis. appoints the force of it. Though they must pass through afflictions in common with all who are in human nature, yet their conscious integrity shall undermine their affliction; nay, that very affliction shall add force to their integrity, from a reflection of the use of virtue in the hour of affliction. I sat down with a design to put you upon giving us rules how to overcome such griefs as these, but I should rather advise you to teach men to be capable of them. “You men of letters have what you call the fine taste in your apprehensions of what is properly done or said. There is something like this deeply grafted in the soul of him who is honest and faithful in all his thoughts and actions. Everything which is Jaise, vicious, or unworthy, is despicable to him, though all the world should approve it. At the same time he has the most lively sensibility in all enjoy ments and sufferings which it is proper for him to have where any duty of life is concerned. To want sorrow when you in decency and truth should be afflicted, is, I should think, a greater instance of a anan's being a blockhead than not to know the beauty of any passage in Virgil. You have not yet observed, Mr. Spectator, that the fine gentlemen of this age set up for hardness of heart; and humanity has very little share in their pretences. He is a brave fellow who is always ready to kill a man he hates, but he does not stand in the same degree of esteem who laments for the woman he loves. I should fancy you might work up a thousand pretty thoughts, by reflecting upon the persons most susceptible of the sort of sorrow I have spoken of; and I dare say you will find upon examination that they are the wisest and the bravest of mankind who are most capable of it. "I am, Sir, your humble Servant, Norwich, 7 Octobris, 1712. T. "F. J." that matter. "I remember when Prince Eugene was here, there was no knowing his height or figure, until you, Mr. Spectator, gave the public satisfaction in In relations, the force of the expres sion lies very often more in the look, the tone of voice, or the gesture, than the words themselves; which, being repeated in any other manner by the undiscerning, bear a very different interpretation from their original meaning. I must confess I formerly have turned this humour of mine to very good account; for whenever I heard any narration uttered with extraordinary vehemence, and grounded upon considerable authority, I was always ready to lay any wager that it was not so. Indeed I never pretended to be so rash as to fix the matter any particular way in opposition to theirs; but as there are it has happened, I only controverted its falling out a hundred ways of any thing happening, besides that in that one manner as they settled it, and left it to the ninety-nine other ways, and consequently had more probability of success. I had arrived at a particular skill in warming a man so far in his narration as to make him throw in a little of the marvellous, and then, if he has much fire, the next degree is the impossible. Now this is always the time for fixing the wager. But this requires the nicest management, otherwise very probably the dispute may arise to the old determination by battle. In these conceits I have been very fortunate, and have won some wagers of those who have professedly valued themselves upon intelligence, and have put themselves to great charge and expense to be misinformed considerably sooner than the rest of the world. Having got a comfortable sum by this my op position to public report, I have brought myself now to so great a perfection in inattention, more especially to party-relations, that at the same time I certainly do not know one word of it, but pursue I seem with greedy ears to devour up the discourse, my own course of thought, whether upon business or amusement, with much tranquillity; I say inattention, because a late act of parliament has secured all party liars from the penalty of a wager, and consequently made it unprofitable to attend to them. the figure of the keenest attention, the true posture However, good-breeding obliges a man to maintain of which in a coffee-house I take to consist in leaning over a table with the edge of it pressing hard upon your stomach: for the more pain the narration is received with, the more gracious is your bending * Stat. 7 Anne, cap. 17.-By it all wagers laid upon a contingency relating to the war with France were declared to be void. I SHOULD esteem myself a very happy man if my speculations could in the least contribute to the rec over; besides that the narrator thinks you forget your pain by the pleasure of hearing him. "Fort Knock has occasioned several very per-tifying the conduct of my readers in one of the plexed and inelegant heats and animosities; and there was one the other day, in a coffee-house where I was, that took upon him to clear that business to me, for he said he was there. I knew him to be that sort of man that had not strength of capacity to be informed of anything that depended merely upon his being an eye-witness, and therefore was fully satisfied he could give me no information, for the very same reason he believed he could, for he was there. However, I heard him with the same greediness as Shakspeare describes in the following lines: most important affairs of life, to wit, their choice in marriage. This state is the foundation of community, and the chief band of society; and I do not think I can be too frequent on subjects which may give light to my unmarried readers in a particular which is so essential to their following happiness or misery. A virtuous disposition, a good understand ing, an agreeable person, and an easy fortune, are the things which should be chiefly regarded on this occasion. Because my present view is to direct a young lady, who I think is now in doubt whom to take of many lovers, I shall talk at this time to my female readers. The advantages, as I was going to say, of sense, beauty, and riches, are what are certainly the chief motives to a prudent young woman of fortune for changing her condition; but, as she is to have her eye upon each of these, she is to ask herself, whether the man who has most of these recommendations in the lump is not the most desirable. He that has excellent talents, with a moderate estate, and an agreeable person, is preferable to him who is only rich, if it were only that good faculties may purchase riches, but riches cannot purchase worthy endowments. I do not mean that wit, and a capacity to entertain, is what should be highly valued, except it is founded on good-nature and bumanity. There are many ingenious men, whose abili ties do little else but make themselves and those about them uneasy. Such are those who are far gone in the pleasures of the town, who cannot support life without quick sensations and gay reflections, and are strangers to tranquillity, to right reason, and a calm motion of spirits, without transport or dejection. These ingenious men, of all men living, are most to be avoided by her who would be happy in a husband. They are inimediately sated with possession, and must necessarily fly to new acquisitions of beauty to pass away the wiling moments and intervals of life; for with them every hour is heavy that is not joyful. But there is a sort of man of wit and sense, that can reflect upon his own make, and that of his partner, with eyes of reason and honour, and who believes he offends against both these, if he does not look upon the woman who chose him to be under his protection in sickness and health with the utmost gratitude, whether from that moment she is shining or defective in person or mind: I say there are those who think themselves bound to supply with good-nature the failings of those who love them, and who always think those the objects of love and pity who came to their arms the objects of joy and admiration. 1 saw a smith stand with his hammer, thus, With open mouth, swallowing a tailor's news. "I confess of late I have not been so much amazed at the declaimers in coffee-houses as I formerly was, being satisfied that they expect to be rewarded for their vociferations. Of these liars there are two sorts: the genius of the first consists in much impudence, and a strong memory; the others have added to these qualifications a good understanding and smooth language. These, therefore, have only certain heads, which they are as eloquent upon as they can, and may be called embellishers; the others repeat only what they hear from others as literally as their parts or zeal will permit, and are called 'reciters.' Here was a fellow in town some years ago, who used to divert himself by telling a lie at Charing-cross in the morning at eight o'clock, and then following it through all parts of the town until eight at night; at which time he came to a club of his friends, and diverted them with an account what censure it had at Will's in Covent-garden, how dangerous it was believed to be at Child's, and what inference they drew from it with relation to stocks at Jonathan's. I have had the honour to travel with this gentleman I speak of in search of one of his falsehoods; and have been present when they have described the very man they have spoken to, as him who first reported it, tall or short, black or fair, a gentleman or a ragamuffin, according as they liked the intelligence. I have heard one of our ingenious writers of news say, that, when he has had a customer come with an advertisement of an apprentice or a wife run away, he has desired the advertiser to compose himself a little before he dictated the description of the offender: for when atperson is put into a public paper by a man who is angry with him, the real description of such person is hid in the deformity with which the angry man describes him; therefore this fellow always made his customers describe him as he would the day before he offended, or else he was sure he would Of this latter sort is Lysander, a man of wit, never find him out. These and many other hints learning, sobriety, and good-nature; of birth and I could suggest to you for the elucidation of all fic-estate below no woman to accept; and of whom it tions; but I leave it to your own sagacity to improve or neglect this speculation. might be said, should he succeed in his present wishes, his mistress raised his fortune, but not that she made it. When a woman is deliberating with herself whom she shall choose of many near each other in other pretensions, certainly he of best understanding is to be preferred. Life hangs heavily in the repeated conversation of one who has no ima gination to be fired at the several occasions and ob jects which come before him, or who cannot strike out of his reflections new paths of pleasing discourse. Honest Will Thrash and his wife, though not mar ried above four months, have scarce had a word to say to each other this six weeks; and one cannot form to one's self a sillier picture than these two desired my own lawyer to insist upon no terms "Your most devoted humble Servant, You must know the relations have met upon this; and the girl being mightily taken with the latter epistle, she is laughed at, and uncle Edward is to be dealt with to make her a suitable match to the worthy gentleman who has told her he does not care lady will make use of the first light night to show a farthing for her. All I hope for is, that the fair B. T. she understands a marriage is not to be considered as a common bargain.-T. No. 523.] THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1712. Nunc Lycia sortes, nunc et Jove missus ab ipso creatures, in solemn pomp and plenty, unable to enjoy their fortunes, and at a full stop among a crowd of servants, to whose taste of life they are beholden for the little satisfactions by which they can be understood to be so much as barely in being. The hours of the day, the distinctions of noon and night, dinner and supper, are the greatest notices they are capable of. This is perhaps representing the life of a very modest woman, joined to a dull fellow, more insipid than it really deserves; but I am sure it is not to exalt the commerce with an ingenious companion too high, to say that every new accident or object, which comes into such a gentleman's way, gives his wife new pleasures and satisfactions. The approbation of his words and actions is a continual new feast to her; nor can she enough applaud her good fortune in having her life varied every hour, her mind more improved, and her heart more glad, from every circumstance which they meet with. He will lay out his invention in forming new pleasures and amusements, and make the fortune she has brought him subservient to the honour and reputation of her and hers. A man of sense, who is thus obliged, is ever contriving the happiness of her who did him so great a distinction; while the fool is ungrateful without vice, and never returns a favour because he is not sensible of it. I would, methinks, have so much to say for myself, that, if I fell into the hands of him who treated me ill, he should be sensible when he did so. His conscience should be of my side, whatever became of his inclination. I of any rising genius among my countrymen. For I AM always highly delighted with the discovery do not know but it is the insipid choice which has this reason, I have read over, with great pleasure, been made by those who have the care of young wo- the late miscellany published by Mr. Pope, in which men, that the marriage state itself has been liable there are many excellent compositions of that ingeto so much ridicule. But a well-chosen love, moved nious gentleman. I have had a pleasure of the same by passion on both sides, and perfected by the ge- kind in perusing a poem that is just published, On nerosity of one party, must be adorned with so many the Prospect of Peace;* and which, I hope, will handsome incidents on the other side, that every meet with such a reward from its patrons as so noble particular couple would be an example in many cir- a performance deserves. I was particularly well cumstances to all the rest of the species. I shall pleased to find that the author had not amused himend the chat upon this subject with a couple of let-self with fables out of the pagan theology, and that ters; one from a lover, who is very well acquainted when he hints at any thing of this nature he alludes with the way of bargaining on these occasions; and to it only as to a fable. the other from his rival, who has a less estate, but great gallantry of temper. As for my man of prudence, he makes love, as he says, as if he were already a father, and, laying aside the passion, comes to the reason of the thing. "MADAM, "My counsel has perused the inventory of your estate, and considered what estate you have, which it seems is only yours, and to the male-heirs of your budy; but, in default of such issue, to the right heirs of your uncle Edward for ever. Thus, Madam, I am advised you cannot (the remainder not being in you) dock the entail; by which means my estate, which is fee-simple, will come by the settlement proposed to your children begotten by me, whether they are males or females: but my children begotten upon you will not inherit your lands, except I beget a son. Now, Madam, since things are so, you are a woman of that prudence, and understand the world so well, as not to expect I should give you more than you can give me. "I am, Madam (with great respect), "Your most obedient humble Servant, "T. W." The other lover's estate is less than this gentleman's, but he expressed himself as follows:MADAM, I have given in my estate to your counsel, and Now Lycian lots, and now the Delian god, Many of our modern authors, whose learning very often extends no further than Ovid's Metamorphoses, do not know how to celebrate a great man, without mixing a parcel of school-boy tales with the recital of his actions. If you read a poem on a fine woman among the authors of this class, you shall see that it turns more upon Venus or Helen than on the party concerned. I have known a copy of verses on a great hero highly commended: but upon asking to hear some of the beautiful passages, the admirer of it has repeated to me a speech of Apollo, or a description of Polypheme. At other times, when I have searched for the actions of a great man, who gave a subject to the writer, I have been entertained with the exploits of a river-god, or have been forced to attend a Fury in her mischievous progress, from one end of the poem to the other. When we are at school it is necessary for us to be acquainted with the system of pagan theology; and we may be allowed to enliven a theme, or point an epigram, with a heathen god; but when we would write a manly panegyric that should carry in it all the colours of truth, nothing can be more ridiculous than to have recourse to our Jupiters and Junos. thought can be just which is not founded in truth, or No thought is beautiful which is not just; and no at least in that which passes for such. By Mr. Thomas Tickell No. 524.1 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1712. As the world leads, we follow. In mock heroic poems the use of the heathen my-exercises any other act of anthority which does nof thology is not only excusable, but graceful, because belong to him: in short, I expect that no pagan it is the design of such compositions to divert by agent shall be introduced, or any fact related, which adapting the fabulous machines of the ancients to a man cannot give credit to with a good conscience. low subjects, and at the same time by ridiculing such | Provided always, that nothing herein contained kinds of machinery in modern writers. If any are shall extend, or be construed to extend, to several of of opinion that there is a necessity of admitting the female poets in this nation, who shall be still left these classical legends into our serious compositions, in full possession of their gods and goudesses, in the in order to give them a more poetical turn, I would same manner as if this paper had never been written." recommend to their consideration the pastorals of Mr. 0. Phillips. One would have thought it impossible for this kind of poetry to have subsisted without fawns and satyrs, wood-nymphs, and water-nymphs, with all the tribe of rural deities. But we see he has given a new life and a more natural beauty to this way of writing, by substituting in the place of these antiquated fables the superstitious mythology which WHEN I first of all took it into my head to write prevails among the shepherds of our own country. dreams and visions, I determined to print nothing Virgil and Homer might compliment their heroes, of that nature which was not of my own invention. by interweaving the actions of deities with their But several laborious dreamers have of late commu achievements; but for a Christian author to write in nicated to me works of this nature, which, for their the pagan creed, to make Prince Eugene a favourite reputations and my own, I have hitherto suppressed. of Mars, or to carry on a correspondence between Had I printed every one that came to my hands, Bellona and the Marshal de Villars, would be down-my book of speculations would have been little else right puerility, and unpardonable in a poet that is past sixteen. It is want of sufficient elevation in a genius to describe realities, and place them in a shining light, that makes him have recourse to such trifling antiquated fables; as a man may write a fine description of Bacchus or Apollo, that does not know how to draw the character of any of his contemporaries. but a book of visions. Some of my correspondents have indeed been so very modest as to offer an excuse for their not being in a capacity to dream better. I have by me, for example, the dream of a young gentleman not passed fifteen: I have likewise by me the dream of a person of quality, and another called The Lady's Dream. In these, and other pieces of the same nature, it is supposed the usual allowances will be made to the age, condition, and sex, of the dreamer. To prevent this inundation of dreams, which daily flows in upon me, I shall apply to all dreamers of dreams the advice which Epictetus bas "Whereas the time of a general peace is, in all couched, after this manner, in a very simple and appearance, drawing near, being informed that there concise precept. "Never tell thy dreams," says are several ingenious persons who intend to show that philosopher; "for though thou thyself mayest their talents on so happy an occasion; and being take a pleasure in telling thy dream, another will willing, as much as in me lies, to prevent that effu- take no pleasure in hearing it." After this short sion of nonsense which we have good cause to appre-preface, I must do justice to two or three visions hend; I do hereby strictly require every person who shall write on this subject, to remember that he is a Christian, and not to sacrifice his catechism to his poetry. In order to it, I do expect of him in the first place to make his own poem, without depending upon Phoebus for any part of it, or calling out for aid upon any one of the Muses by name. I do likewise positively forbid the sending of Mercury with any particular message or dispatch relating to the peace, and shall by no means suffer Minerva to take upon her the shape of any plenipotentiary concerned in this great work. I do further declare, that I shall not allow the Destinies to have had a hand in the deaths of the several thousands who have been slain in the late war, being of opinion that all such deaths may be very well accounted for by the Christian system of powder and ball. I do therefore strictly forbid the Fates to cut the thread of man's life upon any pretence whatsoever, unless it be for the sake of the rhyme. And whereas I have good reason to fear that Neptune will have a great deal of business on his hands, in several poems which we may now suppose are upon the anvil, I do also prohibit his appearance, unless it be done in metaphor, simile, or any very short allusion; and that even here he be not permitted to enter but with great caution and circumspection. I desire that the same rule may be extended to his whole fraternity of heathen gods; it being my design to condemn every poem to the flames in which Jupiter thunders, or In order therefore to put a stop to this absurd practice, I shall publish the following edict, by virtue of that spectatorial authority with which I stand invested. which I have lately published, and which I have owned to have been written by other hands. I shall add a dream to these which comes to me from Scot-land, by one who declares himself of that country. and, for all I know, may be second-sighted. There is, indeed, something in it of the spirit of John Bunyan; but at the same time a certain sublime which, that author was never master of. I shall publish it, because I question not but it will fall in with the taste of all my popular readers, and amuse the ima ginations of those who are more profound; declaring, at the same time, that this is the last dream which I intend to publish this season. "SIR, "I was last Sunday in the evening led into a serious reflection on the reasonableness of virtue, and great folly of vice, from an excellent sermon I had heard that afternoon in my parish-church. Among other observations the preacher showed us, that the temptations which the tempter proposed were all on a supposition that we are either madmen or fools, or with au intention to render us such; that in no other affair we would suffer ourselves to be thus imposed upon, in a case so plainly and clearly against our visible interest. His illustrations and arguments carried so much persuasion and conviction with them, that they remained a conss. derable while fresh, and working in my memory: until at last the mind, fatigued with thought, gave |