man of my temper is in his element; for if he cannot talk, he can ftill be more agreeable to his company, as well as pleased in himself, in being only an hearer. It is a fecret known but to few, yet of no fmall use in the conduct of life, that when you fall into a man's conversation, the first thing you should confider is, whether he has a greater inclination to hear you, or that you should hear him. The latter is the more general defire, and I know very able flatterers that never speak a word in praife of the persons from whom they obtain daily favours, but ftill practife a skilful attention to whatever is uttered by those with whom they converfe. We are very curious to obferve the behaviour of great men and their clients; but the fame paffions and interefts move men in lower fpheres; and I (that have nothing else to do but make observations) fee in every parish, street, lane, and alley of this populous city, a little potentate that has his court and his flatterers who lay fnares for his affection and favour, by the fame arts that are practifed upon men in higher ftations.

In the place I moft ufually frequent, men differ rather in the time of day in which they make a figure, than in any real greatness above one another. I, who am at the coffee-house at fix in the morning, know that my friend Beaver the haberdasher has a levee of more undiffembled friends and admirers, than most of the courtiers or generals of Great Britain. Every man about him has perhaps, a news-paper in his hand; but none can pretend to guess what

T 4

step

step will be taken in any one court of Europe, till Mr. Beaver has thrown down his pipe, and declares what measures the allies muft enter into upon this new pofture of affairs. Our coffeehoufe is near one of the inns of court, and Beaver has the audience and admiration of his neighbours from fix till within a quarter of eight, at which time he is interrupted by the students of the houfe; fome of whom are ready dreffed for Westminster at eight in a morning, with faces as bufy as if they were retained in every cause there; and others come in their nightgowns to faunter away their time, as if they never defigned to go thither. I do not know that I meet in any of my walks, objects which move both my fpleen and laughter, fo effectually, as thofe young fellows at the Grecian, Squire's, Searle's, and all other coffee-houses adjacent to the law, who rife early for no other purpose but to publish their laziness. One would think these young virtuofos take a gay cap and flippers, with a scarf and party-coloured gown, to be enfigns of dignity; for the vain things approach each other with an air, which fhews they regard one another for their veftments. I have obferved that the fuperiority among thefe proceeds from an opinion of gallantry and fashion. The gentleman in the strawberry fash, who prefides fo much over the rest, has it seems, fubfcribed to every opera this laft winter, and is fuppofed to receive favours from one of the actreffes.

When the day grows too busy for these gen

tlemen

tlemen to enjoy any longer the pleafures of their defhabille, with any manner of confidence, they give place to men who have business or good fenfe in their faces, and come to the coffeehoufe either to tranfact affairs, or enjoy converfation. The perfons to whose behaviour and difcourfe I have moft regard, are fuch as are between these two forts of men; fuch as have not spirits too active to be happy and well pleased in a private condition, nor complexions too warm to make them neglect the duties and relations of life. Of these fort of men confift the worthier part of mankind; of these are all good fathers, generous brothers, fincere friends, and faithful fubjects. Their entertainments are derived rather from reason than imagination; which is the cause that there is no impatience or inftability in their speech or action. You fee in their countenances they are at home, and in quiet poffeffion of the present inftant as it paffes, without defiring to quicken it by gratifying any paffion, or profecuting any new defign. These are the men formed for fociety, and those little communities which we exprefs by the word NEIGHBOURHOOD.

The coffee-house is the place of rendezvous to all that live near it, who are thus turned to relish calm and ordinary life. Eubulus prefides o'er the middle hours of the day, when this affembly of men meet together. He enjoys a great fortune handfomely, without launching into expence; and exerts many noble and useful qualities, without appearing in any public employment.

ployment. His wifdom and knowledge are ferviceable to all that think fit to make ufe of them; and he does the office of a counsel, a judge, an executor, and a friend to all his acquaintance, not only without the profits which attend fuch offices, but alfo without the deference and homage which are ufually paid to them. The giving of thanks is difpleafing to him. greatest gratitude you can fhew him, is to let him fee you are the better man for his services; and that you are as ready to oblige others, as he is to oblige you.

The

In the private exigencies of his friends, he lends at legal value, confiderable fums, which he might highly increase by rolling in the public ftocks. He does not confider in whofe hands his money will improve moft, but where it will do most good.

Eubulus has fo great an authority in his little diurnal audience, that when he shakes his head at any piece of public news, they all of them appear dejected; and on the contrary, go home to their dinners with a good ftomach and chearful afpect, when Eubulus feems to intimate that things go well: Nay, their veneration towards him is fo great, that when they are in other company they speak and act after him; are wife in his fentences, and are no fooner fat down at their own tables, but they hope or fear, rejoice or defpond, as they faw him do at the coffee-house. In a word, every man is Eubulus as foon as his back is turned.

Having here given an account of the feveral

reigns that fucceed each other from day-break till dinner-time, I fhall mention the monarchs of the afternoon on another occafion, and shut up the whole series of them with the history of Tom the Tyrant *; who, as first minister of the coffee-house, takes the government upon him between the hours of eleven and twelve at night, and gives his orders in the most arbitrary manner to the fervants below him, as to the difpofition of liquors, coal, and cinders, R†.

N° 50. Friday, April 27, 1711.

Nunquam aliud natura, aliud fapientia dixit.

Juv. Sat. xix. 321.

Good taste and nature always fpeak the fame.

W

HEN the four Indian KINGS were in this country about a twelvemonth ago,

I often mixed with the rabble, and followed them a whole day together, being wonderfully ftruck with

The waiter of that coffee-houfe, frequently nick-named Sir THOMAS. See TAT. N° 16, N° 17, N° 26, and No 36.

By STEELE. See final Notes to N° 6, and N° 324.

"The SPECTATOR is written by STEELE, with ADDI"SON's help; it is often very pretty. Yefterday it was made "of a noble hint I gave him long ago for his TATLERS, about an Indian king, supposed to write his travels into "England. I repent he ever had it. I intended to have "written a book on that fubject. I believe he has spent it "all in one Paper, and all the underhints there are mine too; "but I never fee him, or ADDISON." From a letter of Swift to Mrs. Johnfon, dated London, April 28, 1711.- See SWIFT's Works, vol. xxii. p. 224. cr. 8vo. 1769.