'I was able, till one of the young ladies who is a Peeper, refolved to bring down my looks and • fix my devotion on herself. You are to know Sir, that a Peeper works with her hands, eyes, and fan; one of which is continually in motion, while fhe thinks fhe is not actually the 'admiration of fome ogler or ftarer in the congregation. As I ftood utterly at a loss how to ⚫ behave myself, furrounded as I was, this Peeper 'fo placed herself as to be kneeling just before me. She displayed the most beautiful bosom 'imaginable, which heaved and fell with fome fervour, while a delicate well-fhaped arm held a fan over her face. It was not in nature to ' command one's eyes from this object. I could 'not avoid taking notice alfo of her fan, which had on it various figures, very improper to be• hold on that occafion. There lay in the body of the piece a Venus, under a purple canopy 'furled with curious wreaths of drapery, half naked, attended with a train of Cupids, who ' were bufied in fanning her as the flept. Behind 'her was drawn a fatyr peeping over the filken fence, and threatening to break through it. I frequently offered to turn my fight another way, but was ftill detained by the fafcination of the Peeper's eyes, who had long practised a skill ' in them, to recal the parting glances of her be'holders. You fee my complaint, and hope you ⚫ will take these mifchievous people, the Peepers, into your confideration. I doubt not but you will think a Peeper as much more pernicious X 3 ⚫ than than a ftarer, as an ambufcade is more to be feared than an open affault. " I am, SIR, Your moft obedient fervant." This Peeper, ufing both fan and eyes, to be confidered as a Pict, and proceed accordingly. King LATINUS to the SPECTATOR, TH Greeting. HOUGH fome may think we defcend from our imperial dignity, in holding correfpondence with a private litterato; yet as we have great respect to all good intentions ' for our fervice, we do not esteem it beneath us 'to return you our royal thanks for what you 'published in our behalf, while under confine'ment in the inchanted caftle of the Savoy, and for your mention of a fubfidy for a prince in 'misfortune. This your timely zeal has inclined 'the hearts of divers to be aiding unto us, if we 'could propofe the means. We have taken their "good-will into confideration, and have contrived a method which will be eafy to thofe who fhall give the aid, and not unacceptable to us who receive it. A confort of mufic 'fhall be prepared at Haberdasher's Hall, for Wednesday the fecond of May, and we will honour the faid entertainment with our own prefence, where each perfon fhall be affeffed but at two fhillings and fix-pence. What we ex 6 'pect pect from you is, that you publish these our royal intentions, with injunction that they be read at all tea-tables within the cities of London and Weftminfter; and fo we bid you heartily farewell. LATINUS, King of the Volfcians *. Given at our Court in Vinegar-Yard, Story ⚫ the third from the earth, April 28, 1711.' R+. N° 54. Wednesday, May 2, 1711. -Strenua nos exercet inertia. HOR. I Ep. xi. 28. Laborious idlenefs our powers employs.. HE following letter being the first that TH I have received from the learned univerfity of Cambridge, I could not but do myself the honour of publishing it. It gives an account of a new fect of philofophers which has arose in that famous refidence of learning; and is, perhaps, the only fect this age is likely to produce. • Mr. SPECTATOR, B Cambridge, April 26. ELIEVING you to be an univerfal encourager of liberal arts and sciences, and 'glad of any information from the learned world, I thought an account of a fect of philofophers, very frequent among us, but not taken notice of, as far as I can remember, by any writers, ⚫ either ancient or modern, would not be unac *See SPECT. No 22. + By STEELE. See N° 6. 6 ceptable to you. The philofophers of this sect are in the language of our university called Lowngers. I am of opinion, that, as in many other things, fo likewise in this, the ancients ⚫ have been defective; viz. in mentioning no phi'lofophers of this fort. Some indeed will affirm 'that they are a kind of Peripatetics, becaufe we fee them continually walking about. But 'I would have thefe gentlemen confider, that though the ancient Peripatetics walked much, yet they wrote much alfo; witnefs, to the forrow of this fect, Ariftotle and others: whereas it is notorious that most of our profeffors never lay out a farthing either in pen, ink, or paper. Others are for deriving them from Diogenes, because severaì of the leading men of the fect 'have a great deal of cynical humour in them, ' and delight much in fun-fhine. But then, again, Diogenes was content to have his constant habitation in a narrow tub, whilft our philofophers are fo far from being of his opinion, that it is death to them to be confined within 'the limits of a good handfome convenient 'chamber but for half an hour. Others there are, who from the clearness of their heads deduce the pedigree of Lowngers from that great 'man (I think it was either Plato or Socrates) who after all his ftudy and learning profeffed, That all he then knew, was that he knew nothing. You eafily fee this is but a fhallow argument, and may be foon confuted. I have with great pains and industry made obfervations from time to time, upon these my fages; fages; and having now all materials ready, am 'compiling a treatife, wherein I fhall fet forth the rife and progrefs of this famous fect, together with their maxims, aufterities, manner of living, &c. Having prevailed with a friend who defigns fhortly to publish a new edition of Diogenes Laertius, to add this treatife of mine by way of fupplement; I fhall now, to let the ' world fee what may be expected from me (first begging Mr. SPECTATOR'S leave that the world may fee it) briefly touch upon fome of my chief obfervations, and then fubfcribe myself your humble fervant. In the first place I shall give you two or three of their maxims: the fundamental one, upon which their whole fyftem is built, is this, viz. That time being an implacable enemy to, and destroyer of all things, ought to be paid in his own coin, and be deftroyed and murdered without mercy, by all the ways that can be invented. Another favourite faying of theirs is, That business was defigned only for knaves, and study for blockheads. A third feems to be a ludicrous one, but has a great effect upon their lives; and is this, That the devil is at home. Now for their * manner of living: and here I have a large field to expatiate in; but I fhall reserve particulars 'for my intended discourse, and now only men'tion one or two of their principal exercises. 'The elder proficients employ themselves in infpecting mores hominum multorum, in getting acquainted with all the figns and windows in the town. Some are arrived to fo great know ledge, |