INSTEAD of giving any Character of this laft Tranflation, I fhall defire my learned Reader to look into the Criticisms which Longinus has made upon the Original. By that means he will know to which of the Tranflations he ought to give the Preference, I shall only add, that this Tranflation is written in the very Spirit of Sappho, and as near the Greek as the Genius of our Language will poffibly fuffer.

LONGINUS has obferved that this Defcription of Love in Sappho is an exact Copy of Nature, and that all the Circumftances which follow one another in fuch an hurry of Sentiments, notwithstanding they appear repugnant to each other, are really fuch as happen in the Phrenzies of Love.

I wonder, that not one of the Criticks or Editors, through whofe Hands this Ode has paffed, has taken Occafion from it to mention a Circumftance related by Plutarch. That Author in the famous Story of Antio chus, who fell in Love with Stratonice, his Mother-inlaw, and (not daring to difcover his Paffion) pretended to be confined to his Bed by Sickness, tells us, that Erafiftratus, the Phyfician, found out the Nature of his Diftemper by thofe Symptoms of Love which he had learnt from Sappho's Writings. Stratonice was in the Room of the Love-fick Prince, when thefe Symptoms discovered themselves to his Phyfician; and it is probable, that they were not very different from thofe which Sappho here defcribes in a Lover fitting by his Mistress. This Story of Antiochus is fo well known, that I need not add the Sequel of it, which has no Relation to my prefent Subject.

C

No. 230. Friday, November 23.

Homines ad Deos nullà re propiùs accedunt, quàm falutem

Hominibus dando.

Tull.

Men refemble the Gods in nothing so much, as in doing good to their Fellow-creatures.

UMAN Nature appears a very deformed, or a

Lights in which it is viewed. When we fee Men of inflamed Paffions, or of wicked Defigns, tearing one. another to pieces by open Violence, or Undermining each other by fecret Treachery; when we obferve bafe and narrow Ends pursued by ignominious and dishoneft Means; when we behold Men mixed in Society as if it were for the Deftru&tion of it; we are even ashamed of our Species, and out of Humour with our own Being: But in another Light, when we behold them mild, good, and benevolent, full of a generous Regard for the publick Profperity, compaffionating each other's Diftreffes, and relieving each other's Wants, we can hardly believe they are Creatures of the fame Kind. In this View they appear Gods to each other, in the Exercife of the nobleft Power, that of doing Good; and the greatest Compliment we have ever been able to make to our own Being, has been by calling this Difpofition of Mind Humanity. We cannot but obferve a Pleasure arifing in our own Breast upon the feeing or hearing of a generous Action, even when we are wholly dif interested in it. I cannot give a more proper Inftance of this, than by a Letter from Pliny, in which he recommends a Friend in the moft handfome manner, and, methinks, it would be a great Pleasure to know the Succefs of this Epiftle, though each Party concerned in it has been fo many hundred Years in his Gravex

Та

.

To MAXIMUS.

yours, I think I may now with Confidence request for a Friend of mine. Arrianus Maturius is the ' most confiderable Man of his Country; when I call him 'fo, I do not fpeak with Relation to his Fortune, though that is very plentiful, but to his Integrity, Juftice, Gravity, and Prudence; his Advice is ufeful to me in Bufinefs, and his Judgment in Matters of Learning: His Fidelity, Truth, and good Understanding, are very great; ⚫ befides this, he loves me as you do, than which I can. not say any thing that fignifies a warmer Affection. He has nothing that's afpiring; and though he might rife "to the highest Order of Nobility, he keeps himself in an inferior Rank; yet I think my felf bound to use my Endeavours to ferve and promote him; and would. therefore find the Means of adding fomething to his • Honours while he neither expects nor knows it, nay, though he should refufe it. Something, in fhort, I ⚫ would have for him that may be honourable, but not • troublefom; and I intreat that you will procure him the first thing of this kind that offers, by which you ⚫ will not only oblige me, but him alfo; for though he ⚫ does not covet it, I know he will be as grateful in acknowledging your Favour as if he had asked it.

6.

6:

Mr. SPECTATOR,

T

HE Reflexions in fome of your Papers on the fervile manner of Education now in Ufe, have given Birth to an Ambition, which, unlefs you discountenance it, will, I doubt, engage me in a very difficult, tho' not ungrateful Adventure. I am about to undertake, for the fake of the British Youth, to inftruct • them in fuch a manner, that the most dangerous Page in Virgil or Homer may be read by them with much Pleafure, and with perfect Safety to their Perfons.

COULD I prevail fo far as to be honoured with the "Protection of fome few of them, (for I am not Hero enough to rescue many) my Defign is to retire with them "to an agreeable Solitude; though within the Neigh"bourhood of a City, for the Convenience of their being • inftruct

L 5

• inftructed in Mufick, Dancing, Drawing, Designing, or any other fuch Accomplishments, which it is conceived may make as proper Diverfions for them, and almost as pleafant, as the little fordid Games which dirty School-boys are fo much delighted with. It may eafily be imagined, how fuch a pretty Society, conver'fing with none beneath themselves, and fometimes admitted as perhaps not unentertaining Parties amongst ⚫ better Company, commended and careffed for their lit⚫tle Performances, and turned by fuch Conversations to a certain Gallantry of Soul, might be brought early • acquainted with fome of the most polite English Writers. This having given them fome tolerable Taste of Books, they would make themselves Masters of the Latin Tongue by Methods far eafier than those in Lilly, with as little Difficulty or Reluctance as young Ladies learn to speak French, or to fing Italian Operas. When they had advanced thus far, it would be time to form ⚫ their Tafte fomething more exactly: One that had any true Relifh of fine Writing, might, with great • Pieafure both to himself and them, run over together ⚫ with them the best Roman Hiftorians, Poets, and Orators, and point out their more remarkable Beauties; ⚫ give them a short Scheme of Chronology, a little View of Geography, Medals, Aftronomy, or what else might beft feed the bufy inquifitive Humour fo. natural to that Age. Such of them as had the leaft Spark of Genius, when it was once awakened by the fhining Thoughts and great Sentiments of those admired Writers, could not, I believe, be eafily withheld from attempting that more difficult Sifter Language, whose • exalted Beauties they would have heard fo often ce<lebrated as the Pride and Wonder of the whole • Learned World. In the mean while, it would be

requifite to exercise their Stile in Writing any light < Pieces that afk more of Fancy than of Judgment: and that frequently in their Native Language, which every one methinks fhould be most concerned to cultivate, efpecially Letters in which a Gentleman must have fo frequent Occafions to diftinguish himfelf. A Set of genteel good-natured Youths fallen into fuch a Manner of ‹ Life, would form almost a little Academy, and doubt

< lefs

⚫ lefs prove no fuch contemptible Companions, as might ⚫ not often tempt a wifer Man to mingle himself in their Diverfions, and draw them into such serious Sports as might prove nothing lefs inftructing than the graveft Leffons. I doubt not but it might be made fome of ⚫ their favourite Plays, to contend which of them should • recite a beautiful Part of a Poem or Oration, most grace.. fully, or fometimes to join in acting a Scene of Terence, Sophocles, or our own Shakespear. The Caufe of Mile might again be pleaded before more favourable Judges, Cafar a fecond time be taught to tremble, and ano⚫ther Race of Athenians be afresh enraged at the Am⚫bition of another Philip. Amidst these noble Amuse

ments, we could hope to fee the early Dawnings of their Imagination daily brighten into Senfe, their Innocence improve into Virtue, and their unexperienced • Good-nature directed to a generous Love of their ⚫ Country.

T

Saturday, November 24.

No 231.

O Pudor! O Pietas!

I am, &c.

Mart.

O Modefty! O Piety!

LOOKING over the Letters which I have lately

received from my Correspondents, I met with the following one, which is written with fuch a Spirit of Politeness, that I could not but be very much pleased with it my self, and question not but it will be as accep. table to the Reader.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

OU, who are no Stranger to Publick Assemblies,

'ftrike on fuch as are obliged to exert any Talent before them. This is a fort of elegant Diftrefs, to which in. genuous Minds are the most liable, and may therefore deferve fome Remarks in your Paper. Many a brave

Fellow