for fear of doing injury to the reputation of another; they would be apt to think kindly of thofe writers who endeavour to make themselves diverting, without being immoral. One may apply to these authors that paffage in Waller

Poets lofe half the praife they would have got, Were it but known what they difcreetly blot.

As nothing is more easy than to be a wit, with all the above-mentioned liberties, it requires fome genius and invention to appear fuch without them.

What I have here faid is not only in regard to the public, but with an eye to my particular correfpondent, who has nt me the following letter, which I have caftrated in fome places upon these tonfiderations.

SIR,

your

The

HAVING lately feen difcourfe upon a match of grinning, I cannot forbear giving you an account of a whittling match, which, with many Hethers, I was entertained with about three years fince at the Bath. prize was a guinea, to be conferred upon the ableit whiftler, that is, on him who could whiftle cleareft, and go through his tune without laughing, to which at the fame time he was provoked by the antic poftures of a Merry-Andrew, who was to ftand upon the ftage, and play his tricks in the eye of the performer. There were three competitors for the guinea. The firft was a ploughman of very promifing afpect; his features were steady, and his mufcles compofed in fo inflexible a stupidity, that upon his first appearance every one gave the guinea for loft. The pickled herring however found the way to fhake him; upon his whistling a country jig, this unlucky wag danced to it with fuch variety of diftortions and grimaces, that the countryman could not forbear fmiling upon him, and by that means fpoilred his whistle, and loft the prize.

for

The next that mounted the stage was an under-citizen of Bath, a perfon remarkable among the inferior people of that place for his great wifdom and his broad band. He contracted his mouth with much gravity, and, that he might

difpofe his mind to be more ferious than ordinary, begun the tune of The Children in the Wood, and went through part of it with good fuccefs; when on a fudden the wit at his elbow, who had appeared wonderfully grave and attentive for fome time, gave him a touch upon the left fhoulder, and stared him in the face with fo bewitching a grin, that the whistler relaxed his fibres into a kind of fimper, and at length burst out into an open laugh. The third who entered the lifts was a footman, who in defiance of the Merry-Andrew, and all Italian fonata, with fo fettled a counhis arts, whistled a Scotch tune and an tenance, that he bore away the prize, to the great admiration of fome hundreds of perfons, who, as well as myself, were prefent at this trial of skill. Now, Sir, I humbly conceive, whatever you have determined of the grinners, the whiftlers ought to be encouraged, not only as their art is practifed without diftortion, but as it improves country mufic, promotes gravity, and teaches ordinary people to keep their countenances, if they fee any thing ridiculous in their betters; befides that, it feems an entertainment very particularly adapted to the Bath, as it is ufual for a rider to whiftle to his horfe when he would make his waters pafs. I am, Sir, &c.

POSTSCRIPT.

AFTER having difpatched thefe two important points of grinning and whiftling, I hope you will oblige the world with fome reflections upon yawning, as I have feen it practifed on a twelfthnight among other Christmas gambols at the houfe of a very worthy gentle man, who always entertains his tenants at that time of the year. They yawn for a Chefhire cheese, and begin about midnight, when the whole company is difpofed to be drowsy. He that yawns wideft, and at the fame time fo natu rally as to produce the most yawns among the spectators, carries home the cheese. If you handle this fubject as you ought, I queftion not but your pa. per will fet half the kingdom a yawning, though I dare promife you it will never make any body fall asleep.

L

N° CLXXX.

HE following letter has fo much weight and good fenfe, that I cannot forbear inferting it, though it relates to an hardened finner, whom I have very little hopes of reforming, viz. Lewis XIV. of France.

MR. SPECTATOR,,

AMIDST the variety of subjects of which you have treated, I could with it had fallen in your way, to expofe the vanity of conquefts. This thought would naturally lead one to the French King, who has been generally efteemed the greateft conqueror of our age, until her Majesty's armies had torn from him fo many of his countries, and deprived him of the fruit of all his former victories. For my own part, if I were to draw his picture, I fhould be for taking him no lower than to the peace of Refwick, juft at the end of his triumphs, and before his reverse of fortune: and even then I fhould not forbear thinking his ambition had been vain and unprofitable to himself and his people.

Ás for himself, it is certain he can have gained nothing by his conquefts, if they have not rendered him maiter of more fubjects, more riches, or greater power. What I fhall be able to offer upon thefe heads, I refolve to fubmit to your confideration.

To begin then with his increafe of fubjects. From the time he came of age, and has been a manager for himself, all the people he had acquired were fuch only as he had reduced by his wars, and were left in his poffeffion by the peace; he had conquered not above one third part of Flanders, and confequently no more than one third part of the inhabitants of that province."

About one hundred years ago the houfes in that country were all numbered, and by a juft computation the inhabitants of all forts could not then exceed 750,000 fouls. And if any man will confider the defolation by almoft

CREECH.

perpetual wars, the numerous armies that have lived almost ever since at dif cretion upon the people, and how much of their commerce has been removed for more fecurity to other places, he will have little reafon to imagine that their numbers have fince increased; and therefore with one third part of that province that prince can have gained no more than one third part of the inhabitants, or 250,000 new fubjects, even though it should be fuppofed they were all contented to live ftill in their native country, and transfer their allegiance to a new master.

The fertility of this province, it's convenient fituation for trade and commerce, it's capacity for furnishing em ployment and fubfiftence to great numbers, and the valt armies that have been maintained here, make it credible that the remaining two thirds of Flanders are equal to all his other conquefts; and confequently by all he cannot have gained more than 750,000 new fubjects, men, women, and children, efpecially if a deduction fhall be made of fuch as have retired from the conqueror to live under their old mafters.

It is time now to fet his lofs against his profit, and to fhew for the new fubjects he had acquired, how many old ones he had loft in the acquifition: I think that in his wars he has feldom brought lefs into the field in all places than 200,000 fighting men, befides what have been left in garrifons; and I think the common computation is, that of an army, at the end of a campaign, without fieges or battles, scarce four fifths can be mustered of thofe that came into the field at the beginning of the year. His wars at feveral times until the laft peace have held about twenty years; and if 40.000 yearly loft, or a fifth part of his armies, are to be multiplied by 20, he cannot have loft lefs than 800,000 of his old fubjects, and all able-bodied men; a greater number than the new fubjects he had acquired.

But

was fo far from relenting towards me, that he bid her fpeak no more of me, unless the had a mind to disturb him in his last moments; for, Sir, you must know that he has the reputation of an honest and religious man, which makes

in famílies, I do not remember that you have touched upon the marriage of children without the confent of their parents. I am one of thefe unfortunate perfons, I was about fifteen when I took the liberty to chufe for myfelf; and have ever fince languifhed under the difpleasure of an inexorable father, who, though he fees me happy in the best of husbands, and bleffed with very fine children, can never be prevailed upon to forgive me. He was fo kind to me before this unhappy accident, that indeed it makes my breach of duty in fome measure inexcufable; and at the fame time creates in me fuch a tender

nefs towards him, that I love him above all things, and would die to be reconeiled to him. I have thrown myself at his feet, and besought him with tears to pardon me; but he always pushes me away, and fpurns me from him; I have written feveral letters to him, but he will neither open nor receive them. About two years ago I fent my little boy to him, dreffed in a new apparel; but the child returned to me crying, because he faid his grandfather would not fee him, and had ordered him to be put out of his houfe. My mother is won over to my fide, but dares not mention me to my father for fear of provoking him, About a month ago he lay fick upon his bed, and in great danger of his life. I was pierced to the heart at the news, and could not forbear going to enquire after his health. My mother took this opportunity of fpeaking in my behalf fhe told him with abundance of tears, that I was come to fee him, that I could not fpeak to her for weeping, and that I fhould certainly break my heart if he refused at that time to give me his bleffing, and be reconciled to me, He

God be thanked he is fince recovered; but his fevere ufage has given me fuch a blow, that I fhall foon fink under it, unless I may be relieved by any impreffions which the reading of this in your paper may make upon him. I am, &c.

Of all hardneffes of heart there is none fo inexcufable as that of parents towards their children. An obftinate, inflexible, unforgiving temper, is odicus upon all occafions; but here it is unnatural. The love, tenderness, and compaffion, which are apt to arise in us towards those who depend upon us, is that by which the whole world of life is upheld. The Supreme Being, by the tranfcendent excellency and goodness of his nature, extends his mercy towards all his works; and because his creatures have not such a spontaneous benevolence and compaffion towards those who are under their care and protection, he has implanted in them an inftinct, that supplies the place of this inherent goodness. I have illuftrated this kind of instinct in former papers, and have shewn how it runs through all the fpecies of brute creatures, as indeed the whole animal creation fubfifts by it.

This inftinct in man is more general and uncircumfcribed than in brutes, as being enlarged by the dictates of reason and duty. For if we confider ourselves attentively, we fhall find that we are not only inclined to love those who defcend from us, but that we bear a kind of copy, or natural affection, to every thing which relies upon us for it's good and prefervation. Dependence is a perpetual call upon humanity, and a greater incitement to tenderness and pity than any other motive whatsoever.

The man therefore who, notwithstanding