lieve, is by his own natural complexion prompted to teaze and torment another for no reafon but being nearly allied to him: and can there be any thing more bafe, or serve to fink a man fo much beJow his own diftinguishing characteristic, I mean reason, than returning evil for good in fo open a manner, as that of treating an helplefs creature with un kindness, who has had fo good an opinion of him as to believe what he faid relating to one of the greatest concerns of life, by delivering her happiness in this world to his care and protection? Muft not that man be abandoned even to all manner of humanity, who can deceive a woman with appearances of affection and kindness, for no other end but to torment her with more eafe and authority? Is any thing more unlike a gentleman, than when his honour is engaged for the performing his promifes, because nothing but that can oblige him to it, to become afterwards falfe to his word, and be alone the occafion of mifery to one whofe happiness he but lately pretended was dearer to him than his own? Ought fuch a one to be trusted in his common affairs, or treated but as one whofe honefty confifted only in his incapacity of being otherwife? There is one caufe of this ufage no lefs abfurd than common, which takes place among the more unthinking men; and that is the defire to appear to their friends free and at liberty, and without thofe trammels they have fo much ridiculed. To avoid this they fly into the other extreme, and grow tyrants that they may feem mafters. Because an uncontroulable command of their own actions is a certain fign of intire dominion, they will not fo much as recede from the government even in one muscle of their faces. A kind look they be lieve would be fawning, and a civil anfwer yielding the fuperiority. To this muft we attribute an aufterity they betray in every action: what but this can put a man out of humour in his wife's company, though he is fo diftinguish ingly pleafant every where elfe? The bitterness of his replies, and the feverity of his frowns to the tendercft of wives, clearly demonftrate, that an ill-grounded fear of being thought too fubmiffive, is at the bottom of this, as I am willing to call it, affected morofenefs; but if it be fach only, put on to convince his acquaintance of his intire dominion, let him take care of the confequence, which will be certain, and woife than the prefent evil; his feeming indifference will by degrees grow into real contempt, and, if it doth not wholly alienate the affections of his wife for ever from him, make both him and her more miserable than if it really did so. However inconfiftent it may appear, to be thought a well bred perfon, has no final thare in this clownish behaviour: a difcourfe therefore relating to good-breeding towards a loving and a tender wife, would be of great use to this fort of gentlemen. Could you but once convince them, that to be civil at leaft is not beneath the character of a gentleman, nor even tender affection towards one who would make it reciprocal, betrays any foftness or effeminacy that the most masculine disposition need be afhamed of; could you fatisfy them of the generofity of voluntary civility, and the greatness of foul that is confpicuous in benevolence without immediate obligations; could you recommend to people's practice the faying of the gentleman quoted in one of your fpeculations, That he thought it incumbent upon him to make the 'inclinations of a woman of merit go along with her duty:" could you, I fay, perfuade thefe men of the beauty and reafonablenefs of this fort of behaviour, I have fo much charity for fome of them at least, to believe you would convince them of a thing they are only afhamed to allow: befides, you would recommend that state in it's true, and confequently it's most agreeable colours; and the gentlemen who have for any time been fuch profeffed enemies to it, when occafion fhould ferve, would return you their thanks for affifting their intereft in prevailing over their prejudices. Marriage in general would by this means be a more eafy and comfor table condition; the husband would be no where fo well fatisfied as in his own parlour, nor the wife fo pleafant as in the company of her husband; a defire of being agreeable in the lover would be increafed in the hutband, and the miftrets be more amiable by becoming the wife. Betides all which, I am apt to believe we should find the race of mon grow wifer as their progenitors grew kinder, and the affection of their parents would be confpicuous in the wisdom of their children; in fhort, men would in general general be much better humoured than they are, did not they fo frequently exercife the worit turns of their temper where they ought to exert the best. I MR. SPECTATOR, Am a woman who left the admiration of this whole town, to throw myself, for love of wealth, into the arms of a fool. When I married him, I could have had any one of feveral men of fenfe who languished for me; but my cafe is juft. I believed my fuperior understanding would form hin into a tractable creature. But, alas, my fpoufe has cunning and fufpicion, the infeparable companions of little minds; and every attempt I make to divert, by putting on an agreeable air, a fudden chearfulness, or kind behaviour, he looks upon as the first acts towards an infurrection against his undeferved dominion over me. Let every one who is fill to choose, and hopes to govern a fool, remember, TRISTISSA. ST. MARTINS, NOVEMBER 25. MR. SPECTATOR. THIS is to complain of an evil prec tice which I think very well deferves a redrefs, though you have not as yet taken any notice of it: if you mention it in your paper, it may perhaps have a very good effect. What I mean is the disturbance fome people give to others at church, by their repetition of the pray. ers, after the minifter, and that not only in the prayers, but also the abfolution and the commandments fare no better, which are in a particular manner the prieft's office: this I have known done in fo audible a manner, that fometimes their voices have been as loud to his. As litttle as you would think it, this is frequently done by people seemingly devout. This irreligious inadvertency is a thing extremely offenfive; but I do not recommend it as a thing I give you liberty to ridicule, but hope it may be amended by the bare mention. T Sir, your very humble fervant, I N° CCXXXVII. SATURDAY, VISU CARENTEM MAGNA PARS VERI LATET. DECEMBER I. SENECA IN OEDIP. TRUTH IS IN A GREAT MEASURE CONCEALED FROM THE BLIND. T is very reasonable to believe, that part of the pleafure which happy minds fhall enjoy in a future ftate, will arife from an enlarged contemplation of the divine wisdom in the government of the world, and a difcovery of the fecret and amazing steps of Providence, from the beginning to the end of time. Nothing feems to be an entertainment more adapted to the nature of man, if we con fider that curiofity is one of the strongest and most lafting appetites implanted in us, and that admiration is one of our mott pleafing paffions; and what a perpetual fucceffion of enjoyments will be afforded to both thefe, in a scene fo large and various as fhall then be laid open to our view in the fociety of fuperior fpirits, who perhaps will join with us in fo delightful a prospect! It is not impoffible, on the contrary, that part of the punishment of fuch as are excluded from blifs, may confift, not only in their being denied this privilege, but in having their appetites at the fame time vaftly increased, without any fatisfac tion afforded to them. In thefe, the vain purfuit of knowledge fhall, perhaps, add to their infelicity, and bewilder them into labyrinths of error, darkness, diftraction, and uncertainty of every thing but their own evil fate. Milton has thus represented the fallen angels reasoning together in a kind of respite from their torments, and creating to themselves a new difquier amidst their very amufe ments; he could not properly have de scribed the fports of condemned spirits, without that caft of horror and melancholy he has fo judiciously mingled with them. Others apart fat on a hill retired, Of Providence, foreknowledge, will, and fate, In our prefent condition, which is a middle ftate, our minds are, as it wert, chequered chequered with truth and falfhood; and as our faculties are narrow, and our, views imperfect, it is impoffible but our curiofity must meet with many repulfes. The business of mankind in this life being rather to act than to know, their portion of knowledge is dealt to them accordingly. From hence it is, that the reafon of the inquisitive has fo long been exercised with difficulties, in accounting for the promifcuous diftribution of good and evil to the virtuous and the wicked in this world. From hence come all thofe pathetic complaints of so many tragical events, which happen to the wife and the good; and of fuch furprifing profperity, which is often the reward of the guilty and the foolish; that reason is fometimes puzzled, and at a loss what to pronounce upon fo myfterious a difpenfation. Plato expreffes his abhorrence of fome fables of the poets, which feem to reflect on the gods as the authors of injuftice; and lays it down as a principle, that whatever is permitted to befal a juft man, whether poverty, ficknefs, or any of thofe things which feem to be evils, fhall either in life or death conduce to his good. My reader will obferve how agreeable this maxim is to what we find delivered by a greater authority. Seneca has written a difcourfe purposely on this fubject, in which he takes pains, after the doctrine of the Stoics, to fhew that adverfity is not in itself an evil; and mentions a noble faying of Demetrius, That nothing would be more unhappy than a man who had never known ' affliction.' He compares profperity to the indulgence of a fond mother to a child, which often proves his ruin; but the affection of the divine Being to that of a wife father who would have his fons exercised with labour, disappointment, and pain, that they may gather ftrength and improve their fortitude. On this occafion the philofopher rifes into that celebrated fentiment That ⚫ there is not on earth a spectacle more worthy the regard of a Creator intent on his works than a brave nan fuperior to his fufferings; to which he adds, that it must be a pleafure to Jupiter himself to look down from heaven, and fee Cato, amidst the ruins of his country, preferving his integrity. This thought will appear yet more reasonable, if we confider human life as a ftate of probation, and adverfity as the poft of honour in it, affigned often to the best and most select spirits. But what I would chiefly infift on here, is, that we are not at prefent in a proper fituation to judge of the counfels by which Providence acts, fince but little arrives at our knowledge, and even that little we difcern imperfectly; or according to the elegant figure in holy writ, We fee but in part, and as in a glafs darkly.' It is to be confidered that providence in it's economy_regards the whole fyftem of time, and things together, so that we cannot discover the beautiful connexion between incidents which lie widely feparated in time, and by lofing fo many links of the chain, our reasonings become broken and imperfect. Thus thofe parts of the moral world which have not an abfolute, may yet have a relative beauty, in respect of fome other parts concealed from us, but open to his eye before whom paft, prefent, and to come,' are fet together in one point of view: and those events, the permiffion of which feems now to accufe his goodness, may in the con fummation of things both magnify his goodness, and exalt his wifdom. And this is enough to check our prefumption, fince it is in vain to apply our measures of regularity to matters of which we know neither the antecedents nor the confequents, the beginning nor the end. I shall relieve my readers from this abstracted thought, by relating here a Jewish tradition concerning Mofes, which feems to be a kind of parable, illuftrating what I have laft mentioned, That great prophet, it is faid, was called up by a voice from heaven to the top of a mountain; where, in a conference with the fupreme Being, he was permitted to propofe to him fome questions concerning his adminstration of the univerfe. In the mid of this divine colloquy he was commanded to look down on the plain below. At the foot of the mountain there iffued out a clear fpring of water, at which a foldier alighted from his horfe to drink. He was no fooner gone than a little boy came to the fame place, and finding a purfe of gold which the foldier had dropped, took it up and went away with it. Immediately after this came an infirm old man, weary with age and travelling, and having quenched his thirft, fat down to rest himself by the fide of the spring. The foldier miffing 3 M bis his purse, returns to fearch for it, and demands it of the old man, who affirms he had not feen it, and appeals to Heaven in witnefs of his innocence. The foldier not believing his proteftations, kills him. Mofes fell on his face with horror and amazement, when the divine voice thus prevented his expoftulation; Be A N° CCXXXVIII. MONDAY, DECEMBER 3. NEQUICQUAM POPULO BIBULAS DONAVERIS AURES; PERSIUS, SAT. IV. VER. 50. MONG all the difeafes of the mind, there is not one more epidemical or more pernicious than the love of flattery. For as where the juices of the body are prepared to receive a mafignant influence, there the difeafe rages with mott violence; fo in this diftemper of the mind, where there is ever a propenfity and inclination to fuck in the poifon, it cannot be but that the whole order of reasonable action must be overturnél; for, like mufic, it -So foftens and difarms the mind, That not one arrow can refiftance find. First we flatter ourselves, and then the #attery of others is fure of fuccefs. It awakens our felf-love within, a party which is ever ready to revolt from our better judgment, and join the enemy without. Hence it is, that the profuon of favours we fo often fee poured upon the parasite, ave reprefented to us, by our felf-love, as justice done to the man, who lo agreeably reconciles us to ourfelves. When we are overcome by fuch foft infinuations and enfnaring compliances, we gladly recompenfe the artifices that are made ufe of to blind- our, Teaton, and which triumph over the weakneffes of our temper and inclina DRYDEN. C not, which are the causes of our giving ourselves up to that man, who beflows upon us the characters and qualities of others; which perhaps fuit us as ill, and were as little defigned for our wearing, as their cloaths. Inftead of going out of our own complexional nature into that of others, it were a better and more laudable induftry to improve our own, and instead of a miferable copy become a good original; for there is no temper, no difpofition fo rude and untractable, but may in it's own peculiar caft and turn be brought to fome agreeable ufe in converfation, or in the affairs of life. A perfon of a rougher deportment, and lets tied up to the ufual ceremonies of behaviour, will, like Manly in the play, pleafe by the grace which nature gives to every action wherein the is complied with; the brisk and lively will not want their admirers, and even a more reserved and melancholy temper may at fome times be agreeable. When there is not vanity enough awake in a man to undo him, the flatterer ftirs up that dormant weakness, and infpires him with merit enough to be a coxcomb. But if flattery be the moft fordid act that can be complied with, the art of praifing juftly is as commendable: for it is laudable to praise well; as poets at one and the fame time give immortality, and receive it them felves for a reward: both are pleased, the one whilft he receives the recompence of merit; the other whilst he shews he knows how to difcern it, but above all, that man is happy in this art, who, like a skilful painter, retains the fes tures 1 tures and complexion, but still foftens the picture into the mot agreeable likeness. There can hardly, I believe, be imagined a more defirable pleasure, than that of praife unmixed with any poffibility of flattery. Such was that which Germanicus enjoyed, when, the night before a battle, delirous of fome fincere mark of the esteem of his legions for him, he is defcribed by Tacitus liftening in a difguife to the difcourfe of a foldier, and wrapt up in the fruition of his glory, whilft with an undefigned fincerity they praifed his noble and majestic mien, his affability, his valour, conduct, and fuccefs in war. How must a man have his heart full blown with joy in fuch an article of glory as this? What a fpur and encouragement ftill to proceed in thofe fteps which had already brought him to fo pure a tafte of the greatest of mortal enjoyments? It fometimes happens, that even enemies and envious perfons beltow the fincerest marks of efteem when they leaft defign it. Such afford a greater pleasure, as extorted by merit, and freed from all fufpicion of favour or flattery. Thus it is with Malvolio; he has wit, learning, and difcernment, but tempered with an allay of envy, felf-love, and detraction: Malvolio turns pale at the mirth and good-humour of the company, if it center not in his perfon; he grows jealous and difpleafed when he ceales to be the only person admired, and looks upon the commendations paid to another as a detraction from his merit, and an attempt to leffen the fuperiority he affects; but by this very method, he bestows fuch praife as can never be fufpected of flattery. His uneafinefs and diftates are fo many fure and certain figns of another's title to that glory he defires, and has the mortification to find himself not poffeffed of. A good name is fitly compared to a precious ointment, and when we are praised with skill and decency, it is indeed the molt agreeable perfume; but if too ftrongly admitted into a brain of a lefs vigorous and happy texture, it will, like too ftrong an odour, overcome the fenfes, and prove pernicious to those nerves it was intended to refresh. A generous mind is of all others the most fenfible of praife and difpraife; and a noble fpirit is as much invigorated with it's due proportion of honour and ap plaufe, as it is depressed by neglect and contempt: but it is only perfons far above the common fevel who are thus affected with either of thefe extremes; as in a thermometer, it is only the pureft and moft fublimated spirit that is either contracted or dilated by the benignity or inclemency of the season. MR. SPECTATOR, THE tranflations which you have lately given us from the Greek, in fome of your last papers, have been the occafion of my looking into fome of thofe authors; among whom I chanced on a collection of letters which pafs under the name of Ariftænetus. Of all the remains of antiquity, I believe there can be nothing produced of an air fo gallant and polite; each letter contains a little novel or adventure, which is told with all the beauties of language, and heightened with a luxuriance of wit. There are feveral of them tranflated, but with fuch wide deviations from the original, and in a tile fo far differing from the author's, that the tranflator feems rather to have taken hints for the expreffing his own fenfe and thoughts, than to have endeavoured to render thofe of Ariftænetus. In the following tranflation, I have kept as near the meaning of the Greek as I could, and have only added a few words to make the sentences in English fit together a little better than they would otherwise have done. The Rory feems to be taken from that of Pigmalion and the ftatue in Ovid: fome of the thoughts are of the faine turn, and the whole is written in a kind of poetical profe, PHILOPINAX TO CHROMATION, NEVER was man more overcome with fo fantastical a paffion as mine, I have painted a beautiful woman, and am despairing, dying for the picture, My own fkill has undone me; it is not the dart of Venus, but my own pencil has thus wounded me. Ah me! with what anxiety am I neceffitated to adore my own idol! How miferable am I, whilft every one must as much pity the painter as he praifes the picture, and own my torment more than equal to my art! But why do I thus complain? Have there not been more unhappy and unnatural paffions than mine? Yes, I have feen the representations of Phædra, Narçiffus, and Pafiphae. Phædra was un3 Ma happy |