N° CCLVII. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25. Ούχ είδει Διὸς Οφθαλμός· ἐγγὺς δ ̓ ἔςι καὶ παρὰν απόνω, INCERT. EL. STOB. NO SLUMBER SEALS THE EYE OF PROVIDENCE, HAT I might not lofe myself TH upon a fubject of fo great extent as that of fame, I have treated it in a particular order and method. I have first of all confidered the reafons why Providence may have implanted in our mind fuch a principle of action. I have in the next place fhewn from many confiderations, firft, that fame is a thing difficult to be obtained, and eafily loft; fecondly, that it brings the ambitious man very little happiness, but fubjects him to much uneafinefs and diffatisfaction. I fhall in the laft place fhew, that it hinders us from obtaining an end which we have abilities to acquire, and which is accompanied with fulness of fatisfaction. I need not tell my reader, that I mean by this end that happiness which is referved for us in another world, which every one has abilities to procure, and which will bring along with it fulness of joy and pleafures for • evermore.' How the the purfuit after fame may hinder us in the attainment of this great end, I shall leave the reader to collect from the three following confiderations. First, Because the strong defire of fame breeds feveral vicious habits in the mind. Secondly, Because many of thofe actions, which are apt to procure fame, are not in their nature conducive to this our ultimate happiness. Thirdly, Becaufe if we fhould allow the fame actions to be the proper inftruments, both of acquiring fame, and of procuring this happiness, they would nevertheless fail in the attainment of this laft end, if they proceeded from a defire of the first. These three propofitions are felf-evident to those who are verfed in fpeculations of morality. For which reafon I fhall not enlarge upon them, but proceed to a point of the fame nature, which may open to us a more uncommon field of speculation, From what has been already obferved I think we may make a natural conclu→ fion, that it is the greatest folly to feek the praife or approbation of any being, befides the Supreme, and that for thefe two reasons; because no other being can make a right judgment of us, and esteem us according to our merits; and because we can procure no confiderable benefit or advantage from the efteem and approbation of any other being. In the first place, no other being can make a right judgment of us, and esteem us according to our merits. Created beings fee nothing but our outfide, and can therefore only frame a judgment of us from our exterior actions and behaviour; but how unfit these are to give us a right notion of each other's perfections, may appear from feveral confiderations. There are many virtues, which in their own nature are incapable of any outward reprefentation; many filent perfections in the foul of a good man, which are great ornaments to human nature, but not able to discover themselves to the knowledge of others; they are tranfacted in private, without noife or fhow, and are only visible to the great Searcher of hearts. What ac-. tions can exprefs the intire purity of thought which refines and fanctifies a virtuous man? That fecret reft and contentedness of mind, which gives him a perfect enjoyment of his prefent condition? that inward pleasure and complacency which he feels in doing good? that delight and fatisfaction which he takes in the profperity and happiness of another? thefe and the like virtues are the hidden beauties of a foul, the fecret graces which cannot be discovered by a mortal eye, but make the foul lovely and precious in his fight, from whom no fecrets are concealed. Again, there are many virtues which want an opportu nity of exerting and fhewing themselves in actions. Every virtue requires time and place, a proper object and a fit conjuncture conjun&ture of circumftances, for the due exercise of it. A ftate of poverty obfcures all the virtues of liberality and munificence. The patience and fortitude of a martyr or confeffor lie concealed in the flourishing times of Chriftianity. Some virtues are only feen in affliction, and fome in profperity; fome in a private, and others in a public capacity. But the great Sovereign of the world beholds every perfection in it's obfcurity, and not only fees what we do, but what we would do. He views our behaviour in every concurrence of affairs, and fees us engaged in all the poffibilities of action. He difcovers the 'martyr and confeffor without the trial of flames and tortures, and will hereafter intitle many to the reward of actions, which they had never the opportunity of performing. Another reafon why men cannot form a right judgment of us is, because the fame actions may be aimed at different ends, and arife from quite contrary principles. Actions are of to mixt a nature and fo full of circumftances, that as men pry into them more or lefs, or obferve fome parts more than others, they take different hints, and put contrary interpretations on them; fo that the fame actions may represent a man as hypocritical and defigning to one, which make him appear a faint or hero to another. He therefore who looks upon the foul through it's outward actions, often fees it through a deceitful medium, which is apt to difcolour and pervert the object: so that on this account alfo, He is the only proper judge of our perfections, who does not guefs at the fincerity of our intentions from the goodness of our actions, but weighs the goodness of our actions by the fincerity of our intentions. But further; it is impoffible for outward actions to reprefent the perfections of the foul, because they can never fhew the ftrength of thofe principles from whence they proceed. They are not adequate expreffions of our virtues, and can only thew us what habits are in the foul, without difcovering the degree and perfection of fuch habits. They are at beft but weak refemblances of our intentions, faint and imperfect copies that may acquaint us with the general defign, but can never exprefs the beauty and life of the original. But the great Judge of all the earth knows every different ftate and degree of human im provement, from thofe weak ftirrings and tendencies of the will which have not yet formed themselves into regular purposes and defigns, to the laft intire finishing and confummation of a good habit. He beholds the firft imperfect rudiments of a virtue in the foul, and keeps a watchful eye over it in all it's progrefs, until it has received every grace it is capable of, and appears in it's full beauty and perfection. Thus we fee that none but the fupreme Being can efteem us according to our proper me rits, fince all others must judge of us from our outward actions; which can never give them a juft eftimate of us, fince there are many perfections of a man which are not capable of appearing in actions; many which, allowing no natural incapacity of fhewing themfelves, want an opportunity of doing it; or, fhould they all meet with an opportunity of appearing by actions, yet thofe actions may be misinterpreted, and applied to wrong principles, or though they plainly discovered the principles from whence they proceeded, they could never fhew the degree, ftrength, and perfection of thofe principles. And as the fupreme Being is the only proper judge of our perfections, fo is he the only fit rewarder of them. This is a confideration that comes home to our intereft, as the other adapts itself to our ambition, And what could the moft afpiring, or the moft felfish man defire more, were he to form the notion of a being to whom he would recommend himself, than fuch a knowledge as can difcover the least appearance of perfection in him, and fuch a goodness as will proportion a reward to it? Let the ambitious man therefore turn all his defire of fame this way; and that he may propofe to himself a fame worthy of his ambition, let him confider that if he employs his abilities to the best advantage, the time will come when the fupreme Governor of the world, the great Judge of mankind, who fees every degree of perfection in others, and poffefles all poffible perfection in himfelf, fhall proclaim his worth before men and angels, and pronounce to him in the prefence of the whole creation that beft and moft fignificant of applaufes Well done, thou good and faithful fervant, enter thou into thy Master's ' joy,' с N° CCLVIII. N° CCLVIII. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26. PLE DIVIDE ET IMPERA. DIVIDE AND RULE. LEASURE and recreation of one kind or other are abfolutely neceffary to relieve our minds and bodies from too conftant attention and labour: where therefore public diverfions are tolerated, it behoves perfons of diftinction, with their power and example, to prefide over them in fuch a manner as to check any thing that tends to the corruption of manners, or which is too mean or trivial for the entertainment of reasonable creatures. As to the diverfions of this kind in this town, we owe them to the arts of poetry and mufic: my own private opinion, with relation to fuch recreations, I have heretofore given with all the franknefs imaginable; what concerns thofe arts at prefent the reader fhall have from my correfpondents. The first of the letters with which I acquit myself for this day, is written by one who propofes to improve our entertainments of dramatic poetry; and the other comes from three perfons, who, as foon as named, will be thought capable of advancing the prefent ftate of mufic. I MR. SPECTATOR, Am confiderably obliged to you for your fpeedy publication of my laft in-your's of the 18th inftant, and am in no fmall hopes of being fettled in the poft of comptroller of the cries. Of all the objections I have hearkened after in public coffee-houses, there is but one that feems to carry any weight with it, viz. That fuch a poft would come too near the nature of a monopoly. Now, Sir, because I would have all forts of people made eafy, and being willing to have more ftrings than one to my bow; in cafe that of comptroller fhould fail me, I have fince formed another project, which being grounded on the dividing of a prefent monopoly, I hope will give the public an equivalent to their full content. You know, Sir, it is allowed that the bufinefs of the ftage is, as the Latin has it, jucunda et idonea dicere vita. Now there being but one dramatic theatre licensed for the delight and profit of this extenfive metropolis, I do humbly propofe, for the convenience of fuch of it's inhabitants as are too diftant from Covent Garden, that another Theatre of Eafe may be erected in fome fpacious part of the city; and that the direction thereof may be made a franehife in fee to me, and my heirs for ever. And that the town may have no jealousy. of my ever coming to an union with the set of actors now in being, I do further propofe to conftitute for my deputy my near kinfinan and adventurer, Kit Crot chet, whofe long experience and improvements in thofe affairs need no recommendation. It was obvious to every fpectator, what a quite different foot the ftage was upon during his government; and had he not been bolted out of his trap-doors, his garrifon might have held out for ever, he having by long pains and perfeverance arrived at the art of making his army fight without pay or provisions. I must confefs it with a mes lancholy amazement, I fee fo wonderful a gefius laid afide, and the late flaves of the ftage now become it's mafters, dunces that will be fure to fupprefs all theatrical entertainments and activities that they are not able them felves to fhine in! Every man that goes to a play is not obliged to have either wit or underftanding; and I infift upon it, that all who go there fitould fee fomething which may improve them in a way of which they are capable. In fhort, Sir, I would have fomething done as well as faid on the stage. A man may have an active body, though he has not a quick conception; for the imitation therefore of fuch as are, as I may fo peak, corporeal wits or nimble fellows, I would faid afk any of the pretent mifimanagers, why fhould not rope-dancers, vaulters, tumblers, ladder-walkers, and poiture-mafters, appear again on our stage? After fuch a reprefentation, a 'five-bar gate would he leaped with a better grace next time any of the audience went a 1 R bunting. hunting. Sir, thefe things cry aloud Your humble fervant, P.S. I have affurances that the trunkmaker will declare for us. MR. SPECTATOR, A WE whofe names are fubfcribed, think you the propereft perfon to fignify what we have to offer the town in behalf of ourselves, and the art which we profefs, mufic. We conceive hopes of your favour from the fpeculations on the mistakes which the town run into with regard to their pleafure of this kind; and believing your method of judging is, that you confider mufic only valuable, as it is agreeable to, and heightens the purpose of poetry, we consent that that is not only the true way of relifhing that pleature, but alfo that without it a compofure of music is the fame thing as a poem, where all the rules of poetical numbers are observed, though the words have no fenfe or meaning; to fay it fhorter, mere mufical founds are in our art no other than nonfenfe verfes are in poetry. Mufic therefore is to aggravate what is intended by poetry; it must always have fome pafion or fentiment to exprefs, or elfe violins, voices, or any other organs of found, afford an entertainment very little above the rattles of children. It was from this opinion of the matter, that when Mr. Clayton had finished his ftudies in Italy, and brought over the opera of Arfine, that Mr. Haym and Mr. Dieupart, who had the honour to be well known and received among the no bility and gentry, were zealoufly inclined to affift, by their folicitations, in introducing fo elegant an entertaiment as the Italian mufic grafted upon English poetry. For this end Mr. Dieupart and Mr. Haym, according to their feveral opportunities, promoted the introduction of Arfinöe, and did it to the best advantage fo great a novelty would allow. It is not proper to trouble you with particulars of the juft complaints we all of us have to make; but so it is, that without regard to our obliging pains, we are all equally fet afide in the prefent opera. Our application therefore to you is only to infert this letter in your papers, that the town may know we have all three joined together to make entertainments of music for the future at Mr. Clayton's house in York Buildings. What we promife ourfelves, is, to make a fubfcription of two guineas, for eight times; and that the entertainment, with the names of the authors of the poetry, may be printed, to be fold in the house, with an account of the feveral authors of the vocal as well as the inftrumental mufic for each night; the money to be paid at the receipt of the tickets, at Mr. Charles Lillie's. It will, we hope, Sir, be easily allowed, that we are capable of undertaking to exhibit by our joint force and different qualifications all that can be done in mufic: but left you should think fo dry a thing as an account of our propofal fhould be a matter unworthy your paper, which generally contains fomething of public ufe; give us leave to fay, that favouring our defign is no less than reviving an art, which runs to ruin by the utmost barbarism under an affectation of knowledge. We aim at establishing fome fettled notions of what is mufic, at recovering from neglect and want yery many families, who depend upon it; at making all foreigners who pretend to fucceed in England to learn the language of it as we ourselves have done, and not be fo infolent as to expect a whole nation, a refined and learned nation, fhould fubmit to learn theirs. In a word, Mr. Spectator, with all deference and humility, we hope to behave ourselves in this undertaking in fuch a manner, that all Englishmen who have ar y fkill in mufic may be furthered in it for their profit or diverfion by what new things we shall produce; never pretending to furpafs others, or afferting recommending ourfelves. We are, Sir, your most humble fervants, aflerting that any thing which is a fci- THOMAS CLAYTON. NICOLINO HAYM. CHARLES DIEUPART. N° CCLIX. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27. QUOD DECET HONESTUM EST, ET QUOD HONESTUM EST DECET. TULL. WHAT IS BECOMING IS HONOURABLE, AND WHAT IS HONOURABLE IS BE TH COMING. HERE are fome things which cannot come under certain rules, but which one would think could not need them. Of this kind are outward civilities and falutations. These one would imagine might be regulated by every man's common fenfe, without the help of an instructor; but that which we call common fenfe fuffers under that word; for it fometimes implies no more than that faculty which is common to all men, but fometimes fignifies right reason, and what all men fhould confent to. In this latter acceptation of the phrafe, it is no great wonder people err fo much against it, fince it is not every one who is poffeffed of it, and there are fewer, who, against common rules and fashions, dare obey it's dictates. As to falutations, which I was about to talk of, I obferve, as I ftroll about town, there are great enormities committed with regard to this particular. You fhall fometimes fee a man begin the offer of a falutation, and observe a forbidding air, or escaping eye, in the perfon he is going to falute, and stop fhort in the pole of his neck. This in the perfon who believed he could do it with a good grace, and was refufed the opportunity, is justly refented with a coldnefs the whole enfuing feafon. Your great beauties, people in much favour, or by any means or for any purpofe over-flattered, are apt to practife this, which one may call the preventing afpect, and throw their attention another way, left they should confer a bow or a courtesy upon a person who might not appear to deferve that dignity. Others you fhall find fo obfequious, and fo very courteous, as there is no escaping their favours of this kind. Of this fort may be a man who is in the fifth or fixth degree of favour with a minifter; this good creature is refolved to fhew the world, that great honours cannot at all change his manners; he is the fame civil person he ever was; he will venture his neck to bow out of a coach in full speed, at once, to fhew he is full of business, and yet is not fo taken up as to forget his old friend. With a man who is not fo well formed for courtship and elegant behaviour, fuch a gentleman as this seldom finds his account in the return of his compliments, but he will still go on, for he is in his own way, and must not omit; let the neglect fall on your fide, or where it will, his business is still to be well-bred to the end. I think I have read, in one of our English comedies, a defcription of a fellow that affected knowing every body, and for want of judgment in time and place, would bow and fmile in the face of a judge fitting in the court, would fit in an oppofite gallery and fmile in the minister's face as he came up into the pulpit, and nod as if he alluded to fome familiarities between them in another place. now I happen to fpeak of falutation at church, I must take notice that feveral of my correfpondents have importuned me to confider that fubje&t, and fettle the point of decorum in that particular. But I do not pretend to be the best cour, tier in the world, but I have often on public occafions thought it a very great abfurdity in the company (during the royal prefence) to exchange falutations from all parts of the room, when certainly common fenie should fuggeft, that all regards at that time fhould be engaged, and cannot be diverted to any other object, without disrespect to the fovereign. But as to the complaint of my correfpondents, it is not to be imagined what offence fome of them take at the custom of faluting in places of 3 Ra worship |