induftriously obfcured the whole by the addition of one or two circumstances of no confequence, that the perfon it is drawn from might still be concealed; and that the writer of it might not be in the leaft fufpected; and for fome other reafons, I choose not to give it the form of a letter: but if, befides the faults of the compofition, there be any thing in it more proper for a correfpondent than the Spectator himself to write, I fubmit it to your better judgment, to receive any other model you think fit. I am, Sir, your very humble fervant.

THERE is nothing which gives one fo pleafing a profpect of human nature, as the contemplation of wifdom and beauty: the latter is the peculiar portion of that fex which is therefore called fair; but the happy concurrence of both thefe excellencies in the fame perfon, is a character too celeftial to be frequently met with. Beauty is an over-weaning felf-fufficient thing, careless of providing itfelf any more fubftantial ornaments; nay, fo little does it confult it's own interefts, that it too often defeats itself by betraying that innocence which renders it lovely and defirable. As therefore virtue makes a beautiful woman .appear more beautiful, so beauty makes a virtuous woman really more virtuous. Whilft I am confidering thefe two perfections gloriously united in one perfon, I cannot help reprefenting to my mind the image of Emilia.

Who ever beheld the charming Emilia, without feeling in his breast at once the glow of love and the tenderness of virtuous friendship? The unitudied graces of her behaviour, and the pleafing accents of her tongue, infenfibly draw you on to wish for a nearer enjoyment of them; but even her fimiles carry in them a filent reproof to the impulfes of licentious love. Thus, though the attractives of her beauty play almott irrefiftibly upon you and create defire, you immediately stand corrected not by the feverity but the decency of her virtue. That fweetnefs and good-humour which is fo visible in her face, naturally diffufes itself into every word and action: a man must be a favage, who at the fight of Emilia, is not more inclined to do her good than gratify himself. Her perfon, as it is thus ftudiously embellished by nature, thus adorned with unpremeditated graces, is a fit lodging for a

mind fo fair and lovely; there dwell rational piety, modest hope, and chearful refignation.

Many of the prevailing paffions of mankind do undeservedly pass under the name of religion; which is thus made to exprefs itself in action, according to the nature of the constitution in which it refides: fo that were we to make a judgment from appearances, one would imagine religion in fome is little better than fullennefs and reserve, in many fear, in others the despondings of a melancholy complexion, in others the formality of infignificant unaffecting obfervances, in others feverity, in

others oftentation. In Emilia it is a principle founded in reafon and enlivened with hope; it does not break forth into irregular fits and fallies of devotion, but is an uniform and confiftent tenour of action: it is strict without severity; compaffionate without weakness; it is the perfection of that good-humour which proceeds from the understanding, not the effect of an easy constitution.

By a generous fympathy in nature, we feel ourselves difpofed to mourn when any of our fellow-creatures are afflicted; but injured innocence and beauty in distress, is an object that carries in it fomething inexpreffibly moving: it foftens the most manly heart with the tendereft fenfations of love and compaffion, until at length it confeffes it's humanity, and flows out into tears.

Were I to relate that part of Emilia's life which has given her an opportunity of exerting the heroifm of Christianity, it would make too fad, too tender a ftory: but when I confider her alone in the midst of her diftreffes, looking be yond this gloomy vale of affliction and forrow into the joys of heaven and immortality, and when I fee her in converfation thoughtless and eafy as if the were the most happy creature in the world, I am tranfported with admiration. Surely never did fuch a philofophic soul inhabit fuch a beauteous form! For beauty is often made a privilege against thought and reflection; it laughs at wifdom, and will not abide the gravity of it's inftructions.

Were I able to reprefent Emilia's vir. tues in their proper colours and their due proportions, love or flattery might perhaps be thought to have drawn the picture larger than life; but as this is but an imperfect draught of fo excellent 4 D 2

a cha

a character, and as I cannot, will not hope to have any intereft in her perfon, all that I can fay of her is but impartial praife extorted from me by the prevailing brightnefs of her virtues. So rare a pattern of female excellence ought not be concealed, but fhould be fet out to the view and imitation of the world; for how amiable does virtue appear thus as it were made vifible to us in fo fair an example!

Honoria's difpofition is of a very different turn: her thoughts are wholly bent upon conqueft and arbitrary power. That he has fome wit and beauty no body denies, and therefore has the efteem of all her acquaintance as a woman of an agreeable perfon and converfation; but, whatever her husband may think of it, that is not fufficient for Honoria: fhe waves that title to refpect as a mean acquifition, and demands veneration in the right of an idol; for this reafon her natural defire of life is continually checked with an inconfiftent fear of wrinkles and old age.

Emilia cannot be fuppofed ignorant of her perfonal charms, though the feems to be fo; but he will not hold her happinefs upon fo precarious a tenure, whilft her mind is adorned with beauties of a more exalted and Jafting nature. When in the full bloom of youth and beauty we faw her furrounded with a crowd of adorers, fhe took no pleasure in flaughter and deftruction, gave no falfe deluding hopes which might increase the torments of her difappointed lovers; but having for fome time given to the decency of a virgin coynefs, and examined the merit of their feveral pretentions, the at length gratified her own, by refigning herfelf to the ardent paflion of Bromius. Bromius was then matter of many good qualities and a moderate fortune, which was foon after unexpectedly increafed to a plentiful eftate. This for a good while proved his misfortune, as it furnifhed his unexperienced age with the opportunities of evil company and a fenfual life. He might have longer wandered in the labyrinths of vice and folly, had not Emilia's prudent condu&t won him over to the government of his reafon. Her ingenuity has been conftantly employed in humanizing his paffions and refining his pleafures. She has fhewed him by her own example, that virtue is confiftent with

decent freedoms and good-humour, or rather, that it cannot fubfift without them. Her good fenfe readily inftructed her, that a filent example, and an easy unrepined behaviour, will always be more perfuafive than the feverity of lectures and admonitions; and that there is fo much pride interwoven into the make of human nature, that an obftinate man muft only take the hint from another, and then be left to advife and correct himself. Thus by an artful train of management and unfeen perfuafions, having at firft brought him not to diflike, and at length to be pleafed with that which otherwife he would not have bore to hear of, the then knew how to prefs and fecure this advantage, by approving it as his thought, and feconding it as his propofal. By this means he has gained an intereft in fome of his leading paf-, fions, and made them acceffary to his reformation.

There is another particular of Emilia's conduct which I cannot forbear mentioning: to fome perhaps it may at firft fight appear but a trifling inconfiderable circumftance; but, for my part, I think it highly worthy of obfervation, and to be recommended to the confideration of the fair-fex. I have often thought wrapping gowns and dirty linen, with all that huddled economy of dress which paffes under the general name of a mob, the bane of conjugal love, and one of the readieft means imaginable to alienate the affection of an husband, I have heard efpecially a fond one. fome ladies, who have been furprised by company in fuch a dishabille, apologize for it after this manner; Truly I

am afhamed to be caught in this pickle; but my husband and I were fitting all alone by ourselves, and I did not expect to fee fuch good company.'This by the way is a fine compliment to the good man, which it is ten to one but he returns in dogged answers and a churlish behaviour, without knowing what it is that puts him out of humour.

Emilia's obfervation teaches her, that as little inadvertencies and neglects caft a blemish upon a great character; fo the neglect of apparel, even among the moft intimate friends, does infenfibly leffen their regards to each other, by creating a familiarity too low and contemptible. She understands the importance of those things which the gene.

rality

rality account trifles; and confiders every thing as a matter of confequence, that has the leaft tendency towards keeping up or abating the affection of her hufband; him fe efteems as a fit object to employ her ingenuity in pleafing, because he is to be pleafed for life.

By the help of thefe, and a thousand other nameless arts, which it is easier for her to practise than for another to exprefs, by the obftinacy of her goodnels and unprovoked fubmiffion, in fpite of all her afflictions and ill usage, Bro

mius is become a man of fenfe and a kind husband, and Emilia a happy wife.

Ye guardian angels, to whofe care Heaven has entrusted it's dear Emilia, guide her ftill forward in the paths of virtue, defend her from the infolence and wrongs of this undifcerning world; at length, when we must no more converfe with fuch purity on earth, lead her gently hence immocent and unreprovable to a better place, where by an easy tranfition from what he now is, the may fhine forth an angel of light.

T

I

Have feen, in the works of a modern philofopher, a map of the fpots in the fun. My laft paper of the faults and blemishes in Milton's Paradife Loft, may be confidered as a piece of the fame nature. To purfue the allufion: as it is obferved, that among the bright parts of the luminous body above-mentioned, there are fome which glow more intenfely, and dart a stronger light than others, fo, notwithstanding I have already fhewn Milton's poem to be very beautiful in general, I fhall now proceed to take notice of fuch beauties as appear to me more exquifite than the reft. Miiton has propofed the fubject of his poem in the following verfes.

Of man's first difobedience, and the fruit Of that forbidden tree, whofe mortal tafte Brought death into the world and all our woe, With lofs of Eden, 'till one greater man Reftore us, and regain the blissful feat, Sing heav'nly mufe!

Thefe lines are perhaps as plain, fimple, and unadorned, as any of the whole poem, in which particular the author has conformed himself to the example of Homer and the precept of Horace.

His invocation to a work which turns in a great meafure upon the creation of the world, is very properly made to the mufe who infpired Moles in those books from whence our author drew his fub

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ject, and to the Holy Spirit, who is therein reprefented as operating after a particular manner in the first production of nature. This whole exordium rites very happily into noble language and fentiment, as I think the tranfition to the fable is exquifitely beautiful and natural.

The nine days aftonishment, in which the angels lay entranced after their dreadful overthrow and fall from heaven, before they could recover either the use of thought or fpeech, is a noble circumftance, and very finely imagined. The divifion of hell into feas of fire, and into firm ground impregnated with the fame furious element, with that particular circumftance of the exclufion of hope from thofe infernal regions, are inftances of the fame great and fruitful invention.

The thoughts in the first speech and defcription of Satan, who is one of the principal actors in this poem, are wonderfully proper to give us a full idea of him. His, pride, envy and revenge, obftinacy, despair and impenitence, are, all of them very artfully interwoven. In short, his firft fpeech is a complication of all thofe paffions which difcover themfelves feparately in feveral other of his fpeeches in the poem. The whole part of this great enemy of mankind is filled with fuch incidents as are very apt

to