f There is befides, I think, fomething wonderfully beautiful, and very apt to affect the reader's imagination, in this ancient prophecy or report in heaven, concerning the creation of man. Nothing could fhew more the dignity of the fpecies, than this tradition which ran of them before their existence. They are reprefented to have been the talk of heaven before they were created. Virgil, in compliment to the Roman commonwealth, makes the heroes of it appear in their state of pre-existence; but Milton does a far greater honour to mankind in general, as he gives us a glimpse of them even before they are in being. The rifing of this great affembly is - described in a very fublime and poetical manner. Their rifing all at once was as the found The diverfions of the fallen angels, with the particular account of their place of habitation, are defcribed with great pregnancy of thought, and copiouinefs of invention. The dive fions are every way fuitable to beings who had nothing left them but ftrength and knowledge mifapplied. Such are their contentions at the race, and in feats of arms with their entertainment in the following lines. Others with vaft Typhaan rage more fell Rend up both rocks and hilis, and ride the air In whirlwind, heil fcarce holds the wild up roar. Their mufic is employed in celebrating their own criminal exploits, and their difcourfe in founding the unfathomable depths of fate, free-will, and fore-knowledge. The feveral circumftances in the defcription of hell are finely imagined; as the four rivers which difgorge them!elves into the fea of fire, the extremes of cold and heat, and the river of oblivion. The monftrous animals produced in that infernal world are reprefented by a fingle line, which gives us a more horrid idea of them, than a much longer defeription would have done. happily to unbend the mind of the reader from it's attention to the debate. An ordinary poet would indeed have spun out fo many circumftances to a great length, and by that means have weakened, inftead of illuftrated, the principal fable. The flight of Satan to the gates of hell is finely imaged. I have already declared my opinion of the allegory concerning Sin and Death, which is however a very finished piece in it's kind, when it is not confidered as a part of an epic poem. The genealogy of the several persons is contrived with great delicacy. Sin is the daughter of Satan, and Death the offfpring of Sin. The incestuous mixture between Sin and Death produces thofe monsters and hell-hounds which from time to time enter into their mother, and tear the bowels of her who gave them birth. These are the terrors of an evil confcience, and the proper fruits of Sin, which naturally rife from the apprehenfions of Death. This laft beautiful moral is, I think, clearly intimated in the fpeech of Sin, where complaining of this her dreadful iffue, fhe addsBefore mine eyes in oppofition fits Grim Death my fen and foc, who fets them ong And me his parent would full foon deyour For want of other prey, but that he knows His end with mine involv'd I need not mention to the reader the beautiful circumstance in the last part of this quotation. He will likewife obferve how naturally the three perfona concerned in this allegory are tempted by one common intereft to enter into a confederacy together, and how properly Sin is made the portrefs of hell, and the only being that can open the gates to that world of torture. The defcriptive part of this allegory is likewife very strong, and full of fu blime ideas. The figure of Death, the regal crown upon his head, his menace of Satan, his advancing to the combat, the outcry at his birth, are circumstances too noble to be paffed over in filence, and extremely fuitable to this king of terrors. I need not mention the juftnels of thought which is obferved in the ge neration of these feveral fymbolical perfons; that Sin was produced upon the firft revolt of Satan, that Death appeared foon after he was caft into hell, and that the terrors of confcience were conceived at the gate of this place of torments. The The defcription of the gates is very poetical, as the opening of them is full of Milton's fpirit. -On a fudden open fly With impetuous recoil and jarring found Th' infernal doors, and on their hinges grate Harth thunder, that the lowest bottom shook Of Erebus. She open'd, but to shutExcell'd her pow'r; the gates wide open food, That with extended wings a banner'd hoft Under spread enfigns marching might pafs through With horfe and chariots rank'd in loofe array; So wide they flood, and like a furnace mouth Caft forth redounding fmoke and ruddy flame. which has not life and manners afcrited to it; but for my own part, I am pleased molt with thofe paffages in this defcription which carry in them a greater meafure of probability, and are fuch as might poffibly have happened. Of this kind is his firft mounting in the fmoke that rifes from the infernal pit, his falling into a cloud of nitre, and the like combustible materials, that by their explofion ftill hurried him forward in his voyage; his fpringing upward like a pyramid of fire, with his laborious paffage through that confufion of elements which the poet calls The womb of nature, and perhaps her grave. The glimmering light which fhot into the Chaos from the utmost verge of the creation, with the diftant difcovery of the earth that hung close by the moon, are wonderfully beautiful and poetical. L FEB. 19, 1712. I Have loved a lady entirely for this year and half, though for a great part of the time, which has contributed not a little to my pain, I have been debarred the liberty of converfing with her. The grounds of our difference was this; that when we had enquired into each other's circumftances, we found that at our first fetting out into the world, we should owe five hundred pounds more than her fortune would pay off. My eftate is feven hundred pounds a year, befides the benefit of tin mines. Now, dear Spec, upon this State of the cafe, and the lady's positive declaration that there is ftill no other objection, I beg you will not fail to infert this, with your opinion, as foon as poffible, whether this ought to be efteemed a juft caufe or impediment why we fhould not be joined, and you will for ever oblige your's fincerely, DICK LOVESICK. P. S. Sir, if I marry this lady by the affitance of your opinion, you may expect a favour for it. MR.SPECTATOR; Have the misfortune to be one of thofe unhappy men who are diftinguished by the name of difcarded lovers; but I am the lefs mortified at my difgrace, becaufe the young lady is one of thofe creatures who fet up for negli gence of men, are forfooth the most rigidly virtuous in the world, and yet their nicety will permit them at the command of parents to go to bed to the mot utter ranger that can be proposed to them. As to me myself, I was introduced by the father of my mittrefs; bui but find I owe my being at firft received to a comparison of my eftate with that of a former lover, and that I am now in like manner turned off to give way to an humble fervant ftill richer than I am. What makes this treatment the more extravagant is, that the young lady is in the management of this way of fraud, and obeys her father's orders on thofe occafions without any manner of reluctance, but does it with the fame air that one of your men of the world would fignify the neceffity of affairs for turning another out of office. When I came home last night, I found this letter from my mistress. This great indifference on this fubject, and the mercenary motives for making alliances, is what I think lies naturally before you, and I beg of you to give me your thoughts upon it. My anfwer to Lydia was as follows, which I hope you will approve; for you are to know the woman's family affect a wonderful eafe on thefe occafions, though they expect it should be painfully received on the man's fide, preferring a new to an old pretender; with his opinion what is proper to be determined in fuch cafes for the future, MR. SPECTATOR, THERE is an elderly perfon lately left off bufinefs and fettled in our town, in order, as he thinks, to retire from the world; but he has brought with him fuch an inclination to tale bearing, that he difturbs both himself and all our neighbourhood. Notwithftanding this frailty, the honeft gentleman is fo happy as to have no enemy: at the fame time he has not one friend who will venture to acquaint him with his weakness. It is not to be doubted but if this failing were fet in a proper light, he would quickly perceive the indecency and evil confequences of it. Now, Sir, this being an infirmity which I hope may be corrected, and knowing that he pays much deference to you, beg that when you are at leifure to give us a fpeculation on goffiping, you would think of my neighbour: you will hereby oblige feveral who will be glad to find a reformation in their grey haired friend; and how becoming will it be for him, instead of pouring forth words at all adventures, to fet a watch before the door of his mouth, to refrain his tongue, to check it's impetuofity, and guard against the fallies of that little pert, forward, bufy perfon; which, under a fober conduct, might prove a useful member of fociety. In compliance with thofe intimations, I have taken the liberty to make this addrefs to you. I am, Sir, your moft obfcure fervant, PHILANTHROPOS. MR. SPECTATOR, FEB. 16, 1712. THIS is to petition you in behalf of myfelf and many more of your gentle readers, that at any time when letting us know what you think youryou may have private reafons against felf, you would be pleafed to pardon us fuch letters of your correfpondents as feem to be of no ufe but to the printer. It is further our humble requeft, that you would fubftitute advertisements in the place of fuch epiftles; and that in order hereunto Mr. Buckley may be authorifed to take up of your zealous friend Mr. Charles Lilie, any quantity of words he hall from time to time have occafion for. The The many ufeful parts of knowledge which may be communicated to the public this way, will, we hope, be a confideration in favour of your petitioners. And your petitioners, &c. I Note, That particular regard be had to this petition; and the papers marked letter R may be carefully examined for the future. N° CCCXI. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26. NEC VENERIS PHARETRIS MACER EST, AUT LAMPADE FERVET: Juv. SAT. VI. VER. 137. HE SIGHS, ADORES, AND COURTS HER EV'RY HOUR: MR. SPECTATOR, DRYDEN. T forms me, that the girl has talked to Am amazed that among all the vaher twice or thrice of a gentleman in a riety of characters with which you fair wig, and that fhe loves to go to have enriched your fpeculations, you church more than ever the did in her life. have never given us a picture of thofe She gave me the flip about a week ago, audacious young fellows among us, upon which my whole houfe was in who commonly go by the name of For- alarm. I immediately difpatched a hue tune-tealers. You must know, Sir, I and cry after her to the 'Change, to am one who live in a continual appreher mantua-maker, and to the young henfion of this fort of people that lie in ladies that vifit her; but after above an wait, day and night, for our children, hour's fearch the returned of herself, and may be confidered as a kind of kid- having been taking a walk, as flie told nappers within the law. I am the fa- me, by Rofamond's pond. I have herether of a young heirefs, whom I begin upon turned off her woman; doubled to look upon as marriageable, and who her guards; and given new inftructions has looked upon herself as fuch for above to my relation, who, to give her her due, thefe fix years. She is now in the eigh- keeps a watchful eye over all her moteenth year of her age. The fortunetions. This, Sir, keeps me in a perhunters have already caft their eyes upon petual anxiety, and makes me very often her, and take care to plant themselves watch when my daughter fleeps, as I in her view whenever he appears in any am afraid he is even with me in her public affembly. I have myfelf caught turn. Now, Sir, what I would defire a young jackanapes with a pair of filver- of you is, to represent to this fluttering fringed gloves in the very fast. You tribe of young fellows, who are for mult know, Sir, I have kept her as a making their fortunes by these indirect prifoner of state ever fince the was in means, that stealing a man's daughter her teens. Her chamber-windows are for the fake of her portion, is but a kind crofs-barred; he is not permitted to of tolerated robbery; and that they go out of the house but with her keeper, make but poor amends to the father, who is a ftayed relation of our own; I whom they plunder after this manner, have likewife forbid her the ufe of pen by going to bed with his child. Dear and ink, for this twelvemonth last past, Sir, be speedy in your thoughts on this and do not fuffer a band-box to be car. fubject, that, if poffible, they may apried into her room before it has been pear before the difbanding of the army. fearched. Notwithstanding thefe pre-am, Sir, your most humble fervant, cautions, I am at my wits end for fear of any fudden furprife. There were, two or three nights ago, fome fiddles heard in the firect, which I am afraid portend me no good; not to mention a tall Irishman, that has been feen walking before my houfe more than once this winter. My kinfwoman likewife in TIM. WATCHWELL. Themistocles, the great Athenian general, being asked whether he would chufe to marry his daughter to an indigent man of merit, or to a worthless man of an estate, replied, that he fhould prefer a man without an eftate, to an eftate eftate without a man. The worst of it is, our modern fortune-hunters are thofe who turn their heads that way, because they are good for nothing elfe. If a young fellow finds he can make nothing of Coke and Littleton, he provides himself with a ladder of ropes, and by that means very often enters upon the premifes. The fame art of fealing has likewife been practifed with good fuccefs by many military engineers. Stratagems of this nature make parts and induftry fuperfluous, and cut fhort the way to riches. Nor is vanity a lefs motive than idlenefs to this kind of mercenary purfuit. A fop, who admires his perfon in a glafs, foon enters into a refolution of making his fortune by it, not queftioning but every woman that falls in his way will do him as much juftice as he does himself. When an heirefs fees a man throwing particular graces into his ogle, or talking loud within her hearing, the ought to look to herfelf; but if withal the obferves a pair of red heels, a patch, or any other particularity in his drefs, the cannot take too much care of her perfon. Thefe are baits not to be trifled with, charms that have done a world of execution, and made their way into hearts which have been thought impregnable. The force of a man with thefe qualifications is fo well known, that I am credibly informed there are feveral female undertakers about the 'Change, who upon the arrival of a likely man out of a neighbouring kingdom, will furnish him with proper drefs from head to foot, to be paid for at a double price on the day of marriage. We must however diftinguish between fortune-hunters and fortune-stealers. The first are those affiduous gentlemen who employ their whole lives in the chace, without ever coming at the quarry. Suffenus has combed and powdered at the ladies for thirty years together, and taken his ftand in a fide box, until he is grown wrinkled under their eyes. He is now laying the fame fnare for the prefent generation of beauties, which he practifed on their mothers, Cottilus, after having made his applications to more than you meet with in Mr. Cowley's ballad of miftreffes, was at laft fmitten with a citylady of 20,000l. iterling; but died of old age before he could bring matters to bear. Nor muit here omit my worthy friend Mr. Honeycomb, who has often told us in the club, that for twenty years fucceffively, upon the death of a childless rich man, he immediately drew on his boots, called for his horfe, and made up to the widow. When he is rallied upon his ill fuccefs, Will, with his ufual gaiety, tells us, that he always found her pre,engaged. There is Widows are indeed the great game of your fortune hunters. fcarce a young fellow in the town of fix foot high, that has not paffed in review before one or other of thefe wealthy relicts. Hudibras's Cupid, who Took his ftand Upon a widow's jointure land, is daily employed in throwing darts, and kindling flames. But as for widows, they are fuch a fubtle generation of people, that they may be left to their own conduct; or if they make a falle step in it, they are anfwerable for it to nobody but themfelves. The young innocent creatures who have no knowledge and experience of the world, are those whose fafety I would principally confult in this fpeculation. The tealing of fuch an one hould, in my opinion, be as punishable as a rape. Where there is no judgment there is no choice; and why the inveigling a woman before she is come to years of difcretion, should not be as criminal as the feducing of her before she is ten years old, I am at a lofs to comprehend. L |