"WHEN my Neighbour John, who hath often injured me, comes to make his Requeft to-morrow: "Mem. I have forgiven him. "LAID up my Chariot, and fold my Horfes, to "relieve the Poor in a Scarcity of Corn. "IN the fame Year remitted to my Tenants a Fifth "Part of their Rents. "AS I was airing to-day, I fell into a Thought that "warmed my Heart, and fhall, I hope, be the better "for it as long as I live. "Mem. TO charge my Son in private to erect no "Monument for me; but not to put this in my last Will. N° 623. Monday, November 22. I 6 Sed mihi vel tellus optem priùs ima dehifcat, Antè, pudor, quàm te vivlem, aut tua jura refolvam." Abjiulit: ille babeat fecum, fervetque fepulchro. Virg." A M obliged to my Friend, the Love-Cafuift, for the following curious Piece of Antiquity, which I fhall communicate to the Publick in his own Words. Mr. SPECTATOR, Y OU may remember, that I lately transmitted to you an Account of an ancient Custom, in the Manors of East and West-Enborne, in the County of Berks, and elsewhere. If a Cuftomary Tenant die, the • Widow fhall have what the Law calls her Free-Bench in all his Copy-hold Lands, dum fola & cafta fuerit, that is, while the lives fingle and chaste, but if she commits Incontinency, fhe forfeits her Eftate: Yet if he will • come L 5 6 6 come into the Court riding backward upon a Black Ram, with his Tail in her Hand, and fay the Words following, the Steward is bound by the Custom to rez"admit her to her Free-Bench.. S. Here I am, Riding upon a Black Ram, Therefore, I pray you, Mr. Steward, let me bave my AFTER having informed you that my Lord Coke obferves, that this is the moft frail and flippery Tenure of any in England, I fhall tell you, fince the writing of that Letter, I have, according to my Promife, been at great Pains in fearching out the • Records of the Black Ram; and have at last met with the Proceedings of the Court-Baron, held in that Behalf, for the Space of a whole Day.. The Record faith, that a ftrict Inquifition having been made into the Right of the Tenants to their feveral Estates, by a crafty old Steward, he found that many of the Lands ⚫ of the Manor were, by default of the feveral Widows, ⚫ forfeited to the Lord, and accordingly would have en"ter'd on the Premifes: Upon which the good Women ⚫ demanded the Benefit of the Ram. The Steward, after having perused their feveral Pleas, adjourn'd the • Court to Barnaby-bright, that they might have Day enough before them. THE Court being fet, and filled with a great Concourfe of People, who came from all Parts to see the Solemnity, the first who entred was the Widow Frontly, ́ who had made her Appearance in the laft Year's Cavalcade. The Regifter obferves, that finding it an easy Pad-Ram, and forefeeing the might have further Occafion for it, she purchased it of the Steward. & MRS. MRS. Sarah Dainty, Relict of Mr. John Dainty, (who was the greatest Prude in the Parish) came next in the Proceffion. She at firft made fome Difficulty of taking the Tail in her Hand; and was obferved in pronouncing the Form of Penance, to foften the two moft emphatical Words into Clincum Clancum: But the Steward took care to make her fpeak plain English,. before he would let her have her Land again. THE third Widow that was brought to this worldly Shame, being mounted upon a vicious Ram, had the Misfortune to be thrown by him; upon which the hoped to be excufed from going through the reft of the Ceremony: But the Steward being well verfed in the Law, obferved very wifely upon this Occafion, that the breaking of the Rope does not hinder the Execution of the Criminal. THE fourth Lady upon Record was the Widow Ogle, a famous Coquette, who had kept half a Score • young Fellows off and on for the Space of two Years; but having been more kind to her Carter John, the • was introduced with the Huzzas of all her Lovers. about her. MRS. Sable appearing in her Weeds, which were very new and fresh, and of the fame Colour with her whimfical Palfrey, made a very decent Figure in the Solemnity. ANOTHER, who had been fummoned to make her Appearance, was excufed by the Steward, as well. knowing in his Heart, that the good Squire himself had qualified her for the Ram. MRS. Quick having nothing to object against the Indictment, pleaded her Belly. But it was remembred that fhe made the fame Excufe the Year before. Upon which the Steward obferv'd, that fhe might fo contrive it, as never to do the Service of the Manor. THE Widow Fidget being cited into Court, infifted that he had done no more fince the Death of her Husband, than what fhe ufed to do in his Lifetime; and withal defir'd Mr. Steward to confider his own Wife's Cafe, if he fhould chance to die before: ' her. THE THE next in order was a Dowager of a very corpulent Make, who would have been excufed as not finding any Ram that was able to carry her; upon which the Steward commuted her Punishment, and or⚫dered her to make her Entry upon a black Ox. THE Widow Maskwell, a Woman who had long • lived with a most unblemished Character, having turn'ed off her old Chamber-maid in a Pet, was by that revengeful Creature brought in upon the black Ram nine times the fame Day. SEVERAL Widows of the Neighbourhood, being brought upon their Trial, they fhewed that they ⚫ did not hold of the Manor, and were discharged ac⚫cordingly. A pretty young Creature who clofed the Pro⚫ceffion came ambling in, with fo bewitching an Air, that the Steward was obferv'd to caft a Sheep's Eye upon her, and married her within a Month after the Death of his Wife. N. B. Mrs. Touchwood appeared, according to Summons, but had nothing laid to her Charge; having liv'd irreproachably fince the Decease of her Hufband, who left her a Widow in the Sixty-ninth Year of her Age. I am, SIR, &c. N° 624. Wednesday, November 24. Audire, atque togam jubeo componere, quifquis Hor. ANKIND is divided into two Parts, the M Bufy and the Idle. The Bufy World may be divided into the Virtuous and the Vicious. The Vicious again into the Covetous, the Ambitious, and the Senfual. The idle Part of Mankind are in a State 253 State inferior to any one of these. All the other are engaged in the Pursuit of Happiness, though often mifplaced, and are therefore more likely to be attentive to fuch Means, as fhall be proposed to them for that End. The Idle, who are neither wife, for this World, nor the next, are emphatically called by Dr. Tillotson, Fools at large. They propofe to themselves no End, but run adrift with every Wind. Advice therefore would be but thrown away upon them, fince they would fcarce take the pains to read it. I fhall not fatigue any of this worthless Tribe with a long Harangue; but will leave them with this fhort Saying of Plato, that Labour is preferable to Idleness, as Brightness to Ruft. THE Purfuits of the Active Part of Mankind are either in the Paths of Religion and Virtue; or, on the other hand, in the Roads to Wealth, Honours, or Pleasure. I fhall, therefore, compare the Purfuits of Avarice, Ambition and fenfual Delight, with their oppofite Virtues; and fhall confider which of these Principles engages Men in a Courfe of the greatest Labour, Suffering and Affiduity. Moft Men, in their cool Reafonings, are willing to allow that a Course of Virtue will in the End be rewarded the most amply; but reprefent the way to it as rugged and narrow. If therefore it can be made appear, that Men ftruggle through as many Troubles to be miferable, as they do to be happy, my Readers may perhaps be perfuaded to be Good, when they find they fhall lofe nothing by it. FIRST, for Avarice. The Mifer is more Induftrious than the Saint: The Pains of getting, the Fears of lofing, and the Inability of enjoying his Wealth, have been the Mark of Satyr in all Ages. Were his Repentance upon his Neglect of a good Bargain, his Sorrow for being over-reached, his Hope of improving a Sum, and his Fear of falling into Want, directed to their proper Objects; they would make so many different Chriftian Graces and Virtues. He may apply to himself a great Part of St. Paul's Catalogue of Sufferings. In journeying often; in Perils of Waters, in Perils of Robbers, in Perils among falfe Brethren. In Weariness and Painfulness, in Watchings often, in Hunger and Thirst, |