in Faftings often, At how much lefs Expence might he lay up to himself Treasures in Heaven; or if I may, in this Place, be allowed to add the Saying of a great Philofopher, he may provide fuch Poffeffions, as fear neither Arms, nor Men, nor Jove himself. IN the fecond Place, if we look upon the Toils of Ambition, in the fame Light as we have confidered those of Avarice, we fhall readily own that far lefs Trouble is requifite to gain lafting Glory, than the Power and Reputation of a few Years; or, in other Words, we may with more Ease deserve Honour, than obtain it. The Ambitious Man fhould remember Cardinal Woolfey's Complaint. Had I ferved God, with the fame Application, wherewith I ferved my King, he would not have forfaken me in my old Age. The Cardinal here foftens his Ambition by the specious Pretence of ferving his King: Whereas his Words in the proper Conftruction, imply, that if inftead of being acted by Ambition, he had been acted by Religion, he fhould have now felt the Comforts of it, when the whole World turned its Back upon him. Thirdly, LET us compare the Pains of the Sensual, with those of the Virtuous, and fee which are heavier in the Balance. It may feem ftrange, at the first View, that the Men of Pleasure should be advised to change their Courfe, because they lead a painful Life. Yet when we fee them fo active and vigilant in quest of Delight; under fo many Difquiets, and the Sport of fuch various Paffions; let them anfwer, as they can, if the Pains they undergo, do not outweigh their Enjoy. ments. The Infidelities on the one Part between the two Sexes, and the Caprices on the other, the Debafement of Reafon, the Pangs of Expectation, the Difappointments in Poffeffion, the Stings of Remorfe, the Vanities and Vexations attending even the moft refined Delights that make up this Bufinefs of Life, render it fo filly and uncomfortable, that no Man is thought wife till he hath got over it, or happy, but in proportion as he hath cleared himfelf from it. THE Sum of all is this. Man is made an active Being. Whether he walks in the Paths of Virtue or Vice, he he is fure to meet with many Difficulties to prove his Patience, and excite his Induftry. The fame, if not greater Labour, is required in the Service of Vice and Folly, as of Virtue and Wisdom: And he hath this easy Choice left him, whether with the Strength he is Master of, he will purchase Happiness or Repentance. N° 625. Friday, November 26. T amores De tenero meditatur Ungui.. Hor. HE Love-Cafuift hath referred to me the follow ing Letter of Queries, with his Answers to each Queftion, for my Approbation. I have accordingly confider'd the feveral Matters therein contained, and hereby confirm and ratify his Anfwers, and require. the gentle Querift to conform her felf thereunto. 6. SIR, I Was Thirteen the Ninth of November laft, and must now begin to think of fettling my felf in the World, and fo I would humbly beg your Advice,, what I muft do with Mr. Fondle, who makes his Addreffes to me. He is a very pretty Man, and hath the blackeft Eyes and whiteft Teeth you ever faw. Though he is but a younger Brother, he dreffes like a Man of Quality, and no Body comes into a Room like him. I know he hath refufed great Offers, and if he can6 not Marry me, he will never have any Body else. But my Father hath forbid him the House, because he fent me a Copy of Verfes; for he is one of the greateft Wits in Town. My eldest Sifter, who, with her Good-will, would call me Mifs as long as I live, must be married before me, they fay. She tells them, that 4Mr. Fondle makes a Fool of me, and will spoil the Child, as the calls me, like a confident thing as she is. In fhort, I am refolved to marry Mr. Fondle, if it be but to fpite her. But because I would do nothing that is imprudent, I beg of you to give me your Answers to fome Questions I will write down, and defire you to get them printed in the SPECTATOR, and I do not doubt but you will give fuch Advice, as, I am fure, I fhall follow. WHEN Mr. Fondle looks upon me for half an Hour together, and calls me Angel, is he not in • Love? Anfwer, No. 'MAY not I be certain he will be a kind Hufband, that has promised me half my Portion in Pinmoney, and to keep me a Coach and Six in the Bar6 gain? No. WHETHER I, who have been acquainted with him this whole Year almoft, am not a better Judge of his Merit, than my Father and Mother, who never heard him talk, but at Table? No. WHETHER I am not old enough to choose for my-felf? No. "WHETHER it would not have been rude in me to refuse a Lock of his Hair? No. 'SHOU'D not I be a very barbarous Creature, if I did not pity a Man who is always Sighing for my • Sake? No. WHE WHETHER you would not advise me to run away with the poor Man? No. WHETHER you do not think, that if I won't have him, he won't drown himself? No. me WHAT fhall I fay to him the next time he asks if I will marry him? No. THE following Letter requires neither Introduction, nor Answer. < Mr. SPECTATOR, I Wonder that, in the prefent Situation of Affairs, you can take Pleasure in writing any thing but News; for in (a Word, who minds any thing else? The Pleasure of increafing in Knowledge, and learning fomething new every Hour of Life, is the nobleft Entertainment of a rational Creature. I have a very good Ear for a Secret, and am naturally of a communicative Temper; by which Means I am capa'ble of doing you great Services in this way. In order to make my felf ufeful, I am early in the Antichamber, where I thruft my Head into the thick of the Prefs, and catch the News, at the opening of the Door, while it is warm. Sometimes I ftand by the Beef-Eaters, and take the Buz as it paffes by me. At other times I lay my Ear close to the Wall, and 'fuck in many a valuable Whifper, as it runs in a ftraight Line from Corner to Corner. When I am weary with ftanding, I repair to one of the neighbouring Coffee-houtes, where I fit fometimes for a whole Day, and have the News as it comes from Court fresh and fresh. In fhort, Sir, I fpare no Pains to know how the World goes. A Piece of News lofés lofes its Flavour when it hath been an Hour in the • Air. I love, if may so speak, to have it fresh from the Tree; and to convey it to my Friends before it is faded. Accordingly my Expences in Coach-hire make no fmall Article; which you may believe, when I affure you, that I poft away from Coffeehoufe to Coffee-house, and foreftall the Evening-Poft by two Hours. There is a certain Gentleman, who hath given me the flip twice or thrice, and hath been beforehand with me at Child's. But I have play'd him a Trick. I have purchas'd a Pair of the best • Coach-horfes I could buy for Money, and now let him out-ftrip me if he can. Once more, Mr. SPECTATOR, let me advise you to deal in News. You may depend upon my Affiftance. But I must break off abruptly, for I have twenty Letters to write. Yours in bafte, Tho. Quid-nunc. N° 626. Monday, November 29 I Dulcique animos novitate tenebo. Ov. Met. 1. 4. Have feen a little Work of a learned Man, confifting of extemporary Speculations, which owed their Birth to the most trifling Occurrences of Life. His ufual Method was, to write down any fudden Start of Thought which arofe in his Mind upon the fight of an odd Gefticulation in a Man, any whimfical Mimickry of Reafon in a Beaft, or whatever appeared remarkable in any Object of the vifible Creation. He was able to moralize upon a Snuff-Box, would flourish eloquently upon a Tucker or a Pair of Ruffles, and draw practical Inferences from a fullbottomed Periwig. This I thought fit to mention, by way of Excufe, for my ingenious Correfpondent, who |