It was said of Socrates, that he brought Philosophy down from Heaven, to inhabit among men; and I shall be ambitious to have it said of me, that I have brought philosophy out of closets and libraries, schools and colleges, to dwell in clubs and assemblies, at tea-tables and in coffee-houses.

I would therefore in a very particular manner recommend these my speculations to all well-regulated families that set apart an hour in every morning for tea and bread and butter; and would earnestly advise them for their good to order this paper to be punctually served up, and to be looked upon as a part of the tea equipage.

Sir Francis Bacon observes, that a well-written book, compar ed with its rivals and antagonists, is like Moses's serpent, that immediately swallowed up and devoured those of the Ægyptians. I shall not be so vain as to think that where the SPECTATOR appears, the other public prints will vanish; but shall leave it to my readers' consideration, whether, is it not much better to be let into the knowledge of one's self, than to hear what passes in Muscovy or Poland; and to amuse ourselves with such writings as tend to the wearing out of ignorance, passion, and prejudice, than such as naturally conduce to inflame hatreds, and make enmities irreconcileable?

In the next place, I would recommend this paper to the daily perusal of those gentlemen whom I cannot but consider as my good brothers and allies, I mean the fraternity of Spectators, who live in the world without having any thing do in it; and either by the affluence of their fortunes, or laziness of their dispositions, have no other business with the rest of mankind, but to look upon them. Under this class of men are comprehended all contemplative tra lesmen, titular physicians, fellows of the Royal-society,' Templars that are not given to be contentious,

1 V. New Tatler, 216 221, 236, and notes on the illiberal treatment o the R. S.-C.

and statesmen that are out of business; in short, every one that considers the world as a theatre, and desires to form a right judgment of those who are the actors on it.

There is another set of men that I must likewise lay a claim to, whom I have lately called the blanks of society, as being altogether unfurnished with ideas, till the business and conversation of the day has supplied them. I have often considered these poor souls with an eye of great commiseration, when I have heard them asking the first man they have met with, whether there was any news stirring? and by that means gathering together materials for thinking. These needy persons do not know what to talk of, till about twelve o'clock in the morning; for by that time they are pretty good judges of the weather, know which way the wind sits, and whether the Dutch mail be come in. As they lie at the mercy of the first man they meet, and are grave or impertinent all the day long, according to the notions which they have imbibed in the morning, I would earnestly entreat them not to stir out of their chambers till they have read this paper, and do promise them that I will daily instil into them such sound and wholesome sentiments, as shall have a good effect on their conversation for the ensuing twelve hours.

But there are none to whom this paper will be more useful, than to the female world. I have often thought there has not been sufficient pains taken in finding out proper employments and diversions for the fair ones.

Their amusements seem contrived for them, rather as they are women, than as they are reasonable creatures; and are more adapted to the sex than to the species. The toilet is their great scene of business, and the right adjusting of their hair the principal employment of their lives. The sorting of a suit of ribbons is reckoned a very good morning's work; and if they make an excursion to a mercer's, or a toyshop, so great a fatigue makes

them unfit for any thing else all the day after. Their more se rious occupations are sewing and embroidery, and their greatest drudgery, the preparation of jellies and sweet-meats. This, I say, is the state of ordinary women; though I know there are multitudes of those of more elevated life and conversation, that move in an exalted sphere of knowledge and virtue, that join all the beauties of the mind to the ornaments of dress, and inspire a kind of awe and respect, as well as love, into their male. beholders. I hope to increase the number of these by publishing this daily paper, which I shall always endeavour to make ar innocent if not an improving entertainment, and by that means least divert the minds of my female readers from greater trifles. At the same time, as I would fain give some finishing touches to those which are already the most beautiful pieces in human nature, I shall endeavour to point out all those imperfections that are the blemishes, as well as those virtues which are the embellishments of the sex. In the meanwhile I hope these my gentle readers, who have so much time on their hands, will not grudge throwing away a quarter of an hour in a day on this paper, since they may do it without any hindrance to business.

I know several of my friends and well-wishers are in great pain for me, lest I should not be able to keep up the spirit of a paper which I oblige myself to furnish every day: but to make them easy in this particular, I will promise them faithfully to give it over as soon as I grow dull. This I know will be matter of great raillery to the small wits; who will frequently put me in mind of my promise, desire me to keep my word, assure me that it is high time to give over, with many other little pleasantries of the like nature, which men of a little smart genius cannot forbear throwing out against their best friends, when they have such a handle given them of being witty. But let them remember that I do hereby enter my caveat against this piece of raillery.-C

No. 12. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14.

-Veteres avias tibi de pulmone revello.

I root th' old woman from thy trembling heart.

PERS. Sat. v. 92.

This I bore

Ar my coming to London, it was some time before I could settle myself in a house to my liking. I was forced to quit my first lodgings, by reason of an officious landlady, that would be asking me every morning how I had slept. I then fell into an honest family, and lived very happily for above a week; when my landlord, who was a jolly good-natured man, took it into his head that I wanted company, and therefore would frequently come into my chamber to keep me from being alone. for two or three days; but telling me one day that he was afraid I was melancholy, I thought it was high time for me to be gone, and accordingly took new lodgings that very night. About a week after, I found my jolly landlord, who, as I said before, was an honest hearty man, had put me into an advertisement of the Daily Courant, in the following words. 'Whereas a melancholy man left his lodgings on Thursday last in the afternoon, and was after wards seen going towards Islington; if any one can give notice of him to R. B. Fishmonger in the Strand, he shall be very well rewarded for his pains.' As I am the best man in the world to keep my own counsel, and my landlord the Fishmonger not knowing my name, this accident of my life was never discovered to this very day.

I am now settled with a widow-woman, who has a great many children, and complies with my humour in every thing. I do not remember that we have exchanged a word together these five

The construction irregular. It should be-" and us my landlord, the fishmonger, did not know my name:" or else thus :-Being the bes, &c. and my landlord, &c. not knowing my name.”—H.

years; my coffee comes into my chamber every mornin asking for it; if I want fire I point to my chimney, bason upon which my landlady nodds, as much as t takes my meaning, and immediately obeys my signals. likewise modelled her family so well, that when her offers to pull me by the coat, or prattle in my face, his ter immediately calls him off, and bids him not to di Gentleman. At my first entering into the family, I was with the civility of their rising up to me every time into the room; but my landlady observing that upon casions I always cried pish, and went out again, has f any such ceremony to be used in the house; so that at walk into the kitchen or parlour without being taken not giving any interruption to the business or discourse of th The maid will ask her mistress (though I am by) whe Gentleman is ready to go to dinner, as the mistress (who: an excellent housewife) scolds at the servants as heartil my face as behind my back. In short, I move up and d house and enter into all companies, with the same liberty or any other domestic animal, and am as little suspected o any thing that I hear or see.

I remember last winter there were several young girl neighbourhood sitting about the fire with my landlady's ters, and telling stories of spirits and apparitions. U opening the door the young women broke off their discou my landlady's daughter's telling them that it was no body Gentleman (for that is the name that I go by in the nei hood as well as in the family), they went on without mind I seated myself by the candle that stood on a table at one the room; and pretending to read a book that I took out pocket, heard several dreadful stories of ghosts as pale as that had stood at the feet of a bed, or walked over a chur