exerts itself to most advantage in the British theatre. It very much improves the sound of nonsense, and often goes along with the voice of the actor who pronounces it, as the violin or harpsichord accompanies the Italian recitative It has often supplied the place of the ancient chorus, in the words of Mr. * * *. In short, a bad poet has as great an antipathy to a cut-call, as many people have to a real cat Mr Collier, in his ingenious essay upon music, has the following passage:— "I believe it is possible to invent an instrument that shall have a quite contrary effect to those martial ones now in use ; an instrument that shall sink the spirits, and shake the nerves, and curdle the blood, and inspire despair and cowardice and consternation, at a surprising rate. Tis probable the roaring of lions, the warbling of cats and screech-owls, together with a mixture of the howling of dogs, judiciously imitated and compounded, might go a great way in this invention. Whether such anti-music as this might not be of service in a camp, I shall leave to the military men to consider." What this learned gentleman supposes in speculation, I have known actually verified in practice. The cat-call has struck « damp into generals, and frighted heroes off the stage. At the first sound of it I have seen a crowned head tremble, and a princess fall into fits. The humorous lieutenant himself could not stand it; nay, I am told that even Almanzor looked like a mouse, and trembled at the voice of this terrifying instrument. As it is of a dramatic nature, and peculiarly appropriated to the stage, I can by no means approve the thought of tnat angry lover, who, after an unsuccessful pursuit of some years, took leave of his mistress in a serenade of catcalls. I must conclude this paper with the account I have lately received of an ingenious artist, who has long studied this instru1 fflent, and is very well versed in all the rules of the drama. He teaches to play on it by book, and to express by it the whole art of criticism. He has his bass and his treble oat-call; the former for tragedy, the latter for comedy; only in tragicomedies they may both play together in concert He has a particular squeak to denote the violation of each of the unities, and has different sounds to show whether he aims at the poet or the player. In short, he teaches the smut-note, the fustian-note, the stupid-note, and has compoied a kind of air that may serve as an act-tune to an incorrigible play, and which takes in the whole compass of the catcall. UDI8UN. L. No. 368. FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 1712. Landibus argnitur vini vinosus Hon. 1, Xp. XIX. 6. thence TVmple, April 24. The man who praises drinking, stands from thence " Mr. Spectator, "several of my friends were this morning got together over a dish of tea in very good health, though we had celebrated yesterday * with more glasses than we could have dispensed with, had we not been beholden to Brooke and Hellier. In gratitude therefore to those good citizens, I am, in the name of the company, to accuse you of great negligence in overlooking their merit, who have imported true and generous wine, and taken care that it should not be adulterated by the retailers before it comes to the table- of private families, or the clubs of honest fellows. I cannot imagine how a Spectator can be supposed to do his duty, without frequent resumption of such subjects as concern our health, the first thing to be regarded, if we have a miud to relish anything else. It would therefore very well become yonr spectatorial vigilance, to give it in orders to your officer for inspecting signs.f that in his march he would look into the itinerants who deal in provisions, and inquire where they buy their several wares. .Ever since the decease of Colly-Mully-Puff^ of agreeable and noisy memory, I cannot say I have observed anything sold in carts, or carried by horse or ass, or, in fine, in any moving market, which is not perished or putrefied ; witness the wheel-barrows of rotten raisins, almonds, figs, and currants, which you see vended by a merchant dressed in a second-hand suit of afoot soldier. You should consider that a child may be poisoned for the worth of a farthing; but except his poor parents send to one certain doctor § in town, they can have no advice for him under a guinea. When poisons are thus cheap, and medicines thus dear, how can you be • April 28, the Anniversary of Queen Anne's Coronation. t See No. 28. % This little man, who had nothing at all striking in his appearance, and was but just able to support the basket of pastry which he carried on his head, sung in a very peculiar tone the cant words which passed into his name. The singularity was very advantageous to him, as it rendered him one of the most noted cries of London. See No. 251. § A physician of that day who advertised his readiness to attend patients at determinate distances all over London, &c. for the small fees of a shilling, &c, to half-a crown each visit. aegiigent in inspecting what we eat and drink, or take no notice of mob as the above-mentioned citizens, who have been so serviceable to as of late in that particular? It was a custom among the old Romans* to do him particular honours who liad saved tlie life of a citizen;, how much more does the world owe to those who prevent the death of multitudes? As these men deserve well of your effiee. so such as act to the detriment of our health, you ought to represent to themselves and their fellow-subjects in the colours which they deserve to wear. I think it would be for the public good, that ail who vend wines should be under oaths in that behalf. The chairman at the quarter-sessions should inform the country, that the vintner who mixes wine to his customers shall (upon proof that the drinker thereof died within a year and a day after taking h) be deemed guilty of wilful murder, and the jury shall be instructed to inquire and present such delinquents accordingly, it is no mitigation of the crime, nor will it be conceived that it cast be brought in chance-medley or manslaughter, upon proof that it shall appear wine joined to wine, or right Herefordshire poured into Port O Port; but his selling it for one thing, knowing it to be another, must justly bear the foresaid guilt of wilful murder: for that lie, the said vintner, did an unlawful act willingly in the false mixture, and is therefore with equity liable to all the pains to which a man would be, if it were proved he designed only to rua, a man through the arm, whom he whipped through the lungs. This is my third year at the Temple, and this is, or should be law. An ill intention well proved should meat with no alleviation, becaase it outran itself. There cannot be too great severity used against the injustice as well as cruelty of those who play with men's lives, by preparing liquors, whose nature, for aught they know, may be noxious when mixed, though innocent when apart: and Brooke and Hellier, who have insured our safety at our meals, and driven jealousy from our cups in conversation, deserve the custom and thanks of the whole town; and it is your duty to i»mind them of the obligation. " I am, Sir, your humble servant, ~Tox Pottxe." " Mh. Spectator, " I Am a person who was long immured in a college, read much, saw little; so that I knew no more of the world than what a lecture or a view of the map taught me. By this means I improved in my study, but became unpleasant in conversation. By conversing generally with the dead, I grew almost unfit for the society of the living, so by a long confinement I contracted an ungainly aversion to conversation, and ever discoursed with pain to myself, and little entertainment to others. At last I was in some measure made sensible of my failing, and the mortification of never being spoke to, or speaking, unless the discourse ran upon hooks, (put me upon forcing myself amongst men. I immediately affects the politest company, by the frequent use of which I hoped to wear off the rust I had contracted; but by an uncouth imitation of men used to act in public, I got no further than to discover I had a mind to appear a finer thing than I really was. ~ “ Such Iwas, and such was my condition, when I became an ardent lover, and passionate admirer of the beauteous Belinda. Then it was that I really began to improve. This passion .changed all my fears and difiidences in my general behaviour, to _the sole concern of pleasing her. I had not now to study the action of a gentleman; but love possessing all my thoughts, made me truly be the thing I had a mind to appear. M thoughts rew litee and generous; and the ambition to be agreeahle to her I admired, produced in m carriage a faint similitude of th at disengaged manner of my Belindya. The way we are in at present is, that she sees my passion, and sees I at present forbear ~peaking of it through 'prudential regards. This resfpect to her she returns with much .civility, and makes my value or her as little a misfortune to me as is consistent with discretion. She sings very charmingly, and is readier to do so at my request, because she knows I love her. She will dance with me rather than another for the same reason. My »fortune must alter from what it is, before I can speak my heart to her: and her circumstances are not considerable enough to make _up for the narrowness of mine. But I write to you now, only to give you the character of Belinda, as a woman that has address enough to demonstrate a gratitude to her lover, without giving him hopes of success in his (passion. Belinda has from a great wit, governed by as great pru ence, and both adorned with innocence, the happiness o always being ready to discover her real thoughts. She has many of us who now are her admirers; but her treatment of us is sojust and proportioned to our merit towards her. and what we are in ourselves, that I protest to you I have neither jealousy not hatred towards my rivals. Such is er goodness and the acknowledgment of every man who admires her, that he thinks he ought to believe she will take him who best deserves her. I will not say that this ieace among us is not owing to selflove, which prompts each to think himself the best deserver. I think there is something uncommon and worthy of imitation in this lady‘s character. lfyou will please to_ print my letter, you will oblige the little fraternity of appy riva s, and in a more particular manner, “ Sir, your most humble servant, “ Wim. Cvuou.” srszu. T. No. 363. SATURDAY, APRIL C6, 17 L2. - Crudelis ubique Luctus, ubique pavor, et plurima mortis imago. vino, Mh. XI. 368. All parte resound with tumults, plaints, and fears, And grisly death in sundry shapes appears. Bbydbh. Milton bas shown a wonderful art in describing that variety of passions, which arose in our first parents upon the breach of the commandment that had been given them. We see them gradually passing from the triumph of their guilt, through remorse, shame, despair, contrition, praver, and hope, to a perfect and complete repentance. At the encl of the tenth book they are represented as prostrating themselves upon the ground, and watering the earth with their tears: to which the poet joins this beautiful circumstance, that they offered up their penitential prayers, on the very place where their Judge appeared to them when he pronounced their sentence.— ■ They forthwith to the place Repairing where he judg'd them, prostrate fell There is a beauty of the same kind in a tragedy of Sophocles, where CEdipus, after having jmt out his own eyes, instead of breaking his neck from the palace battlements (which furnishes so elegant an entertainment for our English audience), desires that he may be conducted to Mount Citharon, in order to end his life in that very place where he was exposed in his infancy, and where be should then have died, had the will of his parents been executed. As the author never fails to give a poetical turn to his sentiments, be describes in the beginning of the eleventh book the acceptance which these prayers met with, in a short allegory formed upon that beautiful passage in holy writ,*—" And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given nnto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which was before the throne : and the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God." " To heaven their prayers Flew up, nor miss'd the way, by envious winds * Revelation viii. 3, i. |