and vanity of his art. But Socrates told them, that the principles of his art might be very true, notwithstanding his prefent miftake; for that he himself was naturally inclined to thofe particular vices which the phyfiognomist had difcovered in his countenance, but that he had conquered the ftrong difpofitions he was born with by the dictates of philofophy.

We are indeed told by an ancient author, that Socrates very much refembled Silenus in his face; which we find to have been very rightly obferved from the statues and bufts of both, that are ftill extant; as well as on feveral antique feals and precious ftones, which are frequently enough to be met with in the cabinets of the curious. But however obfervations of this nature may fometimes hold, a wife man fhould be particularly cautious how he gives credit to a man's outward appearance. It is an irreparable injuftice we are guilty of towards one another, when we are prejudiced by the looks and features of those whom we do not know. How often do we conceive hatred against a perfon of worth, or fancy a man to be proud or ill-natured by his afpect, whom we think we cannot efteem too much when we are acquainted with his real character? Dr. Moore, in his admirable fyftem of ethicks, reckons this particular inclination to take a prejudice againft a man for his looks, among the smaller vices in morality, and, if I remember, gives it the name of a Profopolepfia.

L

Saturday, June 9.

N° 87

Nimiùm ne crede colori.

I

Virg. Ecl. 2. v. 17.

Truft not too much to an enchanting face. DRYDEN.

T has been the purpofe of feveral of my fpeculations to bring people to an unconcerned behaviour, with relation to their perfons, whether beautiful or defective. As the fecrets of the Ugly Club were expofed to the publick, that men might fee there were fome

noble

29 noble fpirits in the age, who are not at all displeased with themselves upon confideration which they had no choice in; fo the difcourfe concerning idols tended to Teffen the value people put upon themselves from perfonal advantages and gifts of nature. As to the latter fpecies of mankind, the beauties, whether male or female, they are generally the moft untractable people of all others. You are fo exceffively perplexed with the particu larities in their behaviour, that, to be at ease, one would be apt to wish there were no fuch creatures. They expect fo great allowances, and give fo little to others, that they who have to do with them find in the main, a man with a better person than ordinary, and a beautiful woman, might be very happily changed for fuch to whom nature has been lefs liberal. The handfome fellow is ufually fo much a gentleman, and the fine woman has fomething fo becoming, that there is no enduring either of them. It has therefore been generally my choice to mix with chearful ugly creatures, rather than gentlemen who are graceful enough to omit or do what they please or beauties who have charms enough to do and fay what would be disobliging in any but themselves.

Diffidence and prefumption, upon account of our perfons are equally faults; and both arife from the want of knowing, or rather endeavouring to know, ourfelves, and for what we ought to be valued or neglected. But indeed, I did not imagine thefe little confiderations and coquetries could have the ill confequence as I find they have by the following letters of my correfpondents, where it feems beauty is thrown into the accompt, in matters of fale, to thofe who receive no favour from the charmers.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

A

June 4.

FTER I have affured you I am in every respect one of the handfomeft young girls about town, I need be particular in nothing but the make of my face, which has the misfortune to be exactly oval. This I take to proceed from a temper that naturally inclines me both to speak and hear.

With this account you may wonder how I can ⚫ have the vanity to offer my felf as a candidate, which

I now do, to a fociety, where the SPECTATOR and Hecatifa have been admitted with fo much applause. I don't want to be put in mind how very defective I am in every thing that is ugly: I am too fenfible of own unworthinefs in this particular, and therefore I only propofe myfelf as a foil to the club.

my

You fee how honest I have been to confefs all my imperfections, which is a great deal to come from a woman, and what I hope you will encourage with the favour of your intereft.

There can be no objection made on the fide of the matchiefs Hecatifa, fince it is certain I fhall be in no danger of giving her the lead occafion of jealoufy: And then a joint-flool in the very lowest place at the table, is all the honour that is coveted by

Your most bumble

and obedient fervant, ROSALINDA.

PS. I have facrificed my necklace to put into the publick lottery against the common enemy. And laft Saturday, about three o'clock in the afternoon, I began to patch indifferently on both fides of my

• face.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

London, June 7, 1711. PON reading your late differtation concerning Idels, I cannot but complain to you that there are, in fix or feven places of this city, coffee-houses kept by perfons of that fifterhood. Thefe Idols fit and receive all day long the adoration of the youth within fuch and fuch districts: I know in particular, goods are not entered as they ought to be at the custom-house, nor law-reports perufed at the temple; by reafon of one beauty who detains the young merchants too long near Change, and another fair one who keeps the * ftudents at her houfe when they fhould be at ftudy. It wou'd be worth your while to fee how the Idolaters alternately offer incenfe to their Idols, and what heart-burnings arife in those who wait for their turn to receive kind afpects from thofe little thrones,

⚫ which all the company, but these lovers, call the bars. I faw a gentleman turn as pale as afhes, because an • Idol turn'd the fugar in a tea-difh for his rival, and carelefly called the boy to ferve him, with a Sirrab! Why don't you give the gentleman the box to please himself? Certain it is, that a very hopeful young man was taken with leads in his pockets below bridge, where he intended to drown himself, because his Idol would wash the dish in which fhe had but juft drank tea, before fhe would let him use it,

I am, Sir, a person past being amorous, and do not give this information out of envy or jealoufy, but I am a real fufferer by it. Thefe lovers take any thing for tea and coffee; I faw one yesterday furfeit to "make his court; and all his rivals, at the fame time, loud in the commendation of liquors that went against every body in the room that was not in love. While these young fellows refign their ftomachs with their hearts, and drink at the Idol in this manner, we 'who come to do bufinefs, or talk politicks, are utterly poifoned: They have alfo drams for those who are more enamoured than ordinary; and it is very common for fach as are too low in conftitution to ogle the Idol upon the ftrength of tea, to flufter themfelves with warmer liquors: Thus all pretenders advance, < as fast as they can, to a fever or a diabetes. I must repeat to you, that I do not look with an evil eye upon the profit of the Idols, or the diverfions of the lovers; what I hope from this remonftrance, is only that we plain people may not be ferved as if we were idolaters; but that from the time of publishing this in your paper, the Idols would mix ratfbane only for their admirers, and take more care of us who don't love them. I am,

SIR, yours,

R

T. T.

B. 4.

Monday,

N° 88

Monday, June 11.

Quid domini facient, audent cum talia fures?

Virg. Ecl. 3. v. 16. What will not masters do, when fervants thus prefume?

Mr. SPECTATOR,

May 30, 1711. HAVE no fmall value for your endeavours to

:I lay before the world what may escape their ob

fervation, and yet highly conduces to their fer'vice. You have, I think, fucceeded very well on many fubjects; and feem to have been converfant in 4 very different fcenes of life. But in the confiderations of mankind, as a SPECTATOR, you should not 'omit circumftances which relate to the inferior part of the world, any more than thofe which concern the greater. There is one thing in particular which I won• der you have not touched upon, and that is the ge⚫neral corruption of manners in the fervants of • Great-Britain. I am a man that have travelled and ⚫ feen many nations, but have for feven years last past refided conftantly in London, or within twenty miles of it: In this time I have contracted a numerous ⚫ acquaintance among the best fort of people, and have hardly found one of them happy in their fer.. vants. This is matter of great aftonishment to foreigners, and all fuch as have vifited foreign countries; efpecially fince we cannot but obferve, that there is no part of the world where fervants have thofe privileges and advantages as in England: They have no where elfe fuch plentiful diet, large wages, ⚫ or indulgent liberty: There is no place wherein they labour lefs, and yet where they are fo little refpectful, • more wafteful, more negligent, or where they fo frequently change their mafters. To this I attribute, in a great measure, the frequent robberies and lofles which we fuffer on the high road and in our own houses.

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