March 14, 1711 Wednesday, March 14. AT Veteres avias tibi de pulmone revello.-Pers. some time T my coming to London, it was before I could settle my self 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; wher 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. This I bore for two or three Days but telling me one Day that he was afraid I was melan choly, 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 afterwards 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 Years; my Coffee comes into my Chamber every Morning without asking for it; if want Fire I point to my Chimney, if Water to my Bason Upon which my Landlady nodds, as much as to say she takes my Meaning, and immediately obeys my Signals She has likewise model'd her Family so well, that when her little Boy offers to pull me by the Coat, or prattle in my Face, his eldest Sister immediately calls him off, ang bids him not disturb the Gentleman. At my first entring into the Family, I was troubled with the Civility of their March 14, sing up to me every time I came into the Room; but my No. 12. 4. andlady observing that upon these Occasions I always Wednes ied Pish, and went out again, has forbidden any such day eremony to be used in the House; so that at present I 1711 malk into the Kitchen or Parlour without being taken Motice of, or giving any Interruption to the Business or Siscourse of the Family, The Maid will ask her Mistress ho' I am by) whether the Gentleman is ready to go to esinner, as the Mistress (who is indeed an excellent House erife) scolds at the Servants as heartily before my Face as Dehind my Back. In short, I move up and down the orHouse and enter into all Companies, with the same Liberty ms a Cat or any other Domestick Animal, and am as little Suspected of telling any thing that I hear or see, I remember last Winter there were several young irls of the Neighbourhood sitting about the Fire with hy Landlady's Daughters, and telling Stories of Spirits and Apparitions. Upon my opening the Door the young Women broke off their Discourse, but my Landlady's Daughters telling them that it was no Body but the Gentleman (for that is the Name which I go by in the Neighbourhood as well as in the Family) they went on vithout minding me. I seated my self by the Candle that tood on a Table at one end of the Room; and pretending read a Book that I took out of my Pocket, heard several readful Stories of Ghosts as pale as Ashes that had stood t the Feet of a Bed, or walked over a Church-yard by Moon-light: And of others that had been conjured into he Red-Sea, for disturbing People's Rest, and drawing their Curtains at Midnight; with many other old Women's ables of the like nature. As one Spirit raised another, observed that at the End of every Story the whole Com any closed their Ranks, and crouded about the Fire: I ook Notice in particular of a little Boy, who was so atten ive to every Story, that I am mistaken if he ventures to go o Bed by himself this Twelve-month. Indeed they talked so long, that the Imaginations of the whole Assembly were manifestly crazed, and I am sure will be the worse it as long as they live. I heard one of the Girls, that had looked upon me over her Shoulder, asking the Com pany how long I had been in the Room, and whether I 1711 No. 12. did not look paler than I used to do. This put me unde Wednes some Apprehensions that I should be forced to expla day, March 14, my self if I did not retire; for which Reason I took th Candle in my Hand, and went up into my Chamber, ne without wondering at this unaccountable Weakness i reasonable Creatures, that they should love to astonis and terrifie one another. Were I a Father, I should tak a particular Care to preserve my Children from thes little Horrors of Imagination, which they are apt to con tract when they are young, and are not able to_shak off when they are in Years. I have known a Soldie that has entered a Breach, affrighted at his own Shadow and look pale upon a little scratching at his Door, wh the Day before had marched up against a Battery o Cannon. There are Instances of Persons, who hav been terrified, even to Distraction, at the Figure of Tree, or the shaking of a Bull-rush The Truth of it is I look upon a sound, Imagination as the greatest Blessing of Life, next to a clear Judgment and a good Conscience In the mean time, since there are very few whose Mind are not more or less subject to these dreadful Thought and Apprehensions, we ought to arm our selves agains them by the Dictates of Reason and Religion, to pull the ol Woman out of our Hearts (as Persius expresses it in the Motto of my Paper) and extinguish those impertinen Notions which we imbibed at a Time that we were no able to judge of their Absurdity, Or if we believe, a many wise and good Men have done, that there are such Phantoms and Apparitions as those I have been speaking of, let us endeavour to establish to our selves an Interes in him who holds the Reins of the whole Creation in his Hand, and moderates them after such a Manner, tha it is impossible for one Being to break loose upon anothe without his Knowledge and Permission. For my own Part, I am apt to join in Opinion with those who believe that all the Regions of Nature swarm with Spirits; and that we have Multitudes of Spectators on all our Actions, when we think our selves most alone But instead of terrifying myself with such a Notion, I ag wonderfully pleased to think that I am always engaged with such an innumerable Society, in searching out the Wonders th Wednes day, onders of the Creation, and joining in the same Consort No. 12. Praise and Adoration, Milton has finely described this mixed Communion of March 14, Men and Spirits in Paradise; and had doubtless his Eye 1711, pon a Verse in old Hesiod, which is almost Word for Word the same with his third Line in the following a assage, Nor think, though Men were none, a Sole, or responsive each to other's Note, 10 T Thursday, March 15. C Dic mihi, si fias tu leo, qualis eris?—Mart. HERE is nothing that of late Years has afforded Matter of greater Amusement to the Town than ignior Nicolini's Combat with a Lion in the Hay Market, which has been very often exhibited to the eneral Satisfaction of most of the Nobility and Gentry ʼn the Kingdom of Great Britain. Upon the first Rumour f this intended Combat, it was confidently affirmed, and still believed by many in both Galleries, that there ould be a tame Lion sent from the Tower every Opera light, in order to be killed by Hydaspes; this Report, hough altogether groundless, so universally prevailed in he upper Regions of the Play-house, that some of the nost refined Politicians in those Parts of the Audience ave it out in Whisper, that the Lion was a Cousin erman of the Tyger who made his Appearance in King William's Days, and that the Stage would be supplied with Lions at the publick Expence, during the whole Session No. 13. Session. Many likewise were the Conjectures of t Thursday, Treatment which this Lion was to meet with from th March 15, Hands of Signior Nicolini; some supposed that he w 1711. to subdue him in Recitativo, as Orpheus used to ser the wild Beasts in his time, and afterwards to kno him on the Head; some fancied that the Lion wou not pretend to lay his Paws upon the Hero, by reasd of the received Opinion, that a Lion will not hurt, Virgin Several, who pretended to have seen the Ope in Italy, had informed their Friends, that the Li was to act a Part in High-Dutch, and roar twice thrice to a Thorough Base, before he fell at the Feet Hydaspes. To clear up a Matter that was so various reported, I have made it my Business to examine wheth this pretended Lion is really the Savage he appears be, or only a Counterfeit. But before I communicate my Discoveries, I mu acquaint the Reader, that upon my walking behind th Scenes last Winter, as I was thinking on something els I accidentally justled against a monstrous Animal the extreamly startled me, and upon my nearer Survey it, appeared to be a Lion Rampant. The Lion, seein me very much surprized, told me, in a gentle Void that I might come by him if I pleased: For (says h I do not intend to hurt any body. I thanked him ver kindly, and passed by him. And in a little time aft saw him leap upon the Stage, and act his Part with ve great Applause. It has been observed by several, the the Lion has changed his manner of Acting twice thrice since his first Appearance; which will not see strange, when I acquaint my Reader that the Lion h been changed upon the Audience three several time The first Lion was a Candle-snuffer, who being a Fello of a testy cholerick Temper over-did his Part, and wou not suffer himself to be killed so easily as he ought have done; besides, it was observed of him, that he gre more surly every time he came out of the Lion; an having dropt some Words in ordinary Conversation, i if he had not fought his best, and that he suffered hims to be thrown upon his Back in the Scuffle, and that b would wrestle with Mr. Nicolini for what he please Οι |