ber; who affect covering a weak place in a client's title, diverting the courfe of an inquiry, or finding a skilful refuge to palliate a falfhood: yet it is ftill called eloquence in the latter, though thus unjustly employed: but refolution in an affaffin is according to reafon quite as laudable, as knowledge and wifdom exercifed in the defence of an ill caufe. Were the intention ftedfastly confidered, as the meafure of approbation, all falfhood would foon be out of countenance and an address in impofing upon mankind, would be as contemptible in one ftate of life as another. A couple of courtiers making profeffions of efteem, would make the fame figure after breach of promife, as two knights of the poft convicted of perjury. But converfation is fallen fo low in point of morality, that as they say in a bargain, LET THE BUYER LOOK TO IT; fo in friendship, he is the man in danger who is most apt to believe. He is the more likely to fuffer in the commerce, who begins with the obligation of being the more ready to enter into it. But those men only are truly great, who place their ambition rather in acquiring to themselves the confcience of worthy enterprises, than in the profpect of glory which attends them. These exalted spirits would rather be fecretly the authors of events which are ferviceable to mankind, than, without being fuch, to have the public fame of it. Where therefore an eminent merit is robbed by artifice or detraction, it does but increase by fuch endeavours of its enemies. The impotent pains which are taken to fully it, or diffuse it among a crowd to the injury of a fingle perfon, will naturally produce the contrary effect; the fire will blaze out, and burn up all that attempt to fmother what they cannot extinguish. There is but one thing neceffary to keep the poffeffion of true glory, which is, to hear the oppofers of it with patience, and preferve the virtue by which it was acquired. When a man is thoroughly perfuaded that he ought neither to admire, wifh for, or purfue any thing but what is exactly his duty, it is not in the power of feasons, persons or accidents, to diminish his value. He only is a great man who can neglect the applause of the multi multitude, and enjoy himself independent of its favour. This is indeed an arduous task; but it should comfort a glorious spirit that it is the highest ftep to which human nature can arrive. Triumph, applaufe, accla mation, are dear to the mind of man; but it is fill a more exquifite delight to fay to yourself, you have done well, than to hear the whole human race pronounce you glorious, except you yourself can join with them in your own reflections. A mind thus equal and uniform may be deferted by little fashionable admirers and followers, but will ever be had in reverence by fouls like itself. The branches of the oak endure all the feafons of the year, though its leaves fall off in autumn; and thefe too will be reftored with the returning fpring. * By STEELE. T# N° 173 Tuesday, September 18, 171. I Remove fera monfira, tuæque Ovid. Met, v. 216. "Hence with thofe monstrous features, and, Q! fpare "That Gorgon's look, and petrifying stare." P. Na late Paper I mentioned the project of an ingenious author for the erecting of feveral handicraft prizes to be contended for by our British artifans, and the influence they might have towards the improvement of our feveral manufactures. I have fince that been very much furprifed by the following advertifement which I find in the Poft-Boy of the 11th inftant, and again repeated in the Pot-Boy of the 15th. On On Octobearwick hire, a plate of fix N the 9th of October next will be run for upon guineas value, three heats, by any horfe, mare or gelding that hath not won above the value of 51. the winning horfe to be fold for 10l. to carry to ftone weight, if 14 hands high; if above or under to carry or be allowed weight for inches, and to be entered Friday the 5th at the Swan in Coleshill, before fix in the evening. ALSO A PLATE OF LESS VALUE TO BE RUN FOR BY ASSES. THE SAME DAY A GOLD RING TO BE GRINN'D FOR BY MEN *. The first of these diverfions that is to be exhibited by the rol. Race-Horíes, may probably have its ufe; but the two laft, in which the affes and men are concerned, feem to me altogether extraordinary and unaccountable. Why they should keep running affes at Colefhill, or how making mouths turns to account in Warwickshire, more than in any other parts of England, I cannot comprehend. I have looked over all the Olympic Games, and do not find any thing in them like an Afs-Race, or a match at Grinning. However it be, I am informed that feveral affes are now kept in body-clothes, and fweated every morning upon the heath; and that all the country-fellows within ten miles of the Swan, grin an hour or two in their glaffes every morning, in order to qualify themselves for the 9th of October. The prize, which is propofed to be grinned for, has raised Tuch an ambition among the common people of outgrinning one another, that many very difcerning perfons are afraid it fhould fpoil moft of the faces in the county; and that a Warwickshire man will be known by his grin, as Roman-Catholics imagine a Kentish man is by his tail. The Gold Ring which is made the prize of deformity, is juft the reverfe of the golden apple that was formerly made the prize of beauty, and fhould carry for its poefy the old motto inverted: *This is the firft of the Papers mentioned as an infallible cure for hypocondriack melancholy; the others are N° 184, 191, 2039 209, 221, 233, 235, 235, 245, 247, and 251. See SPECT. Vol. VII, No 547 Detur Detur tetriori. Or to accommodate it to the capacity of the combatants, The frightfull'ft grinner Be the winner. In the mean while I would advise a Dutch painter to be prefent at this great controverfy of faces, in order to make a collection of the most remarkable grins that fhall be there exhibited. I must not here omit an account which I lately re ceived of one of thefe Grinning-Matches from a gentleman, who, upon reading the abovementioned advertisement, entertained a coffee-houfe with the following narrative. Upon the taking of Namure, amidst other public rejoicings made on that occafion, there was a gold ring given by a whig juftice of peace to be grinned for. The firft competitor that entered the lifts, was a black fwarthy Frenchman, who accidentally paffed that way, and being a man naturally of a withered look, and hard features, promifed himself good fuccefs. He was placed upon a table in the great point of view, and looking upon the company like Milton's death, • Grinn'd horribly a ghaftly fmile His mufcles were fo drawn together on each fide of his face, that he fhewed twenty teeth at a grin, and put the country in fome pain, left a foreigner fhould carry away the honour of the day; but upon a farther trial they found he was mafter only of the Merry Grin. The next that mounted the table was a malecontent in thofe days, and a great mafter in the whole art of grinning, but particularly excelled in the Angry Grin. He did his part fo well, that he is faid to have made half a dozen women mifcarry; but the juftice being * NAMURE was taken from the French Sept. 1, 1695, by King William, in the fight of an army of 100,000 men, which the King of France had fent to relieve it. apprifed apprifed by one who stood near him, that the fellow who grinned in his face was a Jacobite, and being unwilling that a difaffected perfon fhould win the gold ring, and be looked upon as the best grinner in the country, he ordered the oaths to be tendered unto him upon his quitting the table, which the grinner refufing, he was fet afide as an unqualified perfon. There were feveral other grotefque figures, that prefented themselves, which it would be too tedious to defcribe. I must not however omit a ploughman, who lived in the farther part of the country, and being very lucky in a pair of long lanthorn-jaws, wrung his face into fuch an hideous grimace, that every feature of it appeared under a different diftortion. The whole company stood aftonished at fuch a complicated Grin, and were ready to affign the prize to him, had it not been proved by one of his antagonists, that he had practised with verjuice for fome days before, and had a crab found upon him at the very time of grinning; upon which the best judges of grinning declared it as their opinion, that he was not to be looked upon as a fair Grinner, and therefore ordered him to be fet afide as a cheat. The prize, it feems, at length fell upon a cobler, Giles Gorgon by name, who produced feveral new grins of his own invention, having been used to cut faces formany years together over his laft. At the very first grin he caft every human feature out of his countenance, at the second he became the face of a fpout, at the third a baboon, at the fourth a head of a bafs-viol, and at the fifth a pair of nut-crackers. The whole affembly wondered at his accomplishments, and beftowed the ring on him unanimously; but, what he esteemed more than all the reft, a country wench, whom he had wooed in vain for above five years before, was fo charmed with his grins, and the applaufes which he received on all fides, that he married him the week following, and to this day wears the prize upon her finger, the cobler having made use of it as his wedding ring. it This Paper might perhaps feem very impertinent, if grew ferious in the conclufion. I would nevertheless leave it to the confideration of those who are the patrons of |