Having cleared away the pericardium, or the cafe and liquor above-mentioned, we came to the heart itself. The outward furface of it was extremely flippery, and the mucro, or point, fo very cold withal, that, upon endeavouring to take hold of it, it glided through the fingers like a smooth piece of ice. The fibres were turned and twifted in a more intricate and perplexed manner than they are ufually found in other hearts; infomuch that the whole heart was wound up together in a gordian knot, and must have had very irregular and unequal motions, whilft it was employed in its vital function. One thing we thought very obfervable, namely, that upon examining all the veffels which' came into it or iffued out of it, we could not discover any communication that it had with the tongue. We could not but take notice likewife, 'that feveral of thofe little nerves in the heart which are affected by the fentiments of love, hatred, and other paffions, did not defcend to this before us from the brain, but from the mufcles which lie about the eye. Upon weighing the heart in my hand, I found it to be extremely light, and consequently very hollow, which I did not wonder at, when, upon looking into the infide of it, I faw multitudes of cells and cavities running one within another, as our hiftorians defcribe the apart ments of Rofamond's bower. Several of thefe little hollows were ftuffed with innumerable forts of trifles, which I fhall forbear giving any particular account of, and fhall therefore only take notice of what lay first and uppermoft, which, upon our unfolding it, and applying our microscopes to it, appeared to be a flame-colour ed hood. We were informed that the lady of this heart, when living, received the addreffes of feveral who made love to her, and did not only give each of them encouragement, but made every one the converfed with believe that the regarded him with an eye of kindness; for which reafon we expected to have seen the impreffion of multitudes of faces among the feveral plaits and foldings of the heart; but to our great furprise not a fingle print of this nature difcovered itself until we came into the very core and center of it. We there obferved a little figure, which, upon applying our glaffes to it, appeared dreffed in a very fantastic manner, The more I looked upon it, the more I thought I had feen the face before, but could not poffibly recollect either the place or time; when, at length, one of the company, who had examined this figure more nicely than the reft, fhew ed us plainly by the make of its face, and the feveral turns of its features; that the little idol which was thus lodged in the very middle of the heart was the deceased beau, whose head I gave fome account of in my last Tuesday's paper. As foon as we had finished our dissection, we refolved to make an experiment of the heart, not being able to determine among ourselves the nature of its substance, which differed in fo many particulars from that of the heart in other females. Accordingly we laid it into a pan of burning coals, when we obferved in it a certain falamandrine quality, that made it capable of living in the midst of fire and flame, without being consumed, or so much as finged, As we were admiring this ftrange phænomenon, and standing round the heart in a circle, it gave a moft prodigious figh or rather crack, and difperfed all at once in smoke and vapour. This imaginary noife, which methought was louder than the burft of a cannon, produced such a violent shake in my brain, that it diffipated the fumes of fleep, and left me in an inftant broad awake. No 282. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 23. -Spes incerta futuri. Virg. Æn. 8. ver. 580. Hopes and fears in equal balance laid. DRYDEN. T is a lamentable thing that every man is full IT of complaints, and conftantly uttering fentences against the fickleness of fortune, when people generally bring upon themselves all the calamities they fall into, and are conftantly heaping up matter for their own forrow and difappointment. That which produces the greatest part of the delusions of mankind, is a falfe hope which people indulge with fo fanguine a flattry to themselves, that their hearts are bent upon fantastical advantages which they had no reafon to believe fhould ever have arrived to them. By this unjuft measure of calculating their happinefs, they often mourn with real affliction for imaginary loffes. When I am talking of this unhappy way of accounting for ourselves, I cannot but reflect upon a particular fet of people, who, in their own favour, refolve every thing that is poffible into what is probable, and then reckon on that probability as on what muft certainly happen. Will Honeycomb, upon my obferving his looking on a lady with fome particular attention, gave me an account of the great diftreffes which had laid wafte her ve ry fine face, and had given an air of melancholy to a very agreeable perfon. That lady and a couple of fifters of her's, were, faid Will, fourteen years ago, the greateft fortunes about town; but without having any lofs by bad tenants, by bad fecurities, or any damage by fea or land, are reduced to very narrow circumftances. They were at that time the most inacceffible, haughty beauties in town; and their pretenfions to take upon them at that unmerciful rate, were raifed upon the following fcheme, according to which all their lovers were anfwered. Our father is a youngish man, but then our mother is fomewhat older, and not likely to have any children; his eftate, being 8ool. per annum, at 20 years purchase, is worth 16,000l. Our uncle, who is above 50, has 400l. per an· num, which at the aforefaid rate is 8ccol. There's a widow aunt, who has in,cool. at her own difpofal left by her husband, and an old maiden aunt who has 6000l. Then our father's mother has gool. per annum, which ' is worth 18,000l. and 1ocol. each of us has of her own, which cannot be taken from us. Thefe fummed up together stand thus : ing given for enlargement upon common fame, we may lawfully 3000 Total 61,000 pass for 30,000l. fortunes. In profpect of this, and the knowledge of their own perfonal merit, every one was contemptible in their eyes, and they refused those offers which had been frequently made them. But mark the end: the mother dies, the father is married again and has a fon, on him very nature disappointing, is in conftant fearch of care, folicitude, remorse, and confufion. Am a young woman, and have my fortune to make, for which reafon I come conftantly to church to hear divine fervice, and make 'conquests: but one great hindrance in this my defign is, that our clerk, who was once 'a gardener, has this Christmas fo over-decked the church with greens, that he has quite fpoiled my profpect, infomuch that I have fcarce feen the young baronet I drefs at thefe 'was entailed the father's, uncle's, and grand-three weeks, though we have both been very • mother's estate. This cut off 42,000l. The maiden aunt married a tall Irishman, and with her went the 6oool. The widow died, and left but enough to pay her debts and bury her; fo that there remained for these three girls but their own 1cccl. They had by this time paffed their prime, and got on the 'wrong fide of thirty; and muft pafs the remainder of their days, upbraiding mankind that they mind nothing but money, and be wailing that virtue, fenfe, and modefty, are had at prefent in no manner of eftimation.' I mention this cafe of ladies before any other, because it is the most irreparable for though youth is the time lefs capable of reflection, it is in that fex the only feafon in which they can advance their fortunes. But if we turn our thoughts to the men, we fee fach crowds of unhappy from no other reafon, but an illgrounded hope, that it is hard to fay which they rather deferve, our pity or contempt. It is not unpleasant to fee a fellow, grown old in attendance, and after having paffed half a life in fervitude, call himself the unhappicft of all men, and pretend to be difappointed becaufe acourtier broke his word. He that promifes himfelf any thing but what may naturally arife from his own property or labour, and goes beyond the defire of poffeffing above two parts in three even of that, lays up for himself an increafing heap of affliction and difappointments. There are but two means in the world of gaining by other men, and thefe are by being either agreeable or confiderable. The generality of mankind do all things for their own fakes; and when you hope any thing from perfons above you, if you cannot fay, I can be thus agreeable or thus ferviceable, it is ridiculous to pretend to the dignity of being unfortunate when they leave you; you were injudicious, in hoping for any other than to be neglected for fuch as can come within thefe defcriptions of being capable to please or serve your patron, when his humour or interefts call for their capacity either way. It would not methinks be an ufelefs comparifon between the condition of a man who fhuns all the pleafures of life, and of one who makes it his bufinefs to purfue them. Hope in the reclufe makes his aufterities comfortable, while the luxurious man gains nothing but uneasiness from his enjoyments. What is the difference in the happiness of him who is macerated by abftinence, and his who is furfeited with excefs? He who refigns the world, has no temptation to envy, hatred, malice, anger, but is in Conftant poffeffion of a ferene mind; he who follows the pleatures of it, which are in their 'conftant at our devotions, and do not fit above Your most obedient fervant, N 283. THURSDAY, JAN. 24. Magifter artis & largitor ingent L English Proverb, UCIAN rallies the philofophers in his time, who could not agree whether they should admit riches into the number of real goods; the profeffors of the feverer fects threw them quite out, while others as refolutely inferted them. I am apt to believe, that as the world grew more polite, the rigid doctrines of the first were wholly difcarded; and I do not find any one 40 hardy at prefent as to deny that there are very great advantages in the enjoyment of a plentiful fortune. Indeed the best and wisest of men, though they may poffibly defpife a good part of thofe things which the world calls pleafure, can, I think, hardly be infenfible of that weight and dignity which a moderate thare of wealth adds to their characters, counfels, and actions. We find it is a general complaint in profeffions and trades, that the richest members of them are chiefly encouraged, and this is falfely imputed to the ill-nature of mankind, who are ever beftowing their favours on such as least want them whereas if we fairly confider their proceedings in this cafe, we shall find them founded on undoubted reafon: fince suppofing both equal in their natural integrity, I ought, in common prudence, to fear foul play from an indigent perfon, rather than from one whofe circumstances seem to have placed him above the bare temptation of money. This reafon alfo makes the common wealth regard her richeft fubjects, as thofe who are most concerned for her quiet and intereft, and confequently fitteft to be intrufted with her higheft enjoyments. On the contrary, Catiline's faying to thofe men of defperate fortunes, who applied themselves to him, and of whom he afterwards compofed his army, that "they "had nothing to hope for but a civil war," was too true not to make the impreffions he defired. I believe I need not fear but that what I have said in praise of money, will be more than fufficient with most of my readers to excufe the fubject of my prefent paper, which I intend as an effay on the ways to raife a man's fortune, "or the art of growing rich.". The first and most infallible method towards the attaining of this end is thrift: all men are not equally qualified for getting money, but it is in the power of every one alike to practife this virtue and I believe there are very few perfons, who, if they pleafe to reflect on their paft lives, will not find that had they faved all thofe little fums which they have spent unneceffarily, they might at prefent have been mafters of a competent fortune. Diligence juftly claims the next place to thrift: I find both thefe excellently well recommended to common ufe in the three following Italian proverbs. "Never do that by proxy which you can do "yourself. "Never defer that until to-morrow which you can do to-day. "Never neglect fmall matters and expences." A third inftrument in growing rich, is method in bufinefs, which, as well as the two former, is alfo attainable by perfons of the meanest capacities. The famous De Wit, one of the greatest ftatesmen of the age in which he lived, being afked by a friend, how he was able to difpatch that multitude of affairs in which he was engaged? replied, That his whole art confifted in doing one thing at once. If, fays he, I have any neceffary difpatches to make, I think of nothing elfe until thofe are finifhed; if any domeftic affairs require my attention, I give myfelf up wholly to them until they are fet in order. In short, we often see men of dull and phlegmatic tempers, arriving to great eftates, by making a regular and orderly difpofition of their bufinefs, and that without it the greateft parts and most lively imaginations rather puzzle their affairs, than bring them to an happy issue. From what has been faid, I think I may lay it down as a maxim, that every man of good common fenfe may, if he pleafes, in his particular ftation of life, moft certainly be rich. The reason why we fometimes fee that men of the greatest capacities are not fo, is either becaufe they defpife wealth in comparison to fomething elfe; or, at leaft are not content to be getting an eftate, unlefs they may do it in their own way, and at the fame time enjoy all the pleafures and gratifications of life." 5 But befides these ordinary forms of growing rich, it must be allowed that there is room for genius as well in this as in all other circumftances of life. Though the ways of getting money were long fince very numérous, and though fo many new ones have been found out of late years, there is' certainly still remaining fo large a field for inven.' tion, that a man of an indifferent head might eafily fit down and draw up fuch a plan for the conduct and support of his life, as was never yet once thought of. We daily fec methods put in practice by hungry and ingenious men, which demonftrate the power of invention in this particular. It is reported of Scaramouche, the first fa-` mous Italian comedian, that being at Paris and in great want, he bethought himself of conftantly plying near the door of a noted perfumer in that city, and when any one came out who had been buying fnuff, never failed to defire a taste of them: when he had by this means got together a quantity made up of feveral different forts, he fold it again at a lower rate to the fame perfumer, who finding out the trick, called it "Tabac de mille fleurs, or "fnuff of a thoufand flowers." The story farther tells us, that by this means he got a very comfortable fubfiftence, until making too much hafte to grow rich, he one day took fuch an unreafonable pinch out of the box of a 'Swifs officer, as engaged him in a quarrel, and obliged him to quit this ingenious way of life. Nor can I in this place omit doing justice to a youth of my own country, who, though he is fcarce yet twelve years old, has with great industry and application attained to the art of beating the grenad er's march on his chin. I am credibly informed that by this means he does not only maintain himself and his mother, but that he is laying up money every day, with a defign, if the war continues, to purchase a drum at least, if not a pair of colours. I fhall conclude thefe inftances with the device of the famous Rabelais, when he was at a great distance from Paris, and without money to bear his expences thither. This ingenious author being thus fharp fet, got together a convenient quantity of brick-duft, and having difpofed of it in different papers, writ upon one, poifon, for Monfieur," upon a fecond, "poifon for the Dauphin,' and on a third, "poifon for the King." Having made this provifion for the royal family of France, he laid his papers fo that his landlord, who was an inquifitive man, and a good fubject, might get a fight of them. The plot fuccceded as he defired: the hoft gave iminediate intelligence to the fecretary of ftate. The fecretary prefently fent down a fpecial meffenger, who brought up the traitor to court, and provided him at the King's expence with proper accommodations on the road. As foon as he appeared, he was known to be the celebrated Rabelais, and his powder upon examination being found very innocent, the jest was only laughed at; for which a lefs eminent droll would have been fent to the gallies. Trade and commerce might doubtlefs be ftill varied a thousand ways, out of which would arife fuch branches as have not yet been touched. The famous Doily is ftill fresh in every one's memory, who raised a fortune by finding out materials materials for fuch stuffs as might at once be cheap and genteel. I have heard it affirmed, that had not he discovered this frugal method of gratifying our pride, we thould hardly have been able to carry on the last war. I regard trade not only as highly advantageous to the commonwealth in general, but as the most natural and likely method of making a man's fortune, having observed, fince my being a Spectator in the world, greater eftates got about 'Change, than at Whitehall or St. James's. I believe I may alfo add, that the firft acquifitions are generally attended with more fatisfaction, and as good a confcience. I must not however close this effay, without obferving that what has been faid is only intended for perfons in the common way of thriving, and is not defigned for those men who from low beginnings push themselves up to the top of ftates, and the most confiderable figures in life. My maxim of faving is not defigned for fuch as thefe, fince nothing is more ufual than for thrift to disappoint the ends of ambition; it being almost impoffible that the mind fhould be intent upon trifles, while it is at the fame time forming fome great defign. I may therefore compare these men to a great poet, who, as Longinus fays, while he is full of the most magnificent ideas, is not always at leisure to mind the little beauties and niceties No 284. FRIDAY, JAN. 25. A Virg. Ecl. 7. v. 17. Their mirth to fhare, I bid my business wait. N unaffected behaviour is without queftion a very great charm; but under the notion of being unconstrained and difengaged, people take upon them to be unconcerned in any duty of life. A general negligence is what they affume upon all occafions, and fet up for an averfion to all manner of business and attention. "I am the careleffeft creature in the world, I "have certainly the worst memory of any man "living," are frequent expreffions in the mouth of a pretender of this fort. It is a profeffed maxim with thefe people never to think; there is fomething fo folemn in reflection, they, forfooth, can never give themfelves time for fuch a way of employing themfelves. It happens often that this fort of man is heavy enough in his nature to be a good proficient in fuch matters as are attainable by industry; but alas! he has fuch an ardent defire to be what he is not, to be too volatile, to have the faults of a perfon of fpirit, that he profeffes himself the moft unfit man living for any manner of application. When this humour enters into the head of a female, the generally profeffes fickness upon all occafions, and acts all things with an indifpofed air; the is offended, but her mind is too lazy to raife her to anger, therefore the lives only as actuated by a violent fpleen and gentle fcorn. 'She has hardly curiofity to liften to fcandal of her acquaintance, and has never It Oppofite to this folly is another no lefs unreasonable, and that is the impertinence of be ing always in a hurry. There are thofe who vifit ladies, and beg pardon, before they are well feated in their chairs, that they just called in, but are obliged to attend bufinefs of importance elsewhere the very next moment: thus they run from place to place, profeffing that they are obliged to be still in another company than that which they are in. These persons who are just going fomewhere elfe fhould never be detained; let all the world allow that buliness is to be minded, and their affairs will be at an end. Their vanity is to be importuned, and compliance with their multiplicity of affairs The travelwould effectually dispatch them. ling ladies, who have half the town to fee in an afternoon, may be pardoned for being in a conftant hurry; but it is inexcufable in men to come where they have no bufiness, to profefs they abfent themselves where they have. has been remarked by fome nice obfervers and critics, that there is nothing discovers the true temper of a perfon fo much as his letters. I have by me two epiftles, which are written by two people of the different humours abovementioned. It is wonderful that a man cannot obferve upon himself when he fits down to write, but that he will gravely commit himfelf to paper the fame man that he is in the freedom of converfation. I have hardly feen a line from any of thefe gentlemen, but spoke them as abfent from what they were doing, as they profefs they are when they come into company. For the folly is, that they have perfuaded themfelves they really are bufy. Thus their whole time is spent in fufpence of the present moment to the next, and then from the next to the fucceeding, which to the end of life, is to pafs away with pretence to many things, and execution of nothing. SIR, TH It HE poft is just going out, and I have many other letters of very great importance to write this evening, but I could not ⚫omit making my compliments to you for your civilities to me when I was laft in town. is my misfortune to be fo full of business, that I cannot tell you a thousand things which I have to say to you. I must defire you to communicate the contents of this to no one living; 'but believe me to be, with the greatest fidelity, Sir, lazy a creature as I am, undergo the pains to affure you of it, by taking pen, ink, and paper in my hand. Forgive this, you know I fhall not offend in this kind. I am very much Your fervant, 'Bridget Eitherdown. The fellow is of your country, pr'ythee fend 'me word however whether he has fo great an 'eftate.' " • Mr. Spectator, I Jan. 24, 1712. Am clerk of the parish from whence Mrs. Simper fends her complaint, in your yefterday's Spectator. I must beg of you to publish this as a public admonition to the aforefaid Mrs. Simper, otherwife all my ho'neft care in the difpofition of the greens in the church will have no effect: I fhall therefore with your leave lay before you the whole matter. I was formerly, as the charges me, for several years a gardener in the county of Kent: but I muft abfolutely deny, that it is S out of any affection I retain for my old employment that I have placed my greens fo li" berally about the church, but out of a parti'cular fpleen I conceived against Mrs. Simper, " and others of the fame fifterhood, fome time ago. As to herself, I had one day fet the hundredth pfalm, and was finging the first line in order to put the congregation into the tune, she was all the while curtfying to Sir Anthony, in fo affected and indecent a manner, that the indignation I conceived made me 'forget myfelf fo far, as from the tune of that 'pfalm to wander into Southwell tune, and 'from thence into Windfor tune, still unable to < recover myself, until I had with the utmost confufion fet a new one. Nay, I have often feen her rife up and fmile, and curtfy to one 6 at the lower end of the church in the midst of a gloria patri; and when I have spoke the affent to a prayer with a long Amen, uttered ' with a decent gravity, fhe has been rolling her • eyes about in fuch a manner, as plainly fhew< ed, however fhe was moved, it was not towards an heavenly object. In fine, fhe extended her conquefts fo far over the males, and • raised such envy in the females, that what • between love of thofe, and the jealoufy of thefe, I was almost the only person that looked in a prayer-book all church-time. I had ⚫ several projects in my head to put a stop to this growing mifchief; but as I have long lived in Kent, and there often heard how the Kentish men evaded the conqueror, by carrying green boughs over their heads, it put me • in mind of practifing this device against Mrs. Simper. I find I have preserved many a young " man from her eye-fhot by this means: there'fore humbly pray the boughs may be fixed, • until she shall give fecurity for her peaceable intentions. T Your humble fervant, • Francis Sternhold.' N° 285. SATURDAY, JAN. 26. Ne, quicunque Deus, quicunque adbibebitur beros, But then they did not wrong themselves fo To make a god, a hero, or a king, Nor (to avoid fuch meanness) foaring high, Having already treated of the fable, the cha Loft, we are in the laft place to confider the lanfentiments in the Paradife guage; and as the learned world is very much divided upon Milton as to this point, I hope they will excufe me if I appear particular in any of my opinions, and incline to those who judge the most advantageously of the author. It is requifite that the language of an heroic poem fhould be both perfpicuous and fublime. In proportion as either of these two qualities are wanting, the language is imperfect. Perfpicuity is the first and most neceffary qualification; infomuch that a good-natured reader fometimes overlooks a little flip even in the grammar or fyntax, where it is impoffible for him to mistake the poet's fenfe. Of this kind is that paffage in Milton, wherein he speaks of Satan : Created thing nought valu'd he nor fhunn'd. And that in which he describes Adam and Eve. Adam the goodliest man of men fince born It is plain, that in the former of these paffages according to the natural fyntax, the divine perfons mentioned in the first line are reprefented as created beings; and that, in the other, Adam and Eve are confounded with their fons and daughters. Such little blemishes as thefe, when the thought is great and natural, we should with Horace, impute a pardonable inadvertency, or to the weakness of human nature, which cannot attend to each minute particular, and give the last finishing to every circumftance in fo long a work. The ancient critics therefore, who were acted by a spirit of candour, rather than that of cavilling, invented certain figures of fpeech, on purpose to palliate little errors of this nature in the writings of thofe authors who had fo many greater beauties to atone for them. If clearness and perfpicuity were only to be confulted, the poet would have nothing else to do but to clothe his thoughts in the most plain and natural expreffions. But fince it often happens that the most obvious phrafes, and thofe which are used in ordinary converfation, become too familiar to the ear, and contract a kind of meanness by paffing through the mouths of the vulgar; a poet fhould take particular care to guard himself against idiomatic ways of fpeaking. Ovid and Lucan have many poorneffes of expreffion upon this account, as ta |