X.

"Will no pitying pow'r that hears me complain, "Or cure my difquiet, or foften my pain? "To be cur'd, thoumuft, Colin thy paflion remove; "But what fwain is fo filly to live without love "No, deity, bid the dear nymph to return, "For ne'er was poor fhepherd fo tadly forlorn, "Ah! what shall I do? I fhall die with defpair; "Take heed, all ye fwains, how ye love one fo fair." No.

SPECTAT O R.

Tu ne quæfiris (fcire nefas) quem mibi quem tibi,
Finem Dii dederint, Leuconoe; nec Babylonies
Tentáris numero
HOR. OD. 1. 1. ver. 1.

Ah, do not strive too much to know,

My dear Leuconoe,
What the kind gods defign to do
With me and thee.

Creech.

TH

HE defire of knowing future events, is one of the strongest inclinations in the mind of man. Indeed an ability of forefeeing probable accidents is what, in the language of men, is called wildom and prudence: but, not fatisfied with the light that reafon holds out, mankind hath endeavoured to penetrate more compendioufly into futurity. Magic, oracles, omens, lucky hours, and the various arts of fuperftition owe their rife to this powerful; cause. As this principle is founded in felf- ve, every man is fure to be folicitous in the first place about his own fortune, the courfe of his life, and the time and manner of

his death.

4

If we confider that we are free agents, we fhall difcover the abturdity of fuch enqui ies. One of our actions which we might have performed or neglected, the cause of another that fucceeds it, and fo the whole chain of life is linked together. Pain, poverty, or infamy, are the natural product of vicious and imprudent acts, as the contrary bletings are of good ones; fo that we cannot fuppole our lot to be determined without impiety. A great enhancement of pleafure arifes from its being unexpecies; and pain is doubled by being foreieen. Upon all thefe, anu feveral other accounts, we ought to reft faisfied in this portion bestowed on us; to adore the hand that hath fitted every thing to our nature, and hath not more difplayed his goodness in our knowledge than in our ignorance.

C

It is not unworthy obfervation, that fuperftitious enquiries into future events prevail more or lefs, in proportion to the improvement of liberal arts and useful knowledge in the feveral parts of the world. Accordingly we find, that magical incantations remain in Lapland; in the more remote parts of Scotland they have their fecond fight; and several of our own countrymen have feen abundance of fairies. In Afia this credulity is strong; and the greatest part of refined learning there confifts in the knowledge of amulets, talimans, occult numbers, and the like.

When I was at Grand Cairo, I fell into the acquaintance of a good-natured mufflman, who promifed me many good effices, which he defigned to do me when he became the Prime Minister, which was a fortune bestowed on his imagination by a doctor very deep in the curious fciences. At his repeated folicitations I went to learn my deftiny of this wonderful fage. For a fmall fum 1 had his promife, but was defired to wait in a dark apartment until he had run through the preparatory ceremonies. Having a ftrong propenficy, even then, to dreaming, I took a nap upon the Sofa where I was placed, and had the following vifion, the particulars whereof I picked up the other day among my papers.

I found myself in an unbounded plain, where methought the whole world, in feveral habits and with different tongues, was affembled. The multitude glided swiftly along, and I found in my

365

felf a ftrong inclination to mingle in the train. My eyes quickly fingled out fome of the most fplendid figures. Several in rich caftans and glittering turbans buftied through the throng, and trampled over the bodies of thofe they threw down; until to my great furprife I found that the great pace they went only haftened them to a fcaffold or a bowftring. Many beautiful damfels on the other fide moved forward with great gaiety; fome danced until they fell all along; and others painted their faces until they loft their noses. A tribe laughter at the misfortunes of the unhappy ladies, of creatures with bufy looks falling into a fit of

I turned my eyes upon them. They were each of them filling his pockets with gold and jewels, and when there was no room len for more, thefe wretches looking round with fear and horror, pined-away before my face with famine and dif

content.

This profpect of human mifery ftruck me dumb for fome miles. Then it was that, to difburden my mind, I took pen and ink, and did every thing that hath fince happened under my office of Sperator. While I was employing myself for the good of mankind, I was furprized to meet with very unfuitable returns from my fellow-creatures. Never as poor author fo befet with pamphleteers, oftener shot at me from ftrong bulwarks, or rofe who fometimes marched directly against me, but up fuddenly in ambush. They were of all characters and capacities, fome with enfigns of dignity, and others in liveries; but what most furprized me, was to fee two or three in black gowns among my enemies. It was no fmail trouble to with an angry face, and reproach me for having me, fometimes to have a man come up to me of him in my life. With the ladies it was otherlampooned him, when I had never feen or heard wife many became my enemies for not being particularly pointed out; as there were others who refented the fatire which they ́ imagined I in the company of half a dozen friends, who, I had directed against them. My great comfort was

found fince, were the club which I have so often mentioned in my papers, I laughed often at Sir Will Honeycomb's gallantries, (when we afterwards Roger in my fleep, and was the more diverted with became acquainted) because I had foreseen his marriage with a farmer's daughter. The regret which panions, my anxieties for the public, and the arofe in my mind upon the death of my commany calamities ftill fleeting before my eyes, made me repent my curiofity; when the magician entered the room, and awakened me by telling me (when it was too late) that he was juft going to begin.

N. B. I have only delivered the prophecy of that part of my life which is paft, it being inconvenient to divulge the fecond part until a more proper opportunity.

AVING perufed the following letter, and H finding it to run upon the fubject of love, I' referred it to the learned cafuift, whom I have re

tained in my fervice for fpeculations of that kind. He returned it the next morning with his report annexed to it, with both of which I fhall here prefent my reader.

• Mr. Spectator,

F

INDING that you have entertained an ufeful perfon in your fervice in quality of Love Cafuift, I apply myself to you, under a very great difficulty, that hath for fome months perplexed me. I have a couple of humblé fervants, one of which I have no averfion to; the other I think of very kindly. The firft hath the reputation of a man of good fenfe, and is one of thofe people that your fex are apt to value. My fpark is reckoned a coxcomb among the men, but is a favourite of the ladies. If I marry the man of worth, as they call him, I fhall oblige my • parents and improve my fortune; but with my dear beau I promife myfelf happiness, although nota jointure. Now I would ask you, whether I fhould confent to lead my life with a man that I have only no objection to, or with him against whom all objections to me appear frivolous. I am determined to follow the Cafuift's advice, and I dare fay he will not put me upon fo ferious • a thing as matrimony contrary to my inclination. I am, &c. Fanny Fickle.

1

As I look upon it to be my duty rather to fide with the parents than the daughter, I fhall pro, pofe fome confiderations to my gentle querift, which may incline her to comply with thofe under whofe direction fhe is and at the fame time convince her, that it is not impoffible but she may in time, have a true affection for him who is, at prefent indifferent to her; or, to ufe the old family maxim, that, "if the marries first, love will "come after."

first week after he had fixed him, fhe took pinch of fnuff out of his rival's box, and apparently touched the enemy's little finger. She became a profeffed enemy to the arts and fciences, and scarce ever wrote a letter to him without wilfully mifpelling his name. The young fcholar, to be even with her, railed at coquettes as foon as he got the word; and did not want parts to turn into ridicule her men of wit and pleasure of the After having irritated one another for the pace of five months, fhe made an affignation with

town.

him fourfcore miles from London. But as he
took a journey the quite contrary way.
was very well acquainted with her pranks, he
ingly they met, quarrelled, and in a few days were
Accord-
married. The former hoftilities are now the fub-
ject of their mirth, being content at prefent with
that part of love only, which bestows pleasure.

having it in their heads to draw after them a nu-
Women who have been married fome time, not
merous train of followers, find their fatisfaction

in the poffeflion of one man's heart. I know very well, that ladies in their bloom defire to be excufed in this particular. But when time hath worn out their natural vanity and taught them difcretion, their fondness fettles on its proper object. And it is probably for this reafon, that among husbands, you will find more that are fond of women beyond their prime, than of those who are actually in the infolence of beauty. My reader will apply the fame obfervation to the other fex.

fuing one common intereft, and their united care I need not infift upon the neceflity of their purfor their children, but shall only obferve, by the way, that married perfons are both more warm in their love and more hearty in their hatred, than any others whatfoever. Mutual favours and obfigations, which may be fuppofed to be greater here than in any other ftate, naturally beget an intense affection in generous minds. As, on the contrary, perfons who have bestowed fuch favours have a particular bitterness in their refentments, when they think themfelves ill treated by those of whom they have deserved fo much.

The only objection that the feems to infinuate against the gentleman propofed to her, is his want of complaifance, which, I perceive, fhe is very willing to return. Now, I can discover from this very circumstance, that the and her lover, whatever they may think of it, are very good friends in their hearts. It is difficult to determine, whether love delights more in giving pleafure or pain. Let Mifs Fickle afk her own heart, if the doth not take a fecret pride in making this man of good fenfe look very filly. Hath the ever been better pleased, than when her behaviour hath made her lover ready to hang himfelf? or doth the ever rejoice more than when the thinks fhe hath driven him to the very brink of a purling ftream? let her confider, at the fame time, that it is not impoffible but her lover may have discovered her tricks, and hath a mind to give her as good as the brings. I remember a handfome young baggage that treated a hopeful Greek of my acquaintance, just come from Oxford, as if he had been a barbarian, The

6

Befides, Mifs Fickle may confider, that as there fo there are fometimes many virtues unobserved. are often many faults concealed before marriage,

To this we may add the great efficacy of cuftom, and conftant converfation, to produce a mutual friendship and benevolence in two perfons. It is a nice reflection, which I have heard a friend of mine make, that you may be fure a woman loves a man, when the ufes his expreffions, tells his ftories, or imitates his manner. This gives a fecret delight; for imitation is a kind of artless flattery, and mightily favours the powerful prin ciple of felf-love. It is certain, that married perfons, who are poffeft with a mutual esteem, not only catch the air and way of talk from one another, but fall into the fame traces of thinking and liking. Nay, fome have carried the remark fo far as to affert, that the features of man and wife grow, in time, to refemble one another. Let my fair correfpondent therefore confider, that the geh tleman recommended will have a good deal of her own face in two or three years; which the muft. not expect from the beau, who is too full of his dear felf to copy after another, And I dare appeal to her own judgment, if that perfon will not be the handfomeft, that is the most like herfelf,

We have a remarkable instance to our prefent purpose in the history of king Edgar, which I

thall

fhall here relate, and leave it with my fair correfpondent to be applied to herself

This great monarch, who is fo famous in British ftory, fell in love as he made his progrefs through his kingdom, with a certain duke's daughter who lived near Winchester, and was the most celebrated beauty of the age. His importunities and the violence of his paffion were so great, that the mother of the young lady promifed him to bring her daughter to his bed the next night, though in her heart the abhorred fo infamous an office. It was no fooner dark than the conveyed into his room a young maid of no difagreeable figure, who was one of her attendants, and did not want addrefs to improve the opportunity of the advancement of her fortune. She made fo good ufe of her time, that when the offered to rife a little before day, the king could by no means think of parting with her. So that finding herself under a neceffity of difcovering who he was, she did it in fo handfome a manner, that his Majefty was exceeding gracious to her, and took her ever after under his protection: infomuch that our chroni cles tell us he carried her along with him, made her his first minifter of ftate, and continued true to her alone, until his marriage with the beautiful Elfrida.

No. 606. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 13.

longum cantu folata laborem `. Arguto conjux percurrit pectine telas.

The good wife finging plies the various loom.

་

VIRG. Georg. 1. ver. 294. mean time at home

What a delighful entertainment muft it be t the fair fex, whom their native. modefty and the tenderness of men towards them, exempts from public bufinefs, to pass their hours in imitating fruits and flowers, and tranfplanting all the beau ties of nature into their own drefs, or railing a new creation in their clofets and apartments. How pleafing is the amufement of walking among the fhades and groves planted by themfelves, in furveying heroes flain by their needle, or little cupids which they have brought into the world without pain!

This is methinks, the most proper way wherein a lady can thew a fine genius, and. I cannot for bear wishing, that feveral writers of that fex had chofen to apply themselves rather to tapery than rhyme. Your paftoral poeteffes may vent their fancy in rural landfcapes, and place defpairing fhepherds under filken willows, or drown them in a ftream of mohair. The heroic writers may work up battles as fuccefsfully, and inflame them with gold or ftain them with crimson. Even thofe who to a fong or an epigram, may have only a turn put many valuable ftitches into a purfe, and croud a thoufand graces into a pair of garters.

If I may, without breach of good manners, imagine that any pretty creature is void of genius, and would perforin her part therein but very aukwardly, I muft nevertheless infift upon her working, if it be only to keep her out of harm's way.

• Mr. Spectator,

HAVE a couple of neices under my direction
who fo often run gadding abroad, that I do
not know where to have them. Their drefs,
their tea, and their vifits take up all their time,
and they go to bed as tired with doing nothing,
as I am after quilting a whole under-petticoat.
The only time they are not idle, is while they
read your Spectators; which being dedicated to
the interests of virtue, I defire you to recom-
mend the long neglected art of needle-work.
Thofe hours which in this age are thrown away
in dress, play, vifits and the like, were em-
ployed, in my time, in writing out receipts,
or working beds, chairs, and hangings for the
family. For my part, I have plied my needle
thefe fifty years, and by my good will would
never have it out of my hand. It grieves my
heart to fee a couple of proud idle flirts fipping
their tea, for a whole afternoon, in a room hung
round with the industry of their great grand-
• mother. Pray, Sir, take the laudable mystery
of embroidery into your ferious confideration,
and as you have a great deal of the virtue of the
laft age in you, continue your endeavours to re-
form the prefent,
I am, &c.'

"

In obedience to the commands of my venerable correfpondent, I have duly weighed this important fubject, and promife myself from the arguments here laid down, that all the fine ladies of England will be ready as foon as their mourning is over, to appear covered with the work of their own hands,

Another argument for bufying good women in works of fancy, is, because it takes them off from fcandal, the ufual attendant of tea-tables, and all other unactive fcenes of life. While they are forming their birds and beafts, their neighbours will be allowed to be fathers of their own children and Whig and Tory will be but feldom mentioned, where the great difpute is, whether blue or red is the more proper colour. How much greater glory would Sophronia do the general, if he would chocfe rather to work he battle of Blenheim in tapestry, than fignalize herfelf with fo much vehemence against thofe who are French

men in their hearts.

A third reafon that thall mention, is the profit that is brought to the family where thefe pretty arts are encouraged. It is manifeft that this way of life not only keeps fair ladies from.. running out into expences, but is at the fame time an actual improvement. How memorable would that matron be, who thall have it fubfcribed upon her monument, That the wrought out the whole Bible in tapestry, and died in a good old age, after having covered three hundred yards of wall in the manfion-house.'

The premises being confidered, I humbly submit the following propofals to all mothers in Great-Britain.

1. That no young virgin whatfoever be allowed to receive the addrelles of her first lover, but in a fuit of her own embroidering.

II. That before every freth humble fervant, the be obliged to appear with a new ftomacher at the

least.

III. That no one be actually married until the hath the child-bed pillows, &c. ready ftitched, as likewife the mantle for the boy quite finished.

Thefe laws, if I mistake not, would effectually reftore the decayed art of needle-work, and make the virgins of Great-Britain exceedingly nimble-fingered in their business.

There is a memorable custom of the Grecian ladies in this particular, preferved in Homer,