1712. No. 335, ence, You can't imagine, Sir, what 'tis to have to do Tuesday, with a Widow, Upon Pyrrhus his threatning after March 25, wards to leave her, the Knight shook his Head, and muttered to himself, Ay, do if you can, This Part dwelt so much upon my Friend's Imagination, that at the Close of the Third Act, as I was thinking of some thing else, he whispered in my Ear, These Widows, Sir, are the most perverse Creatures in the World. But pray, says he, you that are a Crítick, is the Play according to your Dramatick Rules, as you call them? Should your People in Tragedy always talk to be understood? Why, there is not a single Sentence in this Play that I do not know the Meaning of. The Fourth Act very luckily begun before I had Time to give the old Gentleman an Answer: Well, says the Knight, sitting down with great Satisfaction, I suppose we are now to see Hector's Ghost. He then renewed his Attention, and, from Time to Time, fell a praising the Widow. He made, indeed, a little Mistake as to one of her Pages, whom, at his first Entring, he took for Astyanax; but he quickly set himself right in that Particular, though, at the same time, he owned he should have been very glad to have seen the little Boy, who, says he, must needs be a very fine Child by the Account that is given of him. Upon Hermione's going off with a Menace to Pyrrhus, the Audience gave a loud Clap, to which Sir ROGER added, On my Word, a notable young Baggage, As there was a very remarkable Silence and Stillness in the Audience during the whole Action, it was natural for them to take the Opportunity of these Intervals between the Acts, to express their Opinion of the Players, and of their respective Parts, Sir ROGER hear ing a Cluster of them praise Orestes, struck in with them, and told them, that he thought his Friend Pylades was a very sensible Man; As they were afterwards applauding Pyrrhus, Sir ROGER put in a second time, And let me tell you, says he, though he speaks but little, I like the old Fellow in Whiskers as well as any of them. Captain SENTRY, seeing two or three Waggs who sat near us lean with an attentive Ear towards 1712. ir ROGER, and fearing lest they should smoak the No. 335, Inight, pluck'd him by the Elbow, and whispered Tuesday, omething in his Ear, that lasted till the Opening of March 25, he Fifth Act. The Knight was wonderfully attentive o the Account which Orestes gives of Pyrrhus his Death, and at the Conclusion of it, told me it was such bloody Piece of Work, that he was glad it was not lone upon the Stage. Seeing afterwards Orestes in his aving Fit, he grew more than ordinary serious, and ook Occasion to moralize (in his Way) upon an evil Conscience, adding, that Orestes, in his Madness, looked as if he saw something. As we were the first that came into the House, so we were the last that went out of it; being resolved to have a clear Passage for our old Friend, whom we did not care to venture among the Justling of the Crowd. Sir ROGER went out fully satisfy'd with his Entertainment, and we guarded him to his Lodgings in the same manner that we brought him to the Play house; being highly pleased, for my own Part, not only with the Performance of the excellent Piece which had been presented, but with the Satisfaction which it had given to the good old Man, L No. 336, Wednesday, March 26, Clament períísse pudorem Cuncti paene patres; ea cum reprehendere coner, Mr. SPECTATOR, -Hor, lib. 2. Ερ. 1. v. 80, S you are the daily Endeavourer to promote Learning and good Sense, I think my self obliged to suggest to your Consideration whatever may promote or prejudice them. There is an Evil which has pre vailed from Generation to Generation, which grey Hairs and tyrannical Custom continue to support; I hope your Spectatorial Authority will give a seasonable Check to the Spread of the Infection; I mean old Men's overbearing No. 336. Wednes day, March 26, 1712. bearing the strongest Sense of their Juniors by th meer Force of Seniority; so that for a young Man in the Bloom of Life and Vigour of Age to give a reason able Contradiction to his Elders, is esteemed an un pardonable Insolence, and regarded as a reversing the Decrees of Nature, I am a young Man I confess, yet honour the grey Head as much as any one; however when in Company with old Men I hear them speak obscurely, or reason preposterously (into which Absurdi ties, Prejudice, Pride, or Interest will sometimes throw the wisest) I count it no Crime to rectify their Reason ings, unless Conscience must truckle to Ceremony, and Truth fall a Sacrifice to Complaisance. The strongest Arguments are enervated, and the brightest Evidence disappears, before those tremendous Reasonings and dazzling Discoveries of venerable old Age: You are young giddy-headed Fellows, you have not yet had Experience of the World. Thus we young Folks find our Ambition cramp'd, and our Laziness indulged, since, while young, we have little Room to display our selves; and, when old, the Weakness of Nature must pass for Strength of Sense, and we hope that hoary Heads will raise us above the Attacks of Contradiction. Now, Sir, as you would enliven our Activity in the pursuit of Learning, take our Case into Consideration; and, with a Gloss on brave Elíhu's Sentiments, assert the Rights of Youth, and prevent the pernicious Encroachments of Age. The generous Reasonings of that gallant Youth would adorn your Paper; and I beg you would insert them, not doubting but that they will give good Entertainment to the most intelligent of your Readers, So these three Men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own Eyes, Then was kindled the Wrath of Elihu the Son of Barachel the Buzite, of the Kindred of Ram: Against Job was his Wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God, Also against his three Friends was his Wrath kindled, because they had found no Answer, and yet had con demned Job, Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he. When Elihu saw there here was no Answer in the Mouth of these three No. 336. Men, then his Wrath was kindled. And Elihu the Son Wednesday, of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, March 26, and ye are very old, wherefore I was_afraid, and durst 1712. hot shew you mine Opinion, I said, Days should speak, and Multitude of Years should teach Wisdom. But here is a Spirit in Man, and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them Understanding, Great Men are not always wise: Neither do the aged understand Judgment. Therefore I said, hearken to me, I also will shew mine Opinion. Behold I waited for your Words; I gave ear to your Reasons, whilst you searched out what to say. Yea, I attended unto you: And behold there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his Words: Lest ye should say, we have found out Wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not Man. Now he hath not directed his Words against me: Neither will I answer him with your Speeches, They were amazed, they answered no more: They left off speaking, When I had waited, (for they spake not, but stood still and answered no more,) I said, I will answer also my Part, I also will shew mine Opinion. For I am full of Matter, the Spirit within Me constraineth me. Behold, my Belly is as Wine which hath no Vent, it is ready to burst like new Bottles. I will speak that I may be refreshed: I will open my Lips, and answer, Let me not, I pray you, accept any Man's Person, neither let me give flattering Titles unto Man. For I know not to give flattering Titles, in so doing my Maker would soon take me away.' Mr. SPECTATOR, I have formerly read with great Satisfaction your Papers about Idols, and the Behaviour of Gentlemen in those Coffee houses where Women officiate, and im patiently waited to see you take India and China Shops into Consideration: But since you have pass'd us over in Silence, either that you have not as yet thought us worth your Notice, or that the Grievances we lie under have escaped your discerning Eye, I must make my Complaints 1712. No. 336. Complaints to you, and am encouraged to do it becaus Wednes you seem a little at Leisure at this present Writing, day, March 26, am, dear Sir, one of the top China-Women about Town and though I say it, keep as good Things, and receiv as fine Company as any o' this End of the Town, le the other be who she will: In short, I am in a fair wa to be easy, were it not for a Club of Female Rakes, who under Pretence of taking their innocent Rambles, for sooth, and diverting the Spleen, seldom fail to plague m twice or thrice a Day, to cheapen Tea, or buy a Screen what else should they mean? as they often repeat it These Rakes are your idle Ladies of Fashion, who hav ing nothing to do, employ themselves in tumbling ove my Ware. One of these No-Customers (for by the way they seldom or never buy any thing) calls for a Set o Tea-Dishes, another for a Bason, a third for my bes Green-Tea; and even to the Punch-Bowl there's scarce a Piece in my Shop but must be displaced, and the whole agreeable Architecture disordered, so that I can compare 'em to nothing but to the Night-Goblins that take a Pleasure to over-turn the Disposition of Plates and Dishes in the Kitchins of your housewifely Maids Well, after all this Racket and Clutter, this is too dear, that is their Aversion; another thing is charming, but not wanted: The Ladies are cured of the Spleen, but I am not a Shilling the better for it. Lord! what signifies one poor Pot of Tea, considering the Trouble they put me to? Vapours, Mr. SPECTATOR, are terrible Things; for though I am not possess'd by them my self, I suffer more from 'em than if I were. Now I must beg you to admonish all such Day-Goblins to make fewer Visits, or to be less troublesome when they come to one's Shop; and to convince 'em, that we honest Shop-keepers have Something better to do, than to cure Folks of the Vapours gratis. A young Son of mine, a School-Boy, is my Secretary, so I hope you'll make Allowances, I am, Sir, March the 22d. T Your constant Reader, and very humble Servant, Rebecca the Distress'd.' Thursday |