to learn the thoughts of our most eminent politicians on that occafion.

That I might begin as near the fountain-head as possible, I first of all called in at St. James's, where I found the whole outward room in a buz of politics. The speculations were but very indifferent towards the door, but grew finer as you advanced to the upper end of the room, and were so very much improved by a knot of theorists, who sat in the inner room, within the steams of the coffee-pot, that I there heard the whole Spanish monarchy disposed of, and all the line of Bourbon provided for in less than a quarter of an Hour.

I afterwards called in at Giles's, where I saw a board of French gentlemen fitting upon the life and death of their Grand Monarque.. Those among them who had espoused the Whig interest, very positively affirmed, that he departed this life about a week since, and therefore proceeded without any further delay to the release of their friends in the gallies, and to their own re-establishment; but finding they could not agree among themselves, I. proceeded on my intended pro-grefs.

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Upon my arrival at Jenny Man's I faw an alerte young fellow. that cock'd his hat upon a friend of his who entered just at the same time with myself, and accosted. him after the following manner. Well, Jack, the old prig is dead at last. Sharp's the word. Now or never, boy. Up to the walls of Paris directly. With feveral other deep reflections of the fame nature.

I met with very little variation in the politics between Charing-Crofs and Covent-Garden. And upon my going into Will's, I found their discourse was gone: off from the death of the French King to that of Monfieur Boileau, Racine, Corneille, and several others poets, whom they regetted on this occafion, as persons who would have obliged the world with very noble: elegies on the death of so great a prince, and so eminent a patron of learning.

At a coffee-house near the Temple, I found a couple: of young gentlemen engaged very smartly in a dispute: on the fucceffion to the Spanish monarchy, One of them

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them feemed to have been retained as advocate for the Duke of Anjou, the other for his Imperial Majefty. They were both for regulating the title to that kinddom by the statute laws of England; but finding them going out of my depth, I passed forward to St. Paul's church-yard, where I listened with great attention to a learned man who gave the company an account of the deplorable state of France during the minority of the deceased King.

I then turned on my right hand into Fish street, where the chief politician of that quarter, upon hearing the news, (after having taken a pipe of tobacco, and ruminated for some time) If, says he, the King of France is certainly dead, we shall have plenty of mackerel this season: our fishery will not be disturbed by privateers, as it has been for these ten years past. He afterwards confidered how the death of this great man would affect our pilchards, and by feveral other remarks infused a general joy into his whole audience.

I afterwards entered a by-coffee-house that stood at the upper end of a narrow lane, where I met with a Nonjuror, engaged very warmly with a Laceman who was the great support of a neighbouring conventicle. The matter in debate was, whether the late French King was most like Augustus Cæfar, or Nero. The controversy was carried on with great heat on both fides, and as each of them looked upon me very frequently during the course of their debate, I was under fome apprehenfion that they would appeal to me, and therefore laid down my penny at the bar, and made the best of my way to Cheapfide.

I here gazed upon the figns for some time before I found one to my purpose. The first object I met in the coffee-room, was a person who expressed a great grief for the death of the French King; but upon his explaining himself, I found his forrow did not arife from the lofs of the monarch, but for his having fold out of the Bank about three days before he heard the news of it. Upon which a haberdasher, who was the oracle of the coffee-house, and had his circle of admirers about him, called several to witness that he had declared his opinion above a week before, that the French King

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was certainly dead; to which he added, that confidering the late advices we had received from France, it was impoffible that it could be otherwise. As he was laying these together, and dictating to his hearers with great authority, there came in a gentleman from Garraway's, who told us that there were several letters from France just come in, with advice that the King' was in good health, and was gone out a hunting the very morning the post came away: upon which the haberdasher stole off his hat that hung upon a wooden peg by him, and retired to his shop with great confufion. This intelligence put a stop to my travels, which: I had profecuted with fo much fatisfaction; not being a little pleased to hear so many different opinions upon so great an event, and to observe how naturally upon such a piece of news every one is apt to confider it with regard to his particular interest and advantage.

* By ADDISON, dated London. See N° 454.

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N° 404 Friday, June 13, 1712.

-Non omnia poffumus omnes.

Virg. Ecl. v. 63.

With different talents form'd, we variously excel.

N

ATURE does nothing in vain: the Creator of the universe has appointed every thing to tain use and purpose, and determined it to a settled course and sphere of action, from which if it in the least deviates, it becomes unfit to answer those ends for which it was designed. In like manner it is in the dispositions of society, the civil economy is formed in a chain as well as the natural: and in either case the breach but of one link puts the whole in some disorder. It is, I think, pretty plain, that most of the abfurdity and ridicule we meet with in the world, is generally

nerally owing to the impertinent affectation of excelling in characters men are not fit for, and for which Nature never designed them.

Every man has one or more qualities which may make him useful both to himself and others. Nature never fails of pointing them out, and while the infant continues under her guardianship, she brings him on in his way, and then offers herself for a guide in what remains of the journey; if he proceeds in that course, he can hardly miscarry. Nature makes good her engagements; for as she never promises what she is not able to perform, so she never fails of performing what she promises. But the misfortune is, men despise what they may be masters of, and affect what they are not fit for; they reckon themselves already possessed of what their genius inclined them to, and fo bend all their ambition to excel in what is out of their reach.. Thus they destroy the use of their natural talents, in the fame manner as covetous men do their quiet and repose; they can enjoy no fatisfaction in what they have, because of the abfurd inclination they are pof sessed with for what they have not..

Cleanthes. had. good sense; a great memory, and a constitution capable of the closest application. In a word, there was no profession in which Cleanthes might not have made a very good figure; but this won't fatisfy him, he takes up an unaccountable fondness for the character of a fine gentleman; all his thoughts are bent upon this: instead of attending a diffection, fres quenting the courts of justice, or studying the fathers, Cleanthes reads plays, dances, dresses, and spends his time in drawing-rooms; instead of being a good lawyer, divine, or phyfician, Cleanthes is a downright coxcomb, and will remain to all that knew him a con-.. temptible example of talents mifapplied. It is to this affectation the world owes its whole race of coxcombs. Nature in her whole drama never drew fuch a part; she has fometimes made a fool, but a coxcomb is al.. ways of a man's own making, by applying his talents otherwise than Nature designed, who ever bears a high resentment for being put out of her course, and never fails of taking her revenge on those that do so. Oppofing

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posing her tendency in the application of a man's parts, has the same success as declining from her course in the production of vegetables, by the assistance of art and an hot-bed. We may possibly extort an unwilling plant, or an untimely fallad; but how weak, how tasteless and infipid? Just as infipid as the poetry of Valerio. Valerio had an universal character, was genteel, had learning, thought justly, spoke correctly; 'was believed there was nothing in which Valerio did not excel; and 'twas so far true, that there was but one; Valerio had no genius for poetry, yet he's refolved to be a poet; he writes verses, and takes great pains to convince the town, that Valerio is not that extraordinary person he was taken for.

If men would be content to graft upon Nature, and assift her operations, what mighty effects might we expect? Tully would not stand so much alone in oratory, Virgil in poetry, or Cæfar in war. To build upon Nature, is laying the foundation upon a rock; every thing disposes itself into order as it were of course, and the whole work is half done as soon as undertaken. Cicero's genius inclined him to oratory. Virgil's to follow the train of the muses; they pioufly obeyed the admonition, and were rewarded. Had Virgil attended the bar, his modest and ingenuous virtue would surely have made but a very indifferent figure; and Tully's declamatory inclination would have been as useless in poetry. Nature, if left to herself, leads us on in the best course, but will do nothing by compulfion and constraint; and if we are not satisfied to go her way, we are always the greatest sufferers by it.

Wherever Nature designs a production, she always disposes seeds proper for it, which are as absolutely neceffary to the formation of any moral or intellectual excellence, as they are to the being and growth of plants; and I know not by what fate and folly it is, that men are taught not to reckon him equally abfurd that will write verses in spite of Nature, with that gardener that should undertake to raise a jonquil or tulip without the help of their respective seeds.

As there is no good or bad quality that does not affect both sexes, so it is not to be imagined but the fair