Great Britain. At the first entrance the Lady revived, the bags swelled to their former bulk, the piles of faggots and heaps of paper changed into pyramids of guineas: And, for my own part, I was fo transported with joy, that I awaked, though I must confefs, I would fain have fallen afleep again to have closed my vifion, if I could have done it. C N° 4. MONDAY, MARCH 5. -Egregii mortalem altique filenti? Hor. Sat. vi. 1. 2. ver. 58. One of uncommon filence and referve. AN author, when he first appears in the world, is very apt to believe it has nothing to think of but his performances. With a good share of this vanity in my heart, I made it my business these three days to liften after my own fame; and, as I have fometimes met with circumstances which did not difpleafe me, I have been encountered by others which gave me as much mortification. It is incredible to think how.empty I have in this time observed fome part of the fpecies to be, what mere blanks they are when they first come abroad in the morning, how utterly they are at a stand until they are fet a going by fome paragraph in a news-paper: Such perfons are very acceptable to a young author, for they defire no more in any thing but to be new to be agreeable. If I found confolation among fuch, I was as much disquieted by the incapacity of others. These are mortals who have a certain curiosity without power of reflection, and perufed my papers like spectators rather than readers. But there is so little pleasure in inquiries that so nearly concern ourselves, (it being the worst way in the world to fame, to be too anxious about it) that upon upon the whole I refolved for the future to go on in my ordinary way; and without too much fear or hope about the business of reputation, to be very careful of the design of my actions, but very negligent of the consequences of them. It is an endless and frivolous pursuit to act by any other rule than the care of fatisfying our own minds in what we do. One would think a filent man, who concerned himself with no one breathing, should be very little liable to mifinterpretations; and yet I remember I was once taken up for a Jefuit, for no other reason but my profound taciturnity. It is from this misfortune that to be out of harm's way, I have ever fince affected crowds. He who comes into afsemblies only to gratify his curiofity, and not to make a figure, enjoys the pleasures of retirement in a more exquisite degree, than he poffibly could in his closet; the lover, the ambitious, and the mifer, are followed thither by a worse crowd than any they can withdraw from. To be exempt from the paffions with which others are tormented, is the only pleasing folitude. I can very justly say with the ancient fage, I am never lefs alone than when alone. As I am infignificant to the company in public places, and as it is visible I do not come thither as most do, to shew myself; I gratify the vanity of all who pretend to make an appearance, and have often as kind looks from well-dressed Gentlemen and Ladies, as a poet would bestow upon one of his audience. There are fo many gratifications attend this public fort of obscurity, that some little distastes I daily receive have loft their anguish; and I did the other day, without the least difpleasure, overhear one fay of me, That Arange fellow; and another anfwer, I have knovan the fellow's face these twelve years, and so must you; but I believe you are the first ever asked who he was. There are, I must confefs, many to whom my perfon is as well known as that of their nearest relations, B3 relations, who give themselves no farther trouble about calling me by my name or quality, but speak of me very currently by Mr. What-d'ye-call-him. To make up for these trivial disadvantages, I have the high fatisfaction of beholding all nature with an unprejudiced eye; and, having nothing to do with mens paffions or interests, I can with the greater sagacity confider their talents, manners, failings, and merits. It is remarkable, that those who want any one sense, possess the others with greater force and vivacity. Thus my want of, or rather refignation of speech, gives me all the advantages of a dumb man. I have, methinks, a more than ordinary penetration in seeing; and flatter myself that I have looked into the highest and lowest of mankind, and make fhrewd guefsses, without being admitted to their converfation, at the inmost thoughts and reflections of all whom I behold. It is from hence that good or ill fortune has no manner of force towards affecting my judgment. I see men flourishing in courts, and languishing in jails, without being prejudiced from their circumstances to their favour or disadvantage; but, from their inward manner of bearing their condition, often pity the profperous, and admire the unhappy. Those who converse with the dumb, know from the turn of their eyes, and the changes of their countenance, their fentiments of the objects before them. I have indulged my filence to fuch an extratravagance, that the few who are intimate with me, anfwer my fmiles with concurrent fentences, and argue to the very point I shaked my head at, with. out my fpeaking. WILL HONEYCOMB was very entertaining the other night at a play, to a gentleman who fat on his right hand, while I was at his left. The gentleman believed WILL was talking to himself, when, upon my looking with great approbation at a young thing in a box before us, he ، faid, 'I am quite of another opinion. She has, ' I will allow, a very pleasing afpect, but methinks, 'that fimplicity in her countenance is rather childish 'than innocent.' When I observed her a fecond time, he faid, ' I grant her dress is very becoming, ' but perhaps the merit of that choice is owing to 'her mother; for though, continued he, I allow a beauty to be as much to be commended for the elegance of her dress, as a wit for that of his 'language; yet if she has stolen the colour of her ribbands from another, or had advice about her trimmings, I shall not allow her the praise of dress 'any more than I would call a plagiary an author.' When I threw my eye towards the next woman to her, WILL fpoke what I looked, according to his romantic imagination, in the following manner: 6 6 6 'Behold, you who dare, that charming virgin; • behold the beauty of her person chastised by the innocence of her thoughts. Chastity, goodnature, and affability, are the graces that play in her countenance; the knows the is handfome, but she knows the is good. Confcious beauty ' adorned with confcious virtue! what a spirit is ' there in those eyes! what a bloom in that perfon! how is the whole woman expreffed in her appearance! her air has the beauty of motion, and her • look the force of language.' occinelle 6 It was prudence to turn away my eyes from this object, and therefore I turned them to the thoughtless creatures who make up the lump of that fex, and move a knowing eye no more than the portraitures of infignificant people by ordinary painters, which are but pictures of pictures. Thus the working of my own mind is the general entertainment of my life: I never enter into the commerce of difcourse with any but my particular friends, and not in public even with them. Such an habit has perhaps raised in me uncommon reflections; but this effect I cannot communicate but but by my writings. As my pleasures are almost wholly confined to those of the fight, I take it for a peculiar happiness that I have always had an easy and familiar admittance to the fair sex. If I never praised or flattered, I never belied or contradicted them. As these compose half the world, and are, by the just complaifance and gallantry of our nation, the more powerful part of our people, I shall dedicate a confiderable part of these my fpeculations to their service, and shall lead the young through all the becoming duties of virginity, marriage, and widowhood. When it is a woman's day, in my works, I shall endeavour at a style and air fuitable to their understanding. When I say this, I must be understood to mean, that I shall not lower but exalt the subjects I treat upon. Discourse, for their entertainment, is not to be debased but refined. A man may appear learned without talking fentences, as in his ordinary gesture he discovers he can dance, though he does not cut capers. In a word, I shall take it for the greatest glory of my work, if among reafonable women this paper may furnish tea-table-talk. In order to it I shall treat on matters which relate to females, as they are concerned to approach or fly from the other fex, or as they are tied to them by blood, interest, or affection. Upon this occafion I think it but reafonable to declare, that whatever skill I may have in speculation, I shall never betray what the eyes of lovers say to each other in my prefence. At the fame time I shall not think myself obliged, by this promife, to conceal any false protestations which I observe made by glances in public affemblies; but endeavour to make both sexes appear in their conduct what they are in their hearts. By this means, love, during the time of my speculations, shall be carried on with the fame fincerity as any other affairs of less confideration. As this is the greatest concern, men shall be from henceforth |