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V. If any member tells stories in the club that are not true, he shall forfeit for every third lie an halfpenny.

VI. If any member strikes another wrongfully, he shall pay his club for him.

VII. If any member brings his wife into the club, he shall pay for whatever she drinks or fmokes.

VIII. If any member's wife comes to fetch him home from the club, she shall speak to him without the door.

IX. If any member calls another cuckold, he shall be turned out of the club.

X. None shall be admitted into the club that is of the fame trade with any member of it.

XI. None of the club shall have his clothes or shoes made or mended, but by a brother-member. XII. No nonjuror shall be capable of being a member.

The morality of this little club is guarded_by fuch wholesome laws and penalties, that I queftion not but my Reader will be as well pleased with them, as he would have been with the Leges Convivales of Ben Johnson, the regulations of an old Roman club cited by Lipfius, or the rules of a Sympofium in an ancient Greek author.

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NO 10. MONDAY, MARCH 12.

Non aliter quam qui adverso vix flumine lembum
Remigiis fubigit: fi brachia forte remifit,
Atque illum in præceps prono rapit alveus amni.
VIRG. Georg. i. ver. 201.

So the boat's brawny crew the current stem,
And, flow advancing, struggle with the stream:
But if they flack their hands, or cease to strive,
Then down the flood with headlong hafte they
DRYDEN.

drive.

TT is with much fatisfaction that I hear this great

city inquiring day by day after these my papers, and receiving my morning lectures with a becoming ferioufness and attention. My publisher tells me, that there are already three thousand of them diftributed every day: So that if I allow twenty readers to every paper, which I look upon as a modest computation, I may reckon about threefcore thoufand difciples in London and Westminster, who, I hope, will take care to diftinguish themselves from the thoughtless herd of their ignorant and unattentive brethren. Since I have raised to myself fo great an audience, I shall spare no pains to make their instruction agreeable, and their diverfion ufeful. For which reasons I shall endeavour to enliven morality with wit, and to temper wit with morality, that my Readers may, if poffible, both ways find their account in the fpeculation of the day. And, to the end that their virtue and difcretion may not be short tranfient intermitting starts of thought, I have refolved to refresh their memories from day to day, until I have recovered them out of that defperate state of vice and folly into which the age is fallen. The mind that lies fallow but a fingle day, fprouts up in follies that are only to be killed

by by a constant and affiduous culture. It was said of Socrates, that he brought philofophy down from Heaven to inhabit among men; and I shall be ambitious to have it faid of me, that I have brought philofophy out of closets and libraries, schools and colleges, to dwell in clubs and affemblies, at teafables, and in coffee-houses.

I would therefore, in a very particular manner, recommend thefe my speculations to all well-regulated families, that fet apart an hour in every morning for tea and bread and butter; and would earnestly advise them for their good to order this paper to be punctually served up, and to be looked upon as a part of the tea-equipage.

Sir Francis Bacon observes, that a well-written book, compared with its rivals and antagonists, is like Mofes's ferpent, that immediately swallowed up and devoured those of the Egyptians. I shall not be so vain as to think, that where the SPECTATOR appears, the other public prints will vanish; but shall leave it to my Reader's confideration, whether it is not much better to be let into the knowledge of ones felf, than to hear what passes in Muscovy or Poland; and to amuse ourselves with fuch writings as tend to the wearing out of ignorance, paffion, and prejudice, than such as naturally conduce to inflame hatreds, and make enmities irreconcileable.

In the next place I would recommend this paper to the daily perusal of those gentlemen whom I cannot but confider as my good brothers and allies, I mean the fraternity of spectators, who live in the world without having any thing to do in it; and either by the affluence of their fortunes, or laziness of their difpofitions, have no other business with the rest of mankind, but to look upon them. Under this class of men are comprehended all contemplative tradesmen, titular physicians, fellows of the royal fociety, templars that are not given to be contentious, and statefmen that are out of business; in short, every one that confiders the world as a theatre, and defires to form a right judgment of those who are the actors on it.

There is another set of men that I must likewise lay a claim to, whom I have lately called the blanks of fociety, as being altogether unfurnished with ideas, until the business and conversation of the day has fupplied them. I have often confidered these poor fouls with an eye of great commiferation, when I have heard them afking the first man they have met with, whether there was any news stirring? and by that means gathering together materials for thinking. These needy perfons do not know what to talk of, until about twelve o'clock in the morning; for by that time they are pretty good judges of the weather, know which way the wind fits, and whether the Dutch mail be come in. As they lie at the mercy of the first man they meet, and are grave and impertinent all the day long, according to the notions which they have imbibed in the morning, I would earnestly intreat them not to ftir out of their chambers until they have read this paper, and do promise them that I will daily inftil into them fuch found and wholesome fentiments, as shall have a good effect on their conversation for the ensuing twelve hours.

But there are none to whom this paper will be more useful than to the female world. I have often thought there has not been fufficient pains taken in finding out proper employments and diversions for the Fair Ones. Their amusements seem contrived for them, rather as they are women, than as they are reasonable creatures; and are more adapted to the fex than to the species. The toilet is their great scene of business, and the right adjusting of their hair the principal employment of their lives. The forting of a fuit of ribbands is reckoned a very good morning's work; and, if they make an excursion to a mercer's or a toy-shop, fo great a fa

tigue makes them unfit for any thing elfe all the day day after. Their more ferious occupations are fewing and embroidery, and their greatest drudgery the preparation of jellies and sweet-meats. This, I fay, is the state of ordinary women; though I know there are multitudes of those of a more elevated life and conversation, that move in an exalted fphere of knowledge and virtue, that join all the beauties of the mind to the ornaments of drefs, and inspire a kind of awe and refpect, as well as love, into their male-beholders. I hope to increase the number of these, by publishing this daily paper, which I shall always endeavour to make an innocent if not an improving entertainment, and by that means at least divert the minds of my Female Readers from greater trifles. At the same time, as I would fain give fome finishing touches to those which are already the most beautiful pieces in human nature, I shall endeavour to point out all those imperfections that are the blemishes, as well as those virtues which are the embellishments of the sex. In the mean while, I hope these my gentle Readers, who have fo much time on their hands, will not grudge throwing away a quarter of an hour in a day on this paper, fince they may do it without any hindrance to business.

I know feveral of my friends and well-wishers are in great pain for me, left I should not be able to keep up the spirit of a paper which I oblige myself to furnish every day: But, to make them easy in this particular, I will promise them faithfully to give it over as foon as I grow dull. This, I know, will be matter of great rallery to the small wits; who will frequently put me in mind of my promife, defire me to keep my word, affure me that it is high time to give over, with many other little pleafantries of the like nature, which men of a little smart genius cannot forbear throwing out against their best friends, when they have fuck a handle

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