4 the Beauty and Life of the Original But the great Judge of all the Earth knows every different ftate and degree of humane Improvement, from those weak Stirrings and Tendencies of the Will which have not yet formed themfelves into regular Purposes and Defigns, to the laft entire Finishing and Confummation of a good Habit. He be holds the first imperfect Rudiments of a Virtue in the Soul, and keeps a watchful Eye over it in all its Progress, 'till it has received every Grace it is capable of, and appears in its full Beauty and Perfection. Thus we fee that none but the fupreme Being can efteem us accor ding to our proper Merits, fince all o thers must judge of us from our outward Actions, which can never give them a juft. Eftimate of us, fince there are many Perfections of a Man which are not capable of appearing in Actions; many which, allowing no natural Incapacity of fhewing themselves, want an Opportunity of doing it; or fhould they all meet with an Opportunity of appearing by Actions, yet thofe Actions may be misinterpreted, and applied to wrong Principles, or though they plainly discovered the Principles from whence A. they they proceeded, they could never fhew the Degree, Strength and Perfection of thofe Principles. AND as the Supreme Being is the only proper Judge of our Perfections, fo is he the only fit Rewarder of them. This is a Confideration that comes home to our Intereft, as the other adapts it felf to our Ambition. And what could the moft afpiring, or the most felfish Man defire more, were he to form the Notion of a Being to whom he would recommend himself, than fuch a Knowledge as can discover the leaft Appearance of Perfection in him, and fuch a Goodnefs as will proportion a Reward to it? LET the ambitious Man therefore turn all his Defire of Fame this way; and, that he may propofe to himself a Fame worthy of his Ambition, let him confider that if he employs his Abilities to the beft Advantage, the Time will come when the Supreme Governor of the World, the great Judge of Mankind, who fees every degree of Perfetion in others, and poffeffes all poffible Perfection in himfelf, fhall proclaim his Worth before Men and Angels, and pronounce to him in the Prefence of the the whole Creation that best and most fignificant of Applaufes, Well done thou good and faithful Servant, enter thou into thy Mafter's Joy. C SOXHOHESHCHICC N° 258. Wednesday, December 26. P Divide & Impera. LEASURE and Recrea tion of one kind or other are abfolutely necessary to relieve our Minds and Bodies from too conftant Attention and Labour: Where therefore publick Diverfions are tolerated, it behoves Perfons of Diftinction, with their Power and Example, to prefide over them in fuch a manner as to check any thing that tends to the Corruption of Manners, or which is too mean or trivial for the Entertainment of reasonable Creatures. As to the Diverfions of this kind in this Town, we owe them to the Arts of Poetry and Mufick: My own private Opinion, with relation to fuch Recreations, I have heretofore given with all the Franknefs imaginable; what what concerns thofe Arts at present the Reader fhall have from my Correfpondents. The firft of the Letters with which I acquit my felf for this Day, is written by one who propofes to improve our Entertainments of Dramatick Poetry, and the other comes from three Perfons who as foon as named, will be thought capable of advancing the prefent State of Mufick. Mr. SPECTATOR, Am confiderably obliged to you for your speedy Publication of my last in yours of the 18th Inftant, and am in no fmall Hopes of being fettled in the Poft of Comptroller of the Cries. "Of all the Objections I have hearkened ' after in publick Coffee-houses there is • but one that feems to carry any Weight with it, viz. That fuch a Poft would come too near the nature of a Monopoly. Now, Sir, because "I would have all forts of People made 6 eafie, and being willing to have more 'Strings than one to my Bow; in case that of Comptroller fhould fail me, I have fince formed another Project, < which, being grounded on the dividing a prefent Monopoly, I hope will give the Publick an Equivalent to their full Content. You know, Sir, it is allowed that the Business of 'the Stage is, as the Latin has it, Jucunda & Idonea dicere Vita. Now there being but one Dramatick Theatre licenfed for the Delight and Profit of this extenfive Metropolis, I do humbly propose, for the Convenience of such of its Inhabitants as are too diftant 'from Covent-Garden, that another Theatre of Eafe may be erected in fome 6 fpacious Part of the City; and that 'the Direction thereof may be made a "Franchife in Fee to me, and my Heirs for ever. And that the Town may have no Jealoufie of my ever coming to an Union with the Set of Actors now in being, I do further propose to constitute for my Deputy my near Kinsman and Adventurer Kitt Crotchet, whofe long Experience and Improvements in thofe Affairs need no Recommendation. "Twas obvious to every Spectator what a quite different foot the Stage was upon during his Go⚫vernment; and had he not been bolted out of his Trap-Doors, his Garrifon might have held out for ever, he having by long Pains and Perfeverance • arriv'd |