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THE

SPECTATOR.

VOLUME THE FIRST.

THE

SPECTATOR.

N° 1. Thursday, March 1, 1710-11.

Non fumum ex fulgore, fed ex fumo dare lucem
Cogitat, ut fpeciofa dehinc miracula promat.

HOR. Ars Poet, ver. 143

One with a flash begins, and ends in smoke;
The other out of smoke brings glorious light,
And (without raifing expectation high)
Surprizes us with dazzling miracles.

I

ROSCOMMON.

HAVE observed, that a reader seldom peruses a book with pleasure, till he knows whether the writer. of it be a black or a fair man, of a inild or choleric disposition, married or a bachelor; with other par ticulars of the like nature, that conduce very much to the right understanding of an author. To gratify this cutiofity, which is so natural to a reader, I design this paper and my next as prefatory difcourses to my following writings, and shall give some account in them of the feveral per fons that are engaged in this work. As the chief trouble of compiling, digefting, and correcting, will tall to my

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share, I must do myself the justice to open the work with my own history.

I was born to a small hereditary estate, which, according to the tradition of the village where it lies, was bounded by the fame hedges and ditches in William the Conqueror's time that it is at present, and has been delivered down from father to fon whole and entire, without the lofs or acquifition of a fingle field or meadow, during the space of fix hundred years. There runs a story in the family, that when my mother was gone with child of me about three months, she dreamt that the was brought-to-bed of a Judge: Whether this might proceed from a law-fuit which was then depending in the family, or my father's being a justice of the peace, I cannot determine; for I am not so vain as to think it presaged any dignity that I should arrive at in my future life, though that was the interpretation which the neighbourhood put upon it. The gravity of my behaviour at my very first appearance in the world, and all the time that I fucked, seemed to favour my mother's dream; for, as she has often, told me, I threw away my rattle before I was two months old, and would not make use of my coral until they had taken away the bells from it.

As for the rest of my infancy, there being nothing in it remarkabie, I shall pass it over in filence. I find, that, during my nonage, I had the reputation of a very fullen youth; but was always a favourite of my schoolmaster, who used to fay, "that my parts were folid, and would " wear well." I had not been long at the university, before I diftinguished myself by a most profound filence; for during the fpace of eight years, excepting in the publick exercises of the college, I scarce uttered the quantity of an hundred words; and, indeed, do not remember that I ever spoke three fentences together in my whole life. Whilft I was in this learned body, I applied myself with fo much diligence to my studies, that there are very few celebrated books, either in the learned or the modern tongues, which I am not acquainted with.

Upon the death of my father, I was refolved to travel into foreign countries; and therefore left the univerfity, with the character of an odd, unaccountable fellow,

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low, that had a great deal of learning, if I would but shew it. An insatiable thirst after knowledge carried me into all the countries of Europe, in which there was any thing new or strange to be seen; nay, to fuch a degree was my curiofity raised, that having read the controverfies of fome great men concerning the antiquities of Egypt, I made a voyage to Grand Cairo, on purpose to take the measure of a pyramid; and as foon as I had fet myself right in that particular, returned to my native country with great fatisfaction.

I have passed my latter years in this city, where I am frequently feen in most public places, though there are not above half a dozen of my select friends that know me; of whom my next paper shall give a more particular account. There is no place of general refort, wherein I do not often make my appearance; fometimes I am feen thrusting my head into a round of politicians at Will's, and liftening with great attention to the narratives that are made in those little circular audiences. Sometimes I finoke a pipe at Child's, and, whilft I feem attentive to nothing but the Postman, overhear the conversation of every table in the room. I appear on Sunday nights at St. James's coffee-house; and fometimes join the little committee of politicks in the inner room, as one who comes there to hear and improve. My face is likewife very well known at the Grecian, the CocoaTree, and in the theatres both of Drury-Lane and the Hay-Market. I have been taken for a merchant upon the Exchange for above these ten years, and fometimes país for a Jew in the affembly of stock-jobbers at Jonathan's. In short, wherever I fee a cluster of people, I always mix with them, though I never open my lips but in my own club.

Thus I live in the world rather as a spectator of mankind, than as one of the species; by which means I have made myself a speculative flatefman, foldier, merchant, and artifan, without ever meddling with any practical part in life. I am very well versed in the theory of a husband or a father; and can difcern the eriors in the economy, business, and diverfion of others, better than those who are engaged in them; as standers-by discover blots, which are apt to efcape thofe

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