Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

the fame figure as the bags that were really filled with money, had been blown up with air, and called into my memory the bags full of wind, which Homer tells us his hero received as a present from Æolus. The great heaps of gold on either fide the throne now appeared to be only heaps of paper, or little piles of notched sticks, bound up together in bundles like Bath-faggots.

Whilft I was lamenting this fudden defolation that had been made before me, the whole scene vanished: In the room of the frightful spectres, there now entered a fecond dance of apparitions, very agreeably matched together, and made up of very amiable phantoms. The first pair was Liberty with Monarchy at her right hand; the fecond was Moderation, leading in Religion; and the third a person whom I had never feen, with the genius of 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 so 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. 6. 1. 2. v. 58.

One of uncommon filence and referve.

A

N author, when he first appears in the world, is very apt to believe it has nothing to think of but

va

his performances. With a good share of this nity 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 difplease 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 some part of the species to be, what mere blanks they are when they first come abroad

[ocr errors]

in

in the morning, how utterly they are at a stand until they are a fet a-going by fome paragraph in a news-paper: fuch persons 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 curiofity without power of reflection, and perused 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 the whole I resolved 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 confequences of them.

my

It

a

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 misinterpretations; and yet I remember I was once taken up for a Jefuit, for no other reason but profound taciturnity. is from this misfortune, that to be out of harm's way, I have ever fince affected crowds. He who comes into affemblies only to gratify his curiofity, and not to make a figure, enjoys the pleasures of retirement in more exquifite degree than he poffibly could in his closet; the lover, the ambitious, and the mifer, are followed thither by a worfe 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 less 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 thew myself; I gratify the vanity of all who pretend to make an appearance, and have often as kind looks from well-dress'd Gentlemen and Ladies, as a poet would, bestow upon one of his audience. There are fo many gratifications attend this public fort of obfcurity, that fome little distastes I daily receive have lost their anguish; and I did the other day, without the lealt displeasure, overhear one say of me, "That strange fel"low;" and another answer, “I have known the fellow's " face these twelve years, and fo must you; but I believe "you are the first ever asked who he was." There are, I muft confefs, many to whom my person is as well known as that of their nearest 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 fagacity conlider 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 shrewd gueffes, without being admitted to their conversation, 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 fee 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.

men

Those who converse with the dumb, know from the turn of their eyes, and the changes of their countenance, their sentiments of the objects before them. I have indulged my filence to fuch an extravagance, that the few who are intimate with me, answer my smiles with concurrent fentences, and argue to the very point I shaked my head at, without my speaking. 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,

2

" I am

"I am quite of another opinion. She has, I allow, a very

66.

66

[ocr errors]

pleasing aspect, but methinks that simplicity in her coun"tenance is rather childish than innocent." When I observed her a fecond time, he said, "I grant her dress is very becoining, but perhaps the merit of that choice is owning to her mother; for though, continued he, I al" low 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 an" other, or had advice about her trimmings, I shall not al" low 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 spoke what I looked, according to his romantic imagination, in the following

66

manner.

"Behold, you who dare, that charming virgin; behold "the beauty of her person chastised by the innocence of "her thoughts. Chastity, good-nature, and affability, are " the graces that play in her countenance; she knows the " is handsome, but she knows she 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 exprefled in her appearance! her air " has the beauty of motion, and her look the force of lan"guage."

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 discourse 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 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 eafy and familiar admittance to the fair sex. If I never praised or flattered, I never belyed or contradicted them. As these compose half the world, VOL. I.

B

and

and are, by the just complaifance and gallantry of our nation, the more powerful part of our people, I shall dedicate a confiderable share of these my fpeculations to their fervice, 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 dtile and air fuitable to their understanding. When I fay this, I must be understood to mean, that I shall not lower but exalt the subjects I treat upon. Difcourse 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 reasonable 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 reasonable 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 promise, to conceal any false protestations which I obferve made by glances in public assemblies; but endeavour to make both fexes appear in their conduct what they are in their hearts. By this means, love, during the time of my fpeculations, 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 liable to the greatest reproach for misbehaviour in it. Falfehood in love shall hercafter bear a blacker afpect, than infidelity in friendship, or villany in business. For this, great and good end, all breaches against that noble paffion, the cement of fociety, shall be feverely examined. But this, and all other matters loosely hinted at now, and in my former papers, shall have their proper place in my following difcourses; the present writing is only to admonish the world, that they shall not find me an idle but a bufy Spectator.

R

Tuesday,

« VorigeDoorgaan »