numbers would be reduced to mifery by that accident only; he would think it of moment enough to direct, that in the notification of his departure, the honour done to him might be restrained to thofe of the houshold of the prince to whom it fhould be fignified. He would think a general mourning to be in a lefs degree the fame ceremony which is practifed in barbarous nations, of killing their flaves to attend the obfequies of their kings. I had been wonderfully at a lofs for many months together, to guess at the character of a man who came now and then to our coffee-house; he ever ended a newspaper with this reflection, Well, I fee all the foreign princes are in good health. If you asked, Pray Sir, what fays the Poftman from Vienna? he answered, Make us thankful, the German princes are all well.' What does he fay from Barcelona? He does not fpeak but that the country agrees very well with the new queen.' After very much inquiry, I found this man of univerfal loyalty was a wholefale dealer in filks and ribbons; his way is, it feems, if he hires a weaver, or workman, to have it inferted in his articles,' That all this fhall be well and truly performed, provided no foreign · potentate fhall depart this life within the time above mentioned.' It happens in all public mournings, that the many trades which depend upon our habits, are during that folly either pinched with prefent want, or terrified with the apparent approach of it. All the atonement which men can make for wanton expences, which is a fort of infulting the fcarcity under which others labour, is, that the fuperfluities of the wealthy give fupplies to the neceffities of the poor; but inftead of any other good arifing from the affectation of being in courtly habits of mourning, all order feems to be destroyed by it; and the true honour, which one court does to another on that occafion, lofes its force and efficacy. When a foreign minister beholds the court of a nation, which flourishes in riches and plenty, lay afide, upon the lofs of his master, all marks of fplendor and magnificence, though the head of fuch a joyful people, he will conceive a greater idea of the honour done his master, than when he fees the generality of the people in the fame habit. When one is afraid to ask the wife of a tradefman whom whom she has loft of her family; and after fome preparation endeavours to know whom the mourns for; how ridiculous is it to hear her explain herself, that we have loft one of the houfe of Auftria? Princes are elevated fo highly above the reft of mankind, that it is a prefumptuous diftinction to take a part in honours done to their memories, except we have authority for it, by being related in a particular manner to the court which pays that veneration to their friendship, and feems to express on fuch an occafion the fenfe of the uncertainty of human life in general, by affuming the habit of forrow, though in the full poffeffion of triumph and royalty. N° 65 Tuesday, May 15. -Demetri teque Tigelli Difcipulorum inter jubeo plorare cathedras. R HOR. Sat. I. x. 90, Demetrius and Tigellius, know your place; Go hence, and whine among the school-boy race. AFTER having at large explained what wit is, and defcribed the falfe appearances of it, all that labour feems but an ufelefs inquiry, without fome time be spent in confidering the application of it. The feat of wit, when one speaks as man of the town and the world, is the play-house; I fhall therefore fill this paper with reflections upon the use of it in that place. The appli cation of wit in the theatre has as ftrong an effect upon the manners of our gentlemen, as the taste of it has upon the writings of our authors. It may, perhaps, look like a very prefumptuous work, though not foreign from the duty of a Spectator, to tax the writings of fuch as have long had the general applause of a nation; but I fhall always make reafon, truth, and nature, the measures of praife and difpraise; if those are for me, the generality of opinion is of no confequence againft me; if they are against me, the general opinion cannot long fupport ine. Without further preface, I am going to look into fome of our moft applauded plays, and fee whether they they deferve the figure they at present bear in the ima ginations of men, or not. In reflecting upon thefe works, I fhall chiefly dwell upon that for which each refpective play is moft celebrated. The prefent paper fhall be employed upon Sir Fopling Flutter. The received character of this play is, that it is the pattern of genteel comedy. Dorimant and Harriot are the characters of greatest confequence: and if thefe are low and mean, the reputation of the play is very unjust. ve will take for granted, that a fine gentleman should be honest in his actions, and refined in his language. Inftead of this, our hero in this piece is a direct knave in his defigns, and a clown in his language. Bellair is his admirer and friend; in return for which, because he is forfooth a greater wit than his faid friend, he thinks it reasonable to perfuade him to marry a young lady, whofe virtue, he thinks, will last no longer than till she is a wife, and then he cannot but fall to his fhare, as he is an irrefiftible fine gentleman. The falfhood to Mrs. Loveit, and the barbarity of triumphing over her anguifh for lofing him, is another inftance of his honesty, as well as his good-nature. As to his fine language; he calls the orange-woman, who it feems is inclined to grow fat, "An over-grown jade, with a flasket of guts before her;" and falutes her with a pretty phrafe of, "How now, double-tripe?" Upon the mention of a country gentlewoman, whom he knows nothing of, no one can imagine why, he "will lay his life fhe is fome awkward ill-fashioned country toad, who, not having "above four dozen of hairs on her head, has adorned "her baldness with a large white fruz, that fhe may "look fparkihly in the fore-front of the king's box at an old play." Unnatural mixture of fenfelefs common-place! 66 As to the generofity of his temper, he tells his poor footman, "If he did not wait better-" he would turn him away, in the infolent phrafe of, "I'll uncafe you." Now for Mrs. Harriot; fhe laughs at obedience to an abfent mother, whofe tendernefs Bufy defcribes to be very exquifite, for " that she is so pleased with finding Har riot again, that she cannot chide her for being out of the "way." "way." This witty daughter, and fine lady, has fo little refpect for this good woman, that the ridicules her air in taking leave, and cries, " In what struggle is my poor "mother yonder? See, fee her head tottering, her eyes "ftaring, and her under-lip trembling." But all this is atoned for, becaufe "fhe has more wit than is usual in "her fex, and as much malice, though fhe is as wild as you would wish her, and has a demurenefs in her looks "that makes it fo furprifing!" Then to recommend her as a fit fpoufe for his hero, the poet makes her fpeak her fenfe of marriage very ingenioufly; "I think," fays fhe, "I might be brought to endure him, and that is all a reasonable woman fhould expect in an husband.” It is, methinks, unnatural that we are not made to understand how the that was bred under a filly pious old mother, that would never trust her out of her fight, came to be fo polite. It cannot be denied, but that the negligence of every thing, which engages the attention of the fober and valuable part of mankind, appears very well drawn in this piece; but it is denied, that it is neceffary to the character of a fine gentleman, that he should in that manner trample upon all order and decency. As for the character of Dorimant, it is more of a coxcomb than that of Fopling. He fays of one of his companions, that a good correfpondence between them is their mutual interest. Speaking of that friend, he declares, their being much together "makes the women think the better of his un derftanding, and judge more favourably of my reputa"tion. It makes him pafs upon fome for a man of " very good fenfe, and me upon others for a very civil "perfon." This whole celebrated piece is a perfect contradiction to good manners, good fenfe, and common honefty; and as there is nothing in it but what is built upon the ruin of virtue and innocence, according to the notion of merit in this comedy, I take the fhoemaker to be, in reality, the fire gentleman of the play; for it feems he is an Atheist, if we may depend upon his character as given by the orange-woman, who is herfelf far from being the lowest in the play. She fays of a fine man, who is Dorimant's companion, there is not fuch another heathen Vol. I. M in the town, except the fhoemaker." His pretenfion to be the hero of the Drama appears still more in his own. defcription of his way of living with his lady. "There is," fays he, 66 never a man in town lives more like a "gentleman with his wife than I do; I never mind her motions; the never inquires into mine.. We fpeak 66 to one another civilly, hate one another heartily; and "because it is vulgar to lie and foak together, we have "each of us our feveral fettle-bed." That of foaking together is as good as if Dorimant had spoken it himfelf; and, I think, fince he puts human nature in as ugly a form as the circumftance will bear, and is a stanch unbeliever, he is very much wronged in having no part of the good fortune bestowed in the last act. To fpeak plainly of this whole work, I think nothing but being loft to a fenfe of innocence and virtue can make any one fee this comedy, without obferving more frequent occafion to move forrow and indignation, than mirth and laughter. At the fame time I allow it to be nature, but it is nature in its utmost corruption and degeneracy. No 66 Wednesday, May 16. Motus doceri gaudet Ionicos Matura virgo, & fingitur artubus Jam nunc, & inceflos amores De tenero meditatur ungui. R HOR. Od. III. vi. 21. Behold a ripe and melting maid Bound 'prentice to the wanton trade: Ionian artifts, at a mighty price, What nets to spread, where fubtle baits to lay; And with an early hand they form the temper'd clay. ROSCOMMON. THE HE two following letters are upon a fubject of very great importance, though expreffed without say air of gravity. To |