We may here likewise observe that our proper names, when familiarized in English, generally dwindle to monofyllables, whereas in other modern languages they receive a fofter turn on this occafion, by the addition of a new fyllable. Nick in Italian is Nicolini, Jack in French Janot; and fo of the reft.

?

There is another particular in our language which is a great inftance of our frugality of words, and that is the fuppreffing of feveral particles which must be produced in other tongues to make a fentence intelligible: this often perplexes the best writers, when they find the relatives whom, which, or they, at their mercy whether they may have admiffion or not; and will never be decided until we have fomething like an academy, that by the beft authorities. and rules drawn from the analogy of languages fhall fettle all controverfies between grammart and idiom.

he had at laft the good fortune to be the man 'who took Count Piper. With all this fire I 'knew my coufin to be the civileft creature in the world. He never made any impertinent fhow of his valour, and then he had an ex'cellent genius for the world in every other kind. I had letters from him, here I felt in my pockets, that exactly spoke the Czar's cha

·

<

I have only confidered our language as it fhewsracter, which I knew perfectly well; and I the genius and natural temper of the English, which is modeft, thoughtful and fincere, and which perhaps may recommend the people, though it has fpoiled the tongue. We might perhaps carry the fame thought into other languages, and deduce a great part of what is peculiar to them from the genius of the people who speak them. It is certain, the light talkative humour of the French has not a little infected their tongue, which might be fhewn by many inftances; as the genius of the Italians, which is fo much addicted to mufic and ceremony, has moulded all their words and pltrafes to thofe particular ufes. The ftateliness and gravity of the Spaniards fhews itself to perfection in the folemnity of their language, and the blunt honeft humour of the German founds better in the roughness of the High-Dutch, than it would in a politer tongue.

C

could not forbear concluding, that I lay with his imperial majesty twice or thrice a week all the while he lodged at Deptford. What is worfe than all this, it is impoffible to speak to me, but you give me fome occafion of coming out with one lye or other, that has neither wit, humour, profpect, or intereft, or any other • motive that I can think of in nature. The other day, when one was commending an eminent and learned divine, what occafion in the world had I to fay, methinks he would look · more venerable if he were not fo fair a man? I remember the company smiled. I have seen the gentleman fince, and he is coal-black. I have intimations every day in my life that nobody believes me, yet I am never the better. I was faying fomething the other day to an old friend at Will's coffee-houfe, and he made no manner of anfwer; but told me, that an acquaintance of Tully the orator having two 6 or three times together faid to him, without receiving any answer, that upon his honour he · was but that very month forty years of age; Tully anfwered, Surely you think me the most incredulous man in the world, if I do not be lieve what you have told me every day this ten < years. The mischief of it is, I find myself wonderfully inclined to have been prefent at " every occurrence that is spoken of before me: this has led me into many inconveniencies, but indeed they have been the fewer, because I am no ill-natured man, and never speak things to any man's difadvantage. I never directly defame, but I do what is as bad in the 'confequence, for I have often made a man fay fuch and fuch a lively expreffion, who was born a mere elder brother. When one has faid in my hearing, fuch a one is no wifer than he 'fhould be, I immediately have replied, now 'faith, I cannot fee that, he faid a very good thing to my lord fuch a one, upon fuch an occafion, and the like. Such an honeft dolt < as this has been watched in every expreffion he uttered, upon my recommendation of him, and confequently been subject to the more ridicule. I once endeavoured to cure myfelf of this impertinent quality, and refolved to hold my tongue for feven days together; I did fo, but then I had fo many winks and unneceffary distortions of my face upon what any body elfe faid, that I found I only forbore the expreffion, and that I still lyed in my heart to ! every

N° 136. MONDAY, AUGUST 6.
Parthis mendacior

Hor. Ep. 1. 1. 2. V. 112. A greater liar Parthia never bred.

fel

low, I fhall print the following letter.

• Mr. Spectator,

I

account of a kinfman of mine, a young merchant who was bred at Moscow, that had too 'much mettle to attend books of entries and accounts, when there was fo active a scene in the country where he refided, and followed the Czar as a volunteer: this warm youth, born at the inftant the thing was fpoke of, was the 'man who unhorfed the Swedish general, he 'was the occafion that the Mufcovites kept their fire in fo foldier-like a manner, and brought 6 up thofe troops which were covered from the 6 enemy at the beginning of the day; befides this,

6

I

Shall without any manner of preface or apology acquaint you, that I am, and ever have been from my youth upward, one of the greatest liars this ifland has produced. have read all the moralifts upon the fubject, but could never find any effect their difcourfes had upon me, but to add to my misfortune by new thoughts and ideas, and making me more ready in my language, and capable of fometimes mixing feeming truths with my improbabilities. With this ftrong paffion towards falfhood in this kind, there does not live an ⚫ honefter man or a fincerer friend; but my imagination runs away with me, and whatever is started I have fuch a fcene of adven<tures appears in an instant before me, that I

"

cannot help uttering them, though, to my im'mediate confufion, I cannot but know I am liable to be detected by the first man I mect.

Upon occasion of the mention of the battle of Pultowa, I could not forbear giving an

I

6

· every man I met with. You are to know one thing, which I believe you will fay is a pity, confidering the ufe I fhould have made of it, I never travelled in my life; but I do not know whether I could have fpoken of any foreign country with more familiarity than I do at prefent, in company who are firangers to me. C have curfed the inns in Germany; commended ⚫ the brothels in Venice; the freedom in converfation in France; and though I never was out · of this dear town, and fifty miles about it, ' have been three nights together dogged by bravoes for an intrigue with a cardinal's mistress ' at Rome.

·

Then, Sir, there is my little merchant, honeft Indigo of the 'Change, there is my man for lofs and gain; there is tare and tret, there is lying all round the globe; he has fuch a prodigious intelligence he knows all the French are doing, or what we intend or ought to intend, and has it from fuch hands. But alas, whither am I 'running! while I complain, while I remonftrate to you, even all this is a lye, and there is not one fuch perfon of quality, lover, foldier, or 'merchant as I have now defcribed in the whole ' world, that I know of. But I will catch myfelf once in my life, and in fpite of nature speak one truth, to wit, that I am

'It were endless to give you particulars of this kind, but I can affure you, Mr. Spectator, there 6. are about twenty or thirty of us in this town 'I mean by this town the cities of London ⚫ and Westminster; I fay there are in town a fufficient number of us to make a fociety among " ourselves; and fince we cannot be believed any longer, I beg of you to print this my letter, "that we may meet together, and be under fuch · regulation as there may be no occafion for helief or confidence among us. If you think fit; we might be called The Hiftorians, for liar is ❝ become a very harsh word. And that a mem⚫ber of the fociety may not hereafter be ill re

M

Your humble fervant, &c."

·

I

ceived by the rest of the world, I defire you ' would explain a little this fort of men, and not • let us hiftorians be ranked, as we are in the imaginations of ordinary people, among com6. mon liars, make-bates, impoftors, and incendiaries. For your inftruction herein, you are to know that an hiftorian in conversation is only a 'perfon of fo pregnant a fancy, that he cannot be contented with ordinary occurrences. ⚫ know a man of quality of our order, who is of the wrong fide of forty-three, and has been of that age, according to Tully's jeft, for fome · years fince, whofe vein is upon the romantic. Give him the leaft occafion, and he will tell you something so very particular that happened in fuch a year, and in fuch company, where by the by was prefent fuch a one, who was afterwards made fuch a thing. Out of all thefe circumftances, in the beft language in the world, ⚫ he will join together with fuch probable inci• dents an account that fhews a perfon of the deepest penetration, the honefteft mind, and withal fomething fo humble when he speaks of himself, that you would admire. Dear Sir, why should this be lying! There is nothing fo inftructive. He has withal the graveft afpect; fomething fo very venerable and great? Ano <ther of thefe hiftorians is a young man whom

·

<

· we would take in, though he extremely wants < parts; as people fend children, before they can learn any thing, to fchool to keep them out of harm's way. He tells things which have nothing at all in them, and can neither please nor • difpleafe, but merely take up your time to no manner of purpofe, no manner of delight; but he is good-natured, and does it because he loves to be saying something to you, and entertain you.

I could name you a foldier that hath done very great things without flaughter; he is prodigiously dull and flow of head, but what he can fay is for ever falfe, fo that we must have

him.

world, left what happened between him and a great beauty fhould ever be known. Yet again 'he comforts himfelf. "Hang the jade her wo

66

man. If money can keep the flut trusty I will "do it, though I mortgage every acre: Anthony "and Cleopatra for that: all for love and the "world well loft."

Give me leave to tell you of one more who is a lover; he is the most afflicted creature in the

No 137. TUESDAY, AUGUST 7.

trio.

At hæc etiam fervis femper libera fuerunt, timerent, gauderent, dolerent, fuo potius quàm_alterius arbiTULL. Epift. Even flaves were always at liberty to fear, rejoice, and grieve, at their own rather than another's pleasure.

I

Tis no fmall concern to me, that I find fo many complaints from that part of mankind whofe portion it is to live in fervitude, that thofe whom they depend upon will not allow them to be even as happy as their condition will admit inform me, mafters who are offended at a chearof. There are, as thefe unhappy correfpondents ful countenance, and think a fervant is broke loofe from them, if he does not preferve the utmoft awe in their prefence. There is one who fays, if he looks fatisfied, his mafter afks him what makes him fo pert this morning, if a little four, hark ye, firrah, are not you paid your wages? The poor creatures live in the most extreme mifery together: the mafter knows not how to preferve respect, nor the fervant how to give it. he knows but little fatisfaction in the midst of a It feems this perfon is of fo fullen a nature, that plentiful fortune, and fecretly frets to fee any aphundredth part of his income, who is unhappy pearance of content, in one that lives upon the who cannot poffefs their own minds, vent their in the poffeffion of the whole. Uneafy perfons, fpleen upon all who depend upon them; which, I think, is expreffed in a lively manner in the following letters.

SIR,

August 2, 1711. Have read your Spectator of the third of the laft month, and with I had the happiness of being preferred to ferve fo good a mafter as Sir Roger. The character of my master is the very reverfe of that good and gentle knight's. All his directions are given, and his mind revealed by way of contraries: as when any thing is to be remembered, with a peculiar caft of face he cries, "Be fure to forget now.". If I am to make hafte back, "Do not come thefe two "hours; be fure to call by the way upon fome "of your companions.' Then another excellent way of his is, if he fets me any thing to do, which he knows must neceffarily take up

""

Ꮓ

"

half

<

I

<

"

<

<

half a day, he calls ten times in a quarter of an hour to know whether I have done yet. This is his manner: and the fame perverseness runs 6 through all his actions, according as the circumstances vary. Befides all this, he is fo fufpicious, that he fubmits himself to the drudgery of a fpy. He is as unhappy himself as he makes his fervants: he is constantly watching us, and we differ no more in pleasure and liberty than as a gaoler and a prifoner. He lays " traps for faults, and no fooner makes a difco< very, but falls into fuch language, as I am more afhamed of for coming from him, than for being directed to me. This, Sir, is a fhort fketch of a mafter I have ferved upwards of nine 6 years; and though I have never wronged him, I confefs my despair of pleasing him has very much abated my endeavour to do it. If you will give me leave to fteal a sentence out of my mafter's Clarendon, I shall tell you my cafe in a word, "Being used worse than I deferved, I "cared lefs to deferve well than I had done."

"

·

I am,

Thefe are great calamities; but I met the other day in the five fields towards Chelsea, a pleafanter tyrant than either of the above represented. A fat fellow was paffing on in his open waistcoat; a boy of fourteen in a livery, carrying after him his cloke, upper coat, hat, wig, and fword. The poor lad was ready to fink with the weight, and could not keep up with his master, who turned back every half furlong, and wondered what made the lazy young dog lag behind.

Sir, Your humble fervant,
Ralph Valet

There is fomething very unaccountable, that people cannot put themfelves in the condition of the perfons below them, when they confider the* commands they give. But there is nothing more common, than to fee a fellow, who, if he were ' reduced to it, would not be hired by any man living, lament that he is troubled with the most worthless dogs in nature.

It would, perhaps, be running too far out of common life to urge, that he who is not master of himself and his own paffions cannot be a proper mafter of another. Equanimity in a man's own words and actions, will eafily diffuse itself through his whole family. Pamphilio has the happiest houthold of any man I know, and that' proceeds from the humane regard he has to them in their private perfons, as well as in refpect that' they are his fervants. If there be any occafion, wherein they may in themfelves be supposed toʻ be unfit to attend their master's concerns, by reafon of any attention to their own, he is fo good as to place himself in their condition. I thought it very becoming in him, when at dinner the other day he made an apology for want of more attendants. He faid, "One of my footmen is gone "to the wedding of his fifter, and the other I do' 66 not expect to wait, because his father died but T two days ago."

66

I

6

man.

TULL.

point.

Dear Mr. Spelter, Am the next thing to a lady's woman, and am under both my lady and her woman. am fo used by them both, that I should be very glad to fee them in the Specter. My lady herfelf is of no mind in the world, and for that rea fon her woman is of twenty minds in a moż ment. My lady is one that never knows what to do with herfelf; fhe pulls on and puts off 6+ every thing he wears twenty times before the refolves upon it for that day. I ftand at one "end of the room, and reach things to her woWhen my lady afks for a thing, I hear and have half brought it, when the woman < meets me in the middle of the room to receive it, and at that inftant the fays No she will not have it. Then I go back, and her woman ¿ comes up to her, and by this time fhe will have that and two or three things more in an inftant: the woman and run to each other; 1 am loaded and delivering the tliings to her, when He ufes unneceffary proofs in an indifputable' my lady fays fhe wants none of all thefe things, and we are the dulleft creatures in the world, and fhe the unhappiest woman living, for the fhall not be dreffed in any time. Thus we ftand not knowing what to do, when our good lady with all the patience in the world tells us as plain as he can fpeak, that he will have temper because we have no manner of underftanding; and begins again to drefs, and fee if we can find out of ourselves what we are to • do. When he is dreffed fhe goes to dinner, and after he has difliked every thing there, the calls for her coach, then commands it in again, and then she will not go out at all, and then will go too, and orders the chariot. Now, good Mr. Specter, I defire you would in the behalf of all who ferve froward ladies, give out in your pa" per, that nothing can be done without allowing time for it, and that one cannot be back again with what one was fent for, if one is called back before one can go a step for that they want. And if you pleafe, let them know that all miftreffes are as like as all fervants, I am your loving friend, Patience Giddy,

No 138. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8.
Utitur in re non dubia teftibus non neceffariis.

ONE

NE meets now and then with perfons who are extremely learned and knotty in expounding clear cafes. Tully tells us of an author that spent fome pages to prove that generals could not perform the great enterprises which have made them fo illuftrious, if they had not had men. He afferted alfo, it feems, that a minifter at home, no more than a commander abroad, could do any thing without other men were his inftruments and affiftants. On this occafion he produces the example of Themiftocles, Pericles, Cyrus, and Alexander himself, whom he denies to have been capable of effecting what they did, except they had been followed by others. It is pleafant enough to fee fuch perfons contend without opponents, and triumph without vi&ory.

The author abovementioned by the orator is placed for ever in a very ridiculous light, and we meet every day in converfation fuch as deferve the fame kind of renown, for troubling thofe with whom they converfe with the like certainties. The perfons that I have always thought to deferve the highest admiration in this kind are your ordinary ftory-tellers, who

ape

emperor is alfo literally under his own command. How generous and how good was his entering his own name as a private man in the army he raifed, that none in it might expect to out-run the fteps with which he himself advanced? By fuch measures this godlike prince learned to conquer, learned to use his conquefts. How terrible has he appeared in battle, how gentle in' victory? Shall then the bafe arts of the Frenchman be held polite, and the honeft labours of the Ruffian barbarous? No: barbarity is the ignorance of true honour, or placing any thing instead of it. The unjuft prince is ignoble and barbarous, the good prince only renowned and glorious.