ters in thefe two perfons. We fee man and woman in the highest innocence and perfection, and in the most abject state of guilt and infirmity. The two laft characters are, indeed, very common and obvious, but the two firft are not only more magnificent, but more new than any characters either in Virgil or Homer, or indeed in the whole circle of nature.

Milton was fo fenfible of this defect in the fubject of his poem, and of the few characters it would afford him, that he has brought into it two actors of a fhadowy and fictitious nature, in the perfons of Sin and Death, by which means he has wrought into the body of his fable a very beautiful and well-invented allegory. But notwithstanding the fineness of this allegory may atone for it in fome measure, I cannot think that perfons of fuch a chimerical exiftence are proper actors in an epic poem; because there is not that measure of probability annexed to them, which is requifite in writings of this kind, as I fhall fhew more at large hereafter.

Virgil has, indeed, admitted Fame as an actrefs in the Æneid, but the part fhe acts is very fhort, and none of the most admired circumftances in that divine work. We find in mock-heroic poems, particularly in the Difpenfary and the Lutrin, several allegorical perfons of this nature, which are very beautiful in thofe compofitions, and may perhaps be used as an argument, that the authors of them were of opinion, fuch characters might have a place in an epic work. For my own part I fhould be glad the reader would think fo, for the fake of the poem I am now examining; and muft further add, that if fuch empty unfubftantial beings may be ever made ufe of on this occafion, never were any more nicely imagined, and employed in more proper actions, than thofe of which I am now fpeaking.

Another principal actor in this poem is the great enemy of mankind. The part of Ulyffes in Homer's Odyffey is very much admired by Ariftotle, as perplexing that fable with very agreeable plots and intricacies, not only by the many adventures in his voyage, and the subtilty of his behaviour, but by the various concealments and difcoveries of his perfon in feveral parts of that poem. But the crafty being I have now mentioned, makes a much longer voyage than Ulyffes, puts in practice many more wiles and ftratagems, and hides himself under a greater variety of shapes and appearances, all of which are feverally detected, to the great delight and furprise of the reader.

We may likewife obferve with how much art the poet has varied several characters of the perfons that fpeak in his infernal affembly. On the contrary, how has he reprefented the whole Godhead exerting itself towards man in its full benevolence under the three-fold diftinction of a Creator, a Redeemer, and a Comforter !

Nor muft we omit the perfon of Raphael, who, amidst his tenderness and friendship for man, fhews fuch a dignity and condefcenfion in all his fpeesh and behaviour, as are fuitable to a fuperior nature. The angels are indeed as much diverfified in Milton, and distinguished by their proper parts, as the gods are in Homer or Virgil. The reader will find nothing afcribed to Uriel, Gabriel, Michael, or Raphaci, which is not in a particular manner fuitable to their respective characters.

There is another circumftance in the principal actors of the Iliad and neid, which gives a peculiar beauty to thofe two poems, and was therefore contrived with very great judgment. I mean the authors having chofen, for their heroes, perfons who were fo nearly related to the people for whom they wrote. Achilles was a Greek, and Encas the remote founder of Rome. By this means their countrymen, whom they principally propofed to themfelves for their readers, were particularly attentive to all the parts of their ftory, and sympathized with their heroes in all their adventures. A Roman could not but rejoice in the efcapes, fucceffes and victories of Æneas, and be grieved at any defeats, misfortunes or disappointments that befel him; as a Greek must have had the fame regard for Achilles. And it is plain that each of those poems have loft this great advantage, among those readers to whom their heroes are as ftrangers, or indifferent persons.

Milton's poem is admirable in this respect, fince it is impoffible for any of its readers, whatever nation, country or people he may belong to, not to be related to the perfons who are the principal actors in it; but what is still infinitely more to its advantage, the principal actors in this poem are not only our progenitors, but our reprefentatives. We have an actual interest in every thing they do, and no iefs than our utmoft happiness is concerned, and lies at stake in all their behaviour.

"If

I fhall fubjoin as a corollary to the foregoing remark, an admirable obfervation out of Ariftotle, which hath been very much misrepresented in the quotations of fome modern critics. "a man of perfect and confummate virtue falls "into a misfortune, it raises our pity, but not "our terror, because we do not fear that it may "be our own cafe, who do not resemble the "fuffering perfon.' But as that great philofopher adds, "If we fee a man of virtue mixt "with infirmities, fall into any misfortune, it "does not only raise our pity but our terror; "because we are afraid that the like misfortune "may happen to ourselves, who refemble the "character of the fuffering perfon."

I hall take another opportunity to obferve, that a perfon of an abfolute and confummate virtue fhould never be introduced in tragedy, and fhall only remark in this place, that the foregoing obfervation of Ariftotle, though it may be true in other occafions, does not hold in this; because in. the prefent cafe, though the perfons who fall into misfortune are of the most perfect and confummate virtue, it is not to be confidered as what may poffibly be, but what actually is our own cafe; ince we are embarked with them on the fame bottom, and must be partakers of their happiness or misery.

In this, and fome other very few inftances, Ariftotle's, rules for epic poetry, which he had drawn from his reflexions upon Homer, cannot be fuppofed to quadrate exactly with the heroic poems which have been made fince his time; fince it is plain his rules would still have been more perfect, could he have perufed the Æneid which was made fome hundred years after his death.

In my next, I fhall go through other parts of Milton's poem; and hope that what I shall there advance, as well as what I have already written, will not only ferve as a comment upon Milton, but upon Aristotle.

Уу

C No.

feveral quarters of the town, with defcriptions of the new wares in their hands, if he will pleafe to fend word when he will be waited on. This interview is contrived, and the innocent is brought to fuch indecencies as from time to time banish thame and raife defire. With thefe preparatives the hags break their wards by little and little, until they are brought to lose all apprehenfions of what fhall befall them in the poffeffion of younger men. It is a common poftfcript of an hag to a young fellow whom The invites to a new woman, "She has, I affure you, feen none but old Mr. Such-a-one." It pleafes the old fellow that the nymph is brought to him unadorned, and from his bounty 'niece that came to town about a fortnight

The is accommodated with enough to drefs her for other lovers. This is the moft ordinary method of bringing beauty and poverty into the poffeffion of the town: but the particular cafes of kind keepers, fkilful pimps, and all others who drive a feparate trade, and are not in the gcneral fociety or commerce of fin, will require diftin&t confideration. At the fame time that we are thus fevere on the abandoned, we are to reprefent the cafe of others with that mitiga-1 faw; I doubt not but your Lordship will be

as the circumftances demand. Calling names does no good; to fpeak worfe of any shing than it deferves, does only take off from We Credit of the acquiers and has implicitly

fo there is four children left deftitute: so if your Lordship thinks fit to make an appointment where I fhall wait on you with my niece, by a line or two, I ftay for your an'fwer; for I have no place fitted up fince I left my houfe, fit to entertain your honour. I told her she should go with me to fee a gen'tleman, a very good friend of mine; fo I de'fire you to take no notice of my letter, by reafon fhe is ignorant of the ways of the town. My Lord, I defire if you meet us to come alone; for upon my word and honour you are

the first that ever I mentioned her to. ⚫ remain,

Your Lordship's

So I

1 ⚫ most humble fervant to command. 'I beg of you to burn it when you have

'read it.'

with invifible billet-doux, fove-letters, pricked dances, and other trumpery of the fame nature. In another we found a kind of powder, which fet the whole company a fneezing, and by the fcent difcovered itself to be right Spanish. The feveral other cells were ftored with commodities of the fame kind, of which it would be tedious to give the reader an exact inventory.

There was a large cavity on each fide of the head, which I must not omit. That on the right fide was filled with fictions, flatteries, and falfhoods, vows, promises, and protestations ; that on the left with oaths and imprecations. There iffued out a duct from each of thefe cells, which ran into the root of the tongue, where both joined together, and paffed forward in one common duct to the tip of it. We difcovered feveral little roads or canals running from the ear into the brain, and took particular care to trace them out through their several paffages. One of them extended itself to a bundle of fonnets and little mufical inftruments. Others Hor. Ars Poet. ver. 300. ended in feveral bladders which were filled either with wind or froth. But the large canal entered into a great cavity of the skull, from whence there went another canal into the tongue. This

N° 275, TUESDAY, JANUARY

-tribus Anticyris caput infanabile

A head, no helebore can cure,

T.

15. care

Was yesterday engaged in an affembly of vir

Ituofos, where one of them produced many great cavity was filled with a kind of fpungy

curious obfervations which he had lately made in the anatomy of a human body. Another of the company communicated to us feveral wonderful difcoveries, which he had alfo made on the fame fubject, by the help of very fine glaffes, This gave birth to a great variety of uncommon remarks, and furnished difcourfe for the remaining part of the day.

The different opinions which were started on this occafion, prefented to my imagination fo many new ideas, that by mixing with those which were already there, they employed my fancy all the last night, and composed a very wild extravagant dream.

I was invited, methought, to the diffection of a beau's head, and of a coquet's heart, which were both of them laid on a table before us. An Imaginary operator opened the firft with a great deal of nicety, which, upon a curfory and fuperficial view, appeared like the head of another man; but upon applying our glaffes to it, we made a very odd difcovery, namely, that what we looked upon as brains, were not fuch in reality, but an heap of ftrange materials wound up in that shape and texture, and packed together with wonderful art in the feveral cavities of the skull. For, as Homer tells us, that the blood of the gods is not real blood, but only fomething like it: fo we found that the brain of a beau is not a real brain, but only something

like it.

The pineal gland, which many of our modern philofophers fuppofe to be the feat of the foul, fmelt very strong of effence and orangeflower water, and was encompaffed with a kind of horny substance, cut into a thousand little faces or mirrors, which were imperceptible to the naked eye, infomuch that the foul, if there had been any here, muft have been always taken up in contemplating her own beauties.

We obferved a large antrum or cavity in the inciput, that was filled with ribbons, lace, and embroidery, wrought together in a moft curious piece of net-work, the parts of which were likewife imperceptible to the naked eye. Ano ther of thefe antrums or cavities was ftuffed

fubftance, which the French anatomists call galimatis, and the English nonfenfe.

The fkins of the forehead were extremely tough and thick, and, what very much furprifed us, had not in them any fingle bloodveffel that we were able to difcover, either with or without our glaffes; from whence we concluded, that the party when alive must have been intirely deprived of the faculty of blushing.

The os cribriforme was exceedingly stuffed, and in fome places damaged with fnuff. We could not but take notice in particular of that fmall mufcle which is not often difcovered in diffections, and draws the nose upwards, when it expreffes the contempt which the owner of it has, upon feeing any thing he does not like, or hearing any thing he does not under-, ftand. I need 'not tell my learned reader, this is that muscle which performs the motion fo often mentioned by the Latin poets, when they talk of a man's cocking his nofe, or playing the rhinoceros.

We did not find any thing very remarkable in the eye, faving only, that the mufculi amatorii, or as we may tranflate it into English, the ogling mufcles, were very much worn and decayed with ufe; whereas on the contrary, the elevator, or the muscle which turns the eye towards heaven, did not appear to have been used at all.

I have only mentioned in this diffection fuch new difcoveries as we were able to make, and have not taken any notice of thofe parts which are to be met with in common heads. As for the fkull, the face, and indeed the whole outward hape and figure of the head, we could not difcover any difference from what we obferve in the heads of other men. that the perfon to whom this head belonged, We were informed, had paffed for a man above five and thirty years; during which time he eat and drank like other people, dreffed well, talked loud, laughed fre quently, and on particular occafions had acquit ted himself tolerably at a ball or an affembly; to which one of the company added, that a certain knot of ladies took him for a wit. He was

cut off in the flower of his age by the blow of a paring-fhovel, having been furprised by an eminent citizen, as he was tendering fome civilities to his wife.

When we had thoroughly examined this head with all its apartments, and its feveral kinds of furniture, we put up the brain, fuch as it was, into its proper place, and laid it afide under a broad piece of fcarlet cloth, in order to be prepared, and kept in a great repofitory of diffections; our operator telling us that the preparation would not be fo difficult as that of another brain, for that he had obferved feveral of the little pipes and tubes which ran through the brain were already filled with a kind of mercurial fubftance, which he looked upon to be true quick-filver.

He applied himself in the next place to the coquette's heart, which he likewife laid open with great dexterity. There occurred to us many particularities in this diffection; but being unwilling to burthen my reader's memory too much. I fhall referve this fubject the fpeculation of another day.

No 276. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 16.
Errori nomen virtus pofuisset boneftum.

for

L.

Hor. Sat. 3. lib. 1, ver. 42. Misconduct fcreen'd behind a specious name. • Mr. Spectator,

philofophy to be car pable of bearing the mention of your faults. Your papers which regard the fallen part of the fair fex, are, I think, written, 'with an indelicacy which makes them unwor'thy to be inferted in the writings of a moralift who knows the world. I cannot allow that you are at liberty to obferve upon the actions of mankind with the freedom which you seem to refolve upon; at least if you do you should take along the dif

'him.

'pect others in converfation may fecond your
raillery; but when you do it in a file which
every body else forbears in refpect to their
quality, they have an eafy remedy in forbear-
ing to read you, and hearing no more of
their faults. A man that is now and then
guilty of an intemperance is not to be called
a drunkard; but the rule of polite raillery,
is to fpeak of a man's faults as if you loved
Of this nature is what was faid by
Cæfar: when, one was railing with an un-
courtly vehemence, and broke out, What
muft we call him who was taken in an in-
trigue with another man's wife? Cæfar an-
fwered very gravely," a careless fellow."
This was at once a reprimand for speaking of
a crime which in those days had not the ab-
horrence attending it as it ought, as well
as an intimation that all intemperate beha-
viour before fuperiors lofes its aim, by ac-
cufing in a method unfit for the audience. A
'word to the wife. All I mean here to fay to
you is, that the most free person of quality
can go no farther than being a kind wo-
man; and you fhould never fay of a man
of figure worfe, than that he knows the
• world.
I am, Sir,

6

Mr. Spectator,

O'U lately put out a dreadful paper, wherein you promife a full account to the quality and way of life of the perfons of the ftate of criminal love; and call all concerned. A man of breeding fpeaks of the fair who have tranfgreffed in that kind

tinction of manners of the world, according Y

even misfortunes among ladies, without giv-by one very rude name which I do not care ing it the moft terrible afpect it can bear: and this tenderness towards them, is much more to be preserved when you fpeak of vices. All mankind are fo far related, that care is to be taken, in things to which all are liable, you do not mention what concerns one in terms which fhall difguft another. Thus to 'tell a rich man of the indigence of a kinfman

to repeat: but I defire to know of you whe'ther I am or am not one of thofe ? My cafe ' is as follows. I am kept by an old bachelor, who took me fo young, that I knew not how he came by me: he is a bencher ' of one of the inns of court, a very gay healthy old man; which is a very lucky thing for him, who has been, he tells me, a fcowerer, a fcamperer, a breaker of windows, and invader of conftables, in the days of yore, when all dominion ended with the day, and males and females met helter fkelter, and the fcowerers drove before them all who pretended to keep up order or rule to 'the interruption of love and honour. This is his way of talk, for he is very gay when

of his, or abruptly inform a virtuous woman of the lapfe of one who until then was in the fame degree of esteem with herself, is in a kind involving each of them in fome participation of those disadvantages. It is therefore expected from every writer, to treat his argument in fuch a manner, as is moft proper to entertain the fort of readers to whom his difcourfe is directed. It is not ne-he vifits me; but as his former knowledge ceffary when you write to the tea-table, that < you should draw vices which carry all the horror of fhame and contempt: if you paint an impertinent felf-love, an artful glance, an affumed complexion, you fay all which you ought to fuppofe they can be poffibly guilty

• of.

When you talk with this limitation, you behave yourself fo as that you may ex3

of the town has alarmed him into an invincible jealoufy, he keeps me in a pair of flippers, neat boddice, warm petticoats, and my own hair woven in ringlets, after a manner, he fays, he remembers. I am not miftrefs of one farthing of money, but have all neceffaries provided for me, under the guard of one who procured for him while he had 6 any

N277. THURSDAY, JAN. 17.

fas eft & ab boste doceri. Ovid. Met. lib. 4. ver. 428. Receive inftruction from an enemy,

Prefume I need not inform the polite part of my readers, that before our correfpondence with France was unhappily interrupted by the war, our ladies had all their fashions from thence; which the milliners took care to furnifh them with by means of a jointed baby, that came regularly over once a month, habited. after the manner of the most eminent toasts in Paris.