of a fingle tulip, or a carnation; but the most agreeable amusement feems to be the well choofing, mixing, and binding together these flowers in pleafing nofegays to prefent to ladies. The fcent of Italian flowers is obferved, like their other perfumes, to be too strong, and to hurt the brain; that of the French with glaring gaudy colours, yet faint and languid; German and Northern flowers have little or no fmell, or fometimes an unpleasant one. The ancients had a fecret to give a lafting beauty, colour, and sweetness, to fome of their choice flowers, which flourish to this day, and which few of the moderns can effect. Thefe are becoming enough and agreeable in their feafon, and do often handfomely adorn an entertainment, but an over-fondnefs of them feems to be a disease. It rarely happens to find a plant vigorous enough, to have, like an orange-tree, at once beautiful fhining leaves, fragrant flowers, and delicious nourishing fruit. 'Dear SPEC, • Sir, yours, &c.' August 6, 1712. YOU have given us, in your Spectator, of Saturday laft, a very excellent difcourfe upon the force of cuftom, and its wonderful efficacy in making everything pleafant to us. I cannot deny but that Ireceived above two pennyworth of inftruction from your paper, and in the general was very well pleafed with it; but I am without a compliment, fincerely troubled that I cannot ⚫exactly be of your opinion, "that it makes every thing 66 pleafing to us." In fhort, I have the honour to be yoked to a young lady, who is in plain English, for her ftanding a very eminent fcold. She began to break her mind very freely both to me and to her fervants about two months after our nuptials; and though I have ⚫ been accuftomed to this humour of hers thefe three years, yet I do not know what is the matter with me, but I am no more delighted with it than I was at the very first. I have advised with her relations about her, and they all tell me that her mother and her grandmother • before her were both taken much after the fame manner ; fo that fince it runs in the blood, I have but fall hopes of her recovery. I fhould be glad to have a little of your advice in this matter: I would not willingly trouble you to contrive how it may be a pleafure to me; if you will but put me in a way that I may bear it with indifference, I shall reft fatisfied. • Dear SPEC, • Your very humble fervant. P. S. I must do the poor girl the justice to let you 'know that this match was none of her own chufing, or indeed of mine either; in confideration of which 1 avoid giving her the leaft provocation; and indeed ⚫ we live better together than ufually folks do who hated one another when they were firft joined: to evade the fin against parents, or at least to extenuate it, my dear rails at my father and mother, and I curfe hers for making the match." Mr. SPECTATOR,. I LIKE the theme you lately gave out extremely, and fhould be as glad to handle it as any man living : but I find myfelf no better qualified to write about money than about my wife; for, to tell you a fecret ' which I defire may go no farther, I am mafter of nei⚫ther of thofe fubjects. 'Yours, Auguft 8, 1712. Mr. SPECTATOR, PILL GARLIC,' 'I DESIRE you would print this in Italic, fo as it may be generally taken notice of. It is defigned only to admonish all perfons, who fpeak either at the bar, pulpit, or any public affembly whatfoever, how they difcover their ignorance in the ufe of fimiles. There are in the pulpit itself, as well as in other places, fuch grofs abufes in this kind, that I give this warning to all I know. I fhall bring them for the future before your fpectatorial authority. On Sunday laft, one, who fhall be namelefs, reproving feveral of his congregation for ftanding at prayers, was pleased to fay, one would think, like "the elephant, you had no knees." Now I myself saw an elephant, in Bartholomew-fair, kneel down to take on his back the ingenious Mr. William Penkethman. T. Your most humble fervant." No 456. Wednesday, August 13. De quo libelli in celeberrimis locis proponuntur, huic ne perire quidem tacitè conceditur. TULL. The man, whofe conduct is publicly arraigned, is not fuffered even to be ruined quietly. OTWAY, TWAY, in his tragedy of Venice Preferv'd, has described the mifery of a man, whofe effects are in the hands of the law, with great fpirit. The bitterness of being the fcorn and laughter of bafe minds, the anguish of being infulted by men hardened beyond the fenfe of fhame or pity, and the injury of a man's fortune being wafted under pretence of juftice, are excellently aggravated in the following speech of Pierre to Jaffier: I pafs'd this very moment by thy doors, The fcene of all thy joys, was violated By the coarfe hands of filthy dungeon villains, No 456. Nothing indeed can be more unhappy than the cordition of bankruptcy. The calamity which happens to us by misfortune, or by the injury of others, has in it fome confolation; but what arifes from our own misbehaviour or error is the ftate of the most exquifite forrow. When a man confiders not only an ample fortune, but even the very neceffaries of life, his pretence to food itself, at the mercy of his creditors, he cannot but look upon himself in the ftate of the dead, with his cafe thus much worfe, that the laft office is performed by his adverfaries inftead of his friends. From this hour the cruel world does not only take poffethion of his whole fortune, but even of every thing elfe, which had no relation to it. All his indifferent actions have new interpretation's put upon them; and thofe whom he has favoured in his former life, difcharge themselves of their obligation, to him, by joining in the reproaches of his enemies. It is almost incredible that it fhould be fo; but it is too often feen that there is a pride mixed with the impatience of the creditor, and there are who would rather recover their own by the downfal of a profperous man, than be discharged to the common fatisfaction of themselves and their creditors. The wretched man, who was lately master of abundance, is now under the direc tion of others; and the windour, economy, good fense, and skill in human life before, by reafon of his prefent misfortune, are of no ufe to him in the difpofition of any thing. The incapacity of an infant or a lunatic is defigned for his provifion and accommodation; but that of a bankrupt, without any mitigation in respect of the accidents by which it arrived, is calculated for his utter ruin, except there be a remainder ample enough after the discharge of his creditors to bear alfo the expence of rewarding those by whofe means the effect of all his labour was transferred from him. This man is. to look on and fee others giving directions upon what terms and conditions his goods are to be purchased, and all this ufually done not with an air of truftees to difpofe of his effects, but deftroyers to divide and tear them to pieces. There is fomething faered in mifery to great and good minds; for this reafon all wife lawgives have been extremely tender how they let loose even the man who has right on his fide, to act with any mixture of refentment against the defendants. Virtuous and modeft men, though they be used with fome artifice, and have it in their power to avenge themselves, are flow in the application of that power, and are ever constrained to go into rigorous meafures. They are careful to demonftrate themfelves not only perfons injured, but also that to bear it longer would be a means to make the offender injure others, before they proceed. Such men clap their hands upon their hearts, and confider what it is to have, at their mercy the life of a citizen. Such would have it, to fay to their own fouls, if pollible, that they were merciful when they could have destroyed, rather than when it was in their power to have fpared a man, they de-. ftroyed. This is a due to the common calamity of hu• man life, due in fome measure to our very enemies.. They who fcruple doing the leaft injury, are cautious of exacting the utmost justice. Let any one who is converfant in the variety of human life reflect upon it, and he will find the man who, wants mercy has a taste of no enjoyment of any kind. There is a natural difrelish of every thing which is good, in his very nature, and he is born an enemy to the world. He is ever extremely partial to himfelf in all his actions, and has no fenfe of iniquity but from the punishment which fhall attend it. The law of the, land is his gofpel, and all his cafes of confcience are determined by his attorney. Such men know not. what it is to gladden the heart of a miferable man, that riches are the inftruments of ferving the purposes L of heaven or hell, according to the difpofition of the poffeffor. The wea hy can torment or gratify all who are in their power, and choose to do one or other as they are affected with love or hatred to mankind. As, for fuch who are infenfible of the concerns of others, but merely as they affect themselves, these men are to be valued only for their mortality, and as we hope better things from their heirs. I could not but read with great delight a letter from an eminent citizen, who has failed, to one who was intimate with him in his better 3 |