"THE Spanish Doctor above-mentioned, as his Speculations grow more refined, asserts that every kind of Wit has a Particular Science corresponding to it, and in which alone it can be truly Excellent. As to those Genius's, which may feem to have an equal Aptitude 'for feveral Things, he regards them as fo many un⚫ finished Pieces of Nature wrought off in haste.

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· THERE are, indeed, but very few to whom Nature has been fo unkind, that they are not capable of shining ' in fome Science or other. There is a certain Bias towards Knowledge in every Mind, which may be ⚫ftrengthned and improved by proper Applications.

'THE Story of Clavius is very well known; he was entered in a College of Jefuits, and after having been tried at feveral Parts of Learning, was upon the point of being difmiffed as an hopeless Block-head, 'till one of the Fathers took it into his Head to make an affay of his • Parts in Geometry, which it seems hit his Genius fo luckily that he afterwards became one of the greatest Mathematicians of the Age. It is commonly thought that the Sagacity of these Fathers, in difcovering the Talent of a young Student, has not a little contributed to the Fiwhich their Order has made in the World. gure

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HOW different from this manner of Education is ⚫ that which prevails in our own Country? Where nothing is more ufual than to fee forty or fifty Boys of feveral Ages, Tempers and Inclinations ranged together in the fame Clafs, employed upon the fame Authors, and enjoined the fame Tasks? Whatever their natural • Genius may be, they are all to be made Poets, Historians, and Orators alike. They are all obliged to have the fame Capacity, to bring in the fame Tale of Verfe, and to furnish out the fame Portion of Profe. Every Boy is ⚫ bound to have as good a Memory as the Captain of the Form. To be brief, inftead of adapting Studies to the particular Genius of a Youth, we expect from the young Man, that he should adapt his Genius to his Studies. This, I muft confefs, is not fo much to be imputed to the Inftructor, as to the Parent, who will never be brought to believe, that his Son is not capable of performing as much as his Neighbour's, and that he may " not make him whatever he has a Mind to.

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IF the prefent Age is more laudable than those which have gone before it in any fingle Particular, it is in that generous Care which several well-difpofed Perfons have ⚫ taken in the Education of poor Children; and as in these Charity-Schools there is no Place left for the over-weening Fondness of a Parent, the Directors of them would ⚫ make them beneficial to the Publick, if they confidered the Precept which I have been thus long inculcating. They might eafily, by well examining the Parts of thofe under their Infpection, make a just Distribution of them into proper Claffes and Divifions, and allot to them this or that particular Study, as their Genius qua⚫lifies them for Profeffions, Trades, Handicrafts, or Ser 'vice by Sea or Land.

HOW is this kind of Regulation wanting in the three great Profeffions!

Dr. SOUTH complaining of Perfons who took upon them Holy-Orders, tho' altogether unqualified for the Sacred Function, fays fomewhere, that many a Man runs his Head against a Pulpit, who might have done his Country excellent Service at a Plough-tail.

IN like manner many a Lawyer, who makes but an ⚫ indifferent Figure at the Bar, might have made a very elegant Waterman, and have shined at the Temple Stairs, tho' he can get no Bufinefs in the House.

6.

I have known a Corn-cutter, who with a right Edu⚫cation would have been an excellent Physician.

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'TO descend lower, are not our Streets filled with fagacious Draymen, and Politicians in Liveries? We have < feveral Tailors of fix Foot high, and meet with many a broad pair of Shoulders that are thrown away upon a Barber, when perhaps at the fame time we fee a pigmy Porter reeling under a Burthen, who might have managed a Needle with much Dexterity, or have fnapped. his Fingers with great Eafe to himfelf, and Advantage to the Publick..

THE Spartans, tho' they acted with the Spirit which I am here fpeaking of, carried it much farther than what I propofe: Among them it was not lawful for the Father himself to bring up his Children after his own Fancy. As foon as they were feven Years old they were ⚫ all lifted in feveral Companies, and difciplined by the • Publick.

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• Publick. The old Men were Spectators of their Performances, who often raised Quarrels among them, and ⚫ fet them at Strife with one another, that by thofe early • Discoveries they might fee how their several Talents lay, and without any regard to their Quality, difpofe of them accordingly for the Service of the Commonwealth. By this means Sparta foon became the Mistress of Grece, ⚫ and famous through the whole World for her Civil and O Military Difcipline.

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IF you think this Letter deferves a Place among your Speculations, I may perhaps trouble you with fome other Thoughts on the fame Subject.

I am, &c.

N° 308.

Friday, February 22.

Jam proterva

Fronte petet Lalage maritum.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

I

Hor.

Give you this Trouble in order to propofe my felf to you as an Affiftant in the weighty Cares which you have thought fit to undergo for the publick Good. I am a very great Lover of Women, that is to fay honestly, and as it is natural to ftudy what one likes, I have induftriously applied my felf to understand them. The prefent Circumftance relating to them, is, ⚫ that I think there wants under you, as SPECTATOR, a Perfon to be diftinguished and vested in the Power ⚫ and Quality of a Cenfor on Marriages. I lodge at the Temple, and know, by feeing Women come hither, and afterwards obferving them conducted by their Counfel to Judges Chambers, that there is a Custom in Cafe of making Conveyance of a Wife's Eftate, that she is carried to a Judge's Apartment and left alone with him, to ⚫ be examined in private whether the has not been fright⚫ened or fweetned by her Spoufe into the Act fhe is go⚫ing to do, or whether it is of her own free Will. Now

if this be a Method founded upon Reafon and Equity, why should there not be alfo a proper Officer for examining fuch as are entring into the State of Matrimony whether they are forced by Parents on one Side, or moved by Intereft only on the other, to come together, and bring forth fuch aukward Heirs as are the Product of half Love and conftrained Compliances? There is no Body, though I fay it my felf, would be fitter for this Office than I am: For I am an ugly Fellow of great Wit and Sagacity. My Father was an hail Country6. Squire, my Mother a witty Beauty of no Fortune: The Match was made by Consent of my Mother's Parents against her own: and I am the Child of the Rape on the Wedding-Night; fo that I am as healthy and as homely as my Father, but as fprightly and agreeable as my Mo⚫ther. It would be of great Eafe to you if you would ⚫ufe me under you, that Matches might be better regu⚫lated for the future, and we might have no more Children of Squabbles. I fhall not reveal all my Pretenfions till I receive your Anfwer; and am,

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SIR,

Mr. SPECTATOR,

Your moft bumble Servant,
Mulcs Palfrey.

I Am one of thofe unfortunate Men within the CityWalls, who am married to a Woman of Quality, but her Temper is fomething different from that of Lady Anvil. My Lady's whole Time and Thoughts are fpent in keeping up to the Mode both in Apparel and Furniture. All the Goods in my Houfe have been ⚫ changed three times in feven Years. I have had seven • Children by her; and by our Marriage Articles fhe was to have her Apartment new furnished as often as the lay in. Nothing in our Houfe is useful but that which is fafhionable; my Pewter holds out generally half a Year, my Plate a full Twelve-month; Chairs are not fit to fit in that were made two Years fince, nor Beds: fit for any thing but to fleep in that have ftood up ⚫ above that Time. My dear is of Opinion that an old⚫ fashioned Grate confumes Coals, but gives no Heat: If fhe drinks out of Glasses of laft Year, she cannot diftin

guish Wine from Small-Beer. Oh, dear Sir, you may guess all the rest.

Yours.

< P. S. I could bear even all this, if I were not obliged alfo to eat fashionably. I have a plain Stomach, and ⚫ have a conftant Loathing of whatever comes to my own • Table; for which Reason I dine at the Chop-house three Days a Week: Where the good Company wonders they 6 never fee you of late. I am fure by your unprejudiced • Difcourfes you love Broth better than Soup.

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Mr. SPECTATOR,

Will's, Feb. 19.

YOU may believe you are a Perfon as much talked

of as any Man in Town. I am one of Friends in this House, and have laid a Wager you are fo beft your candid a Man and so honeft a Fellow, that you will print this Letter, tho' it is in Recommendation of a new Paper called The Hiftorian. I have read it carefully, and find it written with Skill, good Senfe, Modefty, and Fire. You must allow the Town is kinder to you 6. than you deserve; and I doubt not but you have so much ⚫ Senfe of the World, Change of Humour, and Inftability of all human Things, as to understand, that the only Way to preserve Favour, is to communicate it to others with Good-Nature and Judgment. You are fo generally read, that what you speak of will be read. This ⚫ with Men of Senfe and Taste is all that is wanting to recommend The Hiftorian.

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I am, SIR,

Your daily Advocate,
Reader Gentle.

I was very much furprized this Morning, that any one fhould find out my Lodging, and know it fo well, as to come directly to my Clofet-Door, and knock at it, to give me the following Letter. When I came out I opened it, and faw by a very strong Pair of Shoes and a warm Coat the Bearer had on, that he walked all the Way to bring it me, tho' dated from York. My Misfortune is that I cannot talk, and I found the Messenger had so much

of