ture of instinct and knowledge, and are neither indolent nor happy. It is very obfervable, that critics are a people between the learned and the ignorant, and by that fituation enjoy the tranquillity of neither. As critics ftand among men, fo do men in general between brutes and angels. Thus every man, as he is a critic and a coxcomb, until improved by reafon and fpeculation, is ever forgetting himself, and laying open the faults of others. At the fame time that I am talking of the cruelty of urging people's faults with feverity, I cannot but bewail fome which men are guilty of for want of admonition. These are fuch as they can eafily mend, and no body tells them of, for which reafon I fhall make ufe of the pennypoft (as I have with fuccefs to feveral young ladies about turning their eyes, and holding up their heads) to certain gentlemen, whom I remark habitually guilty of what they may reform in moment. There is a fat fellow whom I have long remarked wearing his breast open in the midst of winter, out of an affectation of youth. I have therefore fent him juft now the following letter in my phyfical capacity. • SIR, FROM the twentieth inftant to the first of May next, both days inclufive, I beg of you to button your waistcoat from your collar to your waistband. I am your most humble fervant, ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, Philomath." There is a very handfome well-fhaped youth that frequents the coffee-houfes about Charing-crofs, and ties a very pretty ribband with a crofs of jewels at his breaft. This being fomething new, and a thing in which the gentleman may offend the heralds-office, I have addreffed myself to him, as I am Cenfor. VOL. IV. L • DEAR 1 DEAR COUNTRYMAN, 'WAS that enfign of honour which you wear given you by a prince or a lady that you have ferved? If you bear it as an absent lover, please to hang it on a black ribband if as as a rewarded foldier, you may have my licence to continue the red. Your faithful fervant, BICKERSTAFF, Cenfor.' These little intimations do great service, and are very useful, not only to the perfons themselves, but to inform others how to conduct themselves towards them. Inftead of this honeft private method, or a friendly one face to face, of acquainting people with things in their power to explain or amend, the usual way among people is to take no notice of things you can help, and nevertheless expose you for those you cannot. Plumbeus and Levis are conftantly in each other's company: they would, if they took proper methods, be very agreeable companions; but they fo extravagantly aim at what they are unfit for, and each of them rallies the other so much in the wrong place, that inftead of doing each other the offices of friends, they do but inftruct the rest of the world to laugh at them with more knowledge and fkill. Plumbeus is of a faturnine and fullen complexion; Levis of a mercurial and airy difpofition. Both these gentlemen have but very flow parts, but would make a very good figure did they purfue what they ought. If Plumbeus would take to bufinefs, he would in a few years know the forms of orders fo well as to direct and dictate with fo much eafe, as to be thought a folid, able, and at the fame time a sure man of dispatch. Levis, with a little reading, and coming more into company, would foon be able to write a fong or lead up a country-dance. Inftead of these proper pursuits, in obedience to their respective geniuses, Plumbeus endeavours to be a man of plea fure, and Levis the man of bufinefs. This appears in 1 their speech, and in their drefs: Plumbeus is ever egregious fine, and talking fomething like wit; Levis is ever extremely grave, and with a filly face repeating maxims. These two pardon each other for affecting what each is incapable of, the one to be wife, and the other gay; but are extremely critical in their judgments of each other in their way towards what they pretend to. Plumbeus ac knowledges Levis to be a man of great reach, because it is what Plumbeus never cared for being thought himself, and Levis allows Plumbeus to be an agreeable rake for the fame reason. Now were these dear friends to be free with each other, as they ought to be, they would change characters, and be both as commendable, instead of being as ridiculous, as their capacities will admit of. Were it not too grave, all that I would urge on this fubject is, that men are bewildered when they confider themselves in any other view than that of ftrangers, who are in a place where it is no great matter whether they can, or unreasonable to expect they fhould, have every thing about them as well as at their own home. This way of thinking is, perhaps, the only one that can put this being in a proper pofture for the ease of society. It is certain, that this would reduce all faults into thofe which proceed from malice or dishonesty: it would quite change our manner of beholding one another, and nothing that was not below a man's nature would be below his character. The arts of this life would be proper advances towards the next; and a very good man would be a very fine gentleman. As it now is, human life is inverted, and we have not learned half the knowledge of this world before we are dropping into another. Thus, instead of the raptures and contemplations which naturally attend a well-fpent life from the approach of eternity, even we old fellows are afraid of the ridicule of those who are born fince us, and ashamed not to understand, as well as peevish to refign, the mode, the fashion, the ladies, the fiddles, the balls, and what not. Dick Reptile, who does not want humour, is very pleafant at our club when he fees an old fellow touchy at being laughed at for any thing that is not in the mode, and bawls in his ear, Pr'ythee do not mind him; tell him thou art mortal.' NO. 247. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1710. Edepol, ne nos æquè fumus omnes invifa viris Indeed we are all equally flighted by the men on account of fome few of our fex, who make us all appear undeferving of their efteem. By Mrs. Jenny Diftaff, Half-Sifter to Mr. Bickerstaff. From my own Apartment, November 6. My brother having written the above piece of Latin, defired me to take care of the rest of the ensuing paper. Towards this he bid me anfwer the following letter, and faid, nothing I could write properly on the fubject of it would be disagreeable to the motto. It is the cause of my fex, and I therefore enter upon it with great alacrity. The epiftle is literally thus: • Mr. BICKERSTAFF, Edenburgh, Octob. 23. I PRESUME to lay before you an affair of mine, and begs you will be very finceir in giving me your judgment and advice in this matter, which is as follows. A very agreeable young gentleman, who is endowed with all the good qualities that can make a man complete, has this long time maid love to me in the most paffionate manner that was pofable. He has left nothing unfaid to make me believe his affections real; and in his letters expreffed himself so handfomly, and tenderly, that I had all the reafon imaginable to believe him fincere. In fhort, he pofitively has promifed me he would marry me: but I find all he faid nothing; for when the question was put to him, he would not, but still would continue my humble fervant, and would go on at the ould rate, repeating the affurances of his fidelity, and at the fame time has none in him. He now writs to me in the fame endearing ftile he ult to do, would have me speak to no man but himself. His estate is in his own hand, his father being dead. My fortune at my own disposal, mine being alfo dead, and to the full anfwers Iris eftate. Pray, fir, be ingenious, and tell me cordially, if you do not think I fhall do myfelf an injury if I keep company or a correfpondance any longer with this gentleman. I hope you will faver an honeft North Britain as I am, with your advice in this amour; for I am refolved juft to follow your directions. Sir, you will do me a fenfable pleafure, and very great honour, if you will please to infert this poor fcrole, with your answer to it, in your Tatler. Pray fail not to give me your anfwer; for on it depends the happiness of, • MADAM, Difconfolat ALMEIRA.' I HAVE frequently read over your letter, and am of opinion, that as lamentable as it is, it is the most common of any evil that attends our fex. I am very much troubled for the tendernefs you exprefs towards your lover, but rejoice at the fame time that you can fo far furmount your inclination for him as to refolve to difmifs him when you have my brother's opinion for it. His fense of the matter, he defired me to communicate to you. Oh Almeira! the common failing of our fex is to value the merit of our lovers rather from the grace of their addrefs, than the fincerity of their hearts. He has expreffed himself fo handfomely! can you fay that, after you have reason to doubt his truth? It is a very melancholy thing, that in this circumftance of love, which is the most important of all others in female, we women, who are, they fay, always weak, are fill weaker. The true way of valuing a man is to confider his reputation among the men: for want of this neceffary rule towards our conduct, when it is too late, we find ourselves married to the outcaft of that fex; and it is generally from being difagreeable among men, that fellows endeavour to make themfelves pleafing to us. The little accomplishments of com L3 ing |