for which we ought to pretend to the esteem of others, but fuch as render us ferviceable to them; for free men have no fuperiors but benefactors.' 'I was going on like a true old fellow to this purpose to my guests, when I received the following epiftle:

SIR,

I HAVE yours, with notice of a benefit ticket of four hundred pounds per annum, both enclosed by Mr. Elliot, who had my numbers for that purpose. Your philofophic advice came very feasonably to me with that good fortune: but I must be so fincere with you as to acknowledge, I owe my prefent moderation more to my own folly than your wisdom. You will think this strange until I inform you, that I had fixed my thoughts upon the thousand pounds a year, and had, with that expectation, laid down fo many agreeable plans for my behaviour towards my new lovers and old friends, that I have received this favour of fortune with an air of disappointment. This is interpreted, by all who know not the fprings of my heart, as a wonderful piece of humility. I hope my prefent ftate of mind will grow into that; but I confefs my conduct to be now owing to another caufe. However, I know you will approve my taking hold even of imperfections to find my way towards virtue, which is fo feeble in us at the best, that we are often beholden to our faults for the first appearances of it.

I am, Sir,

Your most humble fervant,

CHLOE.'

NO.

NO. 208. TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 1710.

Si dixeris æftuo, fudat.

Juv. Sat. 3. ver. 103.

-If you complain of heat,

They rub th' unfweating brow, and fwear they fweat. DRYDEN.

From my own Apartment, August 7.

An old acquaintance, who met me this morning, feemed overjoyed to fee me, and told me I looked as well as he had known me do these forty years: But, continued he, not quite the man you were, when we vifited together at lady Brightly's. Oh! Ifaac, those days are over. Do you think there are any fuch fine creatures now living, as we then converfed with? He went on with a thousand incoherent circumftances, which, in his imagination, must needs please me; but they had the quite contrary effect. The flattery with which he began, in telling me how well I wore, was not difagreeable; but his indifcreet mention of a fet of acquaintance we had outlived, recalled ten thousand things to my memory, which made me reflect upon my present condition with regret. Had he indeed been fo kind as, after a long abfence, to felicitate me upon an indolent and eafy old age; and mentioned how much he and I had to thank for, who at our time of day could walk firmly, eat heartily, and converfe cheerfully, he had kept up my pleafure in myfelf. But of all mankind, there are none fo fhocking as thefe injudicious civil people. They ordinarily begin upon fomething that they know. must be a fatisfaction; but then, for fear of the imputation of flattery, they follow it with the laft thing in the world of which you would be reminded. It is this that perplexes civil perfons. The reason that there is fuch a general outcry among us against flatterers is, that there are so very few good ones. It is the niceft art in this VOL. IV.

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life,

life, and is a part of eloquence which does not want the preparation that is neceflary to all other parts of it, that your audience fhould be your well-withers: for praise from an enemy is the moft pleafing of all commendations.

It is generally to be observed, that the person most agreeable to a man for a conftancy is he that has no fhining qualities, but is a certain degree above great imperfections; whom he can live with as his inferior, and who will either overlook, or not obferve, his little defects. Such an eafy companion as this either now and then throws out a little flattery, or lets a man filently flatter himself in his fuperiority to him. If you take notice, there is hardly a rich man in the world, who has not fuch a led friend of fmall confideration, who is a darling for his infignificancy. It is a great eafe to have one in our own fhape a fpecies below us, and who, without being lifted in our fervice, is by nature of our retinue. Thefe dependants are of excellent ufe on a rainy day, or when a man has not a mind to drefs; or to exclude folitude, when one has neither a mind to that or to company. There are of this good-natured order, who are so kind as to divide them elves, and do thefe good offices to many. Five or fix of them vifit a whole quarter of the town, and exclude the spleen, without fees, from the families they frequent. If they do not prefcribe phyfic, they can be company when you take it. Very great benefactors to the rich, or those whom they call people at their ease, are your perfons of no confequence. I have known fome of them, by the help of a little cunning, make delicious flatterers. They know the courfe of the town, and the general characters of perfons: by this means they will fometimes tell the moft agreeable falfehoods imaginable.They will acquaint you, that fuch a one of a quite contrary party faid, That though you were engaged in different interefts, yet he had the greatest respect for your good fenfe and addrefs. When one of thefe has a little cunning, he paffes his time in the utmoft fatisfaction to himfelf and his friends: for his pofition is, never to report or speak a displeasing thing to his friend. As for letting

letting him go on in an error, he knows, advice against them is the office of perfons of greater talents and lefs discretion.

The Latin word for a flatterer, Affentator, implies no more than a perfon that barely confents; and indeed fuch a one, if a man were able to purchase or maintain him, cannot be bought too dear. Such a one never contradicts you; but gains upon you, not by a fulfome way of commending you in broad terms, but liking whatever you propofe to utter; at the fame time, is ready to beg your pardon, and gainfay you, if you chance to speak ill of yourfelf. An old lady is very feldom without fuch a companion as this, who can recite the names of all her lovers, and the matches refused by her in the days when she minded fuch vanities, as fhe is pleafed to call them, though The fo much approves the mention of them. It is to be noted, that a woman's flatterer is generally elder than herfelf; her years ferving at once to recommend her patronefs's age, and to add weight to her complaifance in all other particulars.

We gentlemen of finall fortunes are extremely neceffitous in this particular. I have indeed one who fmokes with me often; but his parts are fo low, that all the incense he does me is to fill his pipe with me, and to be out at just as many whiffs as I take. This is all the praise or aflent that he is capable of; yet there are more hours when I would rather be in his company, than in that of the brightest man I know. It would be an hard matter to give an account of this inclination to be flattered; but if we go to the bottom of it, we shall find, that the pleasure in it is fomething like that of receiving money which lay out. Every man thinks he has an eftate of reputation, and is glad to fee one that will bring any of it home to him: it is no matter how dirty a bag it is conveyed to him in, or by how clownish a meffenger, fo the money be good. All that we want, to be pleafed with flattery, is to believe that the man is fincere who gives it us. It is by this one accident, that abfurd creatures often outrun the most skilful in this art. Their want of ability is here an advantage,

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advantage; and their bluntnefs, as it is the feeming effect of fincerity, is the best cover to artifice.

Terence introduces a flatterer talking to a coxcomb, whom he cheats out of a livelihood; and a third perfon on the stage makes on him this pleasant remark, 'This fellow has an art of making fools madmen.' The love of flattery is, indeed, fometimes the weakness of a great mind; but you fee it alfo in perfons, who otherwise difcover no manner of relish of any thing above mere sensuality. Thefe latter it fometimes improves; but always debafes the former. A fool is in himself the object of pity, until he is flattered. By the force of that his ftupidity is raised into affectation, and he becomes of dignity enough to be ridiculous. I remember a droll, that upon one's faying, The times are so ticklish, that there muft great care be taken what one fays in converfation; anfwered with an air of furliness and honesty, If people will be free, let them be fo in the manner that I am, who never abuse a man but to his face. He had no reputation for faying dangerous truths; therefore when it was repeated, You abuse a man but to his face? Yes, fays he, I flatter him.

It is indeed the greateft of injuries to flatter any but the unhappy, or such as are displeased with themselves for fome infirmity. In this latter cafe we have a member of our club, who, when fir Jeffery falls asleep, wakens him with fnoring. This makes fir Jeffery hold up for fome motments the longer, to fee there are men younger than himfelf among us, who are more lethargic than he is.

When flattery is practifed upon any other confideration, it is the most abject thing in nature; nay, I cannot think of any character below the flatterer, except he that envies him. You meet with fellows, prepared to be as mean as poffible in their condefcenfions and expreffions; but they want perfons and talents to rise up to fuch a baseness. As a coxcomb is a fool of parts, so a flatterer is a knave of parts.

The beft of this order, that I know, is one who disguifes it under a fpirit of contradiction or reproof. He told an errant driveller the other day, that he did not care

for