him from too painful an Attention to the principal Sub'ject, and by leading him into other agreeable Images. Homer, fays he, excelled in this Particular, whose Comparifons abound with fuch Images of Nature as are pro6 per to relieve and diverfify his Subjects. He continually inftructs the Reader, and makes him take notice, even in Objects which are every Day before our Eyes, of fuch • Circumftances as we should not otherwife have obferved. To this he adds, as a Maxim univerfally acknowledged, That it is not neceffary in Poetry for the Points of the Comparison to correfpond with one another exactly, but that a general Refemblance is fufficient, and that too much Nicety in this Particular favours of the Rhetorician and Epigrammatift. 6 6 IN fhort, if we look into the Conduct of Homer, Virgil and Milton, as the great Fable is the Soul of each Poem, fo to give their Works an agreeable Variety, their Epifodes are fo many fhort Fables, and their Similes fo many fhort Epifodes; to which you may add if you please, that their Metaphors are fo many fhort Similes. If the Reader confiders the Comparisons in the firft Book of Milton, of the Sun in an Eclipfe, of the Sleeping Leviathan, of the Bees fwarming about their Hive, of the Fairy Dance, in the View wherein I have here placed them, he will easily discover the great Beauties that are in each of thofe Paffages. N° 304. Monday, February 18. Vulnus alit venis & cæco carpitur igni. Virg. T L HE Circumftances of my Corefpondent, whofe Letter I now infert, are fo frequent, that I cannot want Compaffion fo much as to forbear laying it before the Town. There is fomething fo mean and inhuman in a direct Smithfield Bargain for Children, that if this Lover carries his Point, and obferves the Rules he pretends to follow, I do not only wish him Success, but but also that it may animate others to follow his Example. I know not one Motive relating to this Life which would produce fo may honourable and worthy Actions, as the Hopes of obtaining a Woman of Merit: There would ten thoufand Ways of Industry and honeft Ambition be parfued by young Men, who believed that the Perfons admired had Value enough for their Paffion to attend the Event of their good Fortune in all their Applications, in order to make their Circumftances fall in with the Duties they owe to themselves, their Families and their Country; All these Relations a Man fhould think of who intends to go into the State of Marriage; and expects to make it a State of Pleasure and Satisfaction. Mr. SPECTATOR, :I ་ Have for fome Years indulged a Paffion for a young Lady of Age and Quality fuitable to my own, but very much fuperior in Fortune. It is the Fashion with Parents (how justly I leave you to judge) to make all Regards give way to the Article of Wealth. From this " one Confideration it is that I have concealed the ardent Love I have for her; but I am beholden to the Force of my Love for many Advantages which I reaped from it towards the better Conduct of my Life. A certain Complacency to all the World, a ftrong Defire to ob lige where ever it lay in my Rower, and a circumfpect • Behaviour in all my Words and Actions, have rendered me more particularly acceptable to all my Friends and Acquaintance. Love has had the fame good Effect upon my Fortune; and I have increafed in Riches in proportion to my Advancement in those Arts which make a Man agreeable and amiable. There is a certain Sympathy which will tell my Miftrefs from thefe Circumftances, that it is I who writ this for her Reading, if you will pleafe to infert it. There is not a downright Enmity, but a great Coldness between our Parents; io that if either of us declared any kind Sentiments for " each other, her Friends would be very backward to lay an Obligation upon our Family, and mine to receive it from hers. Under thefe delicate Circumstances it is no eafy Matter to act with Safety. I have no Reafon to fancy my Mistress has any Regard for me, but from a 6 6 very difinterested Value which I have for her. If from any Hint in any future Paper of yours fhe gives me the leaft Encouragement, I doubt not but I fhall furmount all other Difficulties; and inspir'd by fo noble a Motive for the Care of my Fortune, as the Belief fhe is to be concerned in it, I will not despair of receiving her one Day from her Father's own Hand. I am, S I R, Your most obedient humble Servant, To his Worship the SPECTATOR. Clytander. The humble Petition of Antony Title-Page, Stationer, in the Centre of Lincolns-Inn-Fields, Sherweth, HAT Your Petitioner and his Fore-fathers have your Petitioner's Ancestor, Crouch-backTitle-Page, was the first of that Vocation in Britain; who keeping his Station (in fair Weather)at the Corner of Lothbury, was by way of Eminency called the Stationer, a Name which from him all fucceeding Bookfellers have affected to bear: That the Station of your Petitioner and his Father has been in the Place of his prefent Settlement ever fince that Square has been built: That your Petitioner has formerly had the Honour of your Worship's Custom, and hopes you never had reafon to complain of your Penny-worths; that par ticularly he fold you your firft Lilly's Grammar, and at the fame time a Wits Commonwealth almost as good as new: Moreover, that your first rudimental Effays in Spectatorship were made in your Petitioner's Shop, where you often practis'd for Hours together, fometimes on his Books upon the Rails, fometimes on the little Hieroglyphicks either gilt, filvered, or plain, which the Egyptian Woman on the other fide of the Shop, had wrought in Ginger-bread, and fometimes on the English Youth, who in fundry Places there were exercifing themfelves in the traditional Sports of the Field. FROM these Confiderations it is, that your Petitioner is encouraged to apply himself to you, and to proceed humbly humbly to acquaint your Worship, That he has certain Intelligence that you receive great Numbers of defamatory Letters defigned by their Authors to be publifhed, which you throw afide and totally neglect: Your Petitioner therefore prays, that you will please to bestow on him those refufe Letters, and he hopes by printing them to get a more plentiful Provifion for his Family; or at the worst, he may be allowed to fell them by the Pound Weight to his good Cuftomers the Pastry-Cooks of London and Westminster. And your Petitioner shall ever pray, &c. To the SPECTATOR. The humble Petition of Bartholomew Ladylove, of RoundCourt in the Parish of St. Martins in the Fields, in Behalf of himself and Neighbours. Sherweth, TH HAT your Petitioners have with great Industry and Application arrived at the most exact Art of Invitation or Intreaty: That by a befeeching Air and perfuafive Addrefs, they have for many Years laft paft peaceably drawn in every tenth Paffenger, whether they intended or not to call at their Shops, to come in and buy ; and from that Softnefs of Behaviour, have arrived among Tradefmen at the gentle Appellation of the Fawners. THAT there have of late fet up amongst us certain Perfons of Monmouth-ftreet and Long-lane, who by the Strength of their Arms, and Loudness of their Throats, draw off the Regard of all Paffengers from your faid Petitioners; from which Violence they are diftinguished by the Name of the Worriers. THAT while your Petitioners ftand ready to receive Paffengers with a fubmiffive Bow, and repeat with a gentle Voice, Ladies, what do you want? pray look in here; the Worriers reach out their Hands at Piftol-shot, and feize the Customers at Arms Length. THAT while the Fawners ftrain and relax the Muscles of their Faces in making Distinction betweeh a Spinfter in a coloured Scarf and an Hand-maid in a Straw-hat, the Worriers ufe the fame Roughness to both, and prevail up on on the Eafinefs of the Paffengers, to the Impoverishment Eof your Petitioners. YOUR Petitioners therefore moft humbly pray, that the Worriers may not be permitted to inhabit the politer. Parts of the Town; and that Round-Court may remain a Receptacle for Buyers of a more foft Education. And your Petitioners, &c. THE Petition of the New-Exchange, concerning the Arts of Buying and Selling, and particularly valuing Goods by the Complexion of the Seller, will be confidered on another Occafion. N° 305. Tuesday, February 19. Non tali auxilio, nec defenforibus iftis Virg T UR late News-papers being full of the Project now on foot in the Court of France, for eftablishing a Political Academy, and I my self having received Letters from several Virtuofo's among my Foreign Correfpondents, which give fome light into that Affair, I intend to make it the Subject of this Day's Speculation. A general Account of this Project may be met with in the Daily Courant of laft Friday in the following Words, tranflated from the Gazette of Amfterdam. Paris, February 12. ''Tis confirmed that the King has refolved to establish a new Academy for Politicks, of which the Marquis de Torcy, Minifter and Secretary of State, is to be Protector. Six Academicians are to be chofen, endowed with proper Talents, for beginning to form this Academy, into which no Perfon is to be ⚫ admitted under twenty five years of Age: They must ⚫ likewife have each an Estate of two thoufand Livres a • Year, either in Poffeffion, or to come to 'em by Inheritance. The King will allow to each a Pention of a Thoufand |
