poisted, and se ch cleared as en the misapoja. red to sight. rdly seemed 5, which it soda he way by wild nbow; and a ver out us bevest all for show hte ding being a bubble would have it, that at least he must be Ill-manners. more solemnly engaged; at least it was an acknow. Thus slighted and despised by all, he was driven ledgment that they ought to have been so. I have out for abusing people of merit and figure; and I been told the same even of the Mahometans, with heard it firmly resolved, that he should be used no relation to the propriety of their demeanour in the better wherever they met with him hereafter. conventions of their erroneous worship: and I canI had already seen the meaning of most part of not but think either of them sufficient and laudable that warning which he had given, and was consi-patterns of our imitation in this particular. dering how the latter words should be fulfilled, 'I cannot help, upon this occasion, remarking on when a mighty noise was heard without, and the the excellent memories of those devotionists, who, door was blackened by a numerous train of har-upon returning from church, shall give a particular pies crowding in upon us. Folly and Broken-cre-account how two or three hundred people were dit were seen in the house before they entered. dressed; a thing, by reason of its variety, so diffiTrouble, Shame, Infamy, Scorn, and Poverty, cult to be digested and fixed in the head, that it is brought up the rear. Vanity, with her Cupid and a miracle to me how two poor hours of divine serGraces, disappeared; her subjects ran into holes vice can be time sufficient for so elaborate an un and corners: but many of them were found and dertaking, the duty of the place too being jointly, carried off (as I was told by one who stood near and no doubt oft pathetically, performed along with me) either to prisons or cellars, solitude or little it. When it is said in sacred writ, that "the wocompany, the mean arts or the viler crafts of life. man ought to have a covering on her head because 'But these,' added he with a disdainful air, are of the angels," that last word is by some thought to had such who would fondly live here, when their merits be metaphorically used, and to signify young men. neither matched the lustre of the place, nor their Allowing this interpretation to be right, the text riches its expenses. We have seen such scenes as may not appear to be wholly foreign to our prethese before now; the glory you saw will all return sent purpose. llers neither de should ape icient pass We met with st us, and ag sentime ancestor's hat made Hantry stream end of the a glittered Contrive a armis sat and str ies. Ther nd who alled Se en 2 c STEELE SIR, Your very humble servant.' N° 461. TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1712. Sed non ego credulus illis. T. when the hurry is over.' I thanked him for his "When you are in a disposition proper for writ information, and believing him so incorrigible as ing on such a subject, I earnestly recommend this that he would stay till it was his turn to be taken, to you; and am, I made off to the door, and overtook some few, who, though they would not hearken to Plaindealing, were now terrified to good purpose by the example of others. But when they had touched the threshold, it was a strange shock to them to find that the delusion of Error was gone, and they plainly discerned the building to hang a little up in the air without any real foundation. At first we saw nothing but a desperate leap remained for us, and I a thousand times blamed my unmeaning cu thers riosity that had brought me into so much danger. Bet as they began to sink lower in their own minds, methought the palace sunk along with us, till they were arrived at the due point of esteem which they For want of time to substitute something else in ought to have for themselves; then the part of the room of them, I am at present obliged to pub. the aulding in which they stood touched the earth, lish compliments above my desert in the following ad and we departing out, it retired from our eyes. letters. It is no small satisfaction to have given Now whether they who stayed in the palace were occasion to ingenious men to employ their thoughts Sersible of this descent, I cannot tell; it was then upon sacred subjects from the approbation of such my opinion that they were not. However it pieces of poetry as they have seen in my Saturbe, my dream broke up at it, and has given me day's papers. I shall never publish verse on that occasion all my life to reflect upon the fatal conse-day but what is written by the same hand; yet quences of following the suggestions of Vanity.* shall I not accompany those writings with eulogiums, but leave them to speak for themselves. MR. SPECTATOR, VIRG. Ecl. ix. ver. 34. 'FOR THE SPECTATOR. MR. SPECTATOR, I WRITE to you to desire, that you would againf touch upon a certain enormity, which is chiefly in use among the politer and better-bred part of mankind; I mean the ceremonies, bows, curtsies, whis- You very much promote the interests of virtue, perings, smiles, winks, nods, with other familiar while you reform the taste of a profane age; and arts of salutation, which take up in our churches persuade us to be entertained with divine poems, so much time, that might be better employed, and whilst we are distinguished by so many thousand which seem so utterly inconsistent with the duty humours, and split into so many different sects and and true intent of our entering into those religious parties; yet persons of every party, sect, and huassemblies. The resemblance which this bears to mour, are fond of conforming their taste to yours. our indeed proper behaviour in theatres, may be You can transfuse your own relish of a poem into some instance of its incongruity in the above-men- all your readers, according to their capacity to retioned places. In Roman catholic churches and ceive; and when you recommend the pious passion chapels abroad, I myself have observed, more than that reigns in the verse, we seem to feel the devo once, persons of the first quality, of the nearest tion, and grow proud and pleased inwardly, that relation, and intimatest acquaintance, passing by we have souls capable of relishing what the Specone another unknowing as it were, and unknown, tator approves. and with so little notice of each other, that it Upon reading the hymns that you have publooked like having their minds more suitably and lished in some late papers, I had a mind to try yesterday whether I could write one. The cxiyth This vision was written by Dr. Parnell. See also No. 501. + Seo No. 259. • Addison. psalm appears to me an admirable ode, and Ilewdness, and debauchery, are not now qualifica began to turn it into our language. As I was tions; and a man may be a very fine gentleman, describing the journey of Israel from Egypt, and though he is neither a keeper, nor an infidel. added the divine presence amongst them, I per- 'I would have you tell the town the story of the ceived a beauty in this psalm, which was entirely Sibyls, if they deny giving you two pence. Let new to me, and which I was going to lose; and them know, that those sacred papers were valued that is, that the poet utterly conceals the presence at the same rate after two-thirds of them were de of God in the beginning of it, and rather lets a stroyed, as when there was the whole set. There possessive pronoun go without a substantive, than are so many of us who will give you your own he will so much as mention any thing of divinity price, that you may acquaint your non-conformist there. "Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his readers, that they shall not have it, except they dominion, or kingdom." The reason now seems come within such a day, under three pence. I evident, and this conduct necessary: for, if God do not know but you might bring in the Date had appeared before, there could be no wonder lum Belisario with a good grace. The withings why the mountains should leap, and the sea re- come in clusters to two or three coffee-houses which tire; therefore that this convulsion of nature may have left you off; and I hope you will make us, be brought in with due surprise, his name is not who fine to your wit, merry with their characters mentioned till afterward, and then with a very who stand out against it. agreeable turn of thought God is introduced at once in all his majesty. This is what I have attempted to imitate in a translation without paraphrase, and to preserve what I could of the spirit of the sacred author. 'If the following essay be not too incorrigible, bestow upon it a few brightenings from your genius, that I may learn how to write better, or to write no more. 'Your daily admirer and PSALM CXIV. "When Israel, freed from Pharaoh's hand, Across the deep their journey lay, The mountains shook like frighted sheep, What pow'r could make the deep divide ? Let ev'ry mountain, ev'ry flood, He thunders-and all nature mourns: 'I am your most humble servant. 'P. S. I have lately got the ingenious authors of blacking for shoes, powder for colouring the hair, pomatum for the hands, cosmetic for the face, to be your constant customers; so that your advertise ments will as much adorn the outward man, as your paper does the inward.' STEELE. T. PEOPLE are not aware of the very great force which pleasantry in company has upon all those with whom a man of that talent converses. His faults are generally overlooked by all his acquaintance, and a certain carlessness, that constantly attends all his actions, carries him on with greater success, than diligence and assiduity does others who have no share of this endowment. Dacinthus breaks his word upon all occasions, both trivial and important; and, when he is sufficiently railed at for that abominable quality, they who talk of him end with After all, he is a very pleasant fel low.' Dacinthus is an ill-natured husband, and yet the very women end their freedom of discourse upon this subject, But, after all, he is very plea sant company. Dacinthus is neither, in point of honour, civility, good-breeding, or good-nature, unexceptionable; and yet all is answered, For he is a very pleasant fellow.' When this quality conspicuous in a man who has, to accompanyi THERE are those who take the advantage of your manly and virtuous sentiments, there cannot cer putting a halfpenny value upon yourself above the tainly be any thing which can give so pleasing rest of our daily writers, to defame you in public gratification as the gaiety of such a person; but conversation, and strive to make you unpopular when it is alone, and serves only to gild a crowd upon the account of this said halfpenny. But, if of ill qualities, there is no man so much to be I were you, I would insist upon that small acknow- avoided as your pleasant fellow. A very pleasant ledgment for the superior merit of yours, as being fellow shall turn your good name to a jest, make a work of invention. Give me leave, therefore, your character contemptible, debauch your to do you justice, and say in your behalf, what you or daughter, and yet be received by the rest of the cannot yourself, which is, that your writings have made learning a more necessary part of good breeding than it was before you appeared: that modesty has become fashionable, and impudence stands in need of some wit, since you have put them both in their proper lights. Profaneness, MR. SPECTATOR, wife world with welcome wherever he appears. Its very ordinary with those of this character to be attentive only to their own satisfactions, and have very little bowels for the concerns or sorrows of other men; nay, they are capable of purchasing their own pleasures at the expense of giving pur to others. But they who do not consider this sort of men thus carefully, are irresistibly exposed to the auchery, rent may be a rere era kepe ou tell the to the giving for taps ose sacred DADEN PA er two-thirds of te I hope eye MR. SPECTATOR, insinuations. The author of the following letter] a statue of his merry monarch in Stocks-market,*. carries the matter so high, as to intimate that the and did the crown many and great services; and liberties of England have been at the mercy of a it was owing to this humour of the king, that his prince merely as he was of this pleasant character. family had so great a fortune shut up in the exchequer of their pleasant sovereign. The many good. natured condescensions of this prince are vulgarly THERE is no one passion which all mankind so known; and it is excellently said of him by a naturally give into as pride, nor any other passion great handf which writ his character, that he was ere was the which appears in such different disguises. It is to not a king a quarter of an hour together in his how gebe found in all habits and complexions. Is it not whole reign. He would receive visits even from a question, whether it does more harm or good in fools and half madmen; and at times I have met the world; and if there be not such a thing as what with people who have boxed, fought at back-sword, we may call a virtuous and laudable pride? and taken poison, before King Charles II. In a It is this passion alone, when misapplied, that word, he was so pleasant a man, that no one could lays us so open to flatterers; and he who can agree him capable of baffling, with the greatest ease imabe sorrowful under his government. This made or three cably condescend to sooth our humour or temper, finds always an open avenue to our soul; especially ginable, all suggestions of jealousy; and the peo if the flatterer happen to be our superior. ple could not entertain notions of any thing ter One might give many instances of this in a late rible in him whom they saw every way agreeable. English monarch, under the title of "The Gaieties This scrap of the familiar part of that prince's his of King Charles II." This prince was by nature tory I thought fit to send you, in compliance to the extremely familiar, of very easy access, and much request you lately made to your correspondents. delighted to see and be seen; and this happy temI am, SIR, per, which in the highest degree gratified his people's vanity, did him more service with his loving subjects than all his other virtues, though it must be confessed he had many. He delighted, though a mighty king, to give and take a jest, as they say and a prince of this fortunate disposition, who were inclined to make an ill use of his power, may have any thing of his people, be it never so much to their prejudice. But this good king made generally a very innocent use, as to the public, of this ensnaring temper; for it is well known, he pursued pleasure more than ambition. He seemed to glory in being the first man at cockmatches, horse-races, balls, and plays: he appeared highly delighted, on those occasions, and never the failed to warm and gladden the heart of every any has spectator. He more than once dined with his good) Y, AUGST talent ex ked by d : STEELE. 'Your most humble servant.' No 463. THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 1712. Omnia quæ sensu volvuntur vota diurno, CLAUD. In sleep, when fancy is let loose to play, T. citizens of London on their lord mayor's day, and did so the year that Sir Robert Viner was mayor. Sir Robert was a very loyal man, and, if you will allow the expression, very fond of his sovereign; but, what with the joy he felt at heart for the honour done him by his prince, and through the warmth he was in with continual toasting healths to the royal family, his lordship grew a little fond of his majesty, and entered into a familiarity not altogether so graceful in so public a place. The I was lately entertaining myself with comparing king understood very well how to extricate himself Homer's balance, in which Jupiter is represented in all kinds of difficulties, and, with an hint to the as weighing the fates of Hector and Achilles, with company to avoid ceremony, stole off and made a passage of Virgil, wherein that deity is introtowards his coach, which stood ready for him in duced as weighing the fates of Turnus and Eneas. Guildhall-yard. But the mayor liked his company I then considered how the same way of thinking so well, and was grown so intimate, that he pur-prevailed in the eastern parts of the world, as in sued him hastily, and catching him fast by the those noble passages of scripture, wherein we are hand, cried out with a vehement oath and accent, told that the great king of Babylon, the day before Sir, you shall stay and take t'other bottle." The King of Poland, but by some accident it had been left on the Stocks-market for the site of a house of residence for the lord mayors of London, the statue was removed, to make way for the 1739, by Micajah Perry, Esq. then lord mayor.-On the 28th of Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham, said, that' on premeditation · his death, had been weighed in the balance, and seeing a little glittering weight lie by me, I threw been found wanting.' In other places of the holy it accidentally into the other scale, when, to my writings, the Almighty is described as weighing the great surprise, it proved so exact a counterpoise, mountains in scales, making the weight for the that it kept the balance in an equilibrium. This winds, knowing the balancings of the clouds; and little glittering weight was inscribed upon the in others, as weighing the actions of men, and lay-edges of it with the word vanity.' I found there ing their calamities together in a balance. Milton, were several other weights which were equally as I have observed in a former paper,* had an heavy, and exact counterpoises to one another: a eye to several of these foregoing instances in that few of them I tried, as avarice and poverty, riches beautiful description, wherein he represents the and content, with some others. archangel and the evil spirit as addressing them. selves for the combat, but parted by the balance which appeared in the heavens, and weighed the consequences of such a battle. Th' Eternal, to prevent such horrid fray, Satan. I know thy strength, and thou know'st mine: Where thou art weigh'd, and shown how light, how weak, There were likewise several weights that were of the same figure, and seemed to correspond with each other, but were entirely different when thrown into the scales: as religion and hypocrisy, pedantry and learning, wit and vivacity, supersti tion and devotion, gravity and wisdom, with many others. I observed one particular weight lettered on both sides; and, upon applying myself to the read. ing of it, I found on one side written, 'In the dialect of men',' and underneath it, 'Calamities:" on the other side was written, 'In the language of the gods,' and underneath, Blessings.' I found the intrinsic value of this weight to be much greater than I imagined, for it overpowered Health, Wealth, Good-fortune, and many other weights, which were much more ponderous in my hand than the other. There is a saying among the Scotch, that an ounce of mother wit is worth a pound of clergy. I was sensible of the truth of this saying, when! saw the difference between the weight of Natural These several amusing thoughts, having taken Parts, and that of Learning. The observations possession of my mind some time before I went to which I made upon these two weights opened to sleep, and mingling themselves with my ordinary me a new field of discoveries: for, notwithstandideas, raised in my imagination a very odd kind ing the weight of Natural Parts was much heavier of vision. I was, methought, replaced in my than that of Learning, I observed that it weighed study, and seated in my elbow-chair, where I had an hundred times heavier than it did before, when indulged the foregoing speculations, with my lamp I put Learning into the same scale with it! burning by me as usual. Whilst I was here medi-made the same observation upon Faith and Morali. tating on several subjects of morality, and consi-ty; for, notwithstanding the latter outweighed dering the nature of many virtues and vices, as the former separately, it received a thousand times materials for those discourses with which 1 daily more additional weight from its conjunction with entertain the public; I saw, methought, a pair of the former, than what it had by itself. This odd golden scales hanging by a chain of the same metal phenomenon showed itself in other particulars, as Over the table that stood before me; when, on a in Wit and Judgment, Philosophy and Religion, sudden, there were great heaps of weights thrown Justice and Humanity, Zeal and Charity, depth of down on each side of them. I found, upon exa-Sense and Perspicuity of Style, with innumerable mining these weights, they showed the value of other particulars too long to be mentioned in this every thing that is in esteem among men. I made paper. an essay of them, by putting the weight of wisdom As a dream seldom fails of dashing seriousness in one scale, and that of riches in another; upon with impertinence, mirth with gravity, methought which the latter, to show its comparative lightness, I made several other experiments of a more ludiimmediately flew up, and kicked the beam. crous nature, by one of which I found that an Eng But, before I proceed, I must inform my reader, lish octavo was very often heavier than a French that these weights did not exert their natural gra-folio; and, by another, that an old Greek or Latin vity, till they were laid in the golden balance, in-author weighed down a whole library of moderas. somuch that I could not guess which was light or Seeing one of my Spectators lying by me, I laid it heavy, whilst I held them in my hand. This I found into one of the scales, and flung a two penny piece by several instances; for, upon my laying a weight into the other. The reader will not inquire into in one of the scales, which was inscribed by the the event, if he remembers the first trial which word eternity, though I threw in that of time, have recorded in this paper. I afterwards threw prosperity, affliction, wealth, poverty, interest, both the sexes into the balance; but, as it is not success, with many other weights, which in my for my interest to disoblige either of them, I shall hand seemed very ponderous, they were not able desire to be excused from telling the result of this to stir the opposite balance; nor could they have experiment. Having an opportunity of this nature prevailed, though assisted with the weight of the in my hands, I could not forbear throwing into sun, the stars, and the earth. one scale the principles of a tory, and into the Upon emptying the scales, I laid several titles other those of a whig; but as I have all along de and honours, with pomps, triumphs, and many clared this to be a neutral paper, I shall likewise weights of the like nature, in one of them; and desire to be silent under this head also, though, ring weight the other scale, oved so exc ance in an upon examining one of the weights, I saw the fondness for the present world. In short, the midword 'TEKEL," engraven on it in capital letters.dle condition is most eligible to the man who would I made many other experiments; and, though I improve himself in virtue, as I have before shown have not room for them all in this day's specula- it is the most advantageous for the gaining of ght was instion, I may perhaps reserve them for another. I knowledge. It was upon this consideration that word any shall only add that, upon my awaking, I was sorry Agur founded bis prayer, which for the wisdom of weights which were to find my golden scales vanished; but resolved for it is recorded in holy writ: Two things have I nterprises to one the future to learn this lesson from them, not to required of thee; deny me them not before I die. despise or value any things for their appearances, but to regulate my esteem and passions towards them according to their real and intrinsic value. s avarice and me others se several ve and seemed were entirely the = as religion sche wit and Facts ity and vische t icular weight e Oplying mysefta one side write. derneath it, ritten, 'In the p th. Blessings this weight or it overpore nd many other Onderous ins orth a readi of this sp in the weig ng. The Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.' I shall fill the remaining part of my paper with a very pretty allegory, which is wrought into a play by Aristophanes, the Greek comedian. It seems originally designed as a satire upon the rich, though, in some parts of it, it is, like the foregoing discourse, a kind of comparison between wealth and poverty. Chremylus, who was an old and a good man, and withal exceeding poor, being desirous to leave some riches to his son, consults the oracle of Apollo upon the subject. The oracle bids him follow the first man he should see upon his going out of the temple. The person he chanced to see was to ap I AM wonderfully pleased when I meet with any pearance an old sordid blind man; but upon his passage in an old Greek or Latin author, that is following him from place to place, he at last found, ng the Snot blown upon, and which I have never met with by his own confession, that he was Plutus, the god in a quotation. Of this kind is a beautiful saying of riches, and that he was just come out of the in Theognis: Vice is covered by wealth, and vir- house of a miser. Plutus further told him, that tue by poverty; or, to give it in the verbal trans. when he was a boy, he used to declare, that as lation, Among men there are some who have their soon as he came to age he would distribute wealth vices concealed by wealth, and others who have to none but virtuous and just men; upon which their virtues concealed by poverty.' Every man's Jupiter, considering the pernicious consequences observation will supply him with instances of rich of such a resolution, took his sight away from him, men, who have several faults and defects that are and left him to stroll about the world in the blind overlooked, if not entirely hidden, by means of condition wherein Chremylus beheld him. With their riches; and, I think, we cannot find a more much ado Chremylus prevailed upon him to go to natural description of a poor man, whose merits his house, where he met an old woman in a tatare lost in his poverty, than that in the words of tered raiment, who had been his guest for many the wise man There was a little city, and few years, and whose name was Poverty. The old men within it; and there came a great king against woman refusing to turn out so easily as he would it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against have her, he threatened to banish her not only it. Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and from his own house, but out of all Greece, if she he, by his wisdom, delivered the city: yet no man made any more words upon the matter. Poverty remembered that same poor man. Then said I, on this occasion pleads her cause very notably, and wisdom is better than strength; nevertheless, the represents to her old landlord, that should she be poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.' e brea redat its co brised a driven out of the country, all their trades, arts, and sciences, would be driven out with her; and The middle condition seems to be the most ad- that if every one was rich, they would never be vantageously situated for the gaining of wisdom. supplied with those pomps, ornaments, and convePoverty turns our thoughts too much upon the niencies of life, which made riches desirable. She supplying of our wants, and riches upon our likewise represented to him the several advantages enjoying superfluities; and, as Cowley has said which she bestowed upon her votaries in regard to in another case, It is hard for a man to keep a their shape, their health, and their activity, by presteady eye upon truth, who is always in a battle, or serving them from gouts, dropsies, unwieldiness, a triumph.' and intemperance. But whatever she had to say If we regard poverty and wealth, as they are for herself, she was at last forced to troop off. apt to produce virtues or vices in the mind of man, Chremylus immediately considered how he might one may observe that there is a set of each of these restore Plutus to his sight; and, in order to it, congrowing out of poverty, quite different from that veyed him to the temple of Esculapius, who was which arises out of wealth. Humility and patience, famous for cures and miracles of this nature. By industry and temperance, are very often the good this means the deity recovered his eyes, and began qualities of a poor man. Humanity and good. to make a right use of them, by enriching every nature, magnanimity and a sense of honour, are as one that was distinguished by piety towards the often the qualifications of the rich. On the con- gods, and justice towards men; and at the same trary, poverty is apt to betray a man into envy, time by taking away his gifts from the impious and riches into arrogance; poverty is too often attended undeserving. This produces several merry inciwith fraud, vicious compliance, repining, murmur, dents, till in the last act Mercury descends with and discontent. Riches expose a man to pride and great complaints from the gods, that since the good luxury, a foolish elation of heart, and too great a men were grown rich, they had received no sacri * See Daniol v. 27. fices; which is confirmed by a priest of Jupiter, |
