: NO 556. TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1714. Qualis ubi in lucem coluber mala gramina pastus, Erigida fub terra tumidum quem bruma tegebat; Nunc pofitis novus exuviis, nitidufque juventa, Lubrica convolvit fublato pectore terga Arduus ad folem, et linguis micat ore trifulcis. VIRG. Æn. ii. ver. 471. So shines, renew'd in youth, the crefted snake, U DRYDEN. : PON laying down the office of SPECTATOR, electing a new club, and of opening my mouth in it after a most solemn manner. Both the election and the ceremony are now past; but not finding it fo easy, as I at first imagined, to break through a fifty years filence, I would not venture into into the world under the character of a man who pretends to talk like other people, until I had arfived at a full freedom of speech. I shall referve for another time the history of fuch club or clubs of which I am now a talkative, but unworthy member; and shall here give an account of this surprising change which has been produced in me, and which I look upon to be as remarkable an accident as any recorded in history, fince that which happened to the fon of Græfus, after having been many years as much tongue-tied as myself. Upon the first opening of my mouth, I made a speech, confifting of about half a dozen well-turned periods; but grew so very hoarse upon it, that før three days together, instead of finding the use of my tongue, I was afraid that I had quite loft it. Besides, the unusual extension of my muscles on this occafion, made my face ache on both fides, to fuch a degree, that nothing but an invincible refolution and perfeverance could have prevented-me from falling back to my monosyllables. Lafterwards made several essays towards speaking; and, that I might not be startled at my own voice, which has happened to me more than once, I used to read aloud in my chamber, and have often stood in the middle of the street to call a coach, when I knew there was none within hearing. When I was thus grown pretty well acquainted with my own voice, I laid hold of all opportunities to exert it. Not caring, however, to speak much by myself, and to draw upon me the whole attention of those I conversed with, I used, for fome time to walk every morning in the Mall, and talk in chorus with a parcel of Frenchmen. I found my modesty greatly relieved by the communicative temper of this nation, who are so very fociable as to think they are never better company, than when they are all opening at the fame time. I then fancied I might receive great benefit from female conversation, and that I should have a convenience of talking with the greater freedom, when I was not under any impediment of thinking: I therefore threw myself into an assembly of ladies, but could not for my life get in a word among them; and found that if I did not change my company, I was in danger of being reduced to my primitive taciturnity. The coffee-houses have ever since been my chief places of refort, where I have made the greatest improvements; in order to which I have taken a particular care never to be of the fame opinion with the man I conversed with. I was a tory at Button's, and a whig at Child's, a friend to the Englishman, or an advocate for the Examiner, as it best served my turn; some fancy me a great enemy to the French king, though in reality I only make use of him for a help to discourse. In short, I wrangle and dispute for exercise; and have carried this point so far, that I was once like to have been run through the body for making a little too free with my betters. In a word, I am quite another man to what I was. Nil fuit unquam Tam difpar fibi Hor. Sat. iii. lib. 1. ver. 18. Nothing was ever so unlike itself. My old acquaintance scarce knew me; nay, I was asked the other day by a Jew at Jonathan's, whether I was not related to a dumb gentleman, who used to come to that coffee-house? But I think I never was better pleased in my life than about a week ago, when, as I was battling it across the table with a young templar, his companion gave him a pull by the fleeve, begging him to come away, for that the old prig would talk him to death. Being Being now a very good proficient in discourse, I fhall appear in the world with this addition to my character, that my countrymen may reap the fruits of my new-acquired loquacity. • Those who have been present at public disputes in the university, know that it is usual to maintain herefies for argument's fake. I have heard a man a most impudent Socinian for half an hour, who has been an orthodox divine all his life after. I have taken the fame method to accomplish myself in the gift of utterance, having talked above a twelve-month, not so much for the benefit of my hearers, as of myself. But since I have now gained the faculty I have been so long endeavouring after, I intend to make a right use of it, and shall think myself obliged for the future to speak always in truth and fincerity of heart. While a man is learning to fence, he practises both on friend and foe; but when he is a master in the art, he never exerts it but on what he thinks the right fide. That this last allufion may not give my reader a wrong idea of my design in this paper, I must here inform him, that the author of it is of no faction, that he is a friend to no interests but those of truth and virtue, nor a foe to any but those of vice and folly. Though I make more noife in the world than I used to do, I am still resolved to act in it as an indifferent Spectator. It is not my ambition to increase the number either of Whigs or Tories, but of wife and good men, and I could heartily wish there were no faults common to both parties, which afford me sufficient matter to work upon, without defcending to those which are peculiar to either. If in a multitude of counsellors there is safety, we ought to think ourselves the secureft nation in the world. Most of our garrets are inhabited by statesnien, who watch over the liberties of their country, and make a shift to keep themselves from starving, starving, by taking into their care the properties of their fellow-fubjects. As these politicians of both fides have already worked the nation into a most unnatural ferment, I shall be fo far from endeavouring to raise it to a greater height, that, on the contrary, it shall be the chief tendency of my papers, to inspire my countrymen with a mutual good-will and benevolence. Whatever faults either party may be guilty of, they are rather inflamed than cured by those 'reproaches which they caft upon one another. The most likely method of rectifying any man's conduct, is by recommending to him the principles of truth and honour, religion and virtue; and fo long as he acts with an eye to these principles, whatever party he is of, he cannot fail of being a good Englishman, and a lover of his country. As for the persons concerned in this work, the names of all of them, or at least of fuch as defire it, shall be published hereafter: Until which time I must intreat the curious reader to Tuspend his curiosity, and rather to confider what is written than who they are that write it. Having thus adjusted all necessary preliminaries with my reader, I shall not trouble him with any more prefatory difcourses, but proceed in my old method, and entertain him with speculations on every useful fubject that falls in my way. VOL. VIII. B MONDAY, |