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the intellectual world, to every part of which he is thus intimately united. Several moralifts have confidered the creation as the Temple of God, which he has built with his own hands, and which is filled with his prefence. Others have confidered infinite fpace as the receptacle, or rather the habitation of the Almighty: But the nobleft and most exalted way of confidering this infinite space is that of Sir Ifaac Newton, who calls it the Senforium of the godhead. Brutes and men have their Senforiala, or little Senforiums, by which they apprehend the prefence and perceive the actions of a few objects, that lie contiguous to them. Their knowledge and observation turn within a very narrow circle. But as God Almighty cannot but perceive and know every thing in which he refides, infinite space gives room to infinite knowledge, and is, as it were, an organ to omniscience.

Were the foul feparate from the body, and with one glance of thought fhould start beyond the bounds of the creation, fhould it for millions of years continue its progrefs through infinite space with the fame activity, it would still find itself with in the embrace of its Greator, and encompaffed round with the immenfity of the godhead. While we are in the body he is not lefs prefent with us, because he is concealed from us. that I knew where I might find him! fays Feb. Behold I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he does work, but I cannot behold him: He hideth himself on the right hand that I cannot fee him. In fhort, reafon as well as revelation affure us, that he cannot be abfent from us, notwithstanding he is undifcovered by us.

In this confideration of God Almighty's omniprefence and omnifcience every uncomfortable thought vanishes. He cannot but regard every thing that has being, especially fuch of his crea. VOL. VIII. E

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tures who fear they are not regarded by him. He is privy to all their thoughts, and to that anxiety of heart in particular, which is apt to trouble them on this occafion? For, as it is impoffible he fhould everlook any of his creatures, fo we may be confident that he regards, with an eye of mercy, thofe who endeavour to recommend themselves to his notice, and in an unfeigned humility of heart think themselves unworthy that he fhould be mindful of them.

No 566.

MONDAY, JULY 12.

Militiae fpecies amor eft—

OVID. Ars Am. 1. ii. ver. 233.

Love is a kind of warfare.

AS my correfpondents begin to grow pretty nu

merous, I think myfelf obliged to take fome notice of them, and fhall therefore make this paper a mifcellany of letters. I have, fince my reaffuming the office of SPECTATOR, received abundance of epiftles from gentlemen of the blade, who, I find, have been fo ufed to action that they know not how to lie ftill. They feem generally to be of opinion, that the Fair at home ought to reward them for their fervices abroad, and that, until the caufe of their country calls them again into the field, they have a fort of right to quarter. themselves upon the Ladies. In order to favour their approaches, I am defired by fome to enlarge upon the accomplishments of their profeffion, and by others to give them my advice in the carrying on their attacks. But let us hear what the Gentlemen fay for themselves.

Mr.

• Mr. SPECTATOR,

Hough it may look fomewhat perverse, amids the arts of peace, to talk too much of war, it is but gratitude to pay the last office to its Manes, fince even peace itfelf is, in fome mea'fure, obliged to it for its being.

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You have, in your former papers, always re'commended the accomplished to the favour of the fair; and, I hope, you will allow me to rẻpresent some part of a military life not altogether unneceffary to the forming a Gentleman. I need not tell you, that in France, whofe fashions we • have been formerly fo fond of, almost every one ← derives his pretences to merit from the fword; and that a man has fcarce the face to make his court to a Lady, without fome credentials from the fervice to recommend him. As the profeffion is very ancient, we have reafon to think 'fome of the greatest men among the old Reman's derived many of their virtues from it, their ⚫ commanders being frequently in other refpects fome of the moft fhining characters of the 6 age.

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The army not only gives a man opportunities "of exercising thofe two great virtues patience and courage, but often produces them in the `minds where they had scarce any footing before. I muft add, that it is one of the best schools in the world "to receive a general notion of mankind in, and a certain freedom of behaviour, which is not fo eafily acquired in any other place. At the fame time I muft own, that some military airs are pretty extraordinary, and that a man who goes into the army a coxcomb will come out of it a fort of publick nufance : But a man of fenfe, or one who before had not been fufficiently ufed to a mixed converfation, generally takes the true The court has in all ages been allowed to ← be the standard of good-breeding; and I believe • there

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there is not a jufter obfervation in Monfieur Rochefoucault, than that A man who has been bred up wholly to bufinefs, can never get the air of a courtier at court, but will immediately catch it in the camp. The reafon of this moft certainly is, that the very effence of good-breeding and politenefs confifts in feveral niceties, which are fo minute that they escape his obfervation, and he falls fhort of the original he would copy after; but when he fees the fame things charged and aggraAvated to a fault, he no fooner endeavours to come up to the pattern which is fet before him, than, though he ftops fomewhat fhort of that, he naturally refts where in reality he ought. I was, two or three days ago, mightily pleafed with the • obfervation of an humourous Gentleman upon one of his friends, who was in other refpects every way an accomplished perfon, that he wanted nothing but a dash of the coxcomb in him; by which • he understood a little of that alertnefs and unconcern in the common actions of life, which is ufually so visible among Gentlemen of the army, and which a campaign or two would infallibly have given him.

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You will eafily guefs, Sir, by this my panegy⚫ric upon a military education, that I am myself a foldier, and indeed I am fo. I remember, within three years after I had been in the army, I was ⚫ ordered into the country a recruiting. I had very particular fuccefs in this part of the fervice, ⚫ and was over and above affured, at my going away, that I might have taken a young Lady, who was the most confiderable fortune in the country, along with me. I preferred the purfuit of fame at that time to all other confiderations, and tho' I was not abfolutely bent on a wooden leg, re• folved at least to get a fcar or two for the ⚫ good of Europe. I have at prefent as much as I defire of this fort of honour, and if you could ' recommend

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* recommend me effectually, fhould be well enough contented to pafs the remainder of my days in the arms of fome dear kind creature, and upon a pretty estate in the country. This, as I take it, "would be following the example of Lucius Cincinnatus, the old Roman dictator, who at the end of a war left the camp to follow the plough. I am, Sir, with all imaginable refpects, Your moft obedient humble fervant,

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Mr. SPECTATOR,

"WILL WARLY.

Am an half-pay-officer, and am at prefent with a friend in the country. Here is a rich widow in the neighbourhood, who has made fools of all the fox-hunters within fifty miles of her. She declares fhe intends to marry, but has not yet been asked by the man fhe could like. She ufually admits her humble admirers to an ' audience or two; but, after she has once given • them denial, will never fee them more. I am affured by a female relation, that I fhall have fair play at her; but as my whole fuccefs depends on my firft approaches, I defire your advice, whether I had beft form, or proceed by way of fap.

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I am, SIR,

• Yours, &c.

P.S. I had forgot to tell you, that I have alễready carried one of her outworks, that is, fecur'ed her maid.'

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Mr. SPECTATOR,

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Have affifted in feveral fieges in the Low Coun tries, and being ftill willing to employ my ta lents, as a foldier and engineer, lay down this morning at feven o'clock before the door of an obftinate

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