in their Stead Learning, Piety, and good Sense. It is from No. 532. this honest Heart that I find my self honoured as a Gentle, Monday, man-Usher to the Arts and Sciences, Mr. Tickell and Nov. 10, 1712. Mr. Pope have, it seems, this Idea of me. The former has writ me an excellent Paper of Verses in Praise, forsooth, of my self; and the other enclosed for my Perusal an admirable Poem, which, I hope, will shortly see the Light. In the mean Time I cannot suppress any Thought of his, but insert his Sentiment about the dying Words of Adrian. I won't determine in the Case he mentions; but have thus much to say in favour of his Argument, That many of his own works which I have seen, convince me that very pretty and very sublime Sentiments may be lodged in the same Bosom without Diminution to its Greatness.

'Mr. SPECTATOR,

I was the other Day in Company with five or six Men of some Learning; where chancing to mention the famous Verses which the Emperor Adrian spoke on his Death bed, they were all agreed that 'twas a Piece of Gayety unworthy that Prince in those Circumstances. I could not but dissent from this Opinion: Methinks it was by no Means a gay, but a very serious Soliloquy to his Soul at the Point of its Departure; in which Sense I naturally took the Verses at my first reading them when I was very young, and before I knew what Interpretation the World generally put upon them,

Animula vagula, blandula,
Hospes Comesque corporis,
Quae nunc abibis in loca?
Pallidula, rígida, nudula,

Nec (ut soles) dabis Joca!

Alas, my Soul! thou pleasing Companion of this Body, thou fleeting Thing that art now deserting it! whither art thou flying? to what unknown Region? Thou art all trembling, fearful, and pensive. Now what is become of thy former Wit and Humour ? thou shalt jest and be gay no more! I confess I cannot apprehend where lies the Trifling in all this; 'tis the most natural and obvious Reflection imaginable to a dying Man; and if we consider the Emperor was a Heathen,

that

1712.

No. 532. that Doubt concerning the future Fate of his Soul will Monday, seem so far from being the Effect of want of Thought, Nov. 10, that 'twas scarce reasonable he should think otherwise; not to mention that here is a plain Confession included of his Belief in its Immortality. The diminutive Epithets of Vagula, Blandula, and the rest, appear not to me as Expressions of Levity, but rather of Endearment and Concern; such as we find in Catullus, and the Authors of Hendeca-syllabi after him, where they are used to express the utmost Love and Tenderness for their Mistresses- If you think me right in my Notion of the last Words of Adrían, be pleased to insert this in the Spectator; if not, to suppress it.

I am, &c.'

'To the supposed Author of the Spectator.
In Courts licentious, and a shameless Stage,
How long the War shall Wit with Virtue wage?
Enchanted by this prostituted Fair,

Our Youth run headlong in the fatal Snare ;
In height of Rapture clasp unheeded Pains,
And suck Pollution through their tingling Veins,

Thy spotless Thoughts unshock'd the Priest may
hear,

And the pure _Vestal in her Bosom wear.
To conscious Blushes, and diminish'd Pride,
Thy Glass betrays what treach'rous Love would hide
Nor harsh thy Precepts, but infus'd by Stealth,
Please while they cure, and cheat us into Health.
Thy Works in Chloe's Toilet gain a Part,
And with his Tailor share the Fopling's Hearts
Lash'd in thy Satyr, the penurious Cit
Laughs at himself, and finds no Harm in Wit:
From Felon Gamesters the raw Squire is free,
And Britain owes her rescued Oaks to thee.
His Miss the frolick Viscount dreads to toast,
Or his third Cure the shallow Templar boast;
And the rash Fool, who scorn'd the beaten Road,
Dares quake at Thunder, and confess his God.

The

The brainless Stripling, who, expell'd to Town,
Damn'd the stiff College and pedantick Gown,
Aw'd by thy Name, is dumb, and thrice a Week
Spells uncouth Latin, and pretends to Greek,
A sauntring Tribe! such born to wide Estates,
With Yea and No in Senates hold Debates :
At length despis'd, each to his Fields retires,
First with the Dogs, and King amidst the Squires 1
From Pert to Stupid sinks supinely down,

In Youth a Coxcomb, and in Age a Clown.

Such Readers scorn'd, thou wing'st thy daring Flight
Above the Stars, and tread'st the Fields of Light
Fame, Heav'n, and Hell, are thy exalted Theme,
And Visions such as Jove himself might dream,
Man sunk to Slav'ry, tho' to Glory born,

Heav'n's Pride when upright, and deprav'd his Scorn.

Such Hints alone could British Virgil lend,
And Thou alone deserve from such a Friend
A Debt, so borrow'd, is illustrious Shame,

And Fame when shar'd with him is double Fame.
So flush'd with Sweets, by Beauty's Queen bestow'd,
With more than mortal Charms Æneas glow'd.
Such gen'rous Strifes Eugene and Marlbro' try,
And as in Glory, so in Friendship vie.

Permit these Lines by Thee to live-nor blame
A Muse that pants and languishes for Fame;
That fears to sink when humbler Themes she sings,
Lost in the Mass of mean forgotten Things.
Receiv'd by Thee, I prophesie my Rhymes
The Praise of Virgins in succeeding_Times
Mix'd with thy Works, their Life no Bounds shall see,
But stand protected, as inspir'd by Thee.

So some weak Shoot, which else would poorly rise,
Jove's Tree adopts, and lifts him to the Skies
Through the new Pupil fost'ring Juices flow,
Thrust forth the Gems, and give the Flow'rs to blow
Aloft, immortal reigns the Plant unknown,
With borrow'd Life, and Vigour not his own.'

'To

No. 532.
Monday,
Nov. 10,

1712,

No. 532.
Monday,
Nov. 10.

1712,

'To the SPECTATOR-GENERAL

Mr. John Sly humbly sheweth,

That upon reading the Deputation given to the said Mr. John Sly, all Persons passing by his Observatory behaved themselves with the same Decorum, as if your Honour your self had been present.

That your said Officer is preparing, according to your Honour's secret Instructions, Hats for the several kind of Heads that make Figures in the Realms of Great Britain, with Cocks significant of their Powers and Faculties.

That your said Officer has taken due Notice of your Instructions and Admonitions concerning the Internals of the Head from the outward Form of the same. His Hats for Men of the Faculties of Law and Physick do but just turn up, to give a little Life to their Sagacity; his Military Hats glare full in the Face; and he has prepared a familiar easie Cock for all good Companions between the above-mentioned Extreams. For this End he has con sulted the most Learned of his Acquaintance for the true Form and Dimensions of the Lepidum Caput, and made a Hat fit for it.

Your said Officer does further represent, That the young Divines about Town are many of them got into the Cock Military, and desires your Instructions therein.

That the Town has been for several Days very well behaved; and further your said Officer saith not.'

No. 533.

[STEELE,]

Sir.

Tuesday, November 11.
Immo duas dabo, inquit ille, una si parum est;
Et si duarum poenitebit, addentur duae-Plaut.

You

'To the SPECTATOR,

T

OU have often given us very excellent Discourses against that unnatural Custom of Parents, in forcing their Children to marry contrary to their Inclinations. My own Case, without further Preface, I will lay before you, and leave you to judge of it. My Father and

Mother

Mother, both being in declining Years, would fain see No. 533, me, their eldest Son, as they call it, settled. I am as Tuesday, Nov. 11, much for that as they can be; but I must be settled, it 1712, seems, not according to my own, but their Liking. Upon this Account I am teiz'd every Day, because I have not yet fallen in Love, in spite of Nature, with one of a neighbouring Gentleman's Daughters; for, out of their abundant Generosity, they give me the Choice of Four, Jack, begins my Father, Mrs. Katherine is a fine Woman

-Yes, Sir; but she is rather too old--She will make the more discreet Manager, Boy. Then my Mother plays her Part. Is not Mrs. Betty exceeding fair? Yes, Madam; but she is of no Conversation; she has no Fire, no agree able Vivacity; she neither speaks nor looks with Spirit. True, son; but for those very Reasons she will be an easie, soft, obliging, tractable Creature. After all, cries an old Aunt, (who belongs to the Class of those who read Plays with Spectacles on) what think you, Nephew, of proper Mrs. Dorothy? What do I think? Why I think she cannot be above six Foot two Inches high. Well, well, you may banter as long as you please, but Height of Stature is commanding and majestick, Come, come, says a Cousin of mine in the Family, I'll fit him: Fidelia is yet behind Pretty Miss Fiddy must please youOh! your very humble Servant, dear Cos, she is as much too young as her eldest Sister is too old. Is it so indeed, quoth she, good Mr. Pert? You who are but barely turned of twenty two, and Miss Fiddy in half a Year's Time will be in her Teens, and she is capable of learning any Thing. Then she will be so observant; she'll cry per haps now and then, but never be angry, Thus they will think for me in this Matter, wherein I am more parti cularly concerned than any Body else. If I name any Woman in the World, one of these Daughters has cer tainly the same Qualities. You see by these few hints, Mr. SPECTATOR, what a comfortable Life Í lead. To be still more open and free with you, I have been passionately fond of a young Lady (whom give me leave to call Miranda) now for these three Years. I have often urged the Matter home to my Parents with all the Submission of a Son, but the Impatience of a Lover. Pray, Sir, think

of