many new vanities which the women will fall into up6 on a peace with France, that you intend only the unthinking part of our fex; and what methods can reduce them to reafon is hard to imagine.

But, Sir, there are others yet that your instructions might be of great ufe to, who, after their best endea. vours, are fometimes at a lofs to acquit themfelves to a ⚫ cenforious world; I am far from thinking you can altogether difapprove of converfation between ladies and gentlemen, regulated by the rules of honour and prudence; and have thought it an obfervation not ill made, that, where that was wholly denied, the women loft their wit, and the men their good manners. 'Tis fure, from those improper liberties you mentioned, that a fort of undiftinguishing people shall banith from their drawing-rooms the beft-bred men in the world, and condemn thofe that do not. Your ftating this point might, I think, be of good ufe, as well as much • oblige,

" Sir, Your admirer and

' most humble fervant,

'ANNA BELLA.'

No anfwer to this, till Anna Bella fends a defcription of thofe fhe calls the best-bred men in the world.

• Mr. Spectator,

I AM a gentleman who for many years last past have been well known to be truly fplenetic, and that my fpleen arifes from having contracted fo great a delicacy, by reading the best authors, and keeping the moft refined company, that I cannot bear the least impropriety of language, or rufticity of behaviour. Now, Sir, I have ever looked upon this as a wife diftemper; but by late obfervations find that every heavy • wretch who has nothing to fay, excufes his dulnefs by complaining of the spleen. Nay, I faw, the other day, two fellows in a tavern-kitchen fet up for it, call

• for

for a pint and pipes, and only by guzzling liquor to < each other's health, and wafting fmoke in each other's face, pretend to throw off the fpleen: I appeal to you whether thefe difhonours are to be done to the diftemper • of the great and the polite. I befeech you, Sir, to inform thefe fellows that they have not the fpleen; because they cannot talk without the help of a glass at their mouths, or convey their meaning to each other without the interpofition of clouds. If you will not do this with all fpeed, I affure you, for my part, I will wholly quit the difeafe, and for the future be merry with the vulgar.

'I am, Sir,

"Your humble fervant.'

• Sir,

THIS is to let you underftand that I am a reformed Starer, and conceived a deteftation for that practice from what you have writ upon the fubject. But as · you have been very fevere upon the behaviour of us men at divine fervice, I hope you will not be fo apparently partial to the women as to let them go wholly • unobferved.

If they do every thing that is poffible to attract our " eyes, are we more culpable than they, for looking at them? I happened laft Sunday to be fhut into a pew, which was full of young ladies in the bloom of youth and beauty. When the fervice began I had ⚫ not room to kneel at the confeffion, but as I ftood kept my eyes from wandering as well as I was able, till one of the young ladies, who is a Peeper, refolved to bring down my looks, and fix my devotion on herself. You are to know, Sir, that a peeper works with her hands, eyes, and fan; one of which is continually in motion, while fhe thinks he is not actually the admiration of fome Ogler or Starer in the congregation. As I ftood, utterly at a lofs how to behave myfelf, furrounded as I was, this Peeper fo placed herself as to be kneeling juft before me: fhe difplayed the most beautiful bofom imaginable,

imaginable, which heaved and fell with fome fervour, while a delicate well-shaped arm held a fan over her face: it was not in nature to command one's eyes from this object. I could not avoid taking notice alfo of her fan, which had on it various figures, very improper to behold on that occafion: there lay in the body of the piece a Venus under a purple canopy, furled with curious wreaths of drapery, half naked, attended with a train of Cupids, who were bufied in fanning her as fhe flept: behind her was drawn a fatyr peeping over the filken fence, and threatening to break through it. I frequently offered to turn my fight another way,. but was ftill detained by the fafcination of the Peeper's 6 eyes, who had long practifed a skill in them to recall the parting glances of her beholders. You fee my complaint, and hope you will take these mischievous 'people, the Peepers, into your confideration: I doubt not but you will think a Peeper as much more pernicious than a Starer, as an ambufcade is more to be feared than an open affault.

I am, Sir,

Your most obedient fervant.'

This Peeper ufing both fan and eyes, to be confidered as a Pict, and proceed accordingly.

King Latinus to the Spectator, greeting. THOUGH fome may think we defcend from our imperial dignity in holding correfpondence with a private Litterato; yet, as we have great refpect to all good intentions for our fervice, we do not esteem it ⚫ beneath us to return you our royal thanks for what you published in our behalf, while under confinement in the inchanted caftle of the Savoy, and for your ⚫ mention of a fubfidy for a prince in misfortune. This

your timely zeal has inclined the hearts of divers to be aiding unto us, if we could propofe the means. We have taken their good-will into confideration, and have ⚫ contrived a method which will be eafy to those who ' fhall

fhall give the aid, and not unacceptable to us who re⚫ceive it. A concert of mufic fhall be prepared at Haberdashers-Hall for Wednesday the fecond of May; and we will honour the faid entertainment with our own presence, where each perfon fhall be affeffed but at two fhillings and fixpence. What we expect from you is, that you publifh thefe our royal intentions, with injunction that they be read at all tea-tables within the cities of London and Weftminfter: and fo we bid you heartily farewell.

'Latinus King of the Volfcians.'

Given at our Court in Vinegar-yard, story the third from the earth, April 28, 1711.'

6

No. LIV.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2.

Strenua nos exercet inertia.

HOR.

Laborious idleness our powers employs.

THE following letter being the first that I have received from the learned Univerfity of Cambridge, I could not but do myself the honour of publishing it. It gives an account of a new fect of philofophers which has arofe in that famous refidence of learning, and is perhaps the only fect this age is likely to produce.

Cambridge, April 26.

• Mr. Spectator, • BELIEVING you to be an univerfal encourager of • liberal arts and sciences, and glad of any information 'from the learned world, I thought an account of a sect

of philofophers very frequent among us, but not taken notice of, as far as I can remember, by any writers ei⚫ther ancient or modern, would not be unacceptable to · you. The philofophers of this fect are in the language of our univerfity called Loungers: I am of opinion, that, as in many other things, fo likewife in this, the ⚫ ancients

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6

• ancients have been defective; viz. in mentioning no philofophers of this fort. Some indeed will affirm that they are a kind of Peripatetics, because we fee them. continually walking about. But I would have these gentlemen confider, that though the ancient Peripatetics walked much, yet they wrote much alfo; witness, to the forrow of this fect, Ariftotle and others: whereas it is notorious that most of our profeffors never lay out a farthing either in pen, ink, or paper. Others are for deriving them from Diogenes, because feveral of the leading men of the fect have a great deal of the cynical humour in them, and delight much in fun• fhine. But then again, Diogenes was content to have his conftant habitation in a narrow tub, whilft our philofophers are fo far from being of his opinion, that it is death to them to be confined within the limits of a good, handfome, convenient chamber but for half an hour: others there are who, from the clearness of ◄ their heads, deduce the pedigree of Loungers from that great man; I think it was either Plato or Socrates, who after all his ftudy and learning, profeffed, That ⚫ all he then knew was, that he knew nothing. You eafily fee this is but a fhallow argument, and may be • foon confuted.

I have with great pains and industry made my ob⚫ fervations, from time to time, upon thefe fages; and, ⚫ having now all materials ready, am compiling a treatife, wherein I fhall fet forth the rife and progrefs of this famous fect, together with their maxins, aufterities, manner of living, &c. Having prevailed with a friend, who defigns fhortly to publifh a new edition of Diogenes Laertius, to add this treatife of mine by way ⚫ of fupplement; I fhall now, to let the world fee what may be expected from me, firft begging Mr. Spectator's leave that the world may fee it, briefly touch upon fome of my chief obfervations, and then fubfcribe felf your humble fervant. In the first place I fhall give you two or three of their maxims; the fundamental one, upon which their whole fyftem is built is this, ♦ viz.—That time being an implacable enemy to and VOL. I. "deftroyer

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my