Reproach; for a Man to be mistaken in the Calculation of his Expence, in his Ability to anfwer future Demands, or to be impertinently fanguine in putting his Credit to too great Adventure, are all Inftances of as much Infamy as with gayer Nations to be failing in Courage or common Honesty. NUMBERS are fo much the Measure of every thing that is valuable, that it is not poffible to demonstrate the Success of any Action, or the Prudence of any Under taking without them. I fay this in Answer to what Sir ROGER is pleased to fay, That little that is truly noble can be expected from one who is ever poring on his Cash-book, or balancing his Accounts. When I have my Returns from abroad, I can tell to a Shilling, by the Help of Numbers, the Profit or Lofs by my Adventure; but I ought alfo to be able to fhew that I had Reason for making it, either from my own Experience, or that of other People, or from a reafonable Presumption that my Returns will be fufficient to anfwer my Expence and Hazard; and this is never to be done without the Skill of Numbers. For Inftance, if I am to trade to Turkey, I ought beforehand to know the Demand of our Manufactures there, as well as of their Silks in England, and the customary Prices that are given for both in each Country. I ought to have a clear Knowledge of these Matters beforehand, that I may prefume upon fufficient Returns to answer the Charge of the Cargo I have fitted out, the Freight and Affurance out and home, the Cuftoms to the Queen, and the Intereft of my own Money, and befides all thefe Expences a reasonable Profit to myfelf. Now what is there of Scandal in this Skill? What has the Merchant done, that he fhould be fo little in the good Graces of Sir ROGER? He throws down no Man's Inclosures, and tramples upon no Man's Corn; he takes nothing from the induftrious Labourer; he pays the poor Man for his Work; he communicates his Profit with Mankind; by the Preparation of his Cargo, and the Manufacture of his Returns, he furnishes Employment and Subfiftence to greater Numbers than the richeft Nobleman; and even the Nobleman is obliged to him for finding out foreign Markets for the Produce of his Eftate, and for making a great Addition to his Rents ; B 2 and and yet 'tis certain, that none of all thefe Things could be done by him without the Exercise of his Skill in Numbers. THIS is the Oeconomy of the Merchant; and the Conduct of the Gentleman must be the fame, unless by fcorning to be the Steward, he refolves the Steward fhall be the Gentleman. The Gentleman, no more than the Merchant, is able, without the Help of Numbers, to account for the Succefs of any Action, or the Prudence of any Adventure. If, for Inftance, the Chace is his whole Adventure, his only Returns must be the Stag's Horns in the great Hall, and the Fox's Nose upon the Stable Door. Without Doubt Sir ROGER knows the full Value of these Returns; and if beforehand he had computed the Charges of the Chace, a Gentleman of his Difcretion would certainly have hanged up all his Dogs, he would never have brought back fo many fine Horfes to the Kennel, he would never have gone fo often, like a Blaft, over Fields of Corn. If fuch too had been the Conduct of all his Ancestors, he might truly have boafted at this Day, that the Antiquity of his Family had never been fullied by a Trade; a Merchant had never been permitted with his whole Eftate to purchase a Room for his Picture in the Gallery of the COVERLEY s, or to claim his Defcent from the Maid of Honour. But 'tis very happy for Sir ROGER that the Merchant paid fo dear for his Ambition. "Tis the Misfortune of many other Gentlemen to turn out of the Seats of their Anceftors, to make way for fuch new Masters as have been more exact in their Accounts than themselves; and certainly he deferves the Eftate a great deal better, who has got it by his Industry, than he who has loft it by his Negligence. T Thursday, N° 175 Thursday, September 20. I Proximus à telis ignis defenditur ægrè. To fave your Houfe from neighb'ring Fire is hard. TATE. SHALL this Day entertain my Readers with two or three Letters I have received from my Correfpondents: The first discovers to me a Species of Females which have hitherto escaped my Notice, and is að follows. Mr. SPECTATOR, Am a young Gentleman of a competent Fortune, and a fufficient Tafte of Learning, to spend five or fix Hours every Day very agreeably among my Books. • That I might have nothing to divert me from my Stu dies, and to avoid the Noises of Coaches and Chairmen, I have taken Lodgings in a very narrow Street not far from Whitehall; but it is my Misfortune to be fo poft⚫ed, that my Lodgings are directly oppofite to thofe of a Jezebel. You are to know, Sir, that a Jezebel (fo call'd by the Neighbourhood from difplaying her perni⚫cious Charms at her Window) appears conftantly drefs'd ⚫ at her Sash, and has a thousand little Tricks and Foole. ries to attract the Eyes of all the idle young Fellows in ⚫ the Neighbourhood. I have feen more than fix Perfons at once from their feveral Windows obferving the Je⚫zebel I am now complaining of. I at first looked on her ⚫ myself with the higheft Contempt, could divert myself • with her Airs for half an hour, and afterwards take up my Plutarch with great Tranquillity of Mind; but was a little vexed to find that in lefs than a Month she had confiderably stolen upon my Time, fo that I refolved to • look at her no more. But the Jezebel, who, as I fuppofe, might think it a Diminution to her Honour, to B 3 have have the Number of her Gazers leffen'd, refolved not to part with me fo, and began to play fo many new Tricks at her Window, that it was impoffible for me to forbear obferving her. I verily believe the put herfelf to the Expence of a new Wax-Baby on purpose to plague me; the us'd to dandle and play with this Figure as impertinently as if it had been a real Child: fometimes. The would let fall a Glove or a Pin-Cufhion in the Street, and fhut or open her Cafement three or four times in a Minute. When I had almost wean'd myself from this, fhe came in her Shift-Sleeves, and drefs'd at the Window. I had no Way left but to let down my Curtains, ⚫ which I fubmitted to though it confiderably darkened d my Room, and was pleafed to think that I had at last got the better of her; but was furprised the next Morning to hear her talking out of her Window quite cross the Street, with another Woman that lodges over me: I am fince informed, that fhe made her a Vifit, and got acquainted with her within three Hours after the Fall of C my Window-Curtains. SIR, I am plagued every Moment in the Day, one 6 way or other, in my own Chambers; and the Jezebel has the Satisfaction to know, that tho' I am not looking at her, I am lift'ning to her impertinent Dialogues, ⚫that pafs over my Head. I would immediately change my Lodgings, but that I think it might look like a plain Confeflion, that I am conquer'd; and befides this, I am told that most Quarters of the Town are infefted <with thefe Creatures. If they are fo, I am fure 'tis fuch an Abuse, as a Lover of Learning and Silence ought to ⚫take notice of. 1 am, SIR, Yours, &c. I am afraid, by fome Lines in this Letter, that my young Student is touched with a Diftemper which he hardİy feems to dream of, and is too far gone in it to receive Advice. However, I fhall animadvert in due time on the Abuse which he mentions, having myself observed a Neft of Jezebels near the Temple, who make it their Diverfion to draw up the Eyes of young Templars, that at the fame time they may fee them ftumble in an unlucky Gutter which runs under the Window. Mr. SPECTATOR, HAVE lately read the Conclufion of your fortyeventh Speculation upon Bars upon seventh Speculation upon Butts with great Pleasure, ❝ and have ever fince been thoroughly perfuaded that one of those Gentlemen is extremely neceffary to enliven 'Conversation. I had an Entertainment last Week 'the Water for a Lady to whom I make my Addreffes, Iwith feveral of our Friends of both Sexes. To divert the Company in general, and to fhew my Mistress in particular my Genius for Rallery, I took one of the most celebrated Butts in Town along with me. It is with the utmoft Shame and Confufion that I must acquaint you with the Sequel of my Adventure: As ⚫ foon as we were got into the Boat, I played a Sentence or two at my Butt which I thought very fmart, when 'my ill Genius, who I verily believe infpir'd him purely for my Deftruction, fuggefted to him fuch a Reply, as got all the Laughter on his Side. I was dafhed at fo unexpected a Turn; which the Butt perceiving, refolved not to let me recover myself, and pursuing his Victory, rallied and toffed me in a moft unmerciful ' and barbarous manner till we came to Chelsea. I had fome fmall Succefs while we were eating Cheefe-Cakes; but coming home, he renewed his Attacks with his former Good-fortune, and equal Diverfion to the whole Company. In short, Sir, I muft ingenuously own that "I was never fo handled in all my Life; and to complete my Misfortune, I am fince told that the Butt, flushed ' with his late Victory, has made a Vifit or two to the dear Object of my Wishes, fo that I am at once in danger of lofing all my Pretenfions to Wit, and my Miftrefs into the Bargain. This, Sir, is a true Account of my " prefent Troubles, which you are the more obliged to 'affift me in, as you were yourself in a great measure the Cause of them, by recommending to us an Inftrument,. and not inftructing us at the fame time how to play upon it. I have been thinking whether it might not be highly convenient, that all Butts fhould wear an Infcription B. 4 affixed |