heathens themselves. English gentlemen, who or natural religion. The first of these I shall travel into Roman-catholic countries, are not a distinguish by the name of faith, the second by little surprised to meet with people of the best that of morality. quality kneeling in their churches, and engag If we look into the more serious part of ed in their private devotions, though it be not mankind, we find many who lay so great a at the hours of public worship. An officer stress upon faith, that they neglect morality; of the army, or a man of wit and pleasure, in and many who build so much upon morality, those countries, would be afraid of passing that they do not pay a due regard to faith. not only for an irreligious, but an ill bred man, The perfect man should be defective in neither should he be seen to go to bed, or sit down at of these particulars, as will be very evident to table, without offering up his devotions on such those who consider the benefits which arise occasions. The same show of religion appears from each of them, and which I shall make the in all the foreign reformed churches, and en-subject of this day's paper. ters so much in their ordinary conversation, Notwithstanding this general division of that an Englishman is apt to term them hypo- Christian duty into morality and faith, and critical and precise.. that they have both their peculiar excellenThis little appearance of a religious deport-cies, the first has the pre-eminence in several ment in our nation, may proceed in some mea- respects. sure from that modesty which is natural to us; First, Because the greatest part of morality but the great occasion of it is certainly this. (as I have stated the notion of it) is of a fixed Those swarms of sectaries that over-ran the eternal nature, and will endure when faith nation in the time of the great rebellion, car- shall fail, and be lost in conviction. ried their hypocrisy so high, that they had Secondly, Because a person may be quaconverted our whole language into a jargon of lified to do a greater good to mankind, and enthusiasm: insomuch that, upon the restora- become more beneficial to the world, by motion, men thought they could not recede too rality without faith, than by faith without mofar from the behaviour and practice of those rality. persons who had made religion a cloak to so Thirdly, Because morality gives a greater many villanies. This led them into the other perfection to buman nature, by quieting the extreme; every appearance of devotion was mind, moderating the passions, and advancing looked upon as puritanical; and falling into the happiness of every man in his private cathe hands of the ridiculers' who flourished in that reign, and attacked every thing that was serious, it has ever since been out of countenance among us. By this means we are gradually fallen into that vicious modesty, which has in some measure worn out from among us the appearance of Christianity in ordinary life Fifthly, Because infidelity is not of so maligand conversation, and which distinguishes us nant a nature as immortality; or, to put the from all our neighbours. same reason in another light, because it is ge pacity. Fourthly, Because the rule of morality is much more certain than that of faith, all the civilized nations of the world agreeing in the great points of morality, as much as they differ in those of faith. Hypocrisy cannot indeed be too much de- nerally owned, there may be salvation for a tested, but at the same time it is to be prefer- virtuous infidel (particularly in the case of inred to open impiety. They are both equally vincible ignorance), but none for a vicious bedestructive to the person who is possessed with liever. them; but, in regard to others, hypocrisy is Sixthly, Because faith seems to draw its not so pernicious as bare-faced irreligion. The principal, if not all its excellency, from the due mean to be observed is, to be sincerely influence it has upon morality; as we shall see virtuous, and at the same time to let the world more at large, if we consider wherein consists see we are so.' I do not know a more dread- the excellency of faith, or the belief of revealed ful menace in the holy writings, than that religion; and this I think is, which is pronounced against those who have this perverted modesty to be ashamed before men in a particular of such unspeakable importance. First, In explaining, and carrying to greater heights, several points of morality. Secondly, In furnishing new and stronger motives to enforce the practice of morality. Thirdly, In giving us more amiable ideas of the Supreme Being, more endearing notions of one another, and a truer state of ourselves, both in regard to the grandeur and vileness of our natures. No. 459.] Saturday, August 16, 1712. -Quicquid dignum sapiente bonoque est. Hor. Ep. iv. Lib. 1. 5. -Whate'er befits the wise and good.-Creech. Fourthly, By showing us the blackness and deformity of vice, which in the Christian sysRELIGION may be considered under two ge- tem is so very great, that he who is possessed neral heads. The first comprehends what we of all perfection, and the sovereign judge of are to believe, the other what we are to prac- it, is represented by several of our divines as tice. By those things which we are to believe, hating sin to the same degree that he loves the I mean whatever is revealed to us in the holy sacred person who was made the propitiation writings, and which we could not have obtain- of it. ed the knowledge of by the light of nature; by Fifthly, In being the ordinary and prescribthe things which we are to practise, I mean all ed method of making morality effectual to salthose duties to which we are directed by reason vation. I have only touched on these several heads, known to us, that they pass for demonstrations which every one who is conversant in discours-of our worth. This makes us easy in the es of this nature will easily enlarge upon in his midst of them, fond to show them, fond to imown thoughts, and draw conclusions from them prove them, and to be esteemed for them. which may be useful to him in the conduct of Then it is that a thousand unaccountable conhis life. One I am sure is so obvious that he ceits, gay inventions, and extravagant accannot miss it, namely, that a man cannot be tions, must afford us pleasures, and display perfect in his scheme of morality, who does us to others in the colours which we ournot strengthen and support it with that of the selves take a fancy to glory in. Indeed Christian faith. there is something so amusing for the time Besides this, I shall lay down two or three in this state of vanity and ill-grounded satother maxims, which I think we may deduce isfaction, that even the wiser world has chofrom what has been said. sen an exalted word to describe its enchant Perhaps the latter part of this reflection First, That we should be particularly cau-ments and called it, The Paradise of Fools.' tious of making any thing an article of faith, which does not contribute to the confirmation may seem a false thought to some, and bear or improvement of morality. another turn than what I have given; but it is at present none of my business to look after it, who am going to confess that I have been lately amongst them in a vision. Secondly, That no article of faith can be true and authentic, which weakens or subverts the practical part of religion, or what I have hitherto called morality. Thirdly, That the greatest friend of morality and natural religion cannot possibly apprehend any danger from embracing Christianity, as it is preserved pure and uncorrupt in the doctrines of our national church.* There is likewise another maxim which I think may be drawn from the foregoing considerations, which is this, that we should, in all dubious points, consider any ill consequences that may arise from them, supposing they should be erroneous, before we give up our assent to them. Methought I was transported to a hill, green, flowery, and of an easy ascent. Upon the broad top of it resided squint-eyed Error, and Popular Opinion with many heads; two that dwelt in sorcery, and were famous for bewitching people with the love of themselves. To these repaired a multitude from every side, by two different paths which lead towards each of them. Some who had the most assuming air went directly of themselves to Error, without expecting a conductor; others of a softer nature went first to Popular Opinion, from whence, as she influenced and engaged them with their own praises, she delivered them over to his government. the summit where Opinion abode, we found When we had ascended to an open part of her entertaining several who had arrived beHer voice was pleasing; she breath fore us For example, In that disputable point of persecuting men for conscience sake, besides the embittering their minds with hatred, indig nation, and all the vehemence of resentment, and ensnaring them to profess what they do not believe, we cut them off from the pleasures and advantages of society, afflict their ed odours as she spoke. She seemed to have bodies, distress their fortunes, hurt their repu- a tongue for every one; every one thought tations, ruin their families, make their lives he heard of something that was valuable in painful, or put an end to them. Sure when I himself, and expected a paradise which she see such dreadful consequences rising from a principle, I would be as fully convinced of the truth of it, as of a mathematical demonstration, before I would venture to act upon it, or make it a part of a religion. In this case the injury done our neighbour is plain and evident; the principle that puts us upon doing it, of a dubious and disputable nature. Morality seems highly violated by the one; and whether or no a zeal for what a man thinks the true system of faith may justify it, is very uncertain. I cannot but think, if our religion produces charity as well as zeal, it will not be for showing itself by such cruel instances. But to conclude with the words of an excellent author, We have just enough of religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.' promised as a reward of his merit. Thus were we drawn to follow her, till she should bring us where it was to be bestowed; and it was observable that, all the way we went, the company was either praising themselves in their qualifications, or one another for those qualifications which they took to be conspicuous in their own characters, or dispraising others for wanting theirs, or vying in the degrees of them. At last we approached a bower, at the entrance of which Error was seated. The trees were thick woven, and the place where he sat artfully contrived to darken him a little. He was disguised in a whitish robe, which he had put on, that he might appear to us with a nearer resemblance to Truth; and as she has a light whereby she manifests the beauties of nature to the eyes of her adorers, so he had provided himself with a magical wand, that he might do something in imitation of it and Decipimur specie recti― Hor. Ars Poet. v. 25. please with delusions. This he lifted solemnly, Deluded by a seeming excellence. Roscommon.and, muttering to himself, bid the glories which he kept under enchantment to appear before us. Immediately we cast our eyes on No. 460.] Monday, August 18, 1712. OUR defects and follies are too often un known to us; nay, they are so far from being that part of the sky to which he pointed, and * The Gospel. observed a thin blue prospect, which cleared as mountains in a summer morning when the mist and resolute, was led forward to be punished goes off, and the palace of Vanity appeared to for the words he had uttered. He appeared sight. The foundation seemed hardly a foundation, but a set of curling clouds, which it stood upon by magical contrivance. The way by which we ascended was painted like a rainbow; and as we went, the breeze that played about us bewitched the senses, The walls were gilded all for show; the lowest set of pillars were of the slight fine Corinthian order, and the top of the building being rounded, bore so far the resemblance of a bubble. inclined to have spoken in his own defence, but I could not observe that any one was wiling to hear him. Vanity cast a scornful smile at him; Self-Conceit was angry; Flattery, who knew him for Plain-Dealing, put on a vi zard, and turned away; Affectation tossed her fan, made mouths, and called him Envy or Slander: and Fashion would have it, that at least he must be Ill-manners. Thus slighted and despised by all, he was driven out for abusing people of merit and figure; and I heard it firmly resolved, that he should be used no better wherever they met with him hereafter. At the gate the travellers neither met with a porter, nor waited till one should appear; every one thought his merits a sufficient pasport, and pressed forward. In the hall we met I had already seen the meaning of most part with several phantoms, that roved amongst us, of that warning which he had given, and was and ranged the company according to their considering how the latter words should be sentiments. There was decreasing Honour, fulfilled, when a mighty noise was heard withthat had nothing to show but an old coat of out, and the door was blackened by a numehis ancestor's achievements. There was Os-rous train of harpies crowding in upon us. tentation, that made himself his own constant Folly and Broken-Credit were seen in the subject; and Gallantry strutting upon his tip-house before they entered. Trouble. Shame, toes. At the upper end of the hall stood a Infamy, Scorn, and Poverty, brought up the throne, whose canopy glittered with all the rear. Vanity, with her Cupid and Graces, riches that gaiety could contrive to lavish on disappeared; her subjects ran into holes and it; and between the gilded arms sat Vanity, corners; but many of them were found and decked in the peacock's feathers, and acknow- carried off (as I was told by one who stood ledged for another Venus by her votaries. near me) either to prisons or cellars, solitude, The boy who stood beside her for a Cupid, or little company, the mean arts or the viler and who made the world to bow before her, crafts of life. 'But these,' added he with a was called Self-Conceit. His eyes had every disdainful air, are such who would fondly now and then a cast inwards, to the neglect of live here, when their merits neither matched all objects about him; and the arms which he the lustre of the place, nor their riches its made use of for conquest, were borrowed from expenses. We have seen such scenes as those against whom he had a design. The ar- these before now; the glory you saw will all row which he shot at the soldier, was fledged return when the hurry is over.' I thanked from his own plume of feathers; the dart he di-him for his information; and believing him so rected against the man of wit, was winged from incorrigible as that he would stay till it was the quills he writ with; and that which he sent his turn to be taken, I made off to the door, against those who presumed upon their riches, and overtook some few, who, though they would was headed with gold out of their treasuries. not hearken to Plain-Dealing, were now terriHe made nets for statesmen from their own fied to good purpose by the example of others. contrivances; he took fire from the eyes of the But when they had touched the threshold, it ladies, with which he melted their hearts; and was a strange shock to them to find that the lightning from the tongues of the eloquent, to delusion of Error was gone, and they plainly inflame them with their own glories. At the discerned the building to hang a little up in foot of the throne sat three false Graces; Flat- the air without any real foundation. At first tery with a shell of paint, Affectation with a we saw nothing but a desperate leap remained mirror to practise at, and Fashion ever chang- for us, and I a thousand times blamed my uning the posture of her clothes. These applied meaning curiosity that had brought me into so themselves to secure the conquests which Self-much danger. But as they began to sink lower Conceit had gotten, and had each of them their in their own minds, methought the palace sunk particular polities. Flattery gave new colours along with us, till they were arrived at the due and complexions to all things; Affectation new point of esteem which they ought to have airs and appearances, which, as she said, were for themselves; then the part of the building not vulgar; and Fashion both concealed some in which they stood touched the earth, and home defects, and added some foreign external we departing out, it retired from our eyes. beauties. Now whether they who stayed in the palace were sensible of this descent, I cannot tell: However it be, my dream broke up at it, and has given me occasion all my life to reflect upon the fatal consequences of following the suggestions of Vanity. As I was reflecting upon what I saw, I heard a voice in the crowd bemoaning the condition it was then my opinion that they were not. of mankind, which is thus managed by the breath of Opinion, deluded by Error, fired by Self-Conceit, and giving up to be trained in all the courses of Vanity, till Scorn or Poverty come upon us. These expressions were no sooner handed about, but I immediately saw a general disorder, till at last there was a part- 'I write to you to desire that you would ing in one place, and a grave old man, decent again touch upon a certain enormity, which is MR. SPECTATOR, For the Spectator, MR. SPECTATOR, chiefly in use among the politer and better bred part of mankind; I mean the ceremonies, bows, courtesies, whisperings, smiles, winks, nods, with other familiar arts of salu'You very much promote the interests of tation, which take up in our churches so much, virtue, while you reform the taste of a profane time that might be better employed, and which age; and persuade us to be entertained with seem so utterly inconsistent with the duty and divine poems, whilst we are distinguished by true intent of our entering into those religious so many thousand humours, and split into so assemblies. The resemblance which this many different sects and parties; yet persons bears to our indeed proper behaviour in the-of every party, sect, and humour, are fond of atres, may be some instance of its incongru-conforming their taste to yours. You can ity in the above-mentioned places. In Roman-transfuse your own relish of a poem into all catholic churches and chapels abroad, I my- your readers, according to their capacity to self have observed, more than once, persons receive; and when you recommend the pious of the first quality, of the nearest relation, passion that reigns in the verse, we seem to and intimatest acquaintance, passing by one feel the devotion, and grow proud and pleas another unknowing as it were, and unknown, ed inwardly, that we have souls capable of reand with so little notice of each other, that it lishing what the Spectator approves. looked like having their minds more suitably 'Upon reading the hymns that you have and more solemnly engaged; at least it was an published in some late papers, I had a mind acknowledgment that they ought to have been to try yesterday whether I could write one. So. I have been told the same even of Ma- The cxivth psalm appears to me an admirable hometans, with relation to the propriety of ode, and I began to turn it into our language. their demeanour in the conventions of their As I was describing the journey of Israel from erroneous worship; and I cannot but think Egypt, and added the Divine Presence amongst either of them sufficient laudable patterns for them, I perceived a beauty in this psalm which our imitation in this particular. was entirely new to me, and which I was go "I cannot help, upon this occasion, remark-ing to lose; and that is that the poet utterly ing on the excellent memories of those devo-conceals the presence of God in the beginning tionists, who upon returning from church shall of it, and rather lets a possessive pronoun go give a particular account how two or three without a substantive, than he will so much as hundred people were dressed: a thing, by rea- mention any thing of divinity there. "Judah son of its variety, so difficult to be digested was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion or and fixed in the head, that it is a miracle to me kingdom." The reason now seems evident, how two poor hours of divine service can be and this conduct necessary for, if God had time sufficient for so elaborate an undertaking, appeared before, there could be no wonder the duty of the place too being jointly, and no why the mountains should leap and the sea redoubt oft pathetically, performed along with tire; therefore, that this convulsion of nature it. Where it is said in sacred writ, that "the may be brought in with due surprise, his name woman ought to have a covering on her head is not mentioned till afterward; and then, with because of the angels," the last word is by a very agreeable turn of thought, God is introsome thought to be metaphorically used, and duced at once in all his majesty. This is what to signify young men. Allowing this inter-I have attempted to imitate in a translation pretation to be right, the text may not ap- without paraphrase, and to preserve what I pear to be wholly foreign to our present pur pose. FOR want of time to substitute something else in room of them, I am at present obliged to publish compliments above my desert in the following letters. It is no small satisfaction, to have given occasion to ingenious men to employ their thoughts upon sacred subjects from the approbation of such pieces of poetry as they have seen in my Saturday's papers. shall never publish verse on that day but what is written by the same hand :* yet I shall not accompany those writings with eulogiums, but leave them to speak for themselves. VOL. II. * Addison. I could of the spirit of the sacred author. 'If the following essay be not too incorrigible, bestow upon it a few brightenings from your genius, that I may learn how to write better, or to write no more. 'Your daily admirer and "When Israel, freed from Pharaoh's hand, II. "Across the deep their journey lay. III. "The mountains shook like frighted sheep, Dr. Isaac Watts. † Jordan beheld their march, and fled IV. "What power could make the deep divide? V. "Let every mountain, every flood, VI. "He thunders-and all nature mourns; MR. SPECTATOR, verses. all those with whom a man of that talent conHis faults are generally overlooked by all his acqnaintance; and a certain carelessness, that constantly attends all his actions, carries him on with greater success than diligence and assiduity does others who have no share in this endowment. Dacinthus breaks his word upon all occasions, both trivial and important; and, when he is sufficiently railed at for that abominable quality, they who talk of him end with, After all, he is a very pleasant fellow.' Dacinthus is an ill-natured husband, and yet the very women end their freedom of discourse upon this subject, 'But, after all, he is very pleasant company.' Dacinthus is neither, in point of honour, civility, There are those who take the advantage good-breeding, nor good-nature, unexceptionof your putting a halfpenny value upon your-able; and yet all is answered, For he is a self, above the rest of our daily writers, to defame you in public conversation and strive very pleasant fellow.' When this quality is to make you unpopular upon the account of conspicuous in a man who has, to accompany it, manly and virtuous sentiments, there cannot this said halfpenny. But, if I were you, I certainly be any thing which can give so pleawould insist upon that small acknowledgment sing a gratification as the gaiety of such a for the superior merit of yours, as being a person; but when it is alone, and serves only work of invention. Give me leave, therefore, to do you justice, and say in your behalf, so much to be avoided as your pleasant fellow. to gild a crowd of ill qualities, there is no man what you cannot yourself, which is, that your A very pleasant fellow shall turn your good writings have made learing a more necessary name to a jest, make your character contemppart of good-breeding than it was before you tible, debauch your wife or daughter, and yet appeared: that modesty is become fashionable, be received by the rest of the world with weland impudence stands in need of some wit, come wherever he appears. It is very ordinary since you have put them both in their proper with those of this character to be attentive lights. Profaneness, lewdness, and debauch-only to their own satisfactions, and have very ery, are not now qualifications; and a man little bowels for the concerns or sorrows of may be a very fine gentleman, though he is neither a keeper nor an infidel. character. other men; nay, they are capable of purchasing their own pleasures at the expense I would have you tell the town the story of giving pain to others. But they who do of the Sibyls, if they deny giving you twonot consider this sort of men thus carefully, pence. Let them know, that those sacred are irresistibly exposed to their insinuations. papers were valued at the same rate after The author of the following letter carries two-thirds of them were destroyed, as when the matter so high, as to intimate that the lithere was the whole set. There are so many berties of England have been at the mercy of of us who will give you your own price, that a prince, merely as he was of this pleasant you may acquaint your non-conformist readers, that they shall not have it, except they come in within such a day, under three-pence. I do not know but you might bring in the Date Obolum Belisario with a good grace. witlings come in clusters to two or three cof-so naturally give into as pride, or any other fee-houses which have left you off; and I hope guises: it is to be found in all habits and compassion which appears in such different disyou will make us, who fine to your wit, merplexions. It is not a question, whether it does ry with their characters who stand out against more harm or good in the world; and if there it. be not such a thing as what we may call a virtuous and laudable pride? The " MR. SPECTATOR, 'There is no one passion which all mankind 'I am your most humble servant. 'P. S. I have lately got the ingenious au- 'It is this passion alone, when misapplied, thors of blacking for shoes, powder for colour-that lays us so open to flatterers; and he who ing the hair, pomatum for the hands, cosmetic can agreeably condescend to sooth our humour for the face, to be your constant customers; or temper, find always an open avenue to our so that your advertisements will as much soul; especially if the flatterer happen to be adorn the outward man, as your paper does our superior. the inward.' T. No. 462.] Wednesday, August 20, 1712. Nil ego prætulerim jocundo sanus amico. Nothing so grateful as a pleasant friend. 'One might give many instances of this in a late English monarch, under the title of The gaieties of king Charles II." This prince was by nature extremely familiar, of very easy access, and much delighted to see and be seen; and this happy temper, which in the highest degree gratified his people's vanity, did him more service with his loving subjects than all his other virtues, though it must be confessed he had many. He delighted, though |