purpose, I cannot but take notice, that all passion which the mind of man has for glory ; who have writ of him mention likewise his which, though it may be faulty in the excess perfection of body. The instances of his of it, ought by no means to be discouraged. strength are almost incredible. He is des- Perhaps some moralists are too severe in beatcribed to have been of a well-formed person, ing down this principle, which seems to be a and a master of all genteel exercises. And spring implanted by nature to give motion to lastly, we are told that his moral qualities all the latent powers of the soul, and is always were agreeable to his natural and intellectual observed to exert itself with the greatest force endowments, and that he was of an honest in the most generous dispositions. The men and generous mind adorned with great sweet-whose characters have shown the brightest ness of manners. I might break off the ac- among the ancient Romans, appear to have count of him here, but I imagine it will be been strongly animated by this passion. Cicero, an entertainment to the curiosity of my rea-whose learning and services to his country are ders, to find so remarkable a character dis- so well known, was inflamed by it to an extratinguished by as remarkable a circumstance vagant degree, and warmly presses Lucceius, at his death. The fame of his works having who was composing a history of those times, to gained him an universal esteem, he was in-be very particular and zealous in relating the vited to the court of France, where, after story of his consulship; and to execute it speesome time, he fell sick; and Francis the First dily, that he might have the pleasure of enjoycoming to see him, he raised himself in his ing in his life-time some part of the honour bed to acknowledge the honour which was which he foresaw would be paid to his memory. done him by that visit. The king embraced This was the ambition of a great mind; but he him, and Leonardo, fainting in the same mo- is faulty in the degree of it, and cannot refrain ment, expired in the arms of that great mo- from soliciting the historian upon this occasion narch. to neglect the strict laws of history, and, in 'It is impossible to attend to such instances praising him, even to exceed the bounds of as these without being raised into a contem-truth. The younger Pliny appears to have had plation on the wonderful nature of an human the same passion for fame, but accompanied mind, which is capable of such progressions with greater chastness and modesty. His inin knowledge, and can contain such a variety genious manner of owning it to a friend, who of ideas without perplexity or confusion. How had prompted him to undertake some great reasonable is it from hence to infer its divine work, is exquisitely beautiful, and raises him original! And whilst we find unthinking mat- to a certain grandeur above the imputation of ter endued with a natural power to last for vanity. "I must confess,” says he, “that noever, unless annihilated by Omnipotence, thing employs my thoughts more than the how absurd would it be to imagine that a desire I have of perpetuating my name; which being so much superior to it should not have in my opinion is a design worthy of a man, at the same privilege! least of such an one, who, being conscious of At the same time it is very surprising, no guilt, is not afraid to be remembered by when we remove our thoughts from such in- posterity." stances as I have mentioned, to consider 'I think I ought not to conclude without those we so frequently meet with in the ac-interesting all my readers in the subject of this counts of barbarous nations among the Indi- discourse: I shall therefore lay it down as a ans; where we find numbers of people who maxim, that though all are not capable of scarce show the first glimmerings of reason, shining in learning or the politer arts, yet eveand seem to have few ideas above those of ry one is capable of excelling in something. sense and appetite. These, methinks, ap-The soul has in this respect a certain vegetapear like large wilds, or vast uncultivated tive power which cannot lie wholly idle, If it tracts of human nature; and, when we com- is not laid out and cultivated into a regular pare them with men of the most exalted cha- and beautiful garden, it will of itself shoot up in racters in arts and learning, we find it dif-weeds or flowers of a wilder growth.' ficult to believe that they are creatures of the same species Respue quod non es Pers. Sat. iv. 51, 'Some are of opinion that the souls of No. 555.] Saturday, December 6, 1712. men are all naturally equal, and that the great disparity, we so often observe, arises from the different organization or structure Lay the fictitious character aside. of the bodies to which they are united. But, whatever constitutes this first disparity, the ALL the members of the imaginary society, next great difference which we find between which were described in my first pepers, hamen in their several acquirements is owing to ving disappeared one after another, it is high accidental differences in their education, for-time for the Spectator himself to go off the tunes, or course of life. The soul is a kind stage. But now I am to take my leave, I am of rough diamond, which requires art, labour, under much greater anxiety than I have and time to polish it. For want of which known for the work of any day since I undermany a good-natural genius is lost, or lies took this province. It is much more difficult unfashioned, like a jewel in the mine. to converse with the world in a real than a per 'One of the strongest incitements to excel sonated character. That might pass for huin such arts and accomplishments as are in mour in the Spectator, which would look like the highest esteem among men, is the natural arrogance in a writer who sets his name to his work. The fictitious person might condemn |ness of having acquired a praise which is not those who disapproved him, and extol his own my right. performances without giving offence. He The other assistances which I have had, might assume a mock authority, without be-have been conveyed by letter, sometimes by ing looked upon as vain and conceited. The whole papers, and other times by short hints praises or censures of himself fall only upon from unknown hands. I have not been able the creature of his imagination; and, if any to trace favours of this kind with any certainty, one finds fault with him, the author may re- but to the following names, which I place in ply with the philosopher of old, 'Thou dost the order wherein I received the obligation, but beat the case of Anaxarchus.' When I though the first I am going to name can hardspeak in my own private sentiments, I can-ly be mentioned in a list wherein he would not not but address myself to my readers in a deserve the precedence. The persons to whom more submissive manner, and with a just I am to make these acknowledgments are, gratitude for the kind reception which they Mr. Henry Martyn, Mr. Pope, Mr Hughes, have given to these daily papers, which have Mr. Carey of New-college in Oxford, Mr. been published for almost the space of two Tickell of Queen's in the same university, Mr. years last past. Paruelle, and Mr. Eusden, of Trinity in CamI hope the apology I have made, as to the bridge. Thus, to speak in the language of my license allowable to a feigned character, may late friend, Sir Andrew Freeport, I have baexcuse any thing which has been said in these lanced my accounts with all my creditors for discourses of the Spectator and his works; wit and learning. But as these excellent perbut the imputation of the grossest vanity would formances would not have seen the light withstill dwell upon me, if I did not give some out the means of this paper, I may still aroaccount by what means I was enabled to keep gate to myself the merit of their being comup the spirit of so long and approved a per- municated to the public. formance. All the papers marked with a C, I have nothing more to add, but, having an L, an I, or an O, that is to say, all the swelled this work to five hundred and fiftypapers which I have distinguished by any let-five papers, they will be disposed into seven ter in the name of the muce Clio, were given volumes, four of which are already published, me by the gentleman of whose assistance and the three others in the press. It will not formerly boasted in the preface and conclud- be demanded of me why I now leave off, ing leaf of my Tatlers. I am indeed much though I must own myself obliged to give an more proud of his long continued friendship, account to the town of my time hereafter; than I should be of the fame of being thought since I retire when their partiality to me is so the author of any writings which he himself great, that an edition of the former volumes of is capable of producing. I remember, when 1 Spectators, of above nine thousand each book, finished The Tender Husband, I told him is already sold off, and the tax on each halfthere was nothing I so ardently wished, as sheet has brought into the stamp-office, one that we might some time or other publish a week with another, above 201. a week, arising work, written by us both, which should bear from the single paper, notwithstanding it at the name of The Monument, in memory of first reduced it to less than half the number our friendship. I heartily wish what I have that was usually printed before the tax was done here was as honorary to that sacred laid. name, as learning, wit, and humanity, render I humbly beseech the continuance of this those pieces which I have taught the reader inclination to favour what I may hereafter how to distinguish for his. When the play produce, and hope I have in my occurences above mentioned was last acted, there were of life tasted so deeply of pain and sorrow, so many applauded strokes in it which I had that I am proof against much more prosfrom the same hand, that I thought very mean-perous circumstances than any advantages ly of myself that I have never publicly ac- to which my own industry can possibly exknowledged them. After I have put other alt me. friends upon importuning him to publish dramatic as well as other writings he has by him, I shall end what I think I am obliged to say on this head, by giving my reader this hint for the better judging of my productions-that the best comment upon them would be an account when the patron to The Tender Husband was in England or abroad. I am, My good-natured reader, Your most obedient, most obliged humble servant, RICHARD STEELE, Vos valete et plaudite. Ter. MR. SPECTATOR, Dec. 4, 1712. The reader will also find some papers which The following letter regards an ingenious set of gentlemen, who have done me the ho are marked with the letter X, for which he is obliged to the ingenious gentleman who di-nour to make me one of their society. verted the town with the epilogue to The Distressed Mother. I might have owned these several papers with the free consent of these The academy of painting, lately established gentlemen, who did not write them with a de- in London, having done you and themselves sign of being known for the authors. But, as the honour to choose you one of their direca candid and sincere behaviour ought to be tors; that noble and lively art, which before preferred to all other considerations, I would was entitled to your regard as a Spectator, has not let my heart reproach me with a conscious-an additional claim to you, and you seem to be under a double obligation to take some care rable judge. I have seen what is done abroad; of her interests. and can assure you, that the honour of that The honour of our country is also concern- branch of painting is justly due to us. I appeal ed in the matter I am going to lay before you. to the judicious observers for the truth of what We (and perhaps other nations as well as we) I assert. If foreigners have oftentimes, or even have a national false humanity as well as a for the most part, excelled our natives, it ought national vain glory; and, though we boast to be imputed to the advantages they have met ourselves to excel all the world in things where- with here, joined to their own ingenuity and in we are outdone abroad, in other things we industry; nor has any one nation distinguished attribute to others a superiority which we our- themselves so as to raise an argument in faselves possess. This is what is done, particu-vour of their country: but it is to be observed larly in the art of portrait or face-painting. that neither French nor Italians, nor any one Painting is an art of a vast extent, too of either nation, notwithstanding all our prejugreat by much for any mortal man to be indices in their favour, have, or ever had, for any full possession of in all its parts; it is enough considerable time, any character among us as if any one succeed in painting faces, history, face-painters. battles, landscapes, sea-pièces, fruit, flowers, This honour is due to our own country, or drolls, &c. Nay, no man ever was excel-and has been so far near an age: so that, inlent in all the branches (though many in num-stead of going to Italy, or elsewhere, one that ber,) of these several arts, for a distinct art 1 designs for portrait-painting ought to study in take upon me to call every one of those seve- England. Hither such should come from Holral kinds of painting. land, France, Italy, Germany, &c. as he that 'And as one man may be a good land- intends to 'practise any other kinds of paintscape painter, but unable to paint a face or ing should go to those parts where it is in the . a history tolerably well, and so of the rest; greatest perfection. It is said the Blessed Virone nation may excel in some kinds of paint-gin descended from heaven to sit to St. Luke. ing, and other kinds may thrive better in other I dare venture to affirm that, if she should declimates. sire another Madonna to be painted by the 'Italy may have the preference of all other life, she would come to England; and am of nations for history painting; Holland for opinion that your present president, Sir Goddrolls and a neat finished manner of working; frey Kneller, from his improvement since he France for gay, jaunty, fluttering pictures; arrived in this kingdom, would perform that and England for portraits; but to give the office better than any foreigner living. I am, honour of every one of these kinds of paint- with all possible respect, ing to any of those nations on account of their excellence in any of these parts of it, is like adjudging the prize of heroic, dramatic, lyric, or burlesque poetry to him who has done well in any one of them. * Sir, "Your most humble and ' most obedient servant, &c.' ** The ingenious letter signed The Weather Glass, with several others, were received, but came too late. POSTSCRIPT. 'Where there are the greatest geniuses, and most helps and encouragements, it is reasonable to suppose an art will arrive to the greatest perfection: by this rule let us consider our own country with respect to face-painting. It had not come to my knowledge, when I No nation in the world delights so much in left off the Spectator, that I owe several excelhaving their own, or friends' or relations' lent sentiments and agreeable pieces in this pictures; whether from their national good-work to Mr. Ince, of Gray's-Inn, nature, or having a love to painting, and not being encouraged in the great article of reli R. STEELE. gious pictures, which the purity of our worship No. 556.] Friday, June 18, 1714. Qualis ubi in lucem coluber mala gramina pastus So shines, renew'd in youth, the crested snake, UPON laying down the office of Spectator, I acquainted the world with my design of electing a new club, and of opening my mouth And accordingly, in fact, face-painting is no where so well performed as in England: 1 know not whether it has lain in your way to ator, as originally published. The intermediate time was This paper concluded the seventh volume of the Specobserve it, but I have, and pretend to be a tole-filled up by our authors in the production of the Guardian. in it after a most solemn manner. Both the run through the body for making a little too election and the ceremony are now past; but free with my betters. not finding so easy, as I at first imagined, In a word, I am quite another man to what to break through a fifty years silence, I would I was. not venture into the world under the character of a man who pretends to talk like other people, until I had arrived at a full freedom of speech. Tam dispar sibi. Nil fuit unquam Hor. Sat. iii Lib. 1. 18. Nothing was ever so unlike itself. was battling it across the table with a young Templar, his companion gave him a pull by the sleeve, begging him to come away, for that the old prig would talk him to death. I shall reserve for another time the history of such club or clubs, of which I am now a My old acquaintance scarce know me; nay, talkative but unworthy member; and shall I was asked the other day by a Jew at Jona. here give an account of this surprising change than's, whether I was not related to a dumb which has been produced in me, and which I gentleman, who used to come to that coffeelook upon to be as remarkable an accident as house? But I think I never was better pleased any recorded in history, since that which hap-in my life than about a week ago, when, as I pened to the son of Croesus, after having been many years as much tongue-tied as myself. Upon the first opening of my mouth, I made a speech, consisting of about half a dosen wellturned periods; but grew so very hoarse upon Being now a very good proficient in disit, that for three days together, instead of course, I shall appear in the world with this finding the use of my tongue, I was afraid that addition to my character, that my countrymen I had quite lost it. Besides, the unusual ex-may reap the fruits of my new-acquired loquatension of my muscles on this occasion made city. my face ache on both sides to such a degree, Those who have been present at public disthat nothing but an invincible resolution and perseverance could have prevented me from falling back to my monosyllables. putes in the university know that it is usual to maintain heresies for argument's sake. I have heard a man a most impudent Socinian for I afterwards made several essays towards half an hour, who has been an orthodox divine speaking; and that I might not be startled at all his life after. I have taken the same memy own voice, which has happened to me more thod to accomplish myself in the gift of utterthan once, I used to read aloud in my chamber, ance, having talked above a twelvemonth, not and have often stood in the middle of the street so much for the benefit of my hearers, as of to call a coach, when I knew there was none myself. But, since I have now gained the fawithin hearing. culty I have been so long endeavouring after, When I was thus grown pretty well ac-I intend to make a right use of it, and shall quainted with my own voice, I laid hold of all think myself obliged, for the future, to speak opportunities to exert it. Not caring however always in truth and sincerity of heart. While to speak much by myself, and to draw upon a man is learning to fence, he practises both me the whole attention of those I conversed on friend and foe; but when he is a master with, I used for some time to walk every in the art, he never exerts it but on what he morning in the Mall, and talk in chorus with thinks the right side. a parcel of Frenchmen. I found my modesty That this last allusion may not give my greatly relieved by the communicative temper reader a wrong idea of my design in this paper, of this nation, who are so very sociable as to I must here inform him, that the author of it think they are never better company than when is of no faction; that he is a friend to no inthey are all opening at the same time. terests but those of truth and virtue; nor a I then fancied I might receive great benefit foe to any but those of vice and folly. Though from female conversation, and that I should I make more noise in the world than I used to have a convenience of talking with the greater do, I am still resolved to act in it as an indiffreedom, when I was not under any impedi- ferent spectator. It is not my ambition to ment of thinking: I therefore threw myself increase the number either of whigs or tories, into an assembly of ladies, but could not for but of wise and good men; and I could hearmy life get in a word among them; and found tily wish there were not faults common to both that if I did not change my company, I was in parties, which afford me sufficient matter to danger of being reduced to my primitive taci-work upon, without descending to those which turnity. are peculiar to either. The coffee-houses have ever since been my If in a multitude of counsellers there is chief places of resort, where I have made the safety, we ought to think ourselves the securgreatest improvements; in order to which I est nation the world. Most of our garrets are have taken a particular care never to be of the inhabited by statesmen, who watch over the same opinion with the man I conversed with. liberties of their country, and make a shift I was a tory at Button's, and a whig at Child's, to keep themselves from starving by taking a friend to the Englishman, or an advocate into their care the properties of their fellowfor the Examiner, as it best served my turn: subjects. some fancy me a great enemy to the French As these politicians of both sides have alking, though in reality I only make use of him ready worked the nation into a most unnatural for a help to discourse. In short, I wrangle ferment, I shall be so far from endeavouring and dispute for exercise; and have carried this to raise it to a greater height, that, on the point so far, that I was once like to have been contrary, it shall be the chief tendency of my papers to inspire my countrymen with a mu- of it two or three sentences, as a proper intual good-will and benevolence. Whatever troduction to a very curious letter, which I faults either party may be guilty of, they shall make the chief entertainment of this are rather inflamed than cured by these re- speculation. proaches which they cast upon one another. 'The old English plainness and sincerity, The most likely method of rectifying any man's that generous integrity of nature, and honesconduct, is by recommending to him the prin-ty of disposition, which always argues true ciples of truth and honour, religion and vir- greatness of mind, and is usually accompanied tue; and so long as he acts with an eye to these with undaunted courage and resolution, is in principles, whatever party he is of, he cannot a great measure lost among us. fail of being a good Englisman, and a lover of The dialect of conversation is now-a-days his country. so swelled with vanity and compliment, and As for the persons concerned in this work, so surfeited (as I may say) of expressions of the names of all of them, or at least of such kindness and respect, that if a man that lived as desire it, shall be published hereafter until an age or two ago should return into the which time I must entreat the courteous rea-world again, he would really want a dictionder to suspend his curiosity, and rather to ary to help him to understand his own lanconsider what is written, than who they are guage, and to know the true intrinsic value that write it. of the phrase in fashion; and would hardly Having thus adjusted all necessary prelimi- at first believe at what a low rate the highest naries with my reader, I shall not trouble him strains and expressions of kindness imaginable with any more prefatory discourses, but pro-do commonly pass in current payment; and ceed in my old method, and entertain him with speculations on every useful subject that falls in my way. No. 557.] Monday, June 21, 1714. C. Quippe domum timet ambiguam Tyriosque bilingues. when he should come to understand it, it would be a great while before he could bring himself with a good countenance, and a good conscieuce, to converse with men upon equal terms and in their own way.' MASTER, I have by me a letter which I look upon as a great curiosity, and which may serve as an Virg. En. i. 665. exemplification to the foregoing passage, He fears the ambiguous race, and Tyrians double-tongu❜d. is said to have been written in king Charles cited out of the most excellent prelate. It 'THERE is nothing,' says Plato, so de- the Second's reign by the ambassador of lightful as the hearing or the speaking of Bantam,* a little after ais arrival in England. truth.' For this reason there is no conversation so agreeable as that of the man of integrity, who hears without any intention 'The people where I now am have tongues to betray, and speaks without any intention further from their hearts than from London to deceive. to Bantam; and thou knowest the inhabitants Among all the accounts which are given of of one of these places do not know what is Cato, I do not remember one that more re-done in the other. They call thee and thy dounds to his honour than the following pas-subjects barbarians, because we speak what sage related by Plutarch. As an advocate was we mean; and account themselves a civilized pleading the cause of his client before one of people, because they speak one thing and the prætors, he could only produce a single mean another: truth they call barbarity, and witness in a point where the law required the falsehood politeness. Upon my first landing, testimony of two persons; upon which the ad- one, who was sent from the king of this place vocate insisted on the integrity of that person to meet me, told me that he was extremely whom he had produced; but the prætor told sorry for the storm I had met with just before him, that where the law required two witnesses my arrival. I was troubled to hear him grieve he would not accept of one, though it were and afflict himself upon my account; but in Cato himself. Such a speech from a person less than a quarter of an hour he smiled, and, who sat at the head of a court of justice, was as merry as if nothing had happened. while Cato was still living, shows us, more than Another who came with him told me by my a thousand examples, the high reputation interpreter, he should be glad to do me any this great man had gained among his con-service that lay in his power. Upon which I temporaries upon the account of his sincerity. desired him to carry one of my portmanteaus When such an inflexible integrity is a little for me: but, instead of serving me according softened and qualified by the rules of conver- to his promise, he laughed, and bid another sation and good-breeding, there is not a more do it. I lodged, the first week, at the house shining virtue in the whole catalogue of social of one who desired me to think myself at duties. A man however ought to take great home, and to consider his house as my own. care not to polish himself out of his veracity, Accordingly, I the next morning began to nor to refine his behaviour to the prejudice of knock down one of the walls of it, in order his virtue. to let in the fresh air, and had packed up This subject is exquisitely treated in the some of the household goods, of which I in most elegant sermon of the great British tended to have made thee a present; but the preacher.* I shall beg leave to transcribe out|false varlet no sooner saw me falling to work, Archbishop Tillotson, vol. ii. sermon i. folio edition. * In 1682. |