ters may best represent the faults I would now point at, and the answer to it the temper of mind in a contrary character. My dear Harriot, I F thou art fhe, but oh how fallen, how changed, what an apoftate! how loft to all that is gay and agree. able! To be married I find is to be buried alive; I cannot conceive it more difmal to be fhut up in a vault to 'converfe with the fhades of my ancestors, than to be car ried down to an old manor-houfe in the country, and confined to the converfation of a fober husband and an 'aukward chambermaid. For variety I suppose you may entertain yourself with madam in her grogram gown, the fpoufe of your parish vicar, who has by this time I am fure well furnished you with receipts for making 'falves and poffets, diftilling cordial waters, making fyrups, and applying poultices. Bleft folitude! I wish thee joy, my dear, of thy loved retirement, which indeed you would perfuade me is very agreeable, and different enough from what I have here defcribed: But, child, I am afraid thy brains are a little difordered with romances and novels: After fix months marriage to hear thee talk of love, and paint the country fcenes fo foftly, is a little extravagant; one would think 'you lived the lives of Sylvan deities, or roved among the 'walks of Paradife, like the firft happy pair. But pray 'thee leave thefe whimfies, and come to town in order ་ to live and talk like other mortals. However, as I am 'extremely interested in your reputation, I would willing'ly give you a little good advice at your first appearance under the character of a married woman: It is a little 'infolence in me perhaps, to advise a mátron; but I am fo afraid you will make fo filly a figure as a fond wife, 'that I cannot help warning you not to appear in any publick places with your husband, and never to faunter about St. James's Park together: If you prefume to enter the ring at Hide-Park together, you are ruined for ever; nor muft you take the least notice of one another at the play-houfe or opera, unless you would be laughed 'at for a very loving couple moft happily paired in the yoke of wedlook. I would recommend the example of an ac acquaintance of ours to your imitation; fhe is the most negligentand fafhionable wife in the world; fhe is hardly ever seen in the fame place with her husband, and if they happen to meet, you would think them perfect ftrangers: She never was heard to name him in his abfence, ⚫ and takes care he shall never be the fubject of any dif courfe that she has a fhare in. I hope you will propofe this Lady as a pattern, though I am very much afraid you 'will be fo filly to think Portia, &c. Sabine and Roman wivesmuch brighter examples. I wish it may never come into your head to imitate thofe antiquated creatures fo far, as to come into publick in the habit as well as air ⚫ of a Roman matron. You make already the entertain'ment at Mrs. Modifb's tea-table; fhe fays, fhe always thought you a difcreet perfon, and qualified to manage a family with admirable prudence: She dies to fee what demure and ferious airs wedlock has given you, but the fays the fhall never forgive your choice of fo gallant a man as Bellamour to transform him to a mere fober husband; it was unpardonable: You fee, my dear, we all envy your happiness, and no perfon more than your humble fervant, BE Lydia. E not in pain, good Madam, for my appearance in town; I fhall frequent no publick płaces, or make any vifits where the character of a modest wife is ridiculous. As for your wild rallery on matrimony, it is all hypocrify; you, and all the handfome young wo*men of your acquaintance, fhew yourselves to no other purpose than to gain a conqueft over fome man of worth, in order to bestow your charms and fortune on him. There is no indecency in the confeffion, the defign is modeft and honourable, and all your affectation cannot disguise it. I am married, and have no other concern but to pleafe "the man I love; he is the end of every care I have; if "I drefs, it is for him; if I read a poem or a play, it is to qualify myfelf for a converfation agreeable to his taste: He is almoft the end of my devotions; half my prayers are for his happiness-I love to talk of him, and never hear him named but with pleafure and emotion. I • am am your friend, and wish you happiness, but am forry to fee by the air of your letter that there are a set of women who are got into the common-place rallery of every thing that is fober, decent, and proper: Ma'trimony and the clergy are the topicks of people of little wit and no understanding. I own to you, I have 'learned of the vicar's wife all you tax me with: She is a difcreet, ingenious, pleafant, pious woman: I wish he had the handling of you and Mrs. Modifh; you would find, if you were too free with her, she would 'foon make you as charming as ever you were, the 'would make you blush as much as if you never had 'been fine ladies, The vicar, Madam, is fo kind as to vifit my husband, and his agreeable converfation has brought him to enjoy many fober happy hours when even I am shut out, and my dear master is entertained only with his own thoughts. Thefe things, dear Madam, will be lafting fatisfactions, when the fine ladies ' and the coxcombs, by whom they form themselves, are irreparably ridiculous, ridiculous in old age. I am, Madam, your most humble servant, Dear Mr. SPECTATOR, Mary Home. have no goodness in the world, and are not in earneft in any thing you fay that is ferious, if you do not fend me a plain answer to this: I happened fome days paft to be at the play, where during the time of performance, I could not keep my eyes off from a beautiful young creature who fat juft before me, and who I have been fince informed has no fortune. It would utterly ruin my reputation for difcretion to marry fuch a one, and by what I can learn fhe has a character of great modefty, fo that there is nothing to be thought on any other way. My mind has ever 'fince been fo wholly bent on her, that I am much in danger of doing fomething very extravagant without your speedy advice to, ་ ་ SIR, your most humble fervant. I am forry I cannot answer this impatient Gentleman, but by another question. Dear Dear Correfpondent, Would you marry to please other people, or your N° 255 Saturday, December 22. Laudis amore tumes ? funt certa piacula, quæ te Hor. Ep. 1. lib. 1. ver. [IMITATED.] 36. Know, there are rhymes, which (fresh and fresh apply'd) Will cure the arrant'ft puppy of his pride. T POPE. HE foul, confidered abstractedly from its paffions is of a remifs and fedentary nature, flow in its refolves, and languishing in its executions. The ufe therefore of the paffions is to ftir it up, and put it upon action, to awaken the understanding, to enforce the will, and to make the whole man more vigorous and attentive in the profecution of his defigns. As this is the end of the pallions in general, fo it is particularly of ambition, which pushes the foul to fuch actions as are apt to procure honour and reputation to the actor. But if we carry our reflexions higher, we may discover farther ends of Providence in implanting this paffion in mankind. It was neceffary for the world, that arts fhould be invented and improved, books written and tranfmitted to pofterity, nations conquered and civilized: Now fince the proper and genuine motives to these and the like great actions, would only influence virtuous minds ; there would be but fmall improvements in the world, were there not fome common principle of action work. ing equally with all men. And fuch a principle is ambition or a defire of fame, by which great endowments are not suffered to lie idle and useless to the publick, and many vicious men, over-reached, as it were, and engaged contrary to their natural inclinations in a glorious and laudable courfe of action. For we may farther observe, ferve, that men of the greatest abilities are most fired with ambition: And that on the contrary, mean and narrow minds are the leaft actuated by it; whether it be that a man's fense of his own incapacities makes him despair of coming at fame, or that he has not enough range of thought to look out for any good which does not more immediately relate to his interest or convenience, or that Providence, in the very frame of his foul, would not fubject him to fuch a paffion as would be uselefs to the world, and a torment to himself. Were not this defire of fame very strong, the difficulty of obtaining it, and the danger of lofing it when obtained, would be fufficient to deter a man from fo vain a pursuit. How few are there who are furnished with abilities fufficient to recommend their actions to the admiration of the world, and to distinguish themselves from the rest of mankind? Providence for the most part fets us upon a level, and obferves a kind of proportion in its difpenfations towards us. If it renders us perfect in one accomplishment, it generally leaves us defective in another, and feems careful rather of preferving every perfon from being mean and deficient in his qualifications, than of making any fingle one eminent or extraordinary. And among those who are the moft richly endowed by nature, and accomplished by their own industry, how few are there whose virtues are not obfcured by the ignorance, prejudice, or envy of their beholders? Some men cannot difcern between a noble and a mean action. Others are apt to attribute them to fome falfe end or intention; and others purposely mifreprefent or put a wrong interpretation on them. But the more to enforce this confideration, we may obferve that thofe are generally most unfuccefsful in their purfuit after fame, who are moft defirous of obtaining it. It is Salluft's remark upon Cato, that the lefs he coveted glory the more he acquired it. Men take an ill-natured pleasure in croffing our inclinations, and disappointing us in what our hearts are moft fet upon. When therefore they have difcovered the paffionate defire of fame in the ambitious man (as) no temper of mind is more apt to fhew itfelf) they be come |