⚫ profefs'd a fincere friendship for me; but whether mar⚫riages are propos'd by way of friendship or not, is what I defire to know, and what I may really call a lover. There are fo many who talk in a language fit only for that character, and yet guard themselves against speak· ing in direct terms to the point, that it is impoffible to diftinguish between courtship and conversation. I hope you will do me juftice both upon my lover and my friend, if they provoke me further: In the mean time I carry it with to equal a behaviour, that the nymph and the twain too are mightily at a lofs; each believes I, who know them both well, think myfelf revenged • in their love to one another, which creates an irreconcilable jealoufy. If all comes right again, you hall hear further from, Sir, your most obedient fervant, Mr. SPECTATOR, Yth Mirtilla. April 28, 1712. OUR obfervations on perfons that have behaved themselves irreverently at church, I doubt not have had a good effect on fome that have read them : But there is another fault which has hitherto escaped your notice, I mean of fuch perfons as are very zeaÍous and punctual to perform an ejaculation that is only preparatory to the fervice of the church, and yet neglect to join in the fervice itfelf. There is an inftance of this in a friend of WILL HONEYCOMB's, who fits oppofite to me: He feldom comes in till the prayers are about half over, and when he has enter'd his feat (inftead of joining with the congregation) he devoutly holds his hat before his face for three or four moments, then bows to all his acqe-intance, fits down, takes a pinch of fnuff, (if it be evening fervice perhaps a nap) and fpends the remaining time in furveying the congregation. Now, Sir, what I would defire, is, that you will animadvert a little on this gentleman's practice. In my opinion, this gentleman's devotion, cap-in-hand, is only a compliance to the custom of the place, and goes no further than a little ecclefiaftical good-breeding. If you will not pretend • to to tell us the motives that bring fuch triflers to folemn affemblies, yet let me defire that you will give this letter a place in your paper, and I shall remain, Sir, your obliged humble fervant, Mr. SPECTATOR, T J S. May the 5th. HE conversation at a club, of which I am a member, laft night falling upon vanity and the defire of being admired, put me in mind of relating how agreeably I was entertained at my own door laft Thursday by a clean frefh-colour'd girl, under the moft elegant and the beft furnished milk-pail I had ever obferved. I was glad of fuch an opportunity of feeing the behaviour of a coquette in low life, and how the received the extraordinary notice that was taken of • her ; which I found had affected every muscle of her face in the fame manner as it does the feature of a first-rate toaft at a play, or in an affembly. This hint of mine made the difcourfe turn upon the fenfe of pleafure; which ended in a general refolution, that the milk-maid enjoys her vanity as exquifitely as the woman of quality. I think it would not be an improper fubject for you to examine this frailty, and trace it to all conditions of life; which is recommended to you as an occafión of obliging many of your readers, among the reft, SIR, Your most humble fervant, T. B. OMING laft week into a coffee house not far C from the Exchange with my basket under my arm, a Jew of confiderable note, as I am informed, takes half a dozen oranges of me, and at the fame time flides a guinea into my hand; I made him a curtfy, and went my way: He follow'd me, and finding I was going about my bufinefs, he came up with me, and told me plainly, that he gave me the guinea ⚫ with no other intent but to purchase my perfon for an hour. Did you fo? Sir? fays I; You gave it me then LS ⚫ to to make me be wicked; I'll keep it to make me honeft. • However, not to be in the leaf ungrateful, I promise you I'll lay it out in a couple of rings, and wear them ⚫ for your fake. I am fo juft, Sir, befides, as to give every body that afks how I came by my rings this account of my benefactor; but to save me the trouble of telling my tale over and over again, I humbly beg the favour of you fo to tell it once for all, and you ⚫ will extremely oblige May 12, 1712. SIR, IS a Your bumble fervant, Betty Lemon. St. Brides, May 15, 1712. "T great deal of pleasure to me, and I dare fay will be no lefs fatisfaction to you, that I have an opportunity of informing you, that the gen⚫tlemen and others of the parish of St. Brides, have raised a charity-fchool of fifty girls, as before of fifty boys. You were fo kind to recommend the boys to the charitable world, and the other fex hope you will do them the fame favour in Friday's Spectator for Sun* day next, when they are to appear with their humble airs at the parish church of St. Brides. Sir, the mention of this may poffibly be serviceable to the children; and fure no one will omit a good action attended with no expence. I am SIR, Your very humble fervant, T The Sexton. Saturday, I Saturday, May 17. Equam memento rebus in arduis Latitiâ, moriture Deli. Hor. Od. 3. 1. 2. V. 1. Be calm my Delius, and ferene, Sink not underneath the weight; The fettl'd quiet of thy mind deftroy. ANON. Have always preferr'd chearfulness to mirth. The latter I confider as an act, the former as a habit of the mind. Mirth is fhort and tranfient, chearfulness fixed and permament. Thofe are often raised into the greatest tranfports of mirth, who are fubject to the greateft depreffions of melancholy: On the contrary, chearfulness, tho' it does not give the mind fuch an exquifite gladnefs, prevents us from falling into any depths of forrow. Mirth is like a flash of lightning, that breaks thro' a gloom of clouds, and glitters for a moment; chearfulness keeps up a kind of day-light in the mind, and fills it with a steady and perpetual ferenity. Men of auftere principles look upon mirth as too wanton and diffolute for a ftate of probation, and as filled with a certain triumph and infolence of heart that is inconfiftent with a life which is every moment obnoxious to the greatest dangers. Writers of this complexion have obferved, that the facred perfon who was the great pattern of perfection was never feen to laugh. Chearfulness of mind is not liable to any of thefe exceptions; it is of a ferious and compofed nature; it does does not throw the mind into a condition improper for the prefent ftate of humanity, and is very confpicuous in the characters of thofe who are looked upon as the greatest philofophers among the Heathens, as well as among thofe who have been defervedly esteemed as faints and holy men among Christians. If we confider chearfulness in three lights, with re. gard to ourselves, to thofe we converfe with, and to the great Author of our Being, it will not a little recom. mend itfelf on each of these accounts. The man who is poffeffed of this excellent frame of mind, is not only ealy in his thoughts, but a perfect mafter of all the powers and faculties of his foul: His imagination is always clear, and his judgment undisturbed; His temper is even and unruffled, whether in action or in folitude. He comes with a relish to all thofe goods which nature has provided for him, taftes all the pleasures of the creation which are poured about him, and does not feel the full weight of thofe accidental evils which may befal him. If we confider him in relation to the perfons whom he converses with, it naturally produces love and good-will towards him. A chearful mind is not only difpofed to be affable and obliging, but raises the fame good humour in those who come within its influence. A man finds himfelf pleased, he does not know why, with the chearfulness of his companion: It is like a fudden funfhine that awakens a fecret delight in the mind, without her attending to it. The heart rejoices of its own accord, and naturally flows out into friendship and benevolence towards the perfon who has fo kindly an effect upon it, When I confider this chearful state of mind in its third relation, I cannot but look upon it as a constant habitual gratitude to the great Author of Nature. An inward chearfulnefs is an implicit praife and thanksgiving to Providence under all its difpenfations. It is a kind of acquiefcence in the ftate wherein we are placed, and a fecret approbation of the Divine Will in his conduct towards man. There are but two things, which, in my opinion, can reasonably deprive us of this chearfulness of heart. The firft of thefe is the fenfe of guilt. A man who lives in a ftate |