old Gothic king, afked our interpreter, what authority they had to fay, that Jacob had ever been in Scotland? The fellow, inftead of returning him an anfwer, told him, that he hoped his honour would pay his forfeit. I could obferve Sir ROGER a little ruffled upon being thus trepanned; but our guide not infifting upon his demand, the knight foon recovered his good humour and whispered in my ear, that if WILL WIMBL K were with us, and saw those two chairs, it would go hard. but he would get a tobacco-stopper out of one or t'other of them. Sir ROGER, in the next place laid his hand upon Edward the third's fword, and leaning upon the pommel of it, gave us the whole history of the Black Prince; concluding, that, in Sir Richard Baker's opinion, Edward the third was one of the greatest princes that ever fat upon the English throne. We were then fhewn Edward the confeffor's tomb; upon which Sir ROGER acquainted us, that he was the first who touched for the evil; and afterwards Henry the fourth's, upon which he shook his head, and told us there was fine reading in the cafualties of that reign. Our conductor then pointed to that monument where there is the figure of one of our English kings without an head; and upon giving us to know, that the head, which was of beaten filver, had been stolen away feveral years fince: Some whig, I'll warrant you, fays. Sir RoCER; you ought to lock up your kings better; they will carry off the body too, if you don't take care. The glorious names of Henry the fifth and queen Elizabeth gave the knight great opportunities of fhining, and of doing juftice to Sir Richard Baker, who, as our knight obferved with fome furprife, had a great many. kings in him, whofe monuments he had not feen in the abbey. For my own part. I could not but be pleased to fee: the knight fhew fuch an honeft paffion for the glory of his country, and fuch a refpectful gratitude to the me-mory of its princes. I must not omit, that the benevolence of my good old. friend, which flows out towards every one he converfes with, with, made him very kind to our interpreter, whom he tooked upon as an extraordinary man; for which reafon he shook him by the hand at parting, telling him, that he should be very glad to fee him at his lodgings in Norfolk-Buildings, and talk over the matters with him more at leifure. L. 00000000000 N° 330 Wednesday, March 19. Maxima debetur pueris reverentia Juv. Sat. 14. v. 47. To youth the tendereft regard is due. T HE following letters, written by two very confi derate correfpondents, both under twenty years. of age, are very good arguments of the neceffity of taking into confideration the many incidents which affect the education of youth. SIR, I your obe of human life, you Have long expected, that in the courfe of parts would one time or other fall upon a fubject, which, fince you have not, I take the liberty to recommend to you. What I mean, is the patronage of young modeft men to fuch as are able to countenance and introduce them into the world. For want of fuch affiftances, a youth of merit languishes in obfcurity or poverty, when his circumftances are low, and runs into riot and • excess when his fortunes are plentiful. I cannot make myself better understood, than by fending you an hiftory of myfelf, which I fhall defire you to infert in your Paper, it being the only way I have of expreffing my gratitude for the higheft obligations imaginable. I am the fon of a merchant of the city of London, • who, by many loffes, was reduced from a very luxuriant trade and credit to very narrow circumftances, in comparison to that of his former abundance. This took away the vigour of his mind, and all manner of atten • tion 5 · ⚫tion to a fortune which he now thought defperate; in⚫ fomuch that he died without a will, having before buried my mother in the midst of his other misfortunes. I was fixteen years of age when I loft my father; and an eftate of zool. a year came into my poffeffion, with⚫ out friend or guardian to inftruct me in the manage⚫ment or enjoyment of it The natural confequence of this was, (though I wanted no director, and foon had fellows who found me out for a smart young gentle· man, and led me into all the debaucheries of which I was capable) that my companions and I could not well be fupplied without running in debt, which I did very frankly, till I was arrested, and conveyed, with a guard ftrong enough for the most defperate affaffin, to a bailiff's houfe, where I lay four days furrounded with very merry but not very agreeable company. As foon as I had extricated myfelf from that shameful confine ment, I reflected upon it with fo much horror, that I deferted all my old acquaintance, and took chambers in an inn of court, with a refolution to study the law ⚫ with all poffible application. But I trifled away a whole year in looking over a thoufand intricacies, without a friend to apply to in any cafe of doubt; fo that I only lived there among men, as little children are fent to fchool before they are capable of improvement, only to be out of harm's way. In the midft of this state of fuf pence, not knowing how to difpofe of myfelf, I was fought for by a relation of mine, who, upon obferving a good inclination in me, ufed me with great familiari ty, and carried me to his feat in the country. When I came there, he introduced me to all the good company in the county; and the great obligation I have to him ⚫ for this kind notice, and refidence with him ever fince, has made so strong an impreffion upon me, that he has an authority of a father over me, founded upon the love of a brother. I have a good study of books, a good stable of horfes always at my command; and tho' not now quite years age, familiar con • verfe on his part, and a strong inclination to exert my.• felf on mine, have had an effect upon me that makes me acceptable wherever I go. Thus, Mr. SPECTATOR, by this gentleman's favour and patronage, it is my own fault • fault if I am not ot wiser and richer every day I live. I speak this as well by fubfcribing the initial letters of my name to thank him, as to incite others to an imitation of his virtue. It would be a worthy work to fhew ⚫ what great charities are to be done without expence, and how many noble actions are loft, out of inadvertency in perfons capable of performing them, if they were put in mind of it. If a gentleman of figure in a counC try would make his family a pattern of fobriety, good fenfe, and breeding, and would kindly endeavour to influence the education, and growing profpects of the younger gentry about him, I am apt to believe it would fave him a great deal of ftale beer on a public occafi 6 on, and render him the leader of his country from their gratitude to him, inftead of being a flave to their riots and tumults in order to be made their reprefentative. The fame thing might be recommended to all who have ⚫ made any progrefs in any parts of knowledge, or arrived at any degree in a profeffion; others may gain preferments and fortunes from their patrons, but I have, I hope, receiv'd from mine good habits and virtues. I repeat to you, Sir, my request to print this, in return for all the evil an helpless orphan fhall ever efcape, and all the good he fhall receive in this life; both which ⚫are wholly owing to this gentleman's favour to, I S. P. Am a lad of about fourteen, I find a mighty pleafure in learning. I have been at the Latin fchool four years. I don't know I ever play'd truant, or neg•lected any task my mafter fet me in my life. I think on what I read in fchool as I go home at noon and night, and fo intently, that I have often gone half a mile out of my way, not minding whither I went. Our maid tells me, the often hears me talk Latin in my fleep. And I dream two or three nights in a week I am reading Juvenal and Homer. My mafte, feems as well pleafed with my performances as any boy's in the fame clafs. I think, if I know my own mind, I would choose ⚫ rather rather to be a scholar than a prince without learning I have a very good affectionate father; but tho' very rich, yet fo mighty near, that he thinks much of the charges of my education. He often tells me he be⚫lieves my schooling will ruin him; that I coft him God knows what in books. I tremble to tell him I want one. I am forced to keep my pocket-money and lay it out for a book, now and then, that he don't know of. He has order'd my mafter to buy no more books for me, but fays he will buy them himself. I asked him for Horace t'other day, and he told me in a paffion he ⚫did not believe I was fit for it, but only my mafter had a mind to make him think I had got a great way in my learning. I am fometimes a month behind other boys in getting the books my mafter gives orders for. All the boys in the school, but I, have the claffick authors in ufum Delphini, gilt and letter'd on the back. My fa ther is often reckoning up how long I have been as fchool, and tells me he fears I do little good. My father's carriage fo difcourages me, that he makes me dull and melancholy. My mafter wonders what BMW is the matter with me; I am afraid to tell him; for he is a man that loves to encourage learning, and would be apt to chide my father, and not knowing my father's temper, may make him worse. Sir, if you have any love for learning, I beg you would give me fome inftructions in this cafe, and perfuade parents to encourage their children when they find them diligent and defirous of learning. I have heard fome parents fay, they would do any thing for their children, if they would but mind their learning: I would be glad to be in their place Dear Sir, pardon my boldness. If you will but confider and pity my cafe, I will pray for your profperity as long as I live. T London, Your humble fer vant, |