So ev❜n and morn accomplish'd the fixth day: I cannot conclude this book upon the creation, without mentioning a poem which has lately appeared under that title. The work was undertaken with fo good an intention, and is executed with fo great a maftery, that it deferves to be looked upon as one of the most useful and noble productions in our English verfe. The reader cannot but be pleafed to find the depths of philofophy. enlivened with all the charms of poetry, and to fee lo great a ftrength of reafon, amidft fo beautiful a redun.. dancy of the imagination. The author has fhewn us that defign in all the works of nature, which neceffarily leads us to the knowledge of its firft caufe. In fhort, he has illuftrated, by numberlefs and incontestable inftances, that divine wisdom, which the son of Sirach has fo nobly afcribed to the Supreme Being in his formation of the world, when he tells us, that He created ber, and faw her, and numbered her, and poured her out upon all his works. L Monday, N° 340 Monday, March 31. Quis novus hic nofiris fucceffit fedibus hofpes? I Virg. Æn. 4. v. KO. What chief is this that vifits us from far, Take it to be the highest inftance of a noble mind, to bear great qualities without discovering in a man's behaviour any conscioufnefs that he is fuperior to the rest of the world. Or, to fay it otherwife, it is the duty of a great perfon fo to demean himself, as that whatever endowments he may have, he may appear to value himself upon no qualities but fuch as any man may arrive at He ought to think no man valuable but for his publick spirit, juftice and integrity; and all other endowments to be esteemed only as they contribute to the exerting those virtues. Such a man, if he is wife or valiant knows it is of no confideration to other men that he is fo, but as he employs those high talents for their use and fervice. He who affects the applaufes and addreffes of a multitude, or affumes to himfelf a preeminence upon any other confideration, muft foon turn admiration into contempt. It is certain, that there can be no merit in any man who is not confcious of it; but the fenfe that it is valuable only according to the application of it, makes that fuperiority amiable, which would otherwise be invidious. In this light it is confidered as a thing in which every man bears a fhare: It annexes the ideas of dignity, power, and fame, in an agreeable and familiar manner, to him who is poffeffor of it; and all men who are ftrangers to him are naturally incited to indulge a curiofity in beholding the perfon, behaviour, feature, and fhape of him in whofe character, perhaps, each man had formed fomething in common with himself. Whether T ! Whether fuch, or any other, are the causes, all men have a yearning curiofity to behold a man of heroic worth; and I have had many letters from all parts of this kingdom, that requeft I would give them an exact account of the ftature, the mien, the afpect of the Prince who lately vifited England, and has done fuch wonders for the liberty of Europe. It would puzzle the moft curious to form to himfelf the fort of man my feveral correfpondents expect to hear of, by the action mentioned, when they defire a defcription of him: There is always fomething that concerns themselves, and growing out of their own circumftances, in all their inquiries. A friend of mine in Wales befeeches me to be very exact in my account of that wonderful man, who had marched an army and all its baggage over the Alps ; and, if poffible, to learn whether the peafant who fhewed him the way, and is drawn in the map, be yet living. A gentleman from the Univerfity, who is deeply intent on the ftudy of humanity, defires me to be as particular, if I had opportunity, in obferving the whole interview between his Highnefs and our late General. Thus do mens fancies work according to their several educations and circumftances; but all pay a refpect, mixed with admiration, to this illuftrious character. I have waited for his arrival in Holland, before I would let my correfpondents know, that I have not been fo uncurious a Spectator, as not to have feen Prince Eugene. It would be very difficult, as I faid juft now, to answer every expectation of those who have writ to me on that head; nor is it poffible for me to find words to let one know what an artful glance there is in his countenance who furprised Cremona; how daring he appears who forced the trenches at Turin: But in general I can fay, that he who beholds him, will eafily expect from him any thing that is to be imagined or executed by the wit or force of man. The Prince is of that ftature which makes a man moft eafily become all parts of exercise, has height to be graceful on occafions of ftate and ceremony, and no lefs adapted for agility and dispatch: his afpect is erect and compos'd; his eye lively and thoughtful, yet rather vigilant than fparkling; his action and addrefs the most easy imaginable, and his behaviour in an an affembly peculiarly graceful in a certain art of mixing infenfibly with the reft, and becoming one of the company, inftead of receiving the courtship of it. The Thape of his perfon, and compofure of his limbs, are remarkably exact and beautiful. There is in his looks fomething fublime, which does not seem to arife from his quality or character, but the innate disposition of his mind. It is apparent that he fuffers the prefence of much company, instead of taking delight in it; and he appeared in public while with us, rather to return goodwill, or fatisfy curiofity, than to gratify any talte he himfeif had of being popular. As his thoughts are: never tumultuous in danger, they are as little diicompofed on occafions of pomp and magnificence: A great foul is affected in either cafe, no farther than in confidering the propereft methods to extricate itself from them. If this Hero has the ftrong incentives to uncommon enterprises that were remarkable in Alexander, he profecutes and enjays the fame of them, with the juftnels, propriety, and good fenfe of Caefar. It is eafy to obferve in him a mind as capable of being entertained with contemplation as enterprife; a mind ready for great exploits, but not impatient for occafions to exert itself. The Prince has wifdom and valour in as high perfection as man can enjoy it; which noble faculties, in conjunction, banish all vain glory, oftentation, ambition, and all other vices which might intrude upon his mind to make it unequal. 'Thefe habits and qualities of foul and body render this perfonage fo extraordinary, that he appears to have nothing in him but what every man fhould have in him, › the exertion of his very felf, abftra&ed from the circumftances in which fortune has placed him. Thus were you to fee Prince Eugene, and were told he was a private gentleman, you would fay he is a man of modefty and merit: Should you be told That was Prince Eugene, he would be diminished no otherwife, than that part of your dislant admiration would turn into familiar good-will. This I thought fit to entertain my reader with, concerning an Hero who never was equalled but by one man: over whom also he has this advantage, that he has had an opportunity to manifeft an efteem for him in his adverfity. T Tuesday, H DRYDEN. TAVING, to oblige my correfpondent Phyfibulus, printed his letter laft Friday, in relation to the new epilogue, he cannot take it amifs, if I now publish another, which I have juft received from a gentleman who does not agree with him in his fentiments upon that matter. SIR, I Am amazed to find an epilogue attacked in your laft Friday's paper, which has been fo generally applauded by the town, and received fuch honours as were never before given to any in an English theatre. The audience would not permit Mrs. Oldfield to go off the ftage the first night, till he had repeated it twice; the fecond night the noife of Ancora's was as loud as before, and fhe was again obliged to fpeak it twice; the third night it was called for a fecond time; and in fhort, contrary to all other cpilogues, which are dropt after the third reprefentation of the play, this has already been repeated nine times. I muft own I am the more furprifed to find this cenfure in oppofition to the whole town, in a paper which has hitherto been famous for the candour of its ⚫ criticisms. > I can by no means allow your melancholy correfpondent, that the new epilogue is unnatural, because it is gay. If I had a mind to be learned, I could tell him that the prologue und epilogue were real parts of the ancient tragedy; but every one knows that on the British stage they are diftinct performances by themfelves, |