THE

SPECTATOR.

VOLUME the SIXTH.

EDINBURGH:

Printed in the Year 1776.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

CHARLES,

EARL OF SUNDERLAND.

MY LORD,

ERY many favours and civilities (receiv

Ved from you in a private capacity) which
VERY

I have no other way to acknowledge, will, I
hope, excufe this prefumption; but the justice
I, as a Spectator, owe your character, places
me above the want of an excufe. Candour
and openness of heart, which fhine in all your
words and actions, exact the highest esteem
from all who have the honour to know you;
and a winning condefcenfion to all fubordinate
to you, made bufinefs a pleasure to those who
executed it under you, at the fame time that
it heightened her Majefty's favour to all who
had the happiness of having it conveyed through
your hands. A fecretary of ftate, in the in
tereft of mankind, joined with that of his fel-
low-fubjects, accomplished with a great facili-
ty and elegance in all the modern as well as
VOL. VI. t A 2
ancient

30100

ancient languages, was a happy and proper member of a miniftry, by whofe fervices your Sovereign and country are in fo high and flourishing a condition, as makes all other princes and potentates powerful or inconfiderable in Europe, as they are friends or enemies to Great Britain. The importance of thofe great events which happened during that administra. tion, in which your Lordship bore fo important a charge, will be acknowledged as long as time fhall endure; I fhall not therefore attempt to rehearse those illustrious paffages, but give this application a more private and particular turn, in defiring your Lordship would continue your favour and patronage to me, as you are a gentleman of the most polite literature, and perfectly accomplished in the knowledge of books and men, which makes it neceffary to beseech your indulgence to the following leaves, and the author of them: who is, with the greatest truth and respect,

MY LORD,

Your Lordship's

obliged, obedient, and

humble Servant,

THE SPECTATOR.

THE

SPECTATOR.

No. 395. TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 1712.

-Quod nunc ratio eft, impetus ante fuit.

"Tis reafon now, 'twas appetite before.

B

OVID

EWARE of the ides of March, faid the Roman augur to Julius Cafar: Beware of the month of May, fays the British Spectator to his fair countrywomen. The caution of the firft was unhappily neglected, and Cafar's confidence coft him his life. I am apt to flatter myself, that my pretty readers had much more regard to the advice I gave them, fince I have yet received very few accounts of any notorious trips made in the last month.

But, though I hope for the best, I fhall not pronounce too pofitively on this point, till I have feen forty weeks well over, at which period of time, as my good friend Sir ROGER has often told me, he has more business, as a juftice of peace, among the diffolute young people in the country, than at any other feafon of the year.

A 3

Neither