the fame Figure as the Bags that were really filled with Money, had been blown up with Air, and called into my Memory the Bags full of Wind, which Homer tells us his Hero received as a Present from Eolus. The great Heaps of Gold on either fide the Throne, now appeared to be only Heaps of Paper, or little Piles of notched Sticks, bound up together in Bundles, like Bath-Faggots.

WHILST I was lamenting this fudden Defolation that had been made before me, the whole Scene vanished: In the room of the frightful Spectres, there now entred a fecond Dance of Apparitions very agreeably matched together, and made up of very amiable Phantoms. The first Pair was Liberty with Monarchy at her right Hand: The fecond was Moderation leading in Religion; and the third a Person whom I had never feen, with the Genius of Great-Britain. At the firft Entrance the Lady revived, the Bags fwelled to their former Bulk, the Piles of Faggots and Heaps of Paper changed into Pyramids of Guineas: And for my own part I was fo tranfported with Joy, that I awaked, though I must confefs, I would fain have fallen afleep again to have closed my Vifion, if I could have done it.

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N° 4

Monday, March 5.

Egregii Mortalem altique filenti?

Hor. Sat. 6. 1. 2. v. 58.

One of uncommon Silence and Referve.

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N Author, when he firft appears in the World, is very apt to believe it has nothing to think of but his Performances. With a good Share of this Vanity in my Heart, I made it my Business these three Days to liften after my own Fame; and as I have fometimes met with Circumftances which did not displease me, I have been encountered by others which gave me as much Mortification. It is incredible to think how empty I have in this Time obferved fome Part of the Species to be,what mere Blanks they are when they first come abroad

in the Morning, how utterly they are at a Stand till they are fet a going by fome Paragraph in a News-Paper: Such Perfons are very acceptable to a young Author, for they defire no more in any thing but to be new to be agreeable. If I found Confolation among such, I was as much difquieted by the Incapacity of others. These are Mortals who have a certain Curiofity without Power of Reflexion, and perufed my Papers like Spectators rather than Readers. But there is fo little Pleasure in Inquiries that so nearly concern ourselves, (it being the worst way in the World to Fame, to be too anxious about it) that upon the whole I refolved for the future to go on in my ordinary Way; and without too much Fear or Hope about the Bufinefs of Reputation, to be: very careful of the Defign of my Actions, but very negligent of the Confequences of them.

IT is an endlefs and frivolous Pursuit to act by any other Rule than the Care of fatisfying our own Minds in what we do. One would think a filent Man, who concerned himself with no one breathing, fhould be very little liable to Mifinterpretations; and yet I remember I was once taken up for a Jefuit, for no other Reafon but my profound Taciturnity. It is from this Misfortune that to be out of Harm's way, I have ever fince affected Crowds. He who comes into Affemblies only to gratify his Curiofity, and not to make a Figure, enjoys the Pleasures of Retirement in a more exquifite Degree, than he poffibly could in his Clofet; the Lover, the Ambitious and the Mifer, are follow'd thither by a worse Croud than any they can withdraw from. To be exempt from the Paffions with which others are tormented, is the only pleafing Solitude. I can very justly say with the ancient Sage, I am never lefs alone than when alone. As I am infignificant to the Company in public Places, and as it is vifible I do not come thither as most do, to fhew myself; I gratify the Vanity of all who pretend to make an Appearance, and have often as kind Looks from well-drefs'd Gentlemen and Ladies, as a Poet would bestow upon one of his Audience. There are fo many Gratifications attend this public fort of Obscurity, that fome little Distastes I daily receive have loft their Anguish; and I did the other Day, without the leaft

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Difpleafure, overhear one fay of me, That ftrange Fellow; and another anfwer, I bave known the Fellow's Face thefe twelve Years, and fo muft you; but I believe you are the first ever asked who he was. There are, I muft confefs, many to whom my Perfon is as well known as that of their nearest Relations, who give themselves no farther Trouble about calling me by my Name or Quality, but speak of me very currently by Mr. What d'ye call him.

To make up for thefe trivial Difadvantages, I have the high Satisfaction of beholding all Nature with an unprejudiced Eye; and having nothing to do with Mens Paffions or Interefts, I can with the greater Sagacity confider their Talents, Manners, Failings, and Merits.

IT is remarkable, that thofe who want any one Senfe, poffefs the others with greater Force and Vivacity. Thus my Want of, or rather Refignation of Speech, gives me all the Advantages of a dumb Man. I have, methinks, a more than ordinary Penetration in Seeing; and flatter myself that I have looked into the Highest and Loweft of Mankind, and make fhrewd Gueffes, without being admitted to their Converfation, at the inmoft Thoughts and Reflexions of all whom I behold. It is from hence that good or ill Fortune has no manner of Force towards affecting my Judgment. I fee Men flourishing in Courts, and languishing in Jails, without being prejudiced from their Circumftances to their Fa vor or Difadvantage; but from their inward manner of bearing their Condition, often pity the Profperous, and admire the Unhappy.

THOSE who converse with the Dumb, know from the Turn of their Eyes, and the Changes of their Countenance, their Sentiments of the Objects before them. I have indulged my Silence to fuch an Extravagance, that the few who are intimate with me, anfwer my Smiles with concurrent Sentences, and argue to the very Point I fhaked my Head at, without my fpeaking. WILL HONEYCOMB Was very entertaining the other Night at a Play, to a Gentleman who fat on his right Hand, while I was at his Left. The Gentleman believed WILL was talking to himself, when upon my looking with great Approbation at a young thing in a Box before us, he faid,

I am quite of another Opinion. She has, I will al'low, a very pleafing Afpect, but methinks that Simplicity in her Countenance is rather childish than innocent.' When I obferved her a fecond time, he faid, • I grant her Dress is very becoming, but perhaps the 'Merit of that Choice is owing to her Mother; for though, continued he, I allow a Beauty to be as much to be commended for the Elegance of her Drefs, as a • Wit for that of his Language; yet if she has stolen 'the Colour of her Ribbands from another, or had Ad'vice about her Trimmings, I fhall not allow her the • Praise of Dress any more than I would call a Plagiary 'an Author.' When I threw my Eye towards the next Woman to her, WILL fpoke what I looked, according to his Romantick Imagination, in the following manner.

BEHOLD, you who dare, that charming Virgin; • Behold the Beauty of her Person chaftifed by the Innocence of her Thoughts. Chastity, Good-nature, and Affability, are the Graces that play in her Countenance; ⚫ fhe knows she is handfom, but the knows fhe is good. Confcious Beauty adorned with confcious Virtue! what a Spirit is there in thofe Eyes! What a Bloom in that Perfon! How is the whole Woman expreffed in her Appearance! Her Air has the Beauty of Motion, and her Look the Force of Language.

IT was Prudence to turn away my Eyes from this Object, and therefore I turned them to the thoughtless Creatures who make up the Lump of that Sex, and move a knowing Eye no more than the Protraitures of infignificant People by ordinary Painters, which are but Pictures of Pictures.

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THUS the Working of my own Mind is the general Entertainment of my Life; I never enter into the Commerce of Difcourfe with any but my particular -Friends, and not in Publick even with them. ~ Such an Habit has perhaps raised in me uncommon Reflexions but this Effect I cannot communicate but by myWritings. As my Pleasures are almoft wholly confined to those of the Sight, I take it for a peculiar Happiness that I have always had an eafy and familiar Admittance to the fair Sex. If I never praised or flattered, I never belyed or contradicted them. As thefe compofe half the World, VOL. L

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and are, by the juft Complaifance and Galantry of our Nation, the more powerful Part of our People, I fhall dedicate a confiderable Share of these my Speculations to their Service, and fhall lead the Young through all the becoming Duties of Virginity, Marriage, and Widowhood. When it is a Woman's Day, in myWorks, I fhail endeavour at a Stile and Air fuitable to their Underftanding. When I say this, I must be understood to mean, that I fhall not lower but exalt the Subjects I treat upon. Difcourfe for their Entertainment, is not to be debased but refined. A Man may appear learned without talking Sentences, as in his ordinary Gefture he difcovers he can dance, though he does not cut Capers. In a word, I fhall take it for the greatest Glory of my Work, if among reasonable Women this Paper may furnish TeaTable Talk. In order to it, I fhall treat on Matters which relate to Females, as they are concerned to approach or fly from the other Sex, or as they are tied to them by Blood, Intereft, or Affection. Upon this Occafion I think it but reasonable to declare, that whatever Skill I may have in Speculation, I fhall never betray what the Eyes of Lovers fay to each other in my Prefence. At the fame time I shall not think myself obliged, by this Promife, to conceal any falfe Proteftations which I observe made by Glances in publick Affemblies; but endeavour to make both Sexes appear in their Conduct what they are in their Hearts. By this means, Love, during the Time of my Speculations, fhall be carried on with the fame Sincerity as any other Affairs of lefs Confideration. As this is the greatest Concern, Men fhall be from henceforth liable to the greatest Reproach for Misbehaviour in it. Falfhood in Love fhall hereafter bear a blacker Afpect than Infidelity in Friendship, or Villany in Bufinefs. For this great and good End, all Breaches against that noble Paffion, the Cement of Society, fhall be feverely examined. But this and all other Matters loosely hinted at now, and in my former Papers, shall have their proper Place in my following Difcourfes: The prefent Writing is only to admonish the World, that they fhall not find me an idle but a bufy Spectator.

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Tuesday,