neighbourhood as well as in the family) they went on without minding me. I feated myself by the candle that stood on a table at one end of the room; and pretending to read a book that I took out of my pocket, heard several dreadful stories of ghosts as pale as ashes that had stood at the feet of a bed, or walked over a church-yard by moon-light: and of others that had been conjured into the Red-Sea, for disturbing people's reft, and drawing their curtains at midnight, with many other old womens fables of the like nature. As one spirit raised another, I observed that at the end of every story the whole company closed their ranks, and crouded about the fire: I took notice in particular of a little boy, who was so attentive to every story, that I am mistaken if he ventures to go to bed by himself this twelve-month. Indeed they talked so long that the imaginations of the whole assembly were manifeftly crazed, and, I am fure, will be the worse for it as long as they live. I heard one of the girls, that had looked upon me over her shoulder, asking the company how long I had been in the room, and whether I did not look paler than I used to do. This put me under some apprehenfions that I should be forced to explain myself if I did not retire; for which reafon I took the candle in my hand, and went up into my chamber, not without wondering at this unaccountable weakne's in reasonable creatures, that they should love to aftonish and terrify one another. Were I a father, I should take a particular care to preserve my children from these little horrors of imagination, which they are apt to contract when they are young, and are not able to shake off when they are in years. I have known a foldier that has entered a breach, affrighted at his own shadow; and look pale upon a little scratching at his door, who the day before had marched up against a battery of cannon. There are instances of persons, who have been terrified even to distraction, at the figure of a tree, or the shaking of a bull-rush. The truth of it is, I look upon a found imagination as the greatest blessing of life, next to a clear judgment and a good confcience. In the mean time, since there are very few whose minds are not more or less subject to these dreadful thoughts and

1

apprehenfions, we ought to arm ourselves against them by the dictates of reason and religion, to pull the old woman out of our hearts (as Perfius expresses it in the motto of my paper) and extinguish those impertinent notions which we imbibed at a time that we were not able to judge of their absurdity. Or, if we believe, as many wife and good men have done, that there are such phantoms and apparitions as those I have been speaking of, let us endeavour to establish to ourselves an interest in him who holds the reins of the whole creation in his hand, and moderates them after such a manner, that it is impossible for one being to break loose upon another without his knowledge and permission.

For my own part, I am apt to join in opinion with those who believe that all the regions of nature swarm with fpirits; and that we have multitudes of spectators on all our actions, when we think ourselves most alone : but instead of terrifying myself with such a notion, I am wonderfully pleased to think that I am always engaged with such an innumerable society, in searching out the wonders of the creation, and joining in the fame confort of praise and adoration.

Milton has finely-described this mixed communion of men and spirits in paradise; and had doubtless his eye upon a verse in old Hefiod, which is almost word for word the fame with his third line in the following passage.

-Nor think, though men were none,
That heav'n would want spectators, God want praise :
Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth
Unseen, both when we wake and when we fleep;
All these with ceaseless praise his works behold
Both day and night. How often from the steep
Of echoing bill or thicket have we heard
Celestial voices to the midnight air,
Sole, or responsive each to other's note,
Singing their great Creator? oft in bands,
While they keep watch, or nightly rounding walk,
With heav'nly touch of instrumental founds,
In full harmonic number join'd, their fongs
Divide the night and lift our thoughts to heav'n.

۴

C.

N° 13. Thursday, March 15.

Dic mihi, fi fias tu leo, qualis eris?
Were you a lion, how would you behave?

MART.

THERE is nothing that of late years has afford

ed matter of greater amusement to the town than fignior Nicolini's combat with a lion in the HayMarket, which has been very often exhibited to the general fatisfaction of most of the nobility and gentry in the kingdom of Great-Britain. Upon the first rumour of this intended combat, it was confidently affirmed, and is still believed by many in both galleries, that there would be a tame lion fent from the Tower every opera night, in order to be killed by Hydaspes; this report, though altogether groundless, so universally prevailed in the upper regions of the play-house, that some of the most refined politicians in those parts of the audience gave it out in whisper, that the lion was a coufin-german of the tiger who made his appearance in king William's days, and that the stage would be supplied with lions at the public expence, during the whole feffion. Many likewife were the conjectures of the treatment which this lion was to meet with from the hands of fignior Nicolini; some supposed that he was to subdue him in Recitativo, as Orpheus used to serve the wild beafts in his time, and afterwards to knock him on the head; fome fancied that the lion would not pretend to lay his paws upon the hero, by reason of the received opinion, that a lion will not hurt a virgin: several, who pretended to have feen the opera in Italy, had informed their friends, that the lion was to act a part in HighDutch, and roar twice or thrice to a Thorough-Bafe, before he fell at the feet of Hydaspes. To clear up a matter that was so variously reported, I have made it my business to examine whether this pretended lion is really the favage he appears to be, or only a counterfeit..

But before I communicate my discoveries I must ac

quaint the reader, that upon my walking behind the scenes laft winter, as I was thinking on something else, I accidentally justled against a monstrous animal that extremely startled me, and upon my nearer furvey of it, appeared to be a lion rampant. The lion feeing me very much furprised, told me, in a gentle voice, that I might come by him if I pleased: For, (fays he) I do not intend to hurt any body. I thanked him very kindly, and passed by him: and in a little time after saw him leap upon the stage, and act his part with very great applaufe. It has been observed by several, that the lion has changed his manner of acting twice or thrice fince his first appearance; which will not feem strange, when I acquaint my reader that the lion has been changed upon the audience three feveral times. The first lion was a candle-fruffer, who being a fellow of a testy choleric temper over-did his part, and would not fuffer himself to be killed so easily as he ought to have done; befides, it was obferved of him, that he grew more furly every time he came out of the lion; and having dropt some words in ordinary conversation, as if he had not fought his best, and that he fuffered himself to be thrown upon his back in the scuffle, and that he would wrestle with Mr. Nicolini for what he pleased, out of his lion's skin, it was thought proper to difcard him and it is verily believed, to this day, that had he been brought upon the stage another time he would certainly have done mischief. Besides it was objected against the first lion, that he reared himself so high upon his hinder paws, and walked in fo erect a posture, that he looked more like an old man than a lion.

The fecond lion was a tailor by trade, who belonged to the play-house, and had the character of a mild and peaceable man in his profeffion. If the former was too furious, this was too sheepish, for his part; infomuch, that after a short modest walk upon the stage, he would fall at the first touch of Hydaspes, without grappling with him, and giving him an opportunity of shewing his variety of Italian trips: it is faid indeed, that he once gave him a rip in his flesh-colour doublet; but this was only to make work for himself, in his private

character of a tailor. I must not omit that it was this fecond lion who treated me with so much humanity behind the scenes.

The acting lion at present is, as I am informed, a country-gentleman who does it for his diversion, but defires his name may be concealed. He says very handsomely, in his own excuse, that he does not act for gain; that he indulges an innocent pleasure in it; and that it is better to pass away an evening in this manner, than in gaming and drinking: but at the same time fays, with a very agreeable raillery upon himself, that if his name should be known, the ill-natured world might call him, The ass in the lion's skin. This gentleman's temper is made of such a happy mixture of the mild and the choleric, that he outdoes both his predeceffors, and has drawn together greater audiences than have been known in the memory of man.

I must not conclude my narrative, whout taking notice of a groundless report that has been raised, to a gentleman's disadvantage, of whom I must declare myself an admirer; namely, that signior Nicolini and the lion have been seen fitting peaceably by one another, and smoking a pipe together behind the scenes; by which their common enemies would infinuate, that it is but a sham combat which they reprefent upon the ftage: but upon inquiry I find, that if any such correspondence has passed between them, it was not till the combat was over, when the lion was to be looked upon as dead, according to the received rules of the Drama. Besides, this is what is practifed every day in Westminster-Hall, where nothing is more usual than to fee a couple of lawyers, who have been tearing each other to pieces in the court, embracing one another as foon as they are out of it.

I would not be thought in any part of this relation, to reflect upon fignior Nicolini, who in acting this part only complies with the wretched taste of his audience; he knows very well, that the lion has many more admirers than himself; as they say of the famous Equestrian ftatue on the Pont-Neuf at Paris, that more people go ta fee the horse, than the king who fits upon it. On the contrary, it gives me a just indignation to fee a perfon