'Twas nought but the magic, I find, of her eyes, Made fo many beautiful profpests arife. VII. Sweet music went with us both all the wood through, The lark, linnet, throftle, and nightingale too; Winds over us whisper'd, flocks by us did bleat, And chirp went the grafhopper under our feet. But now he is abfent, though ftill they fing on, The woods are but lonely, the melody's gone: Her voice in the confort, as now I have found, Gave ev'ry thing else its agreeable found. VIII. Refe, what is become of thy delicate hue? IX. How flowly time creeps, till my Phebe return? Whill amidst the foft Zypher's cool breezes I burn; Methinks if I knew whereabouts he would tread, I could breathe on his wings, and 'twould melt down the lead. Fly fwifter, ye minutes, bring hither my dear, And reft fo much longer for't when she is here. Nor will budge one foot fafter for all thou canst fay. X. Will no pitying power that hears me complain, Or r cure my difquiet, or foften my pain? To be cur'd, thou must, Colin, thy paffion remove ; VOL. VIII. P NO N° 604. Friday, October 8. Tu ne quæfieris (fcire nefas) quem mihi, quem tibi, Finem Dii dederint, Leuconoe; nec Babylonios Tentaris numeros- Hor. Od. 11. l. I. V. I. Ah, do not strive too much to know, My dear Leuconoe, What the kind gods defign to do With me and thee. Creech. HE defire of knowing future events is one of the Tftrongest inclinations in the mind of man. Indeed an ability of foreseeing probable accidents is what, in the language of men, is called wisdom and prudence: but-not fatisfied with the light that reason holds out, mankind hath endeavoured to penetrate more compendiously into futurity. Magic, oracles, omens, lucky hours, and the various arts of fuperftition, owe their rife to this powerful caufe. As this principle is founded in felf-love, every man is fure to be folicitous in the first place about his own fortune, the course of his life, and the time and manner of his death. If we confider that we are free agents, we shall difcover the abfurdity of fuch inquiries. One of our actions, which we might have performed or neglected, is the cause of another that fucceeds it, and fo the whole chain of life is linked together. Pain, poverty, or infamy, are the natural product of vicious and imprudent acts; as the contrary bleffings are of good ones; so that we cannot fuppofe our lot to be determined without impiety. A great enhancement of pleasure arifes from its being unexpected; and pain is doubled by being foreseen. Upon all these, and feveral other accounts, we ought to rest satisfied in this portion bestowed on us; to adore the hand that hath fitted every thing to our nature, and hath not more displayed his goodness in our knowledge than in our ignorance. It is not unworthy obfervation, that fuperftitious inquiries into future events prevail more or lefs, in proportion to the improvement of liberal arts and useful knowledge in the the feveral parts of the world. Accordingly we find, that magical incantations remain in Lapland; in the more remote parts of Scotland they have their fecond fight, and feveral of our own countrymen fee abundance of fairies. In Afia this credulity is ftrong; and the greateft part of refined learning there confifts in the knowledge of amulets, talifmans, occult numbers, and the like. WHEN I was at Grand Cairo, I fell into the acquaintance of a good-natured muffulman, who promifed me many good offices, which he defigned to do me when he became the prime minifter, which was a fortune bestowed on his imagination by a doctor very deep in the curious sciences. At his repeated folicitations I went to learn my destiny of this wonderful fage. For a small fum I had his promife, but was required to wait in a dark apartment till he had run through the preparatory ceremonies. Having a strong propenfity, even then, to dreaming, I took. a nap upon the fofa where I was placed, and had the following vifion, the particulars whereof I picked up the other day among my papers. I FOUND myfelf in an unbounded plain, where methought the whole world, in feveral habits and with different tongues, was affembled. The multitude glided fwiftly along, and I found in myfelf a strong inclination to mingle in the train. My eyes quickly fingled out fome of the moft fplendid figures. Several in rich caftans and glittering turbands buftled through the throng, and trampled over the bodies of those they threw down; till to my great furprife I found that the great pace they went only haftened them to a fcaffold or a bowftring. Many beautiful damfels on the other fide moved forward with great gaiety; fome danced till they fell all along; and others painted their faces till they loft their noses. A tribe of creatures with bufy looks falling into a fit of laughter at the misfortunes of the unhappy ladies, I turned my eyes upon them. They were each of them filling his pockets with gold and jewels, and when there was no room left for more, these wretches looking round with fear and horror, pined away before my face with famine and difcontent. THIS profpect of human mifery ftruck me dumb for fome miles. Then it was that, to disburden my mind, I took P. 2 took pen and ink, and did every thing that hath fince happened under my office of SPECTATOR. While I was employing myself for the good of mankind, I was furprifed to meet with very unfuitable returns from my fellowcreatures. Never was poor author fo befet with pamphleteers, who fometimes marched directly against me, but oftener shot at me from strong bulwarks, or rose up fuddenly in ambush. They were of all characters and capacities, fome with enfigns of dignity, and others in liveries; but what most surprised me, was to fee two or three in black gowns among my enemies. It was no small trouble to me, fometimes to have a man come up to me with an angry face, and reproach me for having lampooned him, when I had never seen or heard of him in my life. With the ladies it was otherwife: many became my enemies for not being particularly pointed out; as there were others who refented the fatire which they imagined I had directed against them. My great comfort was in the company of half a dozen friends, who, I found fince, were the club which I have so often mentioned in my papers. I laughed often at Sir Roger in my fleep, and was the more diverted with Will Honeycomb's gallantries, (when we afterwards became acquainted), because I had forefeen his marriage with a farmer's daughter. The regret which arose in my mind upon the death of my companions, my anxieties for the public, and the many calamities ftill fleeting before my eyes, made me repent my curiofity; when the magician entered the room, and awaked me, by telling me (when it was too late) that he was just going to begin. N. B. I HAVE only delivered the prophecy of that part of my life which is past, it being inconvenient to divulge the fecond part till a more proper opportunity. NO N° 605. Monday, October 11. Exuerint fylveftrem animum, cultuque frequenti They change their favage mind, Their wildness lofe, and quitting nature's part, Obey the rules and difcipline of art. H Dryden. AVING perused the following letter, and finding it to run upon the subject of love, I referred it to the learned cafuift, whom I have retained in my fervice for fpeculations of that kind. He returned it to me the next morning with his report annexed to it, with both of which I fhall here present my reader. • Mr SPECTATOR, 2. F INDING that you have entertained an ufeful perfon in your fervice in quality of Love-Cafuift, I apply myfelf to you under a very great difficulty, that hath for fome months perplexed me. I have a couple of humble fervants, one of which I have no averfion to; • the other. I think of very kindly. The firft hath the reputation of a man of good fenfe, and is one of thofe people that your fex are apt to value. My fpark is reckoned a coxcomb among the men, but is a favourite of the ladies. If I marry the man of worth, as they call him, I fhall oblige my parents and improve my forbut with my dear beau I promife myself happinefs, although not a jointure. Now I would afk you, whether I fhould confent to lead my life with a man that 'I have only no objection to, or with him against whom all objections to me appear frivolous. I and determined to follow the cafuift's advice, and I dare fay he will not put me upon fo ferious a thing as matrimony contrary to my inclination.. tune; 12 |