No. 428, Friday, July 11, 1712. ascended from the Successful Trade of their Ancestors into Figure and Equipage, such Accounts would quicken Industry in the Pursuit of such Acquisitions, and dis countenance Luxury in the Enjoyment of them, To diversifie these kind of Informations, the Industry of the Female World is not to be unobserved: She to whose Houshold Virtues it is owing, that Men do Honour to her Husband, should be recorded with Veneration; she who has wasted his Labours, with Infamy, When we are come into Domestick Life in this manner, to awaken Caution and Attendance to the main Point, it would not be amiss to give now and then a Touch of Tragedy, and describe that most dreadful of all human Conditions, the Case of Bankruptcy; how Plenty, Credit, Chearfulness, full Hopes, and easie Possessions, are in an Instant turned into Penury, faint Aspects, Diffidence, Sorrow, and Misery; how the Man, who with an open Hand the Day before could administer to the Extremities of others, is shunned to Day by the Friend of his Bosom. It would be useful to shew how just this is on the Negli gent, how lamentable on the Industrious. A Paper written by a Merchant, might give this Island a true Sense of the Worth and Importance of his Character: It might be visible from what he could say, That no Soldier entring a Breach adventures more for Honour, than the Trader does for Wealth to his Country. In both Cases the Adventurers have their own Advantage, but I know no Cases wherein every Body else is a Sharer in the Success, It is objected by Readers of History, That the Battles in those Narrations are scarce ever to be understood. This Misfortune is to be ascribed to the Ignorance of Historians in the Methods of drawing up, changing the Forms of a Battalia, and the Enemy retreating from, as well as ap proaching to, the Charge. But in the Discourses from the Correspondents whom I now invite, the Danger will be of another kind; and it is necessary to caution them only against using Terms of Art, and describing Things that are familiar to them in Words unknown to their Reader, I promise my self a great Harvest of new Circumstances, Persons, and Things from this Proposal; and a World, which many think they are well acquainted with, dis covered covered as wholly new, This Sort of Intelligence will No. 428. give a lively Image of the Chain and Mutual Dependence Friday, of human Society, take off Impertinent Prejudices, enlarge July 11, the Minds of those, whose Views are confined to their own Circumstances; and, in short, if the Knowing in several Arts, Professions, and Trades will exert them selves, it cannot but produce a new Field of Diversion, an Instruction more agreeable than has yet appeared, T 1712, No. 429, Saturday, July 12, Populumque falsis Dedocet utí 'Mr. SPECTATOR, SINCE INCE I gave an Account of an agreeable Set of Com pany which were gone down into the Country, I have received Advices from thence, that the Institution of an Infirmary for those who should be out of Humour, has had very good Effects, My Letters mention particular Círcumstances of two or three Persons, who had the good Sense to retire of their own Accord, and notified that they were withdrawn, with the Reasons of it, to the Company, in their respective Memorials, "The Memorial of Mrs. Mary Dainty, Spinster, That conscious of her own Want of Merit, accompanied with a Vanity of being admired, she had gone into Exile of her own accord, She is sensible, that a vain Person is the most insuffer able Creature living in a well-bred Assembly, That she desired, before she appeared in publick again, she might have Assurances, that tho' she might be thought handsome, there might not more Address of Compliment be paid to her, than to the rest of the Company, That she conceived it a Kind of Superiority, that one Person should take upon him to commend another, Lastly, That she went into the Infirmary to avoid a particular Person who took upon him to profess an Admiration of her. She No. 429, She therefore prayed, that to applaud out of due place, Saturday, might be declared an Offence, and punished in the same July 12, Manner with Detraction, in that the latter did but report Persons defective, and the former made them so, 1712, All which is submitted, &c." There appeared a Delicacy and Sincerity in this Memorial very uncommon, but my Friend informs me, that the Allegations of it were groundless, insomuch that this Declaration of an Aversion to being praised, was understood to be no other than a secret Trap to purchase it, for which Reason it lyes still on the Table unanswered, "The humble Memorial of the Lady Lydia Loller, Sheweth, That the Lady Lydia is a Woman of Quality married to a private Gentleman, That she finds her self neither well nor ill. That her Husband is a Clown. That Lady Lydia cannot see Company, That she desires the Infirmary may be her Apartment during her Stay in the Country, That they would please to make merry with their Equals, That Mr. Loller might stay with them if he thought fit." It was immediately resolved, that Lady Lydia was still at London, "The humble Memorial of Thomas Sudden, Esq; of the Inner Temple, Sheweth, That Mr. Sudden is conscious that he is too much given to Argumentation. That he talks loud, That he is apt to think all Things Matter of Debate. That he stayed behind in Westminster-Hall, when the late Shake of the Roof happened, only because a Council of the other Side asserted it was coming down, That he cannot for his Life consent to any thing, That That as soon as he has forgot himself, he will wait on No. 429, the Company," Saturday, July 12, His Indisposition was allowed to be sufficient to require 1712. a Cessation from Company, "The Memorial of Frank Jolly, Sheweth, That he hath put himself into the Infirmary, in regard he is sensible of a certain rustick Mirth which renders him unfit for polite Conversation. That he intends to prepare himself by Abstinence and thin Diet to be one of the Company, That at present he comes into a Room as if he were an Express from Abroad, That he has chosen an Apartment with a matted AntiChamber, to practise Motion without being heard, That he bows, talks, drinks, eats, and helps himself before a Glass, to learn to act with Moderation, That by reason of his luxuriant Health he is oppressive to Persons of composed Behaviour, That he is endeavouring to forget the Word Pshaw, Pshaw, That he is also weaning himself from his Cane. That when he has learnt to live without his said Cane, he will wait on the Company, &c." "The Memorial of John Rhubard, Esq; Sheweth, That your Petitioner has retired to the Infirmary, but that he is in perfect good Health, except that he has by long Use, and for want of Discourse, contracted an Habit of Complaint that he is sick. That he wants for nothing under the Sun, but what to say, and therefore has fallen into this unhappy Malady of Complaining that he is sick, That this Custom of his makes him, by his own Con fession, fit only for the Infirmary, and therefore he has not waited for being sentenced to it That he is conscious there is nothing more improper than No. 429, than such a Complaint in good Company, in that they Saturday, must pity, whether they think the Lamentor ill or not; July 12, 1712. and that the Complainant must make a silly Figure, whether he is pitied or not, Your Petitioner humbly prays, that he may have Time to know how he does, and he will make his Appearance." The Valetudinarian was likewise easily excused; and this Society being resolved not only to make it their Business to pass their Time agreeably for the present Season, but also to commence such Habits in themselves as may be of Use in their future Conduct in general, are very ready to give into a fancied or real Incapacity to join with their Measures, in order to have no Humorist, proud Man, impertinent or sufficient Fellow, break in upon their Happiness: Great Evils seldom happen to disturb Com pany; but Indulgence in Particularities of Humour is the Seed of making half our Time hang in Suspence, or waste away under real Discomposures, Among other Things it is carefully provided that there may not be disagreeable Familiarities. No one is to appear in the publick Rooms undressed, or enter abruptly into each other's Apartment without Intimation. Every one has hitherto been so careful in his Behaviour, that there has but one offender in ten Days Time been sent into the Infirmary, and that was for throwing away his Cards at Whist He has offered his Submission in the following Terms, "The humble Petition of Jeoffry Hotspur, Esq; Sheweth, Though the Petitioner swore, stamped, and threw down his Cards, he has all imaginable Respect for the Ladies, and the whole Company, That he humbly desires it may be considered in the Case of Gaming, there are many Motives which provoke to Disorder, That the Desire of Gain, and the Desire of Victory, are both thwarted in Losing, That all Conversations in the World have indulged Human Infirmity in this Case. Your |