Children, Friends, and Foes, and, in a word, ftand as Butts in Converfation, for every one to fhoot at that pleases. Í know feveral of thefe Butts who are Men of Wit and Senfe, tho' by fome odd Turn of Humour, fome unlucky Caft in their Perfon or Behaviour, they have always the Misfortune to make the Company merry. The Truth of it is, a Man is not qualified for a Butt, who has not a good deal of Wit and Vivacity, even in the ridiculous Side of his Character. A ftupid Butt is only fit for the Converfation of ordinary People: Men of Wit require one that will give them Play, and beftir himself in the abfurd Part of his Behaviour. A Butt with these Accomplishments frequently gets the Laugh of his Side, and turns the Ridicule upon him that attacks him. Sir John Falstaff was an Hero of this Species, and gives a good Defcription of himself in his Capacity of a Butt, after the following manner; Men of all forts (fays that merry Knight) take a Pride to gird at me. The Brain of Man is not able to invent any thing that tends to Laughter more than I invent, or is invented on me. I am not only Witty in my felf, but the Caufe that Wit is in other Men. D 4

C

Wednesday,

N° 48. Wednesday, April 25.

·Per multas aditum fibi fæpe figuras

Repperit

M

Ovid.

Y Correfpondents take it ill if I do not, from Time to Time, let them know I have received their Letters. The most effectual Way will be to publish fome of them that are upon important Subjects; which I fhall introduce with a Letter of my own that I writ a Fortnight ago to a Fraternity who thought fit to make me an honorary Member.

To the Prefident and Fellows of the Ugly Club.

May it pleafe your Deformities.

I

Have received the Notification of "I the Honour you have done me, in admitting me into your Society. acknowledge my want of Merit, and for that reafon fhall endeavour at all 'Times to make up my own Failures,

' by

by introducing and recommending to the Club Perfons of more undoubted "Qualifications than I can pretend to. 'I fhall next Week come down in the Stage Coach, in order to take my Seat at the Board; and fhall bring with me a Candidate of each Sex. The 'Perfons I fhall present to you, are an 'old Beau and a modern Pitt. If they are not fo eminently gifted by "Nature as our Affembly expects, give me leave to fay their acquired Uglinefs is greater than any that has ever < appeared before you. The Beau has varied his Dress every Day of his Life for these thirty Years paft, and ftill added to the Deformity he was born with. The Pit has ftill greater Merit towards us, and has, ever fince the 'came to Years of Difcretion, deferted the handsome Party, and taken 'all poffible Pains to acquire the Face in which I fhall present her to your 'Confideration and Favour. I am, GeC tlemen,

Your moft obliged, humble Servant,

The SPECTATOR.

P.S. I defire to know whether admit People of Quality.

you

Mr.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

April 17.

O fhew you there are among us

of the vain weak Sex, fome that have Honesty and Fortitude enough to dare to be ugly, and willing to be thought fo; I apply my felf to you, to beg your Intereft and Recommen"dation to the Ugly Club. If my own • Word will not be taken, (tho' in this 'Cafe a Woman's may) I can bring cre'dible Witnefs of my Qualifications for their Company, whether they infist upon Hair, Forehead, Eyes, Cheeks, or Chin; to which I must add, that I 'find it eafier to lean to my left Side, than my right. I hope I am in all Refpects agreeable: And for Humour and Mirth, I'll keep up to the Prefident himself. All the Favour I pre' tend to is, that as I am the first Woman has appeared defirous of good Company and agreeable Converfation, "I may take and keep the upper end of 'the Table. And indeed I think they 'want a Carver, which I can be after

as ugly a manner as they can with. I 'defire your Thoughts of my Claim as "foon as you can. Add to my Features the Length of my Face, which is full

' half

half Yard; tho' I never knew the 'Reason of it till you gave one for the Shortness of yours. If I knew a Name ugly enough to belong to the "above-described Face, I would feign one; but, to my unspeakable Misfortune, my Name is the only difagreeable Prettiness about me; fo pr'ythee 'make one for me that fignifies all the Deformity in the World: You underftand Latin, but be fure bring it in with my being, in the Sincerity of my Heart,

Your most frightful Admirer

and Servant,

Hecatiffa.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

I

Read your Difcourfe upon Affectation, and from the Remarks made ' in it examined my own Heart fo ftrictly, that I thought I had found out its moft fecret Avenues, with a Refolution to be aware of them for the fu"ture. But alas! to my Sorrow I now understand, that I have several Follies which I do not know the Root of.