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I think, flows from an admiration of qualities in you, of which, in the whole course of these papers, I have acknowledged myself incapable. While I busy myself as a stranger upon earth, and can pretend to no other than being a looker-on, you are conspicuous in the busy and polite world, both in the world of men, and that of letters. While I am silent and unobserved in public meetings, you are admired by all that approach you, as the life and genius of the conversation. What a happy conjunction of different talents meets in him whose whole discourse is at once animated by the strength and force of reason, and adorned with all the graces and embellishments of wit! When learning irradiates common life, it is then in its highest use and perfection; and it is to such as your

appointed first commissioner of the treasury, and one of the lords justices of England during the king's absence in Holland, and in 1700 was created a peer of England by the title of baron of Halifax in the county of York; but before his promotion, he had conferred on him the place of auditor of the exchequer, being succeeded in his post of first lord of the treasury by Sidney lord Godolphin. In 1701 the house of commons impeached him of high crimes and misdemeanours, in six articles, which, however, were dismissed by the house of lords. He was again attacked by the house of commons in 1702, but without success. In 1704 he wrote “ An Answer to Mr. Bromeley's Speech," respecting the occasional conformity-bill. In 1706 he was one of the commissioners for the union with Scotland; and

lordship, that the sciences owe the esteem which they have with the active part of mankind. Knowledge of books in recluse men, is like that sort of lantern, which hides him who carries it, and serves only to pass through secret and gloomy paths of his own; but, in the possession of a man of business, it is, as a torch in the hand of one who is willing and able to shew those who were bewildered, the way, which leads to their prosperity and welfare. A generous concern for your country, and a passion for every thing which is truly great and noble, are what actuate all your life and actions; and I hope you will for

' give me that I have an ambition this book may be placed in the library of so good a judge of what is valuable, in that library where the choice' is such, that it will not

upon passing the “ Bill for the Naturalization of the illustrious House of Hanover, and for the better security of the succession of the crown in the Protestant line,” his lordship was chosen to carry that act to Hanover. Upon the death of queen Anne, he was one of the lords of the regency in his majesty's absence from his kingdoms; and when George I. had taken possession of his throne, his lordship was again appointed first commissioner of the trea. sury, and created earl of Halifax and knight of the garter. He died May 19, 1715, and was interred in Westminsterabbey. His lordship wrote, besides those mentioned, some other

poems, particularly one intitled, “ The Man of Honour;"

;" and his works have been since collected, and published among those of the English poets.

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be a disparagement to be the meanest au-
thor in it. Forgive me, my lord, for taking
this occasion of telling all the world how ar-
dently I love and honour you; and that I
am, with the utmost gratitude for all your
favours,

MY LORD,
Your lordship's most obliged,

Most obedient,

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THE

SPECTATOR.

No 81. SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 1711.

STATIUS.

-Qualis ubi audito venantům murnure tigris
Horruit in maculas-
As when the tigress hears the hunters' din,

A thousand angry spots, defile her skiņ. ABOUT the middle of last winter I went to see an opera at the theatre in the Hay-market, where I could not but take notice of two parties of very fine women, that had placed themselves in the opposite side-boxes, and seemed drawn up in a kind of battle-array one against another. After a short survey of them, I found they were patched differently; the faces on one hand being spotted on the right side of the forehead, and those upon the other on the left. I quickly perceived that they cast hostile glances upon one another; and that their patches were placed in those different situations, as party-signals to distinguish friends from foes*, In the middle-boxes, between these two opposite bodies, were several ladies who patched indifferently on both sides of their faces, and seemed to sit there with no other intention but to see the opera. Upon inquiry I found that the body of Amazons on my right hand, were whigs, and

* In the reign of queen Anne, even the ladies were strongly infected with the spirit of party.

VOL. II.

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those on my left, tories; and that those who had placed themselves in the middle boxes were a neutral party, whose faces had not yet declared themselves. These last, however, as I afterwards found, diminished daily, and took their party with one side or the other; insomuch that I observed, in several of them, the patches which were before dispersed equally, are now all gone over to the whig or tory side of the face. The censorious say, that the men, whose hearts are aimed at, are very often the occasions that one part of the face is thus dishonoured, and lies under a kind of disgrace, while the other is so much set off and adorned by the owner; and that the patches turn to the right or to

; the left, according to the principles of the man who is most in favour. But whatever may be the motives of a few fantastical coquettes, who do not patch for the public good so much as for their own private advantage, it is certain, that there are several women of honour who patch out of principle, and with an eye to the interest of their country. Nay, I am informed that some of them adhere so steadfastly to their party, and are so far from sacrificing their zeal for the public to their passion for any particular person, that in a late draught of marriage-articles a lady has stipulated with her husband, that whatever his opinions are, she shall be at liberty to patch on which side she pleases.

I must here take notice, that Rosalinda, a famous whig partizan, has most unfortunately a very beau. tiful mole on the tory part of her forehead; which being very conspicuous, has occasioned many mistakes, and given a handle to her enemies to misrepresent her face, as though it had revolted from the whig interest. But, whatever this natural patch may seem to intimate, it is well known that her notions of government are still the same. This unlucky mole, however, has misled several coxcombs; and, like the hanging out of false colours, made some of them converse with Rosalinda in what they thought the spirit of her party, when on

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